When the Book of Jonah comes up, most people think of the fish. The fish plays a dominant role in the Veggies Tale version of the Old Testament minor prophet. Church art tends to focus on the whale. Apologists seek to find a fish big enough to hold Jonah.
But the four chapter prophet is not about the fish. The book’s 48 verses refer to the fish four times in three different verses. God is mentioned 38 times in 28 verses.
Everything in the book does what God wants. God speaks and the storm starts, intensifies and stops. The fish swallows and vomits on God”s command. When the Ninevites hear God”s word, they repent and fast. The plant grows and shades exactly as God asks. The worm eats and kills per the LORD”s instructions. God tells the wind to blow and blister and it does just that. Even Jonah who drags his feet ends up being the means by which a
ship full of sailors worship the Lord and a city of wicked people believe in God. God tells Jonah to go preach and he does.
While Jonah may lack in practice, he perfects in his theology. He tells his struggling shipmates, “I am a Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land” (Jon 1:9).
Jonah tells us about God who rules over heaven and earth.
The world”s Jonahs distract us. They push their own agenda (see Jonah 4:1f). They seek their own comfort (see Jonah 1:2f). They respond negatively when they don”t get their own way (See Jonah 4 again).
But God has his way, even with Jonah.
The Book of Jonah is not about the great wicked city of Nineveh. It is not about the plant that grows up over night as if it were nurtured in pure Miracle Grow. It”s not about the worm that “smites” the plant like a Superworm. It”s not about a fish that can swallow but not digest the praying prophet.
It”s not about what we can”t do. It”s not about the mission being too big, wickedness too entrenched, the dream too risky, the project too expensive. The Jonahs around us remind us of all those things.
It”s not about the fish.
It”s about God.