Good morning. It’s Friday, March 20th, aka the first day of Spring.

🥳 Congratulations on starting today with God, and thank you for letting us be a part of it.

— Jonah 1:17

Was Jonah actually swallowed by a whale?

Well, in Jonah 1:17, it says, “Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.”

So the Bible doesn’t say a whale, it says a great fish.

And the term “whale” or even “great fish” isn’t really used anywhere else in the Bible in the exact same way.

The original Hebrew in Jonah 1:17 is dag gadol. Dag means “fish,” and gadol means “great” or “large,” so together it literally means “great fish” or “large sea creature.”

And when Jesus talks about this story in Matthew 12:40, He says “the great fish.” The Greek word used there is ketos, which means a large sea creature.

So even looking at both the Hebrew and the Greek, the Bible never clearly identifies it as a whale.

But if we were to look at all the sea creatures that could fit the description of a “great fish,” the most likely answer would be something like a whale.

But this isn’t the important thing, distinguishing between what actually swallowed Jonah. It’s why.

Most people think that God saved Jonah from the fish, but what actually happened is God saved Jonah using the fish.

Because Jonah 2:10 says, “And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.”

And earlier, in Jonah 1:15, it says, “So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging.”

Jonah was running from God, got thrown into the sea, and the storm stopped. He was about to die.

Then God prepared the fish.

The fish didn’t come to kill Jonah, it came right after he was thrown into the sea. God used it to keep him alive, hold him, and bring him back.

So God didn’t save Jonah from the fish. God saved Jonah using the fish.

Jonah’s story shows that sometimes what looks like a problem is actually what God is using to save you. 

Can you think of a time in your life where that was true?

When you’re not sure how to pray, A.C.T.S. gives you a simple path to follow: Adore, Confess, Thank, and Ask.

Adoration: God, You are in control of everything.

Confession: I confess I run from You and doubt Your plan.

Thanksgiving: Thank You for the “fish” in my life that are actually saving me.

Supplication: Help me trust You and see Your purpose in every situation.

In Jesus name, Amen

“Killed To Call” by Jimmy Clifton

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Thanks for letting us be a part of how you start your day with God.

See you tomorrow,

Zach | Start With God