The fish swallowed up Jonah, not to devour him, but to protect him. It is well known that Jonah went from his home country to another region to warn the people of the wrath that was about to fall on Nineveh because of their sins. Cut out Jonah and the top and bottom pieces of the Whale. Religious Figure Facts: St. Philip Neri , The Oratory, Ark of the Covenant Emerges from Resting Place, Religious Affiliations of Influential People IV, The Meat Eater couple arrested for child abuse, The Meat-Eater boxer kidnapped and raped a young school Girl, Carnist man arrested for 198 years for raping and shooting a woman. Both to Jonah (a struggling follower) and the Assyrians (an evil people). When God commands Jonah to go to Nineveh, Jonah initially does something no other prophet does after receiving a divine mission. A Broadway version of the story, this musical pairs drama with humor to provide a bit of cinematic insight into the story of Jonah, the reluctant prophet. Real Questions. You lay out an ambivalent response to this question at best, and unless I am misreading, seem in the end to agree with those who dont find the Book of Jonah factual. {]);\?6/hR~7q`kqN?d:EqZ8*{oiLzt-nCO(Y |Mm`jGg+t{w/z|*O~ t?hm God told Jonah to go to Nineveh "and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me" [Jonah 1:2]. Jonah was quite content . The Biblical figure of Jonah and the Book that bears his name are some of the most interesting in human history. Greg Laurie, Jonah: The Rebel God Used o The book of Jonah. First, they tried rowing to shore, but the waves got even higher. There is actually a man who suffered a very similar fate (perhaps what he suffered was a bit of poetic justice given the barbarism of whaling): The records of the British Admiralty testify that James Bartley, an apprentice seaman on a whaler, was swallowed by a whale in February, 1891, some two hundred miles east of the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic. The doctor ordered Bartley drenched with sea water, a treatment which restored his consciousness but not his reason, for he babbled incoherently. Prophet Jonah - Reluctant Mouthpiece for God, The Story of Noah and the Flood Bible Study Guide, Crossing of the Jordan River Bible Study Guide, M.A., English Composition, Illinois State University, B.S., English Literature, Illinois State University, Jonah spent the same amount of timethree daysinside the whale as. Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning. It is one of 'Trei Asar' (The Twelve) prophets in the tanakh, and in Christian tradition as 'oi dodeka prophetai' or 'ton dodekapropheton' , Greek for "The twelve prophets." It is an important book to both religious traditions (Christianity and Jewish) because of its message of doom upon Israel's long-time enemy . The lesson that God loves us while we are living in rebellion is of great hope to our nation today. Unlike other prophets whose occupation, families, and time period are described (the life story of Moses, for example, is told in great detail), Jonah is essentially a blank slate. The story of Jonah and the whale is about a Hebrew prophet named Jonah, who God commands to travel to the great city of Nineveh to preach repentance to its inhabitants because of their wickedness. They realized the power of God and offered a sacrifice to Him. The ocean is part whale pee. A newborn blue whale is 23 feet (7m) long and weighs up to three tons (5950lbs or 2700kg),which is about the size of a full grown hippo! Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Watch. They concluded that Jonah was the one who was making their journey difficult and thus tossed him overboard where he was swallowed by a big fish. Jonah and the Whale Unit Study. Jeroboam II was northern Israel's most powerful king . The captain called the ships doctor who made an incision in the tough flesh. <> It is difficult to prove which Old Testament text is original when 2 books contain similar wording. The mariners cast lots and it landed on Jonah. If we take this literally (and we should) this was probably a rather unpleasant experience. What Does It Mean That There Is No One Holy Like God? Ron: It's true that whales are rare in the Mediterranean, but whale skeletons have been found there. Jonah preached to Nineveh and warned them to repent before the city is destroyed in 40 days. Therefore, he is critical in teaching Christians that God will always come to pass no matter what obstacles seem to be along the way as he is all-powerful. May 26, 2016 - Explore Georgeanna Chapman's board "Jonah and the Whale Snacks", followed by 167 people on Pinterest. God told Jonah to go to Nineveh. Which whale has the biggest baby? Jonah 2:7As my life was slipping away,I remembered the Lord.And my earnest prayer went out to youin your holy Temple. You don't appreciate the gifts I gave you. ~ Hosea 13:16. It is not good enough to pick and choose the parts of the Bible you wish you to apply and the parts you dont, nor is it good enough to fudge logic and tell people to believe things that dont stack up rationally. Concluding questions for you to ponder and/or comment on below: Filed Under: Did Jonah and the fish actually happen? This created a pocket for Jonah to fit into. Tarshish was located on the far side of the Mediterranean sea. Toothed whales, have teeth, which are used to hunt and eat squid, fish, and seals. Matthew 12:40 "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.". When asked to do something he found undesirable, he ran from it. The people of Nineveh heard, understood, and repented in sackcloth and ashes. The lookout spotted a huge sperm whale half a mile off the port bow and gave the cry There she blows! The ships sails were slackened and soon her small boats were lowered. They resisted that request, trying to row to shore first, but were unable to. It is likely that Jonah told the story to his family and friends over the years, and eventually someone decided to write it down so it would not be lost. Then God forgave Jonah and the fish returned him onto the land. Seeking the Gospel in Malachi, the Last Book of the Old Testament. The story of Jonah is often likened to that of Jesus in that the experiences that Jonah went through from his trip to Nineveh to warning the people of the city, represent the kind of death, burial and resurrection that Jesus went through. Arguments against reading Jonah as history: One theory is that Jonah was written after the exile to Babylon (Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah) as a fictional work to counter the nationalistic zeal of Ezra and Nehemiah. Young James BartIey was in the first longboat to reach the side of the prey. A command given to Jonah to preach at Nineveh (v. 1, v. 2). The miraculous preservation of his life there in the belly of a fish (v. 17), which was his reservation for further services. I drew the outline of the boat freehand. As the Book of Jonah opens, the first thing God says to Jonah is (1:2) "Go at once to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim judgment upon it, for their wickedness has come before Me." It is seen at the start of the book of Jonah that he was scared and prideful and thus making him run away from God. During this time of unrest, there was a prophet (the . The next day, God sent a worm to eat the vine. He praised God, ending with the eerily prophetic statement, "Salvation comes from the Lord." The prophet Jonah lived in the Galilean city of Gath-hepher (about four miles north of Nazareth) during the reign of Jeroboam II (793-753 B.C. As soon as they tossed Jonah in the water, the storm stopped. One of the important (and puzzling) things about the Jonah story is that Jonah doesn't try to argue with God--he just hops up and runs away. When Jonah influences the Nineveh people to repent, he is quite angry. Jonah shows us that God's love is greater than our self-interest. In modern days, the village of Gath Hepher is now known as Mash Had. The fish then released him to dry land that was not far from Nineveh where he was to deliver the message. He was then spit out. Jonah is the only prophet whom Jesus likened to Himself. Jonah feels that the people are his enemies and he believes God will not carry out his threat of destroying the city. The 'Jonahs' run between the two 'dens' trying not to get caught, but if they are caught they become whales. Jonah was swallowed by the whale and spent three days and three nights in the deep. Note, God has command of all the creatures and can make any of them serve his designs of mercy to his people, even the fishes of the sea, that are most from under mans cognizance, even the great whales, that are altogether from under mans government. While modern skeptics may find it impossible that a man could survive inside a great fish for three days, Jesus compared himself to Jonah, showing that this. When Jonah sat to rest God provided a vine to give him shade. ASV. (The Greek word for whale is ktos, meaning "a great sea monster." Although it could have been a whale, I do not think it wasfor the Scripture . III. Required fields are marked *. If the story of Jonah was an allegory or myth, Jesus entire point about being in the belly of the Earth for as long as the prophet was in the belly of the fish would be invalid. They skinned captives and hung their remains on the walls of their cities. 6. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/jonah-and-the-whale-700202. 4. % document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); var z14vc2fm0wysuzy;(function(d, t) { Who went to find Jonah? When Jonah was chosen it was just as much for his benefit as the Ninevites. Jonah shall be worse frightened than hurt, not so much punished for his sin as reduced to his duty. Surprisingly, the Ninevites believed Jonah's message and repented, wearing sackcloth and covering themselves in ashes. It's hard to read this dramatic tale without wondering what Jonah's life is like when he isn't in a huge fight with God. This was the place that Jonah was living when he was called by God to fulfil his mission to the people of Nineveh. God commanded the whale, and it vomited . This is like the theory that there was a canopy of water surrounding the earth before the huge flood because water at that volume surrounding the earth would cause a pressure so great that the blood would boil and for enough water to be on earth to cover Mount Everest you would have to dump the amount of water that would fit the volume of the moon. Bob wrote: " For Jonah and the Whale lesson, I purchased a pizza kit and pepperoni. Therefore, this article will delve into some interesting facts about Jonah and how his story is important in the bible. on 10 Facts About Jonah (from Book of Jonah). Salem Media Group. This isnt a gotcha post, I truly want to understand how you square a reading of Jonah as other than accurate with a belief in inerrancy. He chooses to instead, board a ship heading for Tarshish, which is traveling in the opposite direction. Unlike other prophets, however, Jonah responded by attempting to flee from his assignment. There are two sons who learn hard lessons about compassion and mercy in Luke 15. Jonah 1:17, referenced as 2:1 in the Hebrew Bible, uses the Hebrew word dag to refer to a broad range of sea creatures. Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription. Register . Nineveh was the capital city of the Assyrian empire and the enemy of Israel. What Does It Really Mean That Your Body Is a Temple? Cut out Jonah and the top and bottom pieces of the Whale. VO? The great white shark is plenty large enough to swallow a person whole. Again Jonah questioned God because Jonah was angry that Israel's enemies had been spared. Jesus did not consider the book of Jonah to be a fable or myth. To some, the story of Jonah finds a place in the Scriptures, not as a factual narrative but as a myth or allegory. Very very deep to reach its natural food source of squid, the immediate pressure changes would have been enough to rupture Jonahs sinus cavities. Why did Jesus say, Fear not them that kill the body. Prophet Jonah- Wikimedia. 'host':'wufoo.com', Jonah's repentance is . I found a small mistake at the end of the quote of the seaman's story: "James Bartley -1870-1909 - A Modem Jonah." . Like I think Jonah and the Whale from the Bible was written as a play. One of the children is picked to be the whale and he/she stands in the middle of the floor. https://www.learnreligions.com/jonah-and-the-whale-700202 (accessed March 4, 2023). For three days and three nights, Jonah is inside the belly of the fish, where he says a prayer and repents his own sins to God. Jonah was no-more swallowed by a whale than Adam and Eve ate an apple. The story of Jonah and the Whale, one of the oddest accounts in the Bible, opens with God speaking to Jonah, son of Amittai, commanding him to preach repentance to the city of Nineveh. Instead of listening to Jonahs request to die, God causes a tree to grow over the prophet. What God desires from people is obedience. Many people miss a similar lesson when reading the Parable of the Prodigal Son. No way in this case to determine whether Jonah or Joel was original or whether the authors of both were merely employing common language. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Growing faint in the sun, Jonah complained again. What does Jonah do. c!pO:_pcr&. Paste Jonah onto a clothes peg or eraser or small piece of crushed aluminum foil (or anything to give Jonah some weight). One of the greatest prophets during the time of Jeroboam II was Jonah the son of Amitai, who, as a prophet disciple, had anointed Jehu and who, therefore, enjoyed the king's benevolence. The primary theme of the story of Jonah and the Whale is that Gods love, grace, and compassion extend to everyone, even outsiders and oppressors. Instead of drowning, Jonah was swallowed by a great fish, which God provided. They crept up from the rear, so near that the harpooner leaned over and rammed his weapon deep into the whales vitals. Then an ominous slacking in the line signaled the monster was going to surface. As the stricken beast sought to free itself of the harpoon, Bartley and the other oarsmen rowed frantically to get out of reach of the massive flukes, the two-pronged tail which threshed the water to foam in the whales agony. When Jonah heard God's call to go to Nineveh, he went to Joppa and took ship for where? There is a book in the Bible that bears his name and he also appears in 2 Kings as a prophet from Gath-Hepher. Jonah was happy with the vine, but the next day God provided a worm that ate the vine, making it wither. ~ Johnny. As a result of his fifteen hours inside the whales stomach, Bartley lost all the hair on his body and was blind for the rest of his life. Jonah And The Whale: God Won't Give Up On You. 3. About UsContact UsPrayer RequestsPrivacy Policy, Latest AnswersBible LessonsBibleAsk LIVEOnline Bible. I especially read this from your defense of Jesus, claiming he could have been speaking to Jonah as factual, but not REALLY speaking to it as factual. All rights reserved. 1. What follows is my summary of the article The Historicity of the Book of Jonah (p.1474) taken from the NIV Archaeological Study Bible. Jonah. These whales include the killer whale, narwhal, beluga whale and sperm whale. God the makes the plant wither and asks him why he should not spare Nineveh which has six thousand people who cannot discern between their right hand and left hand. (900-60 B.C.) Baleen whales include the blue whale, humpback whale, bowhead whale, gray whale, sei whale, fin whale and others. God scolded Jonah for being concerned about a vine, but not about Nineveh, which had 120,000 lost people. Warren Wiersbe, Darrell Bock & David Chadwick, Destination: Jonah 1-4 Flight 41A And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. If a man were to survive in the oral cavity of any fish especially a sperm whale which dives. They asked what they should do and he told him to toss him in the water. His story of Jonah and the whale is the story that was told to the kids in Sunday school and thus made it popular among the Christians. Two 'dens' are picked (opposite each other) and the rest of the children are split between them. of A whale, being a mammal, is a warm-blooded air breather that periodically resurfaces for air, so would have provided Jonah with oxygen, while its body heat would have prevented hypothermia. ~ Ceto, Wikipedia. The blue whale is the largest animal that ever lived and can grow to 90 or more feet and weigh as much as 24 elephants! God had compassion on them and did not destroy them. For You cast me into the deep, Into the heart of the seas, And the floods surrounded me; All Your billows and Your waves passed over me. They come to the conclusion that Jonah is the issue with their journey. 10. 1:3).Subsequently, a violent storm broke out that was . Most of their dives last about 10-20 minutes and then they have to come up and blow. As soon as they tossed Jonah in the water, the storm stopped. Some scholars like Alexander Hislop believe that the worship of Dagon is reflected in modern sects like the Catholic Church with at least one example being quite striking: YHWH is the Chess Master. The whale thrashed about wildly, snapping at the men and the wreckage with its huge jaws as the water turned to a bloody froth before he sounded again. In the same way, Jesus died on the cross and spent three days and three nights in the grave, then resurrected. Hi Jason, sorry for my long delay in responding. The story of Jonah. Jonah is the only prophet in the Old Testament to completely minister on foreign soil. He could breath, but the hot, fetid odor soon rendered him unconscious and the last thing he remembers was kicking as hard as he could at the soft, yielding stomach. Massive Marine Mammals. It is interesting to note that one of the most important gods of the kingdom that bordered the Mediterranean Sea was Dagon, the fish god. He included not only the fact that the prophet spent three days in the belly of the fish, but also confirmed that the city of Nineveh repented at his preaching. A fish could be any large sea creature, like a shark. II. Of course we could still believe that Jonah was indeed swallowed by a whale, but seeing the original message makes you wonder about the entire story and it's . In other words, Jonah caught more fish in his net than ever before . Keto (Ancient Greek: , Kt, sea monster) Latinized as Ceto is a primordial sea goddess in Greek mythology, the daughter of Gaia and Pontus. 5 0 obj God has made this very clear. Your email address will not be published. I remember being surprised by what the NIV Archeological Bible said about the book of Jonah so I just copied and pasted it into a blog post to get people thinking. Jonah now became angry and bitter because God did not destroy the Ninevites who were Israel's enemy! Yarns of a sailor surviving Jonah-like in a whale have been widely repeated in recent centuries, but no account has ever been authenticated. Late that night, working by lantern-light, the tired crewmen removed the stomach of the whale and slowly winched it to the deck for flensing. With a fun and lively script that is perfect for young performers, Jonah - A Fishy Tail introduces a whole host of new characters, including a beautiful senorita, an irritating . His skin was bleached to an unnatural whiteness that gave the appearance of being bloodless, although he was healthy. Learn Religions. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. I had to put my blog comments on the back burner for a while as I was swamped with other things. Great story! Anything really. They toss him overboard, and he is swallowed by a giant fish (the whale). The Hebrew word that is translated Jonah means dove or pigeon (they are the same family of birds). Of course we could still believe that Jonah was indeed swallowed by a whale, but seeing the original message makes you wonder about the entire story and its message. In short, Jonah could not have been any more disobedient if he tried - and he did! What's the first thing Jonah says to God after receiving this prophecy? They speculate that the whale's stomach acid bleached Jonah's hair, skin, and clothing a ghostly white. Some look to Jesus reference to Jonah in Matthew 12:39-41 to be an open and shut case that the book Jonah was historical. The men of Nineveh shall stand up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, a greater than Jonah is here (Matthew 12:38-41). . The Ninevites repentance doesnt indicate they became worshipers of God, but suggests they ritually asked God to spare them. stream Well, when I go to heaven, I'll ask Jonah." The teacher replies, "What if Jonah didn't go to heaven?" The girl says, "Then you can ask him." The Book of Jonah is almost entirely narrative with the exception of a hymn supposedly composed by the prophet while in the belly of a great fish. On the third day, God told the fish to spit Jonah out, and the fish spit Jonah out on the land. The author greatly exaggerated the citys size in claiming it would take 3 days to cross it on foot (, There is no historical record that Nineveh experienced a mass revival or conversion. The crew made a sacrifice to God, swearing vows to him. Very inciteful. Some scholars believe the Ninevites paid attention to Jonah because of his bizarre appearance. The biblical account of Jonah is often criticized by skeptics because of its . Jonah , 1508-1512. Joppa was a sea port along the coast of Judah, one of the areas belonging to the twelve tribes of Israel. The story ends with God expressing concern even about the wicked. Colin Smith, God In Pursuit, Part 1 From Jonah's home: Shortly before sunset, the now dead whale floated to the surface a few hundred yards from the ship. Leviticus 18:1-23 lists all sorts of sexual perversions, incest, homosexuality, bestiality and the like. Print off as many copies as you need year after year. The story of Jonah is often likened to that of Jesus in that the experiences that Jonah went through from his trip to Nineveh to warning the people of the city, represent the kind of death, burial and resurrection that Jesus went through. Gods sovereign control is showcased throughout the story. The students cut and arranged the half pieces of pepperoni to . Arguments against reading Jonah as history: Jonah 3:9 is similar to Joel 2:14, suggesting that Jonah was a late work, written long after the lifetime of this historical prophet. You can read more in-depth Bible verses from the Scripture below and use the articles and videos to understand the meaning behind this teachable event in the Bible. It was of the Lords mercies that Jonah was not now consumed. The tree gives him shade. Jonah is used in the bible to show the sovereignty of God in that even though he had refused the calling that he had been given, God still used him as a channel to bring redemption to the people of Nineveh. "I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction, And He answered me. He then felt sharp stabbing pains as he was swept across the teeth and then slid feet first down a slimy tube that carried him to the whales stomach. Explore. Bible Based.We believe in solo-scriptura. Thanks for the heads up and the encouragement, EG. Jonah believed that the city would be destroyed as he had been told but he had not envisioned that the people of the city would ask for forgiveness from God and he would grant it. 'formHash':'z14vc2fm0wysuzy', December 3, 2012 By Noah Filipiak 5 Comments, I recently posted on the question, Am I going to hell if I dont believe Jonah was eaten by a fish?. 14:25). The original Hebrew of Jonah 1:17 is dag gadl or fish, great but the Septuagint translation into Greek implied more of an unusual aspect to the creature; ktei megal from the root ketos.