Bible Study from David: Big Fishy

After you've read David's thoughts, share yours! Send a reply email to David!!

DAVID'S EMAIL BIBLE STUDY:

Big Fishy

A. INTRO ... You tell me. What is a Bible story/person/verse you’d like to think through? Favorite, troubling, interesting, important. We’re bouncing around the Bible for the next two months. Click here to email me .

B. TODAY ... Jonah and the Whale, Jonah 1.

C. SUMMARY. This story has astounded people forever and amused them. As Sgt. Joe Friday said (!!), “Just the facts, Ma’am, just the facts”. God tells his prophet, Jonah, to go to a neighboring, enemy country with a warning: stop your wickedness. Jonah refused, hopping a boat to flee god’s presence. When a storm threatens the boat, the sailors assumed God was angry at someone, chose lots to find the guilty one, Jonah got the short straw. Failing to reach safety, they agree with Jonah to toss him overboard. A “big fish” swallows him. Jonah Chapter 2 finds him in the belly of the fish, reflecting on the experience, changing his mind and agreeing to do God’s will, and thanking God for saving him. At that, the fish vomits Jonah on the beach. To be continued....

D. KEY POINTS

1. REVOLUTIONARY, that’s the book of Jonah. This turns religion upside down. For most of history in most of the world in most religions, gods were confined within national boundaries. My nation has our god. Your nation has your god. All of a sudden here is the God of Israel telling God’s own prophet to go to the enemy nation of Nineveh and tell them to obey the will and standards of the God of Israel. It’s as if the God of Israel has no national boundaries. As if God is just God, one God for everywhere. As if God has the same concerned love for enemy people as for Israel. As if God is universal. Monotheism. One God for everywhere and everyone.

2. Seriously??!! God orders man. Man disobeys God. God sends storm. Fish swallows man. Man changes mind, with seaweed wrapped around his head, while sitting in a fish belly. And lives to tell about it. Seriously? I recommend Timothy Keller’s book, The Prodigal Prophet , that compares Jonah and the Prodigal Son. Keller suggests that the truth of truly changed lives, a complete conversion of body and soul and everything in between – that’s as big a miracle as surviving a big fish swallow. Also, whether a factual story or a literary device, this is a great storytelling: humor, pathos, tension, rebellion, salvation, all wrapped in seaweed.

3. It’s not easy being a prophet. All the prophets, including Jonah, have a tough and unpopular job. Invariably they represent God’s message to the king, nation, government, citizens, business leaders, clergy – you’re bad, wrong, corrupt, lazy, immoral, faithless. So shape up or God is going to make life miserable for you and your whole country. Unless. Every prophet has an “unless”; we call it “Remnant Theology”. God always hopes for a “remnant”, people who get it, who will listen and believe and change. Most don’t want to do that. That’s why prophets are unpopular. But as long as they get through to some, that’s a success.