Have you ever stayed in the bath too long and developed “Jonah fingers?” That’s what we call the wrinkled fingertips that occur after being in the water for a long time and it is a great reminder of the story of Jonah!

And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Jonah 1:17

My toddler thinks it’s pretty funny and can recite almost the whole Jonah story (in a very paraphrased version) after his bath.

Of course, the story of Jonah is much deeper than just getting wrinkly fingers. I like the story because it has the element of fiction (who could possibly be swallowed by a whale and survive?) and yet we know that what is written in the Bible is God-breathed and therefore we can believe it!

And it is a poignant reminder for us about why we should obey. God may not always stick a large fish in our way of trying to run away, but He does ask that we obey and forgive.

My kids remember the moral of this story because of the “Jonah fingers” we see when in the bathtub!

Jonah Fingers and Being Obedient

Jonah disobeyed God. He literally walked in the other direction from where God told him to go (Ninevah) and jumped on a boat.

Cue the storm and the giant whale (or “great fish” Jonah 1:17) that swallowed him.

Jonah then lived in the belly of the whale for 3 days. After that whale spat him out he went to Ninevah to deliver God’s message (which he should have done in the first place).

The story doesn’t end there. The Ninevites repented when they heard the message. Because of this, God saved the city from his planned destruction.

But Jonah, instead of being happy that he brought God’s message and saved the city, was angry! He was mad he didn’t get to see a light show where God would smite the entire city.

Silly Jonah. He had been forgiven for his disobedience, but he expected others to be punished for theirs.

Jonah sat outside Ninevah, irate that God was not destroying the city. God still took pity on him, even though he probably didn’t deserve it. Whether or not Jonah forgot his grudge and accepted God’s mercy is not said.

Obeying God Also Means Forgiving Others

And yet, I think so often we have “Jonah fingers” even without splish-splashing in the bath. We disobey God and have to be forgiven. Then when someone else does something wrong we expect God to hammer the consequences onto them.

Our God is a God of mercy, of grace and forgiveness. He doesn’t expect us to understand His ways. He does ask us to trust Him, follow His instructions and not cast judgment.

If someone has done something wrong it is not for us to expect punishment. We should not hope for their destruction after we so narrowly avoid our own.

Instead, we should offer support, prayer and forgiveness. If God needs more from us, He will ask.

So the next time you get “Jonah fingers,” think about the forgiveness we should be offering. When God calls us to do something, don’t get angry and resent those around you. God is gracious enough to forgive our sins and it is our job to share this forgiveness!

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