Jonah 2
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17 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. 1 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish,
10 And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.
Exploring the Minor Prophets: An Expository Commentary A. Jonah’s Dreadful Prison (1:17)
in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. Captured off Knight’s Key, Florida, in 1912, this whale is forty-five feet long, has a mouth thirty-eight inches wide, and weighs thirty thousand pounds. A fish in its stomach at the time it was captured, weighed about fifteen hundred pounds.
Exploring the Minor Prophets: An Expository Commentary A. Jonah’s Dreadful Prison (1:17)
In February 1891 the crew of the whaling ship Star of the East sighted a large sperm whale off the Falkland Islands. They harpooned the whale and in its death throes it swallowed a man named James Bartley. A day and a half later his shipmates, who thought he had drowned—found him unconscious in the whale’s belly. Bartley lived to tell about it and his story was published in the newspapers. Describing his sensations as he slid into the innermost part of the whale, he said he could breathe easily, but the heat was unbearable. His whole appearance was changed by the ordeal, for his neck, face, and hands, which had been exposed to the whale’s gastric juices, were permanently bleached to a livid whiteness. This story gives us an idea of what Jonah experienced when he was imprisoned in the “great fish.”
From desperation to deliverance… this is the road to glory
Jonah’s Punishment
Jonah’s Punishment
17 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.
This was a punishment God appointed.
LORD - Yahweh - Creator
Gen 1.1 “1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”
Matt 8.27 “27 And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?””
1 Chron 16.33 “33 Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.”
Nah 1.5 “5 The mountains quake before him; the hills melt; the earth heaves before him, the world and all who dwell in it.”
Appointed = NIV - Provided!!
alloted to him for this purpose
Created this fish for this time
this great beast in all the sea was there right then
Jon 4.6-8 = appointed a plant | appointed a worm | appointed a scorching east wind
Heb 9.27 “27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,”
Rom 5.6 “6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.”
This was a punishment of his own choosing.
when we chose disobedience we chose discipline
Look to the nation of Israel
Look to family life
Look to the word of God
Isaiah 65:12 “12 I will destine you to the sword, and all of you shall bow down to the slaughter, because, when I called, you did not answer; when I spoke, you did not listen, but you did what was evil in my eyes and chose what I did not delight in.””
Gal 6.8 “8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”
Gen 50.20 “20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”
Josh 24.15 “15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.””
John 10:17–18 “17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.””
Luke 4:16–21 “16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.””
1 Timothy 2:3–4 “3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
Jonah’s Prayer
Jonah’s Prayer
1 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, 2 saying, “I called out to the Lord, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice. 3 For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me; all your waves and your billows passed over me. 4 Then I said, ‘I am driven away from your sight; yet I shall again look upon your holy temple.’ 5 The waters closed in over me to take my life; the deep surrounded me; weeds were wrapped about my head 6 at the roots of the mountains. I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever; yet you brought up my life from the pit, O Lord my God. 7 When my life was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple. 8 Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love.
This prayer was made out of deep distress.
Why did it take Jonah so long to pray?
Why does it take us so long to pray?
It took the belly of a fish to break him!!
What does it take to break you?
Imagine the horror of this
pain a picture with the language...
belly of sheol - down to hell
cast into deep / heart of sea / flood surrounds / waves and billows
driven from sight / waters closed over / take my life / deep surrounded
weeds wrapped my head / root of the mountains / bars closed / into the pit
Have you ever experienced a deep distress like this?
A marriage that is dissolving
A sudden death in the family
A baby is miscarried
A child is living prodigally
A emotional and physical bondage of substance abuse
A realization of a dream dying
Sometimes the belly of a fish may be the best place to be!!
This prayer was couched in hope.
Look at Jonahs prayer
I called | He answered… I cried | You heard
YET… I shall look upon your holy temple
YET… you brought up my life from the pit
Ps 61 “To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. Of David. 1 Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; 2 from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, 3 for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy. 4 Let me dwell in your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! Selah 5 For you, O God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name. 6 Prolong the life of the king; may his years endure to all generations! 7 May he be enthroned forever before God; appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him! 8 So will I ever sing praises to your name, as I perform my vows day after day.”
Ps 94.9 “9 He who planted the ear, does he not hear? He who formed the eye, does he not see?”
The darkest day in history is where we find our hope!!
4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? 9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
Jonah = knew God would hear him when he cried out
Jesus = knew that the Father would hear him when he cried out
Jesus said = Father forgive them
Matthew 12:40 “40 For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
Jonah’s Promise
Jonah’s Promise
9 But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the Lord!” 10 And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.
This verse is key in Jonah.
Salvation belongs to the LORD
Jonah is called to proclaim this truth to Nineveh
Jonah has proved this truth to the Sailors
Jonah has lived this truth in this chapter
This concept is key in scripture.
Salvation belongs to the LORD
This is the theme of the entire Bible
God promises salvation to Adam
God preserves Noah
God’s promise to Abraham
God’s provision for Israel
Jesus born of a Virgin
This truth is key to your eternal destination.
Salvation belongs to the LORD
Jhn 14.6 “6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Act 4.12 “12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.””
This offer demands a response from you.
Jonah recognized his need for a savior
Jonah receives his salvation
Jonah resigned to serve thankfully
Group Questions
Group Questions
Based on your use of your free time, what do you value in life? What value do spiritual disciplines and service within your congregation have to you?
Timothy Keller says, “An idol is whatever you look at and say, in your heart of hearts, ‘If I have that, then I’ll feel my life has meaning, then I’ll know I have value, then I’ll feel significant and secure’ ” (Counterfeit Gods, xviii). What are some things in life from which you might be drawing an inordinate amount of self-worth, personal value, or even a sense of security?
What are some ways in which people can mask totally depraved lives and fool themselves about their own ability to handle life apart from God’s help? What are some dreadful things the Lord uses to awaken people to the truth about the desperation of their situations and their need for Him?
“Often it is difficult for us to visualize our loving, good, and kind Lord as one full of this much fury! Yet this rebellious servant experiences the loving discipline of a Father who does not wish for His children to err or stray.” (Exalting Jesus in Jonah) How does this statement compare with your view of your heavenly Father? Share a time when you have looked at a difficulty in life as a sovereign act of loving, Fatherly discipline.
Why can Jonah expect to see the Lord in His temple after such great disobedience? How does this reveal the majesty of God and the glory of Christ?
How does Jonah compare to Christ in this chapter? What might this comparison reveal about how we should read the storyline of Scripture?
How has your own thanksgiving for your salvation led to greater proclamation of the gospel to unbelievers? What might this say about the value you place on being rescued from sin? What might this also reveal about your understanding of your true situation prior to your salvation?
There are many people in the world worshiping false gods, even erecting physical objects as idols of worship. What might Jonah 2 be saying about how we should proclaim the gospel to such people? What is the message we must commend, and what are messages we must tell them to reject?
Do you think it is right for the gospel message to be so exclusive? In light of the work of Christ, what makes exclusivity—“Salvation is from the Lord”—just and holy? How does Romans explain the justice of God in the salvation of people (Rom 3:21–26)?