Jonah

[Bro. Curtis]

Took a 4-month crawl through Jonah with a bible scholar I very much respected.
Jonah was told to go to Nineveh, which Bible scholars seem to think was in the middle of modern day Iraq. Instead he fled to Tarsus which is near Spain which would have been near the end of the world according to the knowledge of the times. It was clear that this servant of God did not give a hoot about the Ninevites and was totally cool with their demise.
The Bible silent on what Jonah did in the belly of the beast that swallowed him but I imagine he wasn't sitting in a comfortable room with a lamp reading. I would imagine that he probably felt like he was going to die and was completely panicking for that entire 3 days. And he would have been bleached white and his hair and skin would have definitely some shown signs and stress. This guy looking like he did crawled out of the ocean and told the Ninevites they're all going to die if they didn't repent.
He then secured himself a nice spot on a hill to watch the destruction that he was sure was coming. When it didn't come fell on to his face and prayed for death cuz he couldn't stand to see the Ninevites spared.
One of the things I love about scripture is it records the sins of its heroes.
So many discussions could be started on how God uses reluctant servants and that the important thing is we believe and trust him. Jonah does not sound like a very nice guy to our standards today, but God used this hateful, prejudiced man to save an entire nation.

 

[kyredneck]

The Bible silent on what Jonah did in the belly of the beast that swallowed him

Not quite. Jonah, in the fish's belly, is a type of Christ in the grave.

Compare:

40 for as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Jonah 2

With:

1 Then Jonah prayed unto Jehovah his God out of the fish`s belly.
2 And he said, I called by reason of mine affliction unto Jehovah, And he answered me; Out of the belly of Sheol cried I, And thou heardest my voice.
3 For thou didst cast me into the depth, in the heart of the seas, And the flood was round about me; All thy waves and thy billows passed over me.
4 And I said, I am cast out from before thine eyes; Yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.
5 The waters compassed me about, even to the soul; The deep was round about me; The weeds were wrapped about my head.
6 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; The earth with its bars closed upon me for ever: Yet hast thou brought up my life from the pit, O Jehovah my God.
7 When my soul fainted within me, I remembered Jehovah; And my prayer came in unto thee, into thy holy temple.
8 They that regard lying vanities Forsake their own mercy.
9 But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that which I have vowed. Salvation is of Jehovah.
10 And Jehovah spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land. Jonah 2

The following passages from the Psalms are Messianic (Christ's passion and in the grave; God hears, raises Him from the dead) and are directly related to what is recorded in Matthew 26:39, Hebrews 5:7, Jonah 2:

He asked life of thee, thou gavest it him, Even length of days for ever and ever. Ps 21:4

For thou wilt not leave my soul to Sheol; Neither wilt thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption. Ps 16:10

8 I cried to thee, O Jehovah; And unto Jehovah I made supplication:
9 What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth?
10 Hear, O Jehovah, and have mercy upon me: Jehovah, be thou my helper. Ps 30

4 The cords of death compassed me, And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
5 The cords of Sheol were round about me; The snares of death came upon me.
6 In my distress I called upon Jehovah, And cried unto my God: He heard my voice out of his temple, And my cry before him came into his ears. Ps 18

4 Pluck me out of the net that they have laid privily for me; For thou art my stronghold.
5 Into thy hand I commend my spirit: Thou hast redeemed me, O Jehovah, thou God of truth.
13 For I have heard the defaming of many, Terror on every side: While they took counsel together against me, They devised to take away my life.
14 But I trusted in thee, O Jehovah: I said, Thou art my God.
15 My times are in thy hand: Deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.
16 Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: Save me in thy lovingkindness.
17 Let me not be put to shame, O Jehovah; for I have called upon thee: Let the wicked be put to shame, let them be silent in Sheol.
22 As for me, I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes: Nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications When I cried unto thee. Ps 31

( and there are too many other lengthy ones to include here)

 

[Bro. Curtis]

The story is full of pictures of Christ, like a lot of old testament events.

He was full of repentance in the belly of the fish no doubt. The way I read those verses you put ..up it seems he considered the fish a refuge, but it had to be the most horrible three days of his life, ending with a 3-day walk. And as beautiful of a prayer as it is he still snapped right back to the old Jonah as soon as his mission was complete.
Also an interesting thing to me is in verse 3:10 it says God "repented"...... His decision to destroy Nineveh had already been made before he sent Jonah. One of the definitions that the word they use for repent translates to is relax, or ease one's mind.

Any who a lot of disjointed thoughts I know but I just had a good discussion about this book with some friends the other day.

 

[Bro. Curtis]

And I like how your post is showing me that there's still a lot to learn about that book.

 

[Salty]

Not quite. Jonah, in the fish's belly, is a type of Christ in the grave. ...)

Except
for one minor detail!
Jonah had NOT died (physically) or even gave up the ghost.

So what did Jonah do for those some 72 hours?

I doubt he had his transistor radio with him or - his I-Pad.

The one thing he did have was time - and plenty of it.
Just a lot of time to think

 

[kyredneck]

So what did Jonah do for those some 72 hours?

Jonah 2:1-2 ...he did this, very sincerely.

 

[canadyjd]

Except
for one minor detail!
Jonah had NOT died (physically) or even gave up the ghost.

So what did Jonah do for those some 72 hours?

I doubt he had his transistor radio with him or - his I-Pad.

The one thing he did have was time - and plenty of it.
Just a lot of time to think

I think he died and God raised him from the dead.

I know scripture says he prayed, but I suppose he could have prayed before he lost consciousness.

Hard to imagine anyone living inside a fish’s belly (no air) for three days.

Jesus makes the direct comparison (as noted above) to His own death and three in the earth to Jonah being three days in the fish.

Yes, I think he died.

peace to you

 

[37818]

. . . Jonah had NOT died (physically) . . . .

One two literal interpretations regarding Jonah's prayer unto the LORD God out of the fish's belly. I hold the view Sheol is never a grave. It is the nether realm. Deuteronomy 32:22, Luke 16:19-31.

 

[Van]

As one Sunday School teacher to another, I thought I could present an informative digest of Jonah chapters 1, 2 and 3. However what to make of chapter 4 presented me with a challenge.

 

[Bro. Curtis]

It seems like the Jews hated anybody who wasn't Jewish. (Even if it could be justified) I think the tale of the Good Samaritan is noteworthy here because nobody expected a Samaritan to do anything good. I hate to be so simplistic about it and I hope no one's offended but that really is the best I got. I think those BC Jews were a stiff necked bunch. Especially the church leaders.

 

[Bro. Curtis]

I do appreciate how everybody is being so normal down here.

 

[kyredneck]

Hard to imagine anyone living inside a fish’s belly (no air) for three days.

OT miracles. Daniel was safe in the lion's den; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego survived the fiery furnace; I've no doubt God kept Jonah alive for three days in a fish's belly.

 

[canadyjd]

OT miracles. Daniel was safe in the lion's den; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego survived the fiery furnace; I've no doubt God kept Jonah alive for three days in a fish's belly.

And I appreciate that view. I have no doubt God could keep him alive.

However, given that Jesus specifically compares His own death and burial to Jonah in the fish’s belly, I favor he died.

peace to you

 

[Piper]

I think he died and God raised him from the dead.

I know scripture says he prayed, but I suppose he could have prayed before he lost consciousness.

Hard to imagine anyone living inside a fish’s belly (no air) for three days.

Jesus makes the direct comparison (as noted above) to His own death and three in the earth to Jonah being three days in the fish.

Yes, I think he died.

peace to you

Personally, I think it was a miraculous preservation of Jonah. Not sure exactly of everything he did. Probably didn't order UberEats or watch Youtube videos.

 

[canadyjd]

Personally, I think it was a miraculous preservation of Jonah. Not sure exactly of everything he did. Probably didn't order UberEats or watch Youtube videos.

Lol, Just imagine the giant fish coming to the shore, opening his mouth and the UberEats lady tossing in the bag. The fish goes back into the water and the UberEats lady says “hey, what about the tip?”

peace to you

 

[kyredneck]

It seems like the Jews hated anybody who wasn't Jewish. (Even if it could be justified) I think the tale of the Good Samaritan is noteworthy here because nobody expected a Samaritan to do anything good. I hate to be so simplistic about it and I hope no one's offended but that really is the best I got. I think those BC Jews were a stiff necked bunch. Especially the church leaders.

Undoubtably in the same vein as Acts of the Apostles 11:3

 

[Bro. Curtis]

Thank you.

The reaction to Cornelius coming to repentance is very comparable.