Jonah and the Whale: Why Does the Whale get Top Billing?
There’s a lot more going on in these four chapters than a carnivorous whale.
Introduction to the Message of Jonah
Many people are familiar with Jonah and the whale. Jonah was a prophet, called to preach to the Assyrians. He didn’t really want to do that, so he got on a boat going the other way. He was thrown overboard in a storm, swallowed by a whale, and spit out on land three days later. Having learned his lesson, he went to the capital of Assyria and successfully preached to the Assyrians.
So, is the story literal historical fact? Or is it a parable? That question has been around from the beginning. Even the venerable Saint Augustine (354-430 AD) questioned that bit about being swallowed by a whale.
Some church leaders have demanded that everyone believe that it is historical fact. “Jonah was swallowed by a whale,” they say. “End of story.”
But I don’t think it’s the end of the story.
Many church leaders have held up the story of James Bartley, a sailor on a 19th century whaling ship. Bartley, it is said, fell overboard and was swallowed by a whale. Three days later, his comrades caught a whale, and when they sliced it up, they found Mr. Bartley still alive in the stomach of the whale. Intriguing as that narrative is, the story appears to be a hoax pulled off by bored sailors. There was not a James Bartley on ship in question… and the ship in question was not a whaling ship… and pretty much all the sailors from the ship said it was a hoax.
But I think there is more to the story of Jonah.
The Book of Jonah: A Summary
The setting of the book is during the reign of Jeroboam II (786-746 BCE). However, the book appears to be written after the exile (after 538 BCE). So, the book appears to be anachronistic—which means it is a story about events in the past in order to give insights on the current situation. If you recall the 1970 movie MASH, it was set in the Korean War, but was meant to be an antiwar film on the Vietnam War. Thus, the movie MASH was anachronistic. The biblical book of Daniel also appears to be anachronistic.
So, the book of Jonah opens up to God telling Jonah to go preach to the city of Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian kingdom. Now, the people of Judah and Israel hated the Assyrians. The Assyrians were always hostile, nasty, and constantly at war. Jonah resented God’s assignment, because Jonah felt the Assyrians were rotten and irredeemable. So he got on a boat and sailed for Tarshish (1:3). Tarshish was probably referring to Spain or possibly the city of Carthage in North Africa. Wherever it was, it was the opposite direction of the Assyrians.
So God causes a storm to endanger the boat. The sailors try rowing, throwing cargo overboard, but they are still in danger of swamping. They finally cast lots (1:7) to find out who’s god was angry. The lot fell to Jonah, and he admits disobeying God, and Jonah suggests the sailors throw him into the sea. But the other sailors try to row for land.
Notice, here, that the pagan sailors are behaving better than the Hebrew prophet.
But the storm gets even worse, so the sailors acquiesce and throw Jonah overboard. The storm stops, and a great fish (not a whale) swallows Jonah (1:13-15).
While in the belly of the fish, Jonah composes a prayer, thanking God for not letting him drown (2:1-9). Maybe this is just me, but I think I’d prefer drowning to being in the belly of a whale for three days. At least, I’d be praying fervently to get out of the belly of the whale.
The fish spit him out, and Jonah heads to Nineveh, the capital of Assyria. He preaches to the city, and the King believed Jonah and the whole nation of Assyria worshiped God (3:7-9).
But the story doesn’t end there. Jonah was angry that the Assyrians accepted God (4:1). He hated the Assyrians as much as anyone, so he was hoping that God would destroy the Assyrians. He wanted to watch Nineveh burn!
Notice again… the worst-of-the-worst pagans are behaving better than the Hebrew prophet.
So, Jonah went to a place outside the city to pout. He found a place to sit under some vines that gave him shelter from the sun. But the next morning, a worm came and ate the vine, making it wither, so Jonah was stuck without shelter in the hot desert sun. He tells God he just wants to die. God points out (4:9-11) that he cared more about the vine than the entire city of Nineveh.
The Deuteronomic Code
I think the Book of Jonah is really about a doctrine called the Deuteronomic Code.
When the Babylonian Exile was over (538 BCE), the people rebuilt the temple and Jerusalem under Ezra and Nehemiah. They had been agonizing about the reasons for their exile in Babylon. Why had God sent them there?
Many in the religious leadership decided that God sent them to Babylon because they had not obeyed God enough. They looked to the book of Deuteronomy, and many passages suggest that if you obey God, you’ll become healthy and wealthy. But if you disobey God, you’ll be punished. So, the religious leadership decided that since they had been punished (exiled in Babylon), that meant that they had disobeyed God (not following the law).
This was called the Deuteronomic Code. If you obey God, he will reward you with riches and health. If you disobey God, you’ll be punished. This idea was present among the Israelites since Mount Sinai, but it became codified and rigid after the exile.
In Deuteronomy 27, we see a list of offenses that will get a person “cursed.” Disobey God, and you’ll be cursed. In Deuteronomy 28, we see the rewards if you obey God. You’ll be blessed—which, for the Old Testament, is related to material gain.
The Deuteronomic Code was: Obey God’s laws, you’ll be blessed. Disobey God’s laws, you’ll be cursed.
The prophets tried to tell people that the Deuteronomic Code was not how God works. God is not confined by some code to punish naughty people and reward pious people. The prophets said that God operates out of love and commitment, not from some kind of legalistic code.
The Deuteronomic Code is even present in the New Testament. In John 9:1-5, the disciples and Jesus are walking, and they saw a blind man. The disciples asked him whether he was being punished for his own sin, or his parents’ sin. Jesus responded that neither the blind man or his parents sinned, and basically, that it was a silly question.
The Book of Jonah was written to try to end the idea of the Deuteronomic Code.
So, Here’s the Point
The Book of Jonah is about the love of God.
The story of Jonah shows that God loves his people. He loved his people—his pagan people—so much that He was willing to go to these extraordinary steps for them.
If the Deuteronomic Code was true, God should have rained down fire on the Assyrians. But instead, he sent Jonah.
Jonah was a believer in the Deuteronomic Code. He wanted to see the capital of Assyria burn. But God had mercy.
Jonah perfectly illustrated the Deuteronomic Code when he didn’t get to see Assyria burn, but then he got bent out of shape that the vine that gave him shade withered. God suggests that maybe he should care more about people’s lives than a vine. This is a powerful repudiation of the Deuteronomic Code. And, it is a powerful lesson about the love of God to a people fearing that God will punish them if they make a mistake.
If you liked this article, you might enjoy Help! I Want to Read the Bible. It’s a short, introductory book on the Bible and what it contains. Chapters include summaries of the Old and New Testament, basic messages of Scripture, and how the Bible came down to us through history.
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More Bible and Church Resources
Read the Bible in a Year: 52 Introductions for a Chronological Journey through the Bible
Help! I Want to Read the Bible: A Beginner’s Quick Start Guide
Understanding Genesis: The Beginning of the Promise. A Bible Study
Youth Ministry: Ten Non-Group Models
Conversations at the Pearly Gates: Six Dramas for Lent
Holy Week at the Jerusalem Café: Six Dramas for Lent