Don’t Be Fooled by Smoke and Mirrors
“Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them.” – Jonah 2:8 The story of Jonah and the whale is a powerful testament to God’s goodness and mercy. Jonah was called by God during the bronze age of the Akkadian Assyrian empire, which was brutal and full of villains. Citizens of this kingdom were oppressed by their kings, so God told Jonah to go tell the citizens of Nineveh to repent. In contrast, Jonah traveled in the opposite direction and a huge whale swallowed him. That sea monster seemed like punishment, but it was actually God’s mercy. It is what keeps Jonah from drowning and brings him back to Nineveh. As a result, God reinstated his calling. During his time in this whale, Jonah said some of scripture’s most profound words. In the King James Version of the above scripture, he said, “Those who observe lying