Buff Scott Jr.
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Jonah’s Journey In The Belly
Of an Ocean Creature
Part 2
Since Part 1 of this topic was composed, a few questions have arisen relative to what kind of creature swallowed Jonah. The biblical record says, “And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.” Was the “great fish” a whale, a shark, or some other ocean creature?
Among my favorite Hebrew/Greek Scholars is Adam Clarke. Over 200 years ago, he wrote, “This could not have been a whale, for the throat of that animal can scarcely admit a man’s leg; but it might have been a shark...whose mouth and stomach are exceedingly capacious. In several cases they have been known to swallow a man when thrown overboard” (Vol. IV, p. 701).
I disagree with Clarke on one part of his statement, where he says, “This could not have been a whale.” And I say, “Oh, yes, my dear Adam Clarke, it could have been a whale if the Lord willed it.” Did God will it? We simply don’t know. But one thing we do know: It was some kind of an ocean creature.
As you might recall, at the end of last week’s column on Jonah, I asked: 1) Is the story of Jonah real or Fictional? 2) Did Jonah have a temperament problem?” Yes, the Book of Jonah is as real as the God who created Earth and the Universe! For if the story of Jonah is not divinely authentic, our Lord Jesus’ trustworthiness can be questioned.
However, Jesus told the sectarians of His time, the scribes and the Pharisees, “This evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah” (Matt. 12:38-41). Jesus affirmed that Jonah was a real person in real life. And, yes, the “great fish” that swallowed him was also validated by our Messiah.
But did Jonah have a temperament defect? Better still, was his personality off-center when he argued with God after that great wicked city Nineveh was saved? Yes. Not all of us are saddled with the same personality. Paul’s personality was different from Peter’s. John’s personality differed from John’s. People have unique personalities made up of a complex combination of different traits. Some traits are positive, and some are negative. That’s all of us! Personality traits affect how people understand and relate to others around them, as well as how they see themselves.
It displeased Jonah and he was angry because that wicked city was not destroyed (see 4:1-3). His anger prompted him to ask the Lord to “take my life from me.” But it was because of Jonah’s prophecy that prompted the entire city to repent in ashes! Even the King of Nineveh laid his kingly robe aside and covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in ashes. “When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, He relented of the disaster, and He did not do it” (3:10).
God understands the physical and mental make-up of all of us. He is knowledgeable of every fiber of our being—from head-to-toe and internally and externally. He is aware of every cause that affects us. He understood Prophet Jonah’s imperfections and He made allowances by blessing and saving him. He will make allowances for us, too, for His love and grace surely compensate for our fleshly weaknesses. Otherwise, we will never be saved eternally. Praise His Holy Name!
Among my favorite Hebrew/Greek Scholars is Adam Clarke. Over 200 years ago, he wrote, “This could not have been a whale, for the throat of that animal can scarcely admit a man’s leg; but it might have been a shark...whose mouth and stomach are exceedingly capacious. In several cases they have been known to swallow a man when thrown overboard” (Vol. IV, p. 701).
I disagree with Clarke on one part of his statement, where he says, “This could not have been a whale.” And I say, “Oh, yes, my dear Adam Clarke, it could have been a whale if the Lord willed it.” Did God will it? We simply don’t know. But one thing we do know: It was some kind of an ocean creature.
As you might recall, at the end of last week’s column on Jonah, I asked: 1) Is the story of Jonah real or Fictional? 2) Did Jonah have a temperament problem?” Yes, the Book of Jonah is as real as the God who created Earth and the Universe! For if the story of Jonah is not divinely authentic, our Lord Jesus’ trustworthiness can be questioned.
However, Jesus told the sectarians of His time, the scribes and the Pharisees, “This evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah” (Matt. 12:38-41). Jesus affirmed that Jonah was a real person in real life. And, yes, the “great fish” that swallowed him was also validated by our Messiah.
But did Jonah have a temperament defect? Better still, was his personality off-center when he argued with God after that great wicked city Nineveh was saved? Yes. Not all of us are saddled with the same personality. Paul’s personality was different from Peter’s. John’s personality differed from John’s. People have unique personalities made up of a complex combination of different traits. Some traits are positive, and some are negative. That’s all of us! Personality traits affect how people understand and relate to others around them, as well as how they see themselves.
It displeased Jonah and he was angry because that wicked city was not destroyed (see 4:1-3). His anger prompted him to ask the Lord to “take my life from me.” But it was because of Jonah’s prophecy that prompted the entire city to repent in ashes! Even the King of Nineveh laid his kingly robe aside and covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in ashes. “When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, He relented of the disaster, and He did not do it” (3:10).
God understands the physical and mental make-up of all of us. He is knowledgeable of every fiber of our being—from head-to-toe and internally and externally. He is aware of every cause that affects us. He understood Prophet Jonah’s imperfections and He made allowances by blessing and saving him. He will make allowances for us, too, for His love and grace surely compensate for our fleshly weaknesses. Otherwise, we will never be saved eternally. Praise His Holy Name!
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Endnotes— Nineveh’s ruins are in the vicinity of Mosul, in the northern part of Iraq. It is a significant archaeological site. It was destroyed 100 years later by the Babylonians and Medes, even though it had walls one-hundred feet high, and so broad three chariots could run abreast upon them. The ancient city’s population peaked between 100,000-120,000 before its destruction. Nineveh existed 858 years before the birth of Christ. And history continues to unfold itself as God, its Author, reveals it.
