The story of Jonah is more than an ancient account of a
prophet swallowed by a great fish. It is a
mirror of the human heart—our
struggles with God’s will, our pride, our resistance to mercy, and our need for
transformation.
This is not a literal confession from Jonah but a reflection
on his journey, imagining how he might have spoken if he were to look back
and share the lessons God taught him. What if Jonah, after the events recorded
in Scripture, came to a deeper understanding of God’s mercy and justice? What
if he saw in his own experience a foreshadowing of the Messiah to
come—Jesus Christ, who would suffer, die, and rise again on the third day?
If Jonah were to confess, here is what he might say.
1. Running from God’s Call
“I knew what God had commanded me: ‘Go to Nineveh and call
them to repentance.’ But I did not want to go. I despised Nineveh. They were a
wicked, violent people—enemies of Israel. I saw them as undeserving of God’s
mercy. I could not accept that He would extend His compassion to them.”
“So, I ran.”
“I boarded a ship heading in the opposite direction,
thinking I could escape God’s presence. But I was a fool. There is no place
where God is not.”
Insight:
I thought I was in control, but running from God only led me
into greater turmoil. No matter how far I went, His call remained, waiting for
my surrender. In my defiance, I failed to see that I was not just fleeing from
a mission—I was fleeing from God Himself.
2. Facing the Storm
“As I fled, God sent a storm—a violent wind that threatened
to tear the ship apart. The sailors, terrified, cried out to their gods, but
there was no answer. Meanwhile, I slept in the depths of the ship, blind to the
chaos my disobedience had caused.”
“The sailors cast lots, and God exposed me. They asked who I
was, and I confessed: ‘I am a Hebrew, and I fear Yahweh, the God of heaven, who
made the sea and the dry land.’”
“I knew the storm would not cease unless I was cast into the
sea. So, I offered myself.”
“The moment they threw me overboard, the sea grew calm. The
sailors, who had once worshiped false gods, now feared God. Through my
disobedience, they came to know the One true God.”
Insight:
I see now that my offering of myself to the sea foreshadowed
something greater—the Messiah, who would willingly offer Himself to death for
the sake of the world. Just as my being cast into the deep brought peace to the
sailors, His sacrifice would bring peace to all who trust in Him.
3. Sinking into Despair
“As I sank into the depths, I felt the weight of my
rebellion. The waters surrounded me, the deep swallowed me, and I was as good
as dead.”
“But God had not abandoned me.”
“He sent a great fish—not as a punishment, but as a rescue.
I was swallowed into its belly, buried in the depths of the earth’s
foundations, cut off from the land of the living. For three days and three
nights, I remained there.”
“Only now do I see that this was not just about me—it was a
sign of the greater deliverance to come. My three days in the belly of the fish
were a shadow of what God’s Messiah would endure. He, too, would be given over
to death, buried in the heart of the earth. But like me, He would not be
abandoned to the grave.”
Insight:
I see now that God was using my experience to reveal His
greater plan. The Messiah would endure suffering, burial, and—most
importantly—resurrection. He would accomplish the salvation that I, in my
weakness, could only foreshadow.
4. A Prayer from the Depths
“From the belly of the fish, I cried out: ‘I called to
Yahweh in my distress, and He answered me. Out of the depths of Sheol, I cried
for help, and You heard my voice!’”
“I had nothing left—no strength, no way out, no hope except
God’s mercy. And in His great compassion, He heard me. He commanded the fish to
release me, and I was cast onto dry land.”
“I was delivered from death.”
Insight:
Just as God raised me from the depths, He would one day
raise His Messiah from the grave. Just as I emerged from the fish to proclaim
His word, so the risen Christ would bring the message of salvation to all
nations. My deliverance was a sign of the greatest deliverance to come.
5. A Second Chance
“Then God spoke again: ‘Go to Nineveh.’”
“This time, I obeyed. I walked through that great city,
proclaiming: ‘Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown!’”
“I expected resistance. I expected mockery. Instead, I saw
something unimaginable—the people repented.”
“From the greatest to the least, even the king, they fasted,
they mourned, and they turned from their wickedness. And God, in His mercy,
relented from the destruction He had planned.”
Insight:
My mission to Nineveh foreshadowed the Gospel that would one
day go out to all nations. The message of repentance that I carried to a pagan
city would be fulfilled in Christ, whose death and resurrection would bring
salvation to the whole world.
6. A Bitter Heart Revealed
“But instead of rejoicing, I was angry.”
“I had obeyed God, but I had not changed. I wanted Nineveh
to be destroyed, not forgiven.”
“God caused a plant to grow, giving me shade. I was pleased
with it—until He sent a worm to destroy it. The sun scorched me, and I became
miserable. I cried out, ‘I should die than to live!’”
“And God said, ‘Do you have a right to be angry?’”
Insight:
My anger revealed the selfishness in my heart. I had
received God’s mercy when I deserved judgment, yet I resented it when He showed
mercy to others. But the Messiah would be different from me. He would offer
salvation willingly and with love, embracing the lost with open arms.
7. Learning God’s Heart
“Then God confronted me: ‘You care about a plant that lasted
only a day. Should I not care about 120,000 people in Nineveh, who do not know
their right hand from their left?’”
“I was ashamed. I had been more concerned about my own
comfort than about the souls of others. I had wanted judgment, but God delights
in mercy.”
Insight:
God’s love is greater than my judgment. His mercy is wider
than my prejudices. And the Messiah, whom He would send, would embody this love
perfectly.
8. The Final Realization
“Now I know this: God is the God of second chances—not just
for me, but for all who turn to Him.”
“God’s mercy is for all people—not just for Israel, but for
every nation.”
“The Messiah would come to fulfill what I only foreshadowed.
He would offer Himself as a sacrifice, be buried in the grave, and rise again
on the third day, bringing salvation to the whole world.”
“I ran, and God pursued me. I sank, and God lifted me. I
rebelled, and God restored me.”
“And now, I know—God is not only the God of Israel; He is
the God of all who seek Him.”
Final Reflection
God’s mercy is beyond my understanding. His ways are higher
than mine.
I leave you with the question God asked me:
“Do you have a right to be angry?”
Or will you, like me, surrender to the mercy of God—the
One who saves through His Messiah?
Fr. Abraam Sleman
frsleman@CopticChurch.net
#Jonah, #ProphetJonah, #BookOfJonah,
#BiblicalReflections, #GodsMercy, #Repentance, #DivineCalling, #RunningFromGod,
#StormsOfLife, #FaithJourney, #GodsPlan, #SecondChances, #ForeshadowingChrist,
#ChristInTheOldTestament, #MessianicProphecy, #DeathAndResurrection,
#SalvationForAll, #GodsLove, #TheGosp
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