An Unconventional Rescue

Despite Jonah's latest attempt to undermine God's plan to send him to Nineveh by hurling himself into the sea, the Lord rescues Jonah in perhaps the most unlikely way imaginable! He subverts Jonah's subversion and makes a point to do it in a manner that would allow no mistaking that it was by any hand other than his own! He sends a great fish to swallow Jonah! He preserves the prophet's life in the entrails of a large aquatic creature and transports him to his destination. Jonah had run from the Lord going down into the lowest part of the vessel to sail to Tarshish, and the Lord takes him down even lower into the lowest part of hte lowest vessel imaginable to "sail" him to Nineveh! Ultimately having him vomited onto the shore.

And while inside the fish, Jonah prays to God. Whether the psalm composed in verses 2-9 is actually the prayer prayed by Jonah from inside the fish or whether Jonah is the author of the book and later composed this psalm reflecting on his experience and included it here, either way we do see a partial change of heart being wrought on Jonah during these three days. He does express gratitude for the Lord's deliverance and agrees that fulfill the vow that he has made to the Lord. Unfortunately, this is not the character-changing moment that it should be in the story but instead sets up the great irony of the book. While Jonah gladly accepts the Lord's merciful rescue, he still withholds it from Nineveh. God's demonstration of mercy towards Jonah confirms the prophet's fears that he will also likely be merciful to them.