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Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.” So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three-day journey in extent. And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day’s walk. Then he cried out and said, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”

So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them.

Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.

But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. So he prayed to the Lord, and said, “Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm. Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!”

Then the Lord said, “Is it right for you to be angry?”

So Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city. There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city. And the Lord God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah was very grateful for the plant. But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered. And it happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”

Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”

And he said, “It is right for me to be angry, even to death!”

But the Lord said, “You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock?”

—From Jonah 1:1–6, 11–17; 2:10; 3:1–5, 10; 4:1–11 (NKJV)

Meditation

Jonah and the big fish—it’s one of the most iconic Biblical tales. Jonah, prophet of fame all around Israel, had a message the people liked to hear: Israel would expand and grow in strength (2 Kings 14:23–29). And indeed, Israel was prospering.

With all his popularity in Israel, he must have been beyond dismayed when God told him to go deep into Assyria, to its capital city, Nineveh. Perhaps he was both dismayed and terrified.

The Assyrians had a dark history with Israel, one of wars and violence. Plus, they had a … reputation.

It was said the Assyrians dismembered and gouged out the eyes of their enemies before killing them, or led prisoners back to Nineveh by fishhooks through their lips, where they would then be tortured and killed or sold as slaves. Jonah could not imagine God having a message for people like them.

So he hopped the first ship going in the opposite direction.

This is where Jonah’s story takes an odd turn, and the cowardly, disobedient runaway prophet becomes what theologians call a type of Christ. Jonah prefigures, or is an early picture of Christ, which Jesus Himself confirms (Matt. 12:38–41).

Let us walk through the story and listen to the whispers of our coming Lord. As the sea roils and the ship’s crew fear death, Jonah has to be roused from sleep—as was Jesus when he calmed the storm. Albeit reluctantly, Jonah recognizes the cause of the storm and sacrifices himself—just as Christ laid down His life for us. Even the ship is said to symbolize the cross, from which Jonah passed into death.

Once again the water, as we’ve seen with Noah and Moses, is symbolic for judgment and salvation, Jonah is swallowed by a fish and taken to the “depth of Sheol,” which is often translated as hell. 

Jonah remains in this aquatic tomb for three days, as Christ remained in His tomb for three days, and then is regurgitated (resurrected) onto dry land, miraculously alive.

We can only wonder at how unlikely Jonah is as a mirror of Christ. The story continues with Jonah preaching Nineveh’s destruction, their repentance, and God’s mercy, which doesn’t please Jonah.

Yes, God’s mercy makes Jonah so depressed he begs for death.

Here the twisting, turning story takes on even deeper richness. We see a glimmer of Christ in a worm!

The wide, sheltering gourd leaves—the traditions and laws of Israel—provide comfort to Jonah as he watches over Nineveh, hoping for a cosmic light-show of destruction. And when the worm of God withers the age-old traditions, leaving Jonah defenseless against the relentless desert sun, Jonah is irate. His expectations have been violated, his national pride offended. He wanted God to smite Israel’s enemy.

Instead, God saved them.

And one day, a baby born in a stable, laid in a manger, would likewise upset every hope and expectation. He would turn tradition upside-down and bring God’s Light of grace into the whole dark world.

Inspiration

Music

Reflect as you enjoy The Wexford Carol that God’s love extends to all.

Let the children’s song, What Can I Give Him focus our hearts on the sacrifice Jonah missed.

Visit our Joy of Advent YouTube playlist for featured videos, our Ultimate Christmas playlist for all our favorite carols, or our sing-along carols to enjoy karaoke style.

Reflection

We live in a divided world, which becomes more divided with every unfriend or toxic comment. Metaphorically, we’re more and more treating our “enemies” like the Assyrian’s treated theirs. Are we like Jonah? Do we forget that the meme that so offends us was posted by another human being? A person crafted by God, in His image? We forget that God cares about them every bit as much as He cares about us. He longs to give them—no, not our political or social message—but His message of Grace through Christ. Reflect on how you can embody God’s message everywhere and to every person today.

Prayer

Come and show your people the way to salvation. Protect, O Lord, Thy suppliants, support their weakness, and wash away their earthly stains; and while they walk amid the darkness of this mortal life, do Thou ever quicken them by Thy light; deliver them in Thy mercy from all evils, and grant them to attain the height of good: through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

(Ancient Collects, and Other Prayers, William Bright, 1902)

Family Celebration 

In your child’s favorite Children’s Bible, read the story of Jonah.

Say: Why do you think Jonah’s story is in the Bible? Sure, Jonah should have obeyed God. Disobeying God caused him a lot of trouble, didn’t it? Jonah is not in Jesus’s family tree, but he is an early whisper of Jesus. How long was Jonah in the fish’s belly? How long was Jesus in the grave? There are other ways Jonah was like Jesus, so that’s why we remember Jonah and the big fish today.

Especially for Toddlers and PreK

Resources

• For a family Movie Night, try the Veggie Tales feature, Jonah.

• Could Jonah have survived? Some commentators say he died and was brought back to life, but others believe that may not have been necessary.

• Did you know that Jonah’s prayer is read on the afternoon of Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar? Read more about Jonah’s prayer here.

• Enjoy a printable coloring page of Jonah and the Whale.

• Would you like to make Jesse Tree ornaments to accompany your readings? Find tutorials and ideas from simple to advanced at our Jesse Tree Ornaments Pinterest board.

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