The Iron Pen #54
"...graven with an iron pen and lead..." Job
19:24
Pastor David L. Brown, Ph.D.
Swallowed By A Whale!?
They took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased
from her raging...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. Jonah 1:15 & 17
I believe the account of Jonah is true! In fact I believe the
Bible is true from cover to cover. But, through the years I have been confronted by
skeptics and on several occasions their skepticism focused on the account of Jonah being
swallowed by a whale as Matthew 12:40 says. I am a collector of old Bibles and Christian
literature. One of my favorite old Christian magazines is the February 19, 1944 issue of
the Gospel Herald. Why? Because it includes an article entitled, "A
Modern Jonah." There is not room to reprint the entire article but here is a
summary --
In February, 1891, the Star of the East, a vessel of the Star
Line of sailing ships owned by the Alaska Packing Company, was whaling within the sight of
Pembroke Light, Port Stanley, Falkland Islands. At dawn whales were spotted by the
lookout. Hastily two boats were lowered and raced toward the whales. As one pulled
alongside the whale’s huge tail churned the sea scattering men and boat like so much
chaff over the surface of the sea. The other boat quickly came to the aid of the
unfortunate seamen. When the roll was called, two men were missing and presumed drown.
Later that afternoon the same whale was sighted again. Two other boats went to the attack
and this time the harpoon was driven home. All that night and part of the next day men
worked with flensing knives removing the immense blankets of fat. Finally the remainder of
the whale was hoisted upon the ship’s deck and to the surprise of the crew they saw
something moving inside. Quickly it was slit open and there lay the unconscious form of
James Bartley, one of the missing seamen. His senseless frame shook. He was cleaned up and
taken to the cabin. For two weeks he hesitated at the great divide between life and death.
His reason was in a chaotic whirl. At last life called, and he heard and he came back to
life and reason. James Bartley lived to tell his story about being swallowed by the whale
and an interesting story it is, though we do not have the space to relate it to you here.
Many people heard the story because Bartley was never the same after being rescued from
the whale’s belly. The gastric juices of the whale permanently bleached his hands,
face and neck a sickly white. When people asked him what happened, he had a whale of a
story to tell them! I will share James Bartley’s story in the next issue.
A Challenge to Young Men and Young Women -- GO
AFTER SOULS!!!
J. B. Chapman
Proverbs 11:30b ... He that winneth souls is wise.
Young man, young woman, make the most of your life. Go after
souls. Go after them the best way you know, but go after them. Do not listen to those who
warn you that you will offend and drive away your persistence. Go after souls. Go after
them by public and private testimony. Go after them by service and by prayer. But go after
them. Go after them with love and a burdened heart. Go after them by kind deeds. Go after
them by song and praise. Go after them when they are bereaved and in sorrow. Go after them
when they are especially favored of God and men. But go after them. The soul-winning life
is your life--make the most of it.
TAKE ALARM!?
Every now and then I read something that jumps out at me and really
gets my attention. As I was paging through a Christian magazine nearly a half-century old
I came across this saying by Thomas Guthrie -- "If you find yourself loving any
pleasure better than your prayers, any book better than the Bible, any house better than
the house of God, any table better than the Lord’s table, any person better than
Christ, or any indulgence better than the hope of Heaven -- take alarm."
God & Country
"Whoever shall introduce into public affairs the principles
of primitive Christianity will change the face of the world."
Benjamin Franklin
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