Evan Curry

In Sunday School, I was taught that Jonah was told by God to go to Nineveh, but he instead ran from God, got on a boat, (to make a long story short) realized his mistake, was thrown overboard, swallowed by a fish, repented from his rebellion, and God saved him out of the belly of the fish.

Last night at Redemption Church, Gary Alloway was preaching on Jonah 2 and posed the question: Did Jonah ever repent? It appeared to Gary based on Jonah 2 that Jonah did not. I am inclined to agree. Jonah seems to quotes Scripture rote, even blames God for his situation (e.g., v. 3: “You hurled me into the depths.” Unless you are a good Calvinist, the sailors threw Jonah into the depths). And then, the fish vomits Jonah out!

Objects do not “vomit” out righteous people from the biblical point of view. Revelation 3:16 reminds the lukewarm church at Laodicea that “I [God] will vomit you out of My mouth” (NKJV). Based on the word study I did on the Logos app on my iPad, the Old Testaments makes quite a few references to the unrighteous (never the “righteous”) being vomited out (see below).

What do you think? Did Jonah repent? If not, I need to call my Sunday School teacher.

“vomited” word study:
Le 18:25 and the land became unclean, so that I punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out its inhabitants.
Le 18:28 lest the land vomit you out when you make it unclean, as it vomited out the nation that was before you.
Le 20:22 “You shall therefore keep all my statutes and all my rules and do them, that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out.
Job 20:15 He swallows down riches and vomits them up again; God casts them out of his belly.
Pr 23:8 You will vomit up the morsels that you have eaten, and waste your pleasant words.
Pr 25:16 If you have found honey, eat only enough for you, lest you have your fill of it and vomit it.
Je 25:27 “Then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Drink, be drunk and vomit, fall and rise no more, because of the sword that I am sending among you.’
Jon 2:10 And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.