A 19th century whaling ship’s spotter would shout “Thar she blows!” when he saw a whale spouting. And the ship would sail in for the kill, with harpooners ready.
That same phrase is sounded today by Alaskan cruise ship passengers and whale-watching tourists, with cameras ready. Moby Dick, the great white sperm whale sought by Captain Ahab, would be safe in 2020, likely with his own website, Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram accounts.
Alaskan whale tourism is big business; no wonder, whales are BIG! Humpbacks, one of the most-seen species of whales in those cold waters, average 40-60 feet long and weigh up to 44 tons, with females being the largest.
These are big fish, oops, sea-loving mammals, since whales aren’t fish with gills, but animals that must regularly surface.
Whales breathe through a blowhole located atop their head. Adult humpbacks surface every seven to 15 minutes (although young ones spout off more frequently — typical teenagers), but can hold their breath as long as 45 minutes!
When they “blow,” their spout may rise 10-20 feet on average but sometimes as high as 40 feet!
Many humpbacks spend their summers near Alaska … eating up to 20 hours daily (what’s not to like about that?). These graceful baleen beauties can pack away nearly a ton and a half of krill, shrimp, anchovies, sardines, and herring every day.
For females especially, the goal is to put on the pounds, because once they leave to winter and give birth in the warm waters near Hawaii, Japan or Mexico, they may go months without eating, while living off their stored fat.
At birth, humpback calves weigh one to two tons, are 10-15 feet long, and drink 100-130 gallons of densely caloric, nutrient rich milk daily.
And that’s no “big fish” story!
The biblical story of Jonah truly is a big fish story. While sometimes referenced as “Jonah and the whale,” the Scripture says, “The LORD provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah.” It may or might not have been a whale, but it’s one whale of a true tale, nonetheless.
Because of Jonah’s disobedience to God’s commands, the prophet was thrown overboard and swallowed whole. For three days and nights the LORD kept the prophet Jonah alive in the belly of this sea-dwelling beast before God commanded it to vomit Jonah out onto dry land.
Did God create a special fish? Maybe. He created the world; He could surely create a fish for Jonah.
Imagine being inside a fish for three days! Total darkness, nasty smelling whale burps, and floating in dead fish slime and gastric juices. Do you suppose Jonah swore off fish for the rest of his life?
Some people say Jonah’s story is a fishy-sounding, tall tale. Not so according to Jesus! When confronted by skeptics denying He was God’s Son and wanting a special sign, Jesus told them, “No sign will be given … except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
Jesus believed in Jonah and his story. In fact, Jesus used the story of Jonah and the big fish as THE sign, the one and only symbol of His coming death, burial and resurrection. Jesus referenced it not once, but twice.
Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection were the most important and crucial series of events in the history of the world and eternity. Jesus staked His claim as Son of God, Christ and Messiah on His resurrection.
How crazy would it be that Jesus would claim to be “The Truth,” if His resurrection were based on a myth? How absurd would it be that Jesus would base His claims of speaking God’s truth upon a lie?
Here’s the deal. Jesus used the story of Jonah’s three days in the belly of the big fish because it was true. Jesus used Jonah’s story as a sign that, after His crucifixion, He’d be in the heart of the earth for three days and nights and then be “spit back out” because both were true.
Discount the story of Jonah and you discount Jesus’ account of His own resurrection. Jonah, the big fish, and Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection: Don’t be a sucker. Believe the Lord!
October 10, 2020 at 11:00AM
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Jonah's biblical story was no 'big fish tale' - Newsbug.info
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