The story of Jonah is one of the most interesting, incredible stories in the Bible. Swallowed by a giant fish? Are you serious? Poor Jonah, hanging out in the fish’s belly for three days. Yuck! Can you imagine what was going through his mind? Besides being terrified and smelling pretty bad, I bet he was begging for his life! Yet a couple of things struck me about the story that I never thought about before.
Jonah didn’t really know God at all. After God told him to go to Nineveh and preach, Jonah got on a ship and went in the opposite direction. Did he really think that God didn’t know what he was doing? That God couldn’t find him? Jonah had a small, limited vision of God. Verse 5 of Chapter 1 says that Jonah was sound asleep in the hold of the ship during a violent storm. In other words, he thought he’d gotten away with his disobedience. He actually believed God couldn’t find him! I can just picture God pacing heaven’s golden streets, saying, “Now, where did that Jonah run off to?” Give me a break.
God used Jonah’s disobedience to save the sailors on the ship. A huge storm comes up, and Jonah watches while the sailors desperately toss everything overboard, fearing for their lives. He knows full well the storm is probably his fault, yet he says nothing until they approach him and ask him. Then he tells them to go ahead and throw him overboard. After they do, the Scriptures tell us,
The sailors were awestruck by the Lord’s great power, and they offered Him a sacrifice and vowed to serve Him (Jonah 1:16 NLT).
Amazing. Even in Jonah’s disobedience, people got saved.
Despite a hateful and disobedient attitude, God used Jonah to save 120,000 people in the city of Nineveh. That Jonah didn’t want to go to Nineveh is clear. The Bible doesn’t tell us why, but I’ve heard historians say that the people of Nineveh were very wicked. In fact, they tortured people they disliked. So, I’m thinking that may have played a factor in Jonah’s reasoning. Or maybe the people of Nineveh had murdered some of Jonah’s family or friends. Whatever the reason, Jonah hated them and didn’t want them to repent and be saved.
How about you? Is there anyone who has treated you so horribly that the last thing you would ever want to do is tell them about Jesus?
After being spit up by the whale, Jonah finally entered the city and preached. I imagine he didn’t exactly preach like Billy Graham! I picture him standing on the street corner, mumbling what God told him to say. Let’s face it, his heart wasn’t in it. He didn’t want these people to listen to him. Yet, the Bible tells us that the entire city repented of its evil ways and got saved!
Which leads me to my last and greatest point:
God can use anyone, no matter how inept, no matter how sinful, no matter how bad his or her attitude is, to do great things.
So, the next time you feel like a loser, like you can’t accomplish anything for God, like you could never be a good witness, like you aren’t even sure you want to be a witness, remember Jonah and what God did through him. Your heart doesn’t even have to be in the right place. You just have to be obedient!
MaryLu Tyndall