What do you think about this story of Jonah or about the entire book of Jonah?

Question

I am very greatly fascinated by the book of Jonah. What fascinates me the most though at times is my complete faith in the entire Bible. Sometime logic or what you would call reasoning is defeated by this kind of faith.

I don't know what made me to think about the book of Jonah in particular - but it is one of those stories that when you read them, you cannot help but ask the question "did really really take place?"
And then you are reminded that "this is the word of God and everything recorded therein is true in its entirety, no matter how illogical and unreasonable it may look."

Have you ever been in that situation?? A man in the belly of a fish three days and three nights in the sea - and he communicates with God. I think that's amazing, and it needs amazing faith to believe that completely.

Answer 1

I love the story of Jonah too. I especially like how it reminds us that God desires that all be saved and loves us while we are still sinners (like the ninevites) and that even when we dont do what he asks us he will go to great lengths to bring us to repentance and give us a second chance (like how he had Jonah swalloed by a whale for 3 days when he was disobedient). Veggie tales made a great movie about this book, even though its for kids, I love it!

Answer 2

First of all this is not the word of god. God did not put this down in writing himself. This is Jonahs version of what happened.
2) from what we know of the Mediterranean in the bronze age, there is no fish big enough to do that. It does not exist today and there is no evidence that it has ever existed. The largest "fish in the Med is the Mediterranean whale. Can't swallow a lamb let aside Jonah.
3) what you are faced with here are multiple miracles. The size of the fish. The only animal capable of that- just for story telling value- is the Blue whale. Besides having to miraculously transporting one of them to the Med he would also have to miraculously modify the whale throat as the largest thing this behemoth can swallow is a baseball. There are also other minor miracles involved in details like making Johna immune to acids and enzymes in the stomach designed for one purpose only to break down protein and Jonah is a lot of protein. You see the problem.

Answer 3

Jonah is a type of Christ. In fact Jesus makes mention of Jonah, as being the only sign that he would give. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a great fish, so was Jesus three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Tradition holds that during our Lord's entombment he went into the heart of the earth and entered Abraham's Bosom, the saved compartment of Hades, depopulated it, and led all the saints into a triumphant entry into heaven. The Book of Jonah bear close study, for it has many important principles to be learned. You will need to seek competent scholarship on this, however.

Answer 4

Faith moves mountains. Jonah was in the belly of the whale for a reason - think of it as a prison cell - he was able to contemplate the reason he found himself there. Commanded to preach to the inhabitants of Niniveh, he fled, against the Lord's wishes, and, having been flung overboard by irate shipmates, was "saved" by the whale.

His repentance was made whole when he did preach as was previously asked of him.

Have I been in similar situations - yes I'm quite sure I have.

Moral of the story - do as the Lord asks, for he that is commanded in ALL things is a slothful man.

Answer 5

Is these days is the same, sometimes you think you are in the deepest trouble (the whale), but if you keep your faith and pray to God, who never leaves you alone, He'll help you to come out from this big whale (the problem you were facing). Is too bad that know you'll be bombing by the ignorants who don't believe in God, but has no way to prove it, except poor arguments.

Answer 6

I had no concept until eventually a seminar ran by utilising by utilising Univeristy professor, who advised us that the e book is a satire. the author plucked the call of a random prophet out of Chronicles, and used him as his foil. that's poking relaxing on the non secular employer of the time wherein it became written. They presumed to renowned the ideas of God, to be waiting to foretell what he might do and wouldnt do. between the factors of the story is that howdy, if God needs to alter his ideas, he will substitute his ideas. And us human beings shouldnt get so full of ourselves as to declare that all of us know precisely what God is going to do. that's why he makes a decision interior the top to forgive the human beings he became going to break. Its strange that the story basically stops nevertheless, without a suitable ending. to prepare it to todays themes and society: a great variety of Christians, and that i think Jews too, think of they know what God is thinking, all the time. they say God will decide this individual who way, or that God thinks one factor is powerful and the different undesirable. now and back they're maximum appropriate, yet human beings then overstep their bounds. they think of they're Gods mouthpiece, they lose their humility, they give up being open minded. the ethical of the story for them is they shouldnt presume a lot - God is largely previous our information. God can do what he likes. no longer asserting I trust this, basically repeating what a nicely respected uk academic stated - there's a great variety of info to diminish back it up, its no longer in hassle-free terms his opinion its fairly ordinary among scholars. Theres greater too it than that, and that i might motivate you in looking out greater. It became unquestionably by no skill written as a historic account. i like the way that the author is exceptionally scathing and cruel to undesirable previous pathetic Jonah!

Answer 7

I remember when I was in the first grade I had this cute little book that told the story of Jonah with cute little rhymes, and I wanted my teacher to read it to the class. She read it.

Looking back at that book, I'm thinking, "Wow. Did it seriously say that?" and by that I mean, if I remember correctly, Jonah went to another town to tell them to believe in god or be destroyed? Correct me if I am wrong please, and give sources.

Answer 8

jonah is my favourite
jonah was on sabbat this is why he didnt listen to gods word,
he thus thought it satan went and left trying to do sabbeth then was convinced it was gods will
told the warning
the people repented and he returned to sabbath
then got angry at god for making him break sabbat and then god relenting
got upset about god killing a plant yet not about pouring wrath on the people
he ,couldnt comprehend that god had him break sabbat just for what he called a faulse alarm
it shows we are all human ,i believe jesus used this reasoning to heal during sabbat ,yes a simple story but with so many dimentions
only god can make a seed to grow
and so much more ,gods grace at repentance ,the duty of sabbat

Answer 9

The Book of Jonah contains profound philosophical concepts related to paganism vs. Judaism, the nature of repentence, foreknowledge vs. free will, and the providence of God.
Funny how people always ignore all of that and ask, "Did he really survive in the belly of a whale for three days?" (I'm not talking about you - I think you make a good point).

Answer 10

WELL IF YOU WERE IN THE FISHES BELLY WOULD YOU BELIEVE IT MAN