The Washington times., 1922-12-04
JONAH'S WHALE.
DEFENDED BY
Hu,HU
Could Have Been Electrically
Lighted, Had God WilIed,
DR.. Dixon Declares.

BALTIMORE, Dec. 4.-"If God
wanted to He could make a fish with
electric lights and three meals
day for JONAH" the Rev. DIR. A. c.
Dixon yesterday told his congrega'
tion at University Baptist Church,
DR.. Dixon's topic was Jonah and
His God" the sermon being the first
sf four dealing with Jonah. the Paul
Of the Old Testament" He took
sharp Issue with those who dispute
that the Hebrew prophet lived three
days in the belly of fish.
"All the explanations l ever heard
Of were based on unbelief." said DIR.
Dixon. People don't believe In q
God who can do things modern peo.
PIE can't do. II we approach the
Book of Jonah in an attitude of faith
II u easy to believe It,"
Cites Works Of Man.
Man, he went on, had built him
self things Of steel in which he could
live and cross the oceans.
"Man can make them. but God
can't, according to the unbelievers,"
DR.. Dixon added.
"It Is perfectly clear to me that
Jonah was a historical character, not
the hero Of a romance" said DR..
Dixon, supporting his view with
ocriptural citations telling Of Jonah's
place of birth. his parentage and the
year In: which he lived.
"The Lord Jesus speaks Of him as
historic" he continued. He says
he was three days in the belly of q
fish.
"The account Of Jonah's life evi-
IDENTIFY was written by Jonah him
self. 1t was written without embel-
lishment or excuse. Jonah takes no
pains to conceal his own fault. No
man uninfluenced or not guided by
the spirit Of God would do that.
1.-THE Bible is full Of miracles be.
cause 1t is full of God. As to
whether this miracle was performed
In making a fish that could hold
Jonah or whether there was such a
fish in the Mediterranean and the
miracle was in keeping him alive
under peculiar conditions makes no
difference.
An Life q Miracle.
Each of us is a miracle. I can
tell why l move my hand, but I can
not tell how. The why of every.
thing is plain enough. but the how
u mysterious"
DR.. Dixon said he once had
preached a sermon which was made
audible by radio to 100. 900 persons.
II didn't know how 1t was done,"
he said, land the agent there did not
know how it was done. Marconi did
not know more than either of us. 1t
ID God working in q way beyond our
conception.
"The fact Is that God spoke to
JONAH" said DIR. Dixon in discussing
the divine instruction to 90 and cry
against Nineveh. I'VE do not know
how. The great fact Of today Is that
God speaks to his people. n,
I'VE would rather spend a lot of
money to go to Tarshish than to go
1t lesser cost to Nineveh. where God
tails US to go.
Compared to Christ.
"Jonah is compared to the resur.
Hotcion OF Christ. The Lord makes
that comparison. Jonahs coming
out of the fish Is likened to the
resurrection. l find another COM
parison in Jonah's going into the
fish.
Jonah Is willing to die In order
that the sailors may live. 1t was this
that made them believe In him and
turn to him and his God In penitence
and prayer"
DR.. Dixon criticised the character
Of the prohpet.
"The name Jonah means q dove"
he said. But he had in him more
Of the stubbornness Of the OK and
the mule than the gentleness of the
dove. He was a home missionary
after the manner Of the narrow.
minded home missionary today who
does not want to take the gospel to
China, India and Africa"