Is This Fish God's Hand?

We have all heard messages about Jonah and the great big fish (or whale if you prefer). How he heard from God to go preach to Ninevah, but ran the other way. We have heard about his rebellion, fear, repentance, eventual obedience, more anger, his pity party, depression, death wish, and more anger. He was quite character! Like most of us that God wants and does use! Every message I have heard from the story of Jonah, I enjoyed. So much truth there that applies to my life right now, everyday!

But I want to share something about this story that I think is so cool! I can honestly say I have never heard anyone preach about this with this story. One night as I was preaching at the church I attended at the time, this just began to come out of me! I had not even considered this till I heard it coming out of my mouth. Please! I am not saying no one else has ever preached this. I am saying, I just haven't heard anyone else preach this!

Here it is -- I think one of the biggest things we miss from this story is the divine protecton of God! See, many of us have thought and considered that the big fish was prepared, appointed, made ready, sent, commanded, assigned (these are all the words used in many different translations of the Bible for this verse) to go get Jonah because of His rebellion and disobedience. I want to tell you, I think the big fish was there to swallow Jonah up and to protect him from everything else that was in the sea!!!

God knew that Jonah was going to repent and turn back to HIM! The Bible tells us in Isaiah 46:10 that God says HE declared, or announced, the end of things from the very beginning! God knows everything, or HE is not God! So, with that in mind, we must look at all the things that Jonah was rescued from by being in the belly of this great big fish!

Obviously, sharks? How about other great big fish? What about the octopus? Giant squids? Jelly fish? More storms? Other ships? Birds flying overhead? Waves crashing over his head? Deadly sea snakes? I don't know all that is out there, but I trust you are getting the idea. God protected him because God still had a plan for Jonah and didn't want him to die at sea!

I am convinced that God has protected us, when maybe we thought it was the enemy trying to kill us! Think about it! If it were you swallowed up by a great big fish, what would your thoughts be? "This is it, I'm going to die in this thing! This isn't how I wanted to go. I don't remember learning to fish from the inside?! I should have bought a donkey instead of a boat ticket! Nobody even knows where I am!" And finally, "God forgive me and help me!!!" We could all come up with some pretty colorful dialog right here. I wonder if Jonah thought that if he wasn't in the belly of this thing, he might could swim to shore? Or maybe float on some of the things that had been thrown overboard?!

And yet this fish had a purpose!!! To protect Jonah till he repented!!! Then deliver him to the shore as close to Ninevah as it could!!!

Don't despise things you don't understand! You might think it is the end and you are going to die where you are, but it likely is God's protection on you to get you where HE wants you!!!