I love quirky news stories, especially the ones that can be a springboard to dive deep into spiritual realities. They can kind of jolt us out of our complacency and help us realize that life is full of surprises. It’s easy to just rock along as one day blurs into the next, but sometimes there is an interruption. Here is one such story:
A whale swallowed Michael Packard for 40 seconds, while he was diving in deep waters off Cape Cod in search of lobsters.
“All of a sudden, I felt this huge shove and the next thing I knew it was completely black,” Michael relates. Confused at first, he then realized he was in a humpback whale’s mouth and that it was trying to swallow him. “I thought to myself, ‘there’s no way I’m getting out of here. I’m done, I’m dead.’ All I could think of was my boys—they’re 12 and 15 years old.” Then the whale surfaced, shook its head, and spat the ill-tasting morsel out into the ocean, where Michael was rescued by his first mate, who was looking for him in their boat.1
For many of us this news piece will bring to mind the Old Testament story of the prophet Jonah.
Jonah was commanded by God to go to Nineveh, the flourishing capital city of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. It had been the largest city in the world for 50 years. God’s purpose was to warn the people to repent of their wicked deeds, of which Nineveh had plenty.
Well, instead of obeying God and going to Nineveh, Jonah ships off to Spain, which was in the opposite direction. But God’s plan would not be foiled, so He had a hurricane-force gale blow, to the dismay of everyone on board. After doing all they could to escape certain calamity, the crew tossed Jonah overboard thinking to appease God. It seemed to work, because the ocean became calm.
Jonah was then swallowed by a whale (or a “great fish”). He spent three days and nights in the belly of the whale, and he finally cried out desperately to God, pleading for deliverance. God answered his prayers and had the whale spit him out on dry land.
Guess what happened next? That’s right! Jonah went where God had told him to go, to Nineveh. There he preached God’s warning: “Forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” (Jonah 3:4). In one translation of this verse, instead of overthrown, the word “overturned” is used, which can also mean completely transformed, which is what happened.
The people of Nineveh repented and God spared them. But was Jonah happy to see the Ninevites have a change of heart? No! He was angry at God for having had mercy; he complained that the Ninevites didn’t get what he felt they deserved.
Jonah left the city to sulk. It was extremely hot, but God had a broad-leafed plant grow up to provide shade. Jonah was starting to feel better. But at dawn the next day a worm attacked the plant and it shriveled up and died. Then a vehement east wind came blowing and heating up Jonah some more until he said he was ready to die to escape.
God ended the story by saying to Jonah, “You were upset about this little plant, something for which you have not worked nor did you do anything to make it grow. It grew up overnight and died the next day. Should I not be even more concerned about Nineveh, this enormous city? There are more than one hundred twenty thousand people in it who do not know right from wrong, as well as many animals!” (Jonah 4:10–11 NET).
This is more than just a story about a disobedient prophet. It is a story about God working, about His constant presence. He is the God of Jonah, even when he was running in the wrong direction. He is also the God of the ship’s crew, even though they were from a different culture and beliefs. He is also the God of the whale, the God of the Ninevites, who rebelled but repented, the God of the plant, the God of the worm, and the God of the east wind. Where is God not in this story? He is everywhere! He never sleeps or turns a blind eye!
He’s on every page of our life’s story as well, and it behooves us to open our eyes and take to heart what He says to us in the Bible. And the next time you face challenges, disappointment, or hardship, remember who is the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2 NKJV) and trust Him for the outcome.