Trusting God in Uncertainties: A Reflection on Jonah 1:17, Rev Dr John Kwasi Fosu
Amazing Grace Baptist Church, Hamburg Bible Study Material on Jonah 1:17
Introduction
This study provides a reflective commentary on Jonah 1:17. Special attention is given to Jesus’s reference to Jonah’s experience and the role of God in Jonah’s abode in the fish’s belly before drawing some conclusions.
Understanding Jonah 1:17
After describing what happened to the sailors in Jonah 1:16, Jonah 1:17 states that the “Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.” Much has been written about the kind of fish and the length of days Jonah spent in the belly of the fish. The particular type of fish is not recorded just that it was huge.
Jesus refers to Jonah’s experience
The possibility of Jonah’s experience in the belly of the fish has been questioned liberal interpretators of the book of Jonah. However, Jonah 1:17 serves as the catalyst for Jonah’s journey of repentance and transformation. Jesus compared Jonah’s time in the fish’s belly and His own death and resurrection (Matt. 12:40). This allusion underscores the preparatory nature of Jonah’s experience.
Perspectives about God in Jonah 1:17
Jonah 1:17 presents God as the active agent in Jonah’s experience. In this light, the nature of God as omnipresence depicted in Psalm 139:7-10 is echoed in Jonah’s story. Like, Jonah, we cannot escape God’s presence. God used the storm, the fish and the circumstance to fulfil His plan for Jonah and the people of Nineveh. Thus, Jonah’s experience with God reminds us that God’s plans surpass our fears. Our missteps can be reordered for God’s divine purpose. “The Lord appointed a great fish” highlights God’s supreme power and ability to use any means to bring us back onto His intended path.
Application and Conclusion
Attention has been drawn to the fact that the duration of “three days and three nights” in the belly of the fish is not to be calculated 24 hours times 3. The emphasis here is not the literal periods to be calculated. Others think that it was like a period of death in the belly of the fish. These views are, however, not clear in the passage. It is most likely that Jonah’s time in the fish’s belly symbolises a period of contemplation, repentance, and transformation. It could serve as a period of darkness and preparation for a new chapter.
Reflecting on Jonah 1:17 brings out certain important lessons on obedience, repentance, and the saving power of God’s grace. It is an invitation to reflect on how we respond to God’s calling in our lives. In terms of uncertainties, we can still trust in God’s plan. If God’s sovereignty was still at work in Jonah’s fragile situation, then God is still at work in our uncertain times too.
Questions
- What is the role of God in Jonah’s experience in the belly of the fish?
- How did Jesus relate to Jonah’s experience?
- Can we trust God in uncertainties? And how?
