“THE WHALE DIDN’T EAT JONAH!”
Twas a rainy day up north and the tent pitched had been turned into a reading area. Nothing like today to make use of it as my grand tugged at my shirt giving voice. “Come read a book grandma.”
Many had been pulled from the shelf, and a pile quickly formed from which to choose. The soon to be four-year-old knew his mind and it wasn’t long before he saw the one he’d been searching for. Not only did he pick the book, but the story within its covers.
As a children’s Bible was thrust into my hands he said, “Read the Jonah one!”
The stories were ordered in familiar sequence and as most children’s Bibles take form, a picture gave away the title before the story was noted.
“That one grandma!” Thus, I began.
We all know how it goes. Jonah is supposed to go to the city of Nineveh, and he doesn’t want to. He boards a big boat going in the opposite direction, only to encounter a storm. When those on the ship hear that Jonah was running from God in disobedience, they took his word for it and decided to throw him overboard. Then, along comes a big fish and Jonah ends up in its belly for three days before being spit up and out upon the shore.
And just to be clear as to what actually happened, the little voice beside me piped up. “Grandma, the fish didn’t swallow Jonah to eat him. He swallowed Jonah to save him!”
The little one’s profound sense of understanding the depths to which Jonah had plunged, made me pause. I was taken aback not so much because of what was said, but taken aback that I had never heard it quite like that. Like most of you, I’ve heard of the story of Jonah and the big fish a time or two and many an explanation to go along with it. However, when the little voice piped up, I realized I had not really looked at it quite like that.
The story of Adam and Eve being asked to leave the garden has a mixed review much like this one. Some think it’s because God was a tad upset so they were ousted. Yet, truth is, He loved them enough to ask them to leave so He could make a way back for them to come to the Father. It was rather a long road to hoe, but He did it out of love—out of His desire to save not only them but all of mankind who would make similar choices in disobedience. Sound familiar?
And so it goes. Out of love for Jonah, God had a big fish grab hold of Jonah for protection, not to eat him, but to save him.
Both stories are much like the journey upon the paths we trod. In order that He might save us, we must first be saved from any big ideas we have that we can do things our way. Our big ideas never can compare to His. It’s about Him and what He did and continues to do for us—in order that we might find our way back.
“Unless we become like little children, we cannot enter His gates” (Matt. 18:3). He said it. I believe it. Any of my big ideas would not be worth swallowing. Amen.
