Jonah 2 - Jonah Prays

Last week we introduced Jonah as a prophet of Israel during the reign of King Jereboam (II) who is commanded to go to Nineveh, the capitol of Assyria, to preach against the city from within.

Last time we left Jonah was just thrown overboard by Sailors who then recognized God for who is and worshipping so the sailors find relief but, Jonah’s struggles are just beginning.

Jonah expected to die actually still preferred this to going to Nineveh.

An appointment with a fish

The Lord appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly for three days and three nights.

Not a “whale”- the word is actually a fish (aquatic cold blood animal breaths through gills), there is a different word for whale or dolphins.

To humanity this a ‘supernatural’ action by the Lord.

The storm and the fish were a result of God’s pursuing Jonah and expressions of his authority and power.

Jonah’s Prayer

Verses 2-9 are Jonah’s prayer while he was in the belly of the fish.

Call out from precarious condition

No specific request, but rather Jonah recognizes his own condition, which is all that he can see in that moment, be he does recognize that this was the work of the Lord as we see in verse 3 you threw me into the depths.

I cried out from (Sheol - Ancient Hebrew for the realm of the dead.)(Neither heaven nor hell)

Jonah very much recognizes his condition as heading to death and really a fear that he has been granted what he was seeking, to “escape the Lord’s presence”, and so then he looks toward the Lord’s temple

We see that Jonah talks about his sinking and being overtaken by the sea being delivered unto death.

Remembrance

When all seem at a loss, Jonah knows that the Lord was the one who raised his life from the Pit (state of death, place under the ground where the souls of all who die go)

He knows that despite he attempt to flee that the Lord heard his prayer, even from the Holy Temple

Flawed Obedience

Jonah speaks out that those who worship Idols abandon their faithful love,

(I am reminded of Luke 18:9-14 Jesus’ Parable of The Pharisee and The Tax Collector)

I will thankfully sacrifice to you

Fulfill the vow - Remember the promise

Jonah is finally willing to submit and obey the Lord - though his motive is indeed not completely correct

God desires obedience but we will see that God is not done with Jonah and the condition of his heart.

Jeremy’s Take away

We are seeing the heart of Israel in Jonah, he is defiantly rejecting God’s rule on his life. We see this fierce rejection from Jonah to flee from The Lord’s presence toward the furthest that Jonah could flee. God in his power will have his will done, and do Jonah found himself in a situation where he was not able to save himself. And

No repentance - no confession - agreement

Lesson

God does not abandon us in our conditions, but does expect that we are to be obedient to His call on our lives.

Application

We call out in our low condition

We Shift - Arrogance to Repentance

We Remember Serve and Share the Gospel