Jonah and the Worm

Briscoe, Jill. 1983. Jonah and the Worm. Nappanee, IN: Evangel Press.

Jill Briscoe is a native of Liverpool, England.  She is an accomplished writer with more than forty books to her credit, including children’s books, Bible study guides and devotional material.  She serves on the Board of Directors of World Relief and Christianity Today, Inc. and is Executive Editor of Just Between Us, a magazine focused on encouraging women in leadership and ministry.  Briscoe also serves with her husband, Stuart, and her son, Pete, as a host of the daily radio program Telling the Truth. [1]

The thesis of this book is that God works in many different ways to provide an opportunity for all peoples to become right with him, including offering us a chance to be used by him in his mission.

Briscoe retells the story of Jonah from the perspective of Little Worm, her fictional name of the worm God appointed to eat the plant God used to shade Jonah. (Jonah 4:6-7)  She takes ten chapters in this short children’s book to retell the story of God’s great desire and work to reach the people of Nineveh.  The book begins with a letter reading party at Little Worm’s pond.  The letter was from Wonder Maker (God).  The letter reveals that “God has prepared a worm” (Briscoe, 12).  The Wind blows the letter from the hands of its reader and it lands at the feet of Little Worm, making it clear that he is the one who has been prepared.  Briscoe then tells the story of Worker (Jonah), who is afraid of the people of Nineveh so he runs from Wonder Maker’s request to go there.  Wonder Maker really wanted Worker to go to Nineveh so he used the Wind and a Whale to get Worker to Nineveh anyway.  Worker then reluctantly warns the people of Nineveh and they listen and are “really, really, really sorry” (Briscoe, 90).  Briscoe ends the book by telling how Worker was upset by the response of the people of Nineveh as well as Wonder Maker’s mercy.  Worker leaves the city and waits in anger, hoping that Wonder Maker would still punish the people of Nineveh.  Little Worm then learns why he had been appointed and in his final act of obedience he begins to do what Wonder Maker had sent him to do; eat the plant.  Briscoe concludes the story with an implication that Worker finally understood the depth of Wonder Maker’s desire for all peoples to become right with him.

This little book is an amazing glimpse into God’s heart.  Briscoe captured the depth of God’s desire to be worshiped by all peoples and the extent of his activity to make this happen.  She does this better than many of the “grown-up missions” books I have read by doing a wonderful job of showing how many ways God worked to reach the people of Nineveh.  God worked through the worm, the seed, the plant, the wind, the sand, the whale, the reluctant Worker and the sailors, just to name a few.  She leaves the reader with the clear understanding that this level of deep desire and activity on the part of God is the way he feels toward all who have not heard.

One of the insights that deeply resonated with me is how Little Worm wrestled with Wonder Maker’s way of only revealing his plan one step at a time.  At one point, a disappointed Little Worm wonders when Wonder Maker would tell him “the reason for this great journey.”  Wonder Maker simply asks Little Worm to “trust him.”  To this, Little Worm replies, “All right, what is the next thing You want me to do?” (Briscoe, 69)  This is such an important truth of the reality of following God.  He responds to our obedience with guidance on the next step, but rarely more.  This keeps us focused on him and his activity.

This book should be read by children and adults alike.  But, let there be a warning:  Do not read this book unless you are willing to hear Wonder Maker say, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” (Isaiah 6:8)

[1] Website, http://www.tellingthetruth.org/about_us/about_us.asp (accessed September 24, 2007)

This book can be purchased here.

Comments

[brad brisco]

Thanks for the post on this book, sounds great. No we are not related, they mess up the name with an "e" on the end :)

[James Gunnison]

Brad,

Thanks for dropping by. It really was a great book; one that will both stretch any one who is already open to God's heart for the nations and open the eyes and heart of those who are not.

Until,

jeg