Jonah 2 - Swimming Lessons

How many of you like to swim? Honestly, swimming has never been my favourite way to spend a summer afternoon. Don’t get me wrong, I like splashing around in a pool or a lake as much as the next person, but don’t ask me to do intense water exercise for long periods of time.

In fact, I don’t think I ever made it past Level 3 in swimming lessons. I had learned to tread water well enough to stay afloat, so that was good enough for me. Never mind that people seven years younger than me are life guards and could probably swim three lengths of a pool in the time it takes me to do one, but man, you should see my front crawl! If my arms had only made big enough circles, I might have even made it to Level 4!

If I really think about it though, I’m pretty sure I already started to dislike swimming when I was 2 years old. I was at a friend’s house where I was dropped in his swimming pool. Twice. In the same day. And yes, I do remember looking up through the shimmering water and seeing a pair of arms reaching down to grab me. Actually, I think that’s my earliest memory.

So when we talked last week about how Jonah was thrown overboard to save some sailors from the storm God had sent, I can relate a little bit to how scared Jonah probably felt. Granted, what Jonah went through was a little worse since he got thrown into a sea, not a swimming pool – during a storm, not a sunny day – but I know how terrifying it feels to have water surround you and be unable to do anything about it.

Now before any of you at home get too worried, both of these stories have happy endings. I’m sitting here writing this, so obviously I survived my shallow end diving experiences (please don’t try that at home). And Jonah eventually goes on to fulfill his mission to preach to the Ninevites.

But what about the in-between? How do you think Jonah responded as he floated there in the water? Or as he started to sink a little bit? We have no idea how long Jonah was actually in the water for, but the Bible does tell us that deep waters were around him and that seaweed had wrapped around his head (Jonah 2:5 NIrV).

Of course, I’m just dragging this whole drowning bit out for dramatic effect. We all know that Jonah gets swallowed by a whale.

Or a giant fish. Let’s not get picky.

But if you thought drowning was scary, try to imagine what was going through Jonah’s head as he slowly made his way down to the belly of this whale/fish thing. There are no lights inside an animal. There are no couches or video games or Netflix. There isn’t any food. And even if Jonah did think about eating some of the other fish this bigger fish had eaten recently, there was no way to cook them up! So it’s dark, it’s boring, he’s hungry, and at first glance, it doesn’t seem like there’s any chance of him getting out of this fish without being digested.

But here’s what gets me. Jonah doesn’t respond with complaints or anger… He doesn’t sit there and say, “Is this your idea of a rescue God? Save me from drowning only for me to be eaten?” No! Instead of moping, Jonah prays to God and thanks Him for sending this giant fish to rescue him. He praises the God who saved him from the deep waters. When the sailors threw Jonah overboard, he probably thought that he was going to die. But in that moment, as the waves surrounded him, Jonah prayed to God and God saved him!

Not only that, but the end of Jonah’s prayer shows that he was truly sorry for not listening to God. Take a look at some of what Jonah prayed:

“Some people worship the worthless statues of their gods.

They turn away from God’s love for them.

But I will sacrifice a thank offering to you.

And I will shout with thankful praise.

I will do what I have promised.

I will say, ‘LORD, you are the one who saves.’” (2:8-9).

What was the thing that Jonah had promised? To be a prophet of the LORD! To go and bring God’s messages wherever God sent him, including to Nineveh.

What Jonah did at the end of his prayer is called repentance. This word means “to change your mind.” It means that Jonah told God that he was sorry for not obeying God before and that he was now changing his mind to do what God asked from that point forward. Repenting is something God wants all of us to do when we do things that are wrong, but thankfully most of us won’t have to pray that prayer from inside a fish at the bottom of the sea!

Of course, Jonah didn’t stay in that fish forever. God heard Jonah’s prayer from all the way at the bottom of the sea. And even though it took a little bit – three days to be exact – God answered that prayer when he gave the fish a bit of a tummy ache. This made the fish grow queasier and queasier until it rushed up to the surface and vomited Jonah back up onto dry land! (Gross, I know!).

But as Jonah waved good-bye to his fishy friend and finally started heading to Nineveh, I’m sure he spent some time thinking about the important lessons he had learned about prayer on this adventure. Jonah learned that God will always forgive and save those who cry out to Him for help. And Jonah learned that we should always praise God in our prayers, even when everything around us seems to be going wrong. Jonah prayed in two of the weirdest, scariest, and most hopeless places of life – the bottom of the sea and inside a fish. But in both of these places, Jonah never doubted that God could hear him.

Remember that. God hears all of our prayers at all times in all places. This is true when things are really calm and peaceful, or when things are scary and difficult. You don’t ever have to be afraid that God won’t hear you. He always does! Like Jonah, God can help you in the toughest of times. All He wants is for us to ask for His help, to praise and thank Him for what He has done and will do.

But sadly, even after surviving a storm and being eaten by a fish, Jonah still had one more lesson to learn about God’s love. But more on that next time. Until then, I should probably go find a swimming pool and practice my front crawl some more. Anyone for a dip in the lake on this fine January day?

~Brentagious