Jonah 1:4, “But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.” Jonah 1:17, “Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.” Jonah 2:10, “And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.”
God had told the prophet Jonah to go preach the Gospel to Nineveh (the capital city of Assyria). Jonah was a contemporary prophet with Amos, Micah and Isaiah. Jonah was written at 780 BC. But Jonah fled and went to Tarshish instead of Nineveh. Since Jonah had his own freewill, God did not force him to obey Him. Humans are not robots and God does not force us to obey Him. But the Lord does chastise us as His children when we disobey (Hebrews 12:6-8). Jonah ran from God's will. So the Lord sent a big storm, that caused Jonah to be thrown overboard by his shipmates.
Jonah actually told them to toss him overboard, knowing that he was wrong to disobey God. The men didn't want to cast Jonah into the sea, but eventually had no choice if they were to survive (Jonah 1:10-15). Then God prepared a great fish (Matthew 12:40 call it a “whale”). So God sent the storm. God sent the whale. And then God spoke to the fish. I love that! Jonah 2:10 says God spake to the fish, and he vomited up Jonah. I like a joke that Pastor Ralph 'Yankee' Arnold told. He said that: “Every believer gets depressed sometimes. Look at Jonah, he was down in the mouth, but everything worked out okay!” I thought that was funny... DOWN IN THE MOUTH? (of the whale)...lol.
God prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. Jonah decided to serve God after God had sent the fish to eat him. The New Testament says a "whale" ate him (Matthew 12:40). So Jonah still had his freewill. Yet, God took control of the circumstances, and sent a whale to do His will. I don't know if there is a theological term for that, and I don't want to know. I hate apologetics, because I think it confuses the common man. We ought to study the Bible, and not apply a bunch of manmade theological terms to it, which I think drives millions of people away from the Bible. We don't need more edurcated Bible college wannabe-scholars in the pulpit today, we need simple men who put the cookie-jar on the bottom shelf where the common man can reach it!
Consider Joseph, who suffered in a cruel prison for likely at least 12 years, hurting in shackles on his ankles (Psalms 105:16-18). Joseph's brothers had betrayed him, selling him into slavery. Joseph felt abandoned by his family and God. But Joseph did right and kept his faith in God, and the Lord had a plan for Joseph. The Bible says in Psalms 105:16b that God Himself, “called for a famine upon the land.” Had there not been a famine, Joseph never would have been promoted by Pharaoh to be the governor over all of Egypt. Had there not been a famine sent by God, Joseph's half-brothers never would have come to Egypt for food. God sent the famine to accomplish His sovereign will.
If you are a redeemed child of God, the Lord has a plan and purpose for your life. If you are still alive, God is not done with you! It is important that we don't compare our life to someone else, because each of our situations are different. I got hit by a church bus in 1992, which led to Cervical Degenerative Disk Disease (stenosis) in 2004. I fell at work in 2005 and my neck worsened with radiculopathy (radiating pain in my arms and legs). I have prayed hundreds of times (Paul only prayed three times for his thorn to be removed), but this is a burden (a thorn in my flesh) that I have to bear for the rest of my life.
Just like Jonah and Joseph, I know God is working behind the scenes in my life, according to His will. Philippians 2:13, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” My afflictions keep me humble. It would be easy for me to compare my life to others, and become frustrated, but I just LOOK TO JESUS, Who is the Author and Finisher of my faith (Hebrews). Hebrews 12:2, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
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