The Hard-to-swallow Truth about Obedience (Jonah 2)

Jonah and the whale. There is probably no story in all the Bible that is more ridiculed than this one. Much like talking about Eve eating an "apple" (which the Bible never says), we talk about Jonah and the whale. The biblical term is "great fish," and we simply assume that was a whale. A better translation for that term would be "sea-monster." It may have been a whale, it may not have been. Frankly, it doesn't matter whether there is a fish in existence large enough to hold a man for three days. We only need to know there was one. Fact is, Jesus Himself validated the story of Jonah and the fish as historical fact. Jesus said,"For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so I, the Son of Man, will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights" (Matthew 12:40). Not only did Jesus validate the story, but He used it as a picture of His own death and resurrection. But here is the real story of Jonah. It's the story of a man who was given a job to do and he ran from it. It's also a story about second chances, even when we have failed God. Do you need a second chance? Do you know someone else who does? Then check out my message "The Hard to Swallow Truth About Obedience." - Greg Laurie