Obedience is difficult for humans and is unpleasant for most people. Obeying God is a privilege and a human duty. In the narrative of Jonah’s biographical book, the obedience of a fish, probably a whale, is an amazing illustration for disciples to follow. The fish’s spontaneous, meticulous, and absolute obedience is beyond human understanding. But not a surprise, as all creation is under the reign of God. The world would be transformed and blessed if each of the disciples of the Lord could obey like the whale did.
Vicinity of the ship: God commanded the particular whale to move towards the ship buffeted by strong winds. (Jonah 1:17) The whale was present on the exact spot at the time when the captain of the ship and the other men reluctantly decided to throw the disobedient prophet into the sea.
Swallow: God instructed the fish to swallow Jonah. The obedient whale swallowed Jonah. It did not bite, so he could not be injured. It acted with tenderness. He did not get wounds or scratches. The animal instinct to behave irrationally and brutally did not happen. Though Jonah reached the stomach, no secretion of digestive liquids would have dissolved him. For three days, the whale had to keep Jonah in its custody. This is similar to the judicial practice of placing culprits in the judicial system’s custody.
Shores of Nineveh: The fish swam to the shores of Nineveh as God had directed. It was not purposelessly swimming around in the Mediterranean Sea. It did not choose the destination, but the Lord chose to fulfill His purpose.
Vomit: God accepted the pleas of Jonah, his willingness to do God’s will, and spared his life. He commanded the fish to vomit Jonah onto land. (Jonah 2:10) The fish was relieved and happy that it could fulfil the task given to the Lord. Perhaps Jonah needed a good bath and new clothing. Surely, God made provision for that for Jonah. So, Jonah was able to do the ministry for which he was called.
Am I an obedient disciple of the Lord?