Jonah's Ketos Chronicle

This week I and many of my friends of my same faith, are studying the Bible's book of Jonah. For such a small book it packs quite a punch! I'll be the first to admit that anyone who reads the story is afforded ample wiggle room to doubt its veracity. This small book is loaded with astounding events! To the Christian believer, one has to admit that the story is a bit hard to swallow (pun intended). The story is multifaceted. It is my intent in this space to share some of what I feel are a few of the story's shiny facets; my personal observations.

Hearing the story as a child, I was horrified by the idea that it was feasible to be in a boat in water and be SWALLOWED by ANYTHING! Think about it. First you are afloat and suddenly you're on an internal slip-n-slide and then treading in belly fluids! YUK! I didn't dwell on it but it did have an impression.

Very early into my adulthood, I soon realized that one doesn't have to be on a body of water to be swallowed whole! School, a military venture, relationships, a career, family responsibilities, marriage, divorce and even deaths to name a few challenges. They can be overwhelming! A person can even be floundering IN A CHURCH! Regardless of our station in life, without a belief in Christ we are just one inhalation away from breathing water! We are ALL searching for a life-line. I know I have often been in over MY head and I am taller than many! God can hear our prayers while we tread water. A person can certainly drown even in a pool of responsibility. 

Just like the Jonah story, I have seen a few co-workers thrown overboard, only to survive, return and announce: "Leaving this 'ship' was the best thing that ever happened to me! I found my calling. I just needed a little shove off the bow!" Sometimes God pushes you off the bow to get your attention. 

God gave Jonah a task to do but he chose NOT to do it. Consequently, he was swallowed by a large swimming behemoth (Greek= ketos). He survived and was vomited onto the shore. He then journeyed to a town and told people to change their lifestyle or God would punish them. UNBELIEVABLE? Yup, easy to disbelieve... until you research and learn that leviathans DO EXIST! Men HAVE been swallowed WHOLE......and survived! Due to the gastric juices their skin was bleached in places. Jonah was vomited ashore as well. Although we don't know where he was regurgitated, being baptized in the belly of.... well, anything would get my attention! The event changed Jonah's life and he became more compliant! (Duh! Ya think?!) God certainly knows how to get our attention!

The prophet Jonah was released from 'ketos belly hell'. He smells like "big fish" vomit MM-mmm-MMM, his skin is faded from the gastric juices, he more than likely had fish guts and fish scales (call them sequins if its more palatable) in his hair and probably some seaweed-goo liberally applied... everywhere! (Funny. There are some cosmetics that actually have seaweed in them!) In addition, he probably lost his HAT.... AND anything that girdled him! Get my drift.... I imagine clothes don't last long in ketos juices!!!! (Sand... can be SO annoying!) Just think...If Jonah had followed the will of God from the beginning... he would have smelled a whole lot better and NOT wore a 'sand suit' that day! Couple this with Fish-rot cologne mixed with a tincture of gastric juices is...to say the least, unforgettable! (Not much of a market for: Ketos cologne!). Sin stinks!
  
As it was with Jonah, we often choose to journey in an exactly opposite direction than God would have us travel. We, in effect, spray ourselves with the 'cologne of non-compliance'. We wander around oblivious to OUR smelly selves, all the while thinking the other guy is the odoriferous one!  Oh, I am sure that before Jonah arrived at Nineveh he took some time to tidy-up a bit. We don't know where he 'came ashore' but the story then places him at Nineveh. Nineveh is quite a distance from ANY shoreline.  It's here that I believe we fail at understanding how wide scoped and permanent disobeying God can truly be.

HOW did the Nineveh-ites know that Jonah had the 'ketos experience'? I doubt he wandered into town and said, "Hey mean 'ole Nineveh-ites, I was swallowed by a whale, oops big 'sea monster'"  "Yup the ketos got me."  No, I doubt it. I believe he was permanently disfigured by his non-compliance/experience. People stopped to stare at his permanent infirmity. We, like Jonah, can be saved from sin but a scar, (or scars) might be better left alone. Scars are not so much a "badge of courage", but to the Christian, a 'Testimony of Salvation'!
  
It is my hope that I can be more compliant to the will of God. Although a sandy shore is attractive, being there for the correct reason(s) is half the battle. God still loves us even when we are non-compliant and grumble; scars and ALL! Jonah is a book of hope. Without Christ, we would be better-off thrown overboard. Swim with HIM! Not away from Him! ~Pray /\