Thanksgiving from the Belly of a Fish -- Jonah 2

Introduction

In a few weeks, most of us will be eating a sumptuous meal, surrounded by family and loved ones. We will be dining in comfortable homes or nice restaurants, and our conversations will be warm and delightful. It will be a time when thanks will come easy.

But what about the times when comfort seems a distant memory, when a decent meal is a thing of the past? What about times of rancor and bitterness, times of alienation and desperation? Are we so quick to be thankful?

Paul reminds us we are to “Rejoice in the Lord always . . . Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to the Lord” (Philippians 4:4, 6). Sometimes we forget that truth, but when we remember to give thanks even in the worst of circumstances, we discover our strength is renewed and we are able to “. . . soar on the wings of eagles . . . run and not grow weary . . . walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31).

Someone that teaches us this lesson is Jonah.

Background

We’re familiar with Jonah’s tale. God wanted him to go to Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian Empire, and there preach a message of repentance or judgment. There was only one problem with God’s plan, and that was Jonah.

Jonah hated the Assyrians. He wanted them to experience judgment, not repentance. Even a flicker of the chance they could escape God’s wrath was enough to make Jonah find the first ship as far from Nineveh. He booked passage and set sail with the rest of the crew.

Unfortunately, we cannot outrun God. Jonah soon realized this as the waves and winds began to rise, and soon the small ship was engulfed in a horrendous storm. The sailors fought valiantly to save their ship and themselves, but it seemed to be beyond their ability.

Recognizing that this storm may be a sign of God’s displeasure, the crew drew lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. It’s interesting that Jonah hadn’t tried to hide anything from the sailors, having told them that he was running away from God (v. 10). Jonah told the crew to throw him overboard in order to save themselves. The crew didn’t want his death on their hands, so they still fought the storm. Finally, they had no other choice, and Jonah went over the side. Immediately, the storm ended. The crew worshiped God as a result of these events.

Meanwhile, Jonah, who seemingly preferred death to Nineveh, was sinking down into the depths. But God was not finished with Jonah. God sent a fish to swallow Jonah. The Bible tells us Jonah was in the fish for three days and three nights. Plenty of times to think, to ponder one’s life choices. It was here in the belly of the fish that Jonah realized God still had a plan for him, and it didn’t involve being nutrition for a fish.

Central Truth: Even in the worst of circumstances, we can find reasons to give thanks to God.

Jonah reminds us:

1. We thank God even in the midst of dire circumstances (1-2)

I’ve always had a fascination with the sea and ships. One thing I never liked about ships was the lifeboats. Life boats in my childhood were small, open vessels that would leave the sinking ship in the midst of a storm or something and hope for the best. Later, lifeboats were developed that were made of hardened plastic and formed a shell that protected the people in them from all the elements. A wave could wash over it and it would bob back to the surface, no worse for the wear.

Jonah was given a lifeboat similar to that, only better in some ways, far worse in other ways. I mean, the lifeboat was guaranteed not to leak or sink, and that’s a good thing. The downside: It was a fish, and Jonah is in its stomach, mingling with whatever fish have down there to help digest their food. I’m sure it’s not a pleasantly aromatic atmosphere, either. Jonah is completely out of his element if every sense of the word, and he has no control over the situation. In short, Jonah is alive, but . . .

And that’s something. Jonah is alive. Yes, he’s in the belly of a fish, but he is alive. God could have let him drown, but God still has a plan for Jonah. Jonah is alive, and he now has time to consider all that’s happened to him recently. Jonah wasn’t going anywhere except where the fish went, and he has plenty of time, in the darkness and stench, to contemplate, to meditate and to reassess his life.

When you and I think about thanking God in bad times, I believe most of us think that means we look back on the bad time and thank God then. Not so. Look at Jonah. The Bible is very clear as this passage begins that Jonah hasn’t escaped the belly of the fish. He has not been delivered from the belly of the fish. He is in the belly of the fish.

Jonah gets it. Look at his opening words of his praise. “In my distress . . . from the depths of the grave.” Jonah realizes where he is. There is no guarantee at this time that God is going to deliver him, but even now I believe Jonah realizes that God wouldn’t have rescued him if God intended to find someone else.

Jonah understands where he is and why he’s there, but he also knows that God does not abandon His people, even when His people are running as fast as they can away from Him. God doesn’t abandon his people even when we are at our lowest. Remember, through all of this, it is God who sent the fish, and He sent the fish as a means of rescuing and delivering Jonah safely back to shore. Somewhere in his dark existence, Jonah realizes this. “I called to the Lord and He answered me. I called for help, and you listened to my cry.”

If someone can come to this realization while settled in the belly of a fish, shouldn’t you and I be able to see God in the midst of our troubles? We need to remember that we call and He answers. We call, and He listens. God is worthy of praise and thanksgiving, even in the midst of our darkest hour.

1. We thank God even when the circumstances are of our own making (3-7)

I would love to say that I have never walked away from God, never turned away from what I knew to be His will. But you know and I both know better. There was a time in my life when I told God I would have to rely on His grace, because I knew I was going against His will. And I did it anyway.

In those times when we are confronted by our sins, it is important to remember a few things. First, we need to remember that God knows us better than we know ourselves. We can’t fool Him by pretending something didn’t happen. He knows. Second, unless we confront our sin and come to repentance, God really can’t use us as effectively as when we are in step with Him. Third, no sin can separate us from the love of God. Even at our lowest moment, God is with us, calling us and leading us back to Him. Even if I give up on myself, God will not. Satan will tell us otherwise; he will tell us that we can’t be used by God, that we are no longer worthy. Satan is a liar. Lying is his native tongue. Ignore him, and trust in God: “For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life!” (Romans 5:10).

Jonah’s words in these verses reflects that he is suffering God’s discipline, and he knows why. It is interesting to read that Jonah hasn’t yet reached the full awareness of his sin, but he is aware of it. He acknowledges that God has placed him in this less than comfortable position. (Just out of curiosity—since fish are cold-blooded, would it be cold in the fish’s belly?) He sees that God is the one who caused the storm; God is the one who showed the crew that it was Jonah that needed to be disciplined; it is God that that sent the fish to prevent Jonah from drowning.

Jonah sees the separation that has developed between him and God, but Jonah also recognizes that God is still available to him (vs. 4, 6). And I can also see in Jonah’s words a realization that even though things are about as bad as they can get, still, God’s providence prevails in his life: “But You brought my life up from the pit, O Lord” (v. 6b).

1. When we thank God we are renewed in our faith and hope (8-10)

As Jonah comes to the conclusion of his extreme quiet time, he makes the observation that idols are a waste of time and a bitter failure. But Jonah’s faith is in the God who put him in the fish’s belly, and Jonah gives thanks for this and pledges to sacrifice to the Lord. Jonah reaffirms what he’s always known (and why he ran away in the first place)—salvation comes from the Lord.

As soon as Jonah recognizes this truth, the Bible tells us that the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land. I read that and can’t help wonder. The Bible doesn’t say that the fish vomited him up and Jonah then swam to shore, or that Jonah then waded ashore. No, he was vomited onto dry land. I get a picture in my mind of this man who has spent the last three days within the belly of a fish now suddenly hurtling through the air, catapulted from a fish’s mouth like a spit wad, landing in a clump of washed up seaweed. Lying there for a moment or two, collecting his thoughts and gathering himself together, Jonah stands up, brushes off and shakes out his clothes, and thanked God for a most memorable week in his life.

Salvation comes from the Lord indeed.

Conclusion

There are times we find ourselves in a position where the only way to look is up. We are so far down, that we wonder if there will ever come a time we can climb back up. At these times, we need to remember that we are not supposed to pick ourselves us. We are to trust in the Lord and let Him lift us up. We place ourselves in His loving hands, we listen to His still, quiet voice and we continue walking in His ways. God has us where He wants us, and God will bring us out of the valley of death and lead us back to green pastures. In all our darkest days, we can and must be thankful. In all circumstances, give Him thanks.