Inside the Whale

One day God spoke to a man named Jonas, and told him to go to the great city of Ninive, and there to preach to the people, for they had grown very wicked.

How would you feel if you were told to go to a strange city and there tell the people to stop sinning? That was the way Jonas felt, only he should have known that since God had told him to go, God would manage things when he reached there. But instead of obeying, Jonas ran away to the sea where he found a ship ready to sail. So he paid his fare and went on board.

“But the Lord sent a great wind into the sea: and a great tempest was raised in the sea, and the ship was in danger to be broken.”

“And the mariners were afraid, and the men cried to their God, and they cast forth the wares that were in the ship, into the sea, to lighten it of them: and Jonas went down into the inner part of the ship, and fell into a deep sleep.”

“And the shipmaster came to him, and said to him: ‘Why art thou fast asleep? Rise up, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think of us, that we may not perish.’” (Jonas 1:4-6.)

And the sailors crowded together and said that the terrible storm must be a punishment for the sins of one of them. But how could they tell which one it was? They decided to cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonas.

Then they gathered about Jonas and asked him why this trouble had come upon them, and what his business was, and what country he came from, and where he was going, and who he was.

Jonas told them that he was a Jew, and that he adored the God in Heaven who made the land and the sea. And he related what God had commanded him to do, and how he did not want to go to Ninive, and so was running away.

“And the men were greatly afraid, and they said to him: ‘Why hast thou done this?’” (1:10.)

And they asked him what they should do to him in order to stop the storm, for the great swells of the sea were breaking over them.

“And he said to them: ‘Take me up and cast me into the sea, and the sea shall be calm to you: for I know that for my sake, this great tempest is upon you.’” (1:12.)

The men did not like to do this, so they rowed hard towards the shore. But the sea raged and tossed and pitched them about so that they were unable to reach the land. Therefore, they took Jonas and threw him into the sea, and at once the storm stopped and the water was calm. At this the men feared God very much and offered sacrifices to Him.

But the Lord brought it about that as Jonas fell into the sea, he was swallowed up by a whale, and he stayed three days and three nights inside the fish.

And Jonas prayed to God from within the whale, and by the power of the Lord the whale threw him up on dry land.

And a second time God spoke to Jonas and said: “‘Arise and go to Ninive, the great city: and preach in it.’” (3:2.)

This time Jonas did not run away, but got right up and went to Ninive, and as he came into the city, he cried out that in forty days it would be destroyed.

And the men of Ninive believed in God, and believed what Jonas said, and every one of them put on sackcloth and went without eating.

And when the king heard what Jonas was saying, he got off his throne and laid aside his robes, and dressed in sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he gave orders, saying: “‘Let neither men nor beasts, oxen nor sheep, taste anything: let them not feed, nor drink water.

“And let men and beasts be covered with sackcloth, and cry to the Lord with all their strength, and let them turn every one from his evil way. …”

“Who can tell if God will turn and forgive?’” (3:7-9.)

God saw that the people were truly sorry for their sins, and so He had mercy on them, and did not destroy them.

When Jonas saw that the Lord did not punish Ninive, he felt very bad. And he complained to God and said that was just why he had not wanted to go to Ninive in the first place, for he knew that as soon as the people would ask for mercy, God would forgive them, and then what would they think of him for telling them that they would be destroyed?

Then Jonas went outside the city and made himself a little shelter, and there he sat to see what would happen to the city.

And God caused an ivy to grow up over the head of Jonas and shade him. And he was very glad.

But the next morning God caused a worm to gnaw at the root of the ivy, and the ivy withered. And the sun rose and grew very hot and beat upon the head of Jonas, and he grieved over the loss of the ivy.

Then God spoke to Jonas and told him that he was sorrowful because the ivy, which he had neither planted nor made to grow, had died; with how much more reason then should He, the Lord, wish to spare a people whom He had made and for whom He had cared?