A Whale Of A Servant

     Many animals in the bible were obedient servants that were willing to be a blessing for our Lord Jesus. The rooster crowed on time to warn Peter of his third denial of the Lord Jesus. The donkey spoke on time to warn Balaam about an angel with a sword before him. A fish was willing to give money to Peter and Jesus to pay their taxes. A camel was willing to take Rebekah on a journey to meet her husband Isaac. The ravens were willing to take bread and flesh to Elijah for food in a famine. A worm was willing to smite and wither a gourd above Jonah to teach Jonah that God is more concerned about lost souls in Nineveh that repent than a worthless gourd giving shade. But, pictured above, this study will discuss the whale that swallowed Jonah who was Brother Bob's favorite animal servant.

     God prepared the happy whale pictured above who was willing to launch out into the deep, catch, and save a backslid preacher named Jonah. Jonah 1:17 says Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. Matthew 12:40 says that a whale swallowed Jonah saying For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

     Friends, we all need to be like this whale, willing to save lost sinners like Jonah and follow Jesus as fishers of men. Jesus told us at Matthew 4:19 Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Notice that God prepared the whale to be available to swallow Jonah at the exact time when Jonah was thrown overboard from a ship. The whale was willing to be a faithful witness and be at the right place at the right time to save Jonah. This whale was truly a whale of a servant. I pray in Jesus name, that we all can be like this whale and say Lord Jesus I'm willing to launch out into the deep and go any place you request to win lost sinners to the Lord Jesus.

     Like Isaiah who repented after a seraphim touched his unclean lips with a live coal, let's all say Here am I Lord, send me wherever you want to win lost sinners to our Lord Jesus. Isaiah 6:8 says Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. Friends, let's all be like the whale and Isaiah and obey Jesus' command at Luke 14:23 and Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled (going everywhere to win lost souls to our Lord Jesus). Just witness everywhere at Walmarts, Cracker Barrels, and laundramats asking people How do you get to heaven? Then tell them get saved, repent, decide to stop sinning, confess that Jesus is God, and believe the gospel that Jesus died on the cross for you, was buried, and rose again. Proverbs 11:30 says The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.

     Now think about this: If the whale pictured above did not allow God to prepare him to be a servant and refused to swallow Jonah who was thrown overboard; the 120000 lost sinners living in Nineveh would not have been saved because Jonah would have died and not been able to warn the sinners of Nineveh to repent. The people of Nineveh were blessed and repented at Jonah's sermon of only 8 words at Jonah 3:4 Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. If these Ninevites could repent at an 8 word sermon from Jonah, we should all repent because we have the many scriptures and the Word Jesus to guide us daily.

     Take time to read what the bible says these people of Nineveh will say in the time of judgment to our generation that has Jesus and the Word as our preacher instead of Jonah. Matthew 12:41 says The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas (only 8 words); and behold, a greater than Jonas (Jesus) is here. Right now, friend anywhere, like the people of Nineveh get saved, repent, decide to stop sinning, confess that Jesus is God, and believe the gospel that Jesus died on the cross for you, was buried, and rose again.

     Jonah did not like the Ninevites and went to the east of Nineveh to sit in a booth and wait for forty days, hoping that the Ninevites who were his enemies would be destroyed. But God blessed the people of Nineveh for repenting and did not destroy them. The Lord Jesus rebuked Jonah who was more concerned about a worthless gourd giving him shade than the lost sinners of Nineveh. Friends, Brother Bob says don't be like Jonah; instead, rejoice when your enemies get saved, repent, decide to stop sinning, confess that Jesus is God, and believe the gospel that Jesus died on the cross for them, was buried, and rose again. 

     OK, let's talk again about the whale who was one of the greatest servants for our Lord Jesus in the bible. Pictured above we see a whale named Moby. But the whale that swallowed Jonah had no name; Moby didn't swallow Jonah. The whale that swallowed Jonah was humble and had no name so people could see the Lord Jesus and not the whale.

     The bible tells us to be like this unnamed whale and say Psalm 115:1 Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake. Like this unnamed whale we should all only exalt the Lord Jesus and not ourselves. Let's say with John the Baptist at John 3:30 He (Jesus) must increase, but I must decrease. The disciple John also was unnamed, willing to only be called the disciple whom Jesus loved. Right now friends, like Brother Bob, the whale, and John, let's become unnamed and allow people to see the light of Jesus in us.

     If the light of Jesus shines in us as unnamed saints, people will glorify the Father and Jesus in heaven. Matthew 5:16 says Let your light (Jesus) shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. And note that when we become unnamed like the whale and only lift up the Lord Jesus, people from all parts of this earth will come together as one and get saved. Jesus said at John 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.

     OK, notice also that the whale in the picture above that swallowed Jonah was willing to be alone with God in the deep to be trained as a faithful servant that would save Jonah and the people of Nineveh. Friends, like the whale make time to get alone with the Lord Jesus early in the morning. God said at Proverbs 8:17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Take five minutes every morning to thank Jesus for dying on the cross for you and tell the devil daily I am crucified with Jesus Christ and covered by the blood of Jesus that has overcome the devil, cleansed me from all my sin, and caused evil to pass over me.

     Moses like the whale was willing to be trained on the backside of the desert at a burning bush about leading the children of Israel out of Egypt. John the Baptist was willing to be trained in the wilderness to know how to baptize our Lord Jesus Christ and proclaim at John 1:29 Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. The apostle Paul also was willing to be alone with the Lord Jesus and trained for three years on the backside of the desert of Arabia before he preached before Peter, James, and the heathen. 

     Remember like Moses, John the Baptist, Paul, and the whale, we as saints are just branches and we need to take time alone with the vine Jesus to be effective witnesses for our Lord Jesus. Jesus said at John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in  me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

    Take time to read Galatians 1:15 about Paul's ministry; But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by His grace, To reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia (the desert alone with the Lord Jesus), and returned again unto Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother.

 

     OK, one final remark about the whale that swallowed Jonah who was Brother Bob's favorite animal servant in the bible. This whale like the one pictured above had to leave his world and surface to take a breath from God outside of this world. Like this whale, to be effective servants and witnesses for our Lord Jesus we must deny this world and live daily for our Lord Jesus. James 4:4 says Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

     1 John 2:15 says Love not he world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Like whales, saints must leave this troubled world and take a breath of life from our Lord Jesus by meditating daily on the Word of God. People have told Brother Bob, I can't talk to people about Jesus and God. Brother Bob says if most people can talk about the weather, politics, and the football games to everyone, you should be able to talk about the Lord Jesus to everyone. Let's all be like this blessed whale of a servant that swallowed Jonah and deny this world and become effective witnesses for our Lord Jesus.

     I pray in Jesus name that this bible study blesses multitudes everywhere with great joy, peace, and strength. Feel free to email Brother Bob anytime at rz9tlm@gmail.com or write to Brother Bob Malkin, 2233 Pinetree Lane, Apt. N., Reynoldsburg, Ohio 43068. (614) 604-7133. Till we all meet again soon to lift up our Lord Jesus, everyone have a blessed day in Jesus name.