Jonah 2

FBC Baxley

March 9, 2025

Jonah 2

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.

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.

-Pray

Sermon Title: "Out of the Depths: A Prayer from the Pit"

Introduction:

In 2023, a group of miners in the United States found themselves trapped underground in a collapsed mine in Pennsylvania.

For days, they were cut off from the world, with no light, no food, and little hope.

But as rescue workers tirelessly dug through rock and debris, the miners clung to life, praying and waiting.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the moment of rescue came—the walls of darkness gave way to light, and they were pulled to safety.

–Jonah found himself in a similar situation—not trapped underground but swallowed by the deep, in the belly of a great fish.

In Jonah 2, we hear his desperate prayer, a cry from the depths that teaches us about repentance, restoration, and God’s mercy.

1. Jonah’s Cry from the Depths (2:1-2)

"Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the belly of the fish, 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.’"

Jonah, who had been running from God, finally prays.

Notice that his prayer is delayed—he waited until he was in the belly of the fish. How often do we do the same?

The phrase "belly of Sheol" (בִּבֶּטֶן שְׁאוֹל, bibbēṭen she’ôl) refers to the grave or the realm of the dead.

Jonah feels as if he has already died and gone to the place of separation from life.

The Hebrew word for "distress" (צָרָה, tsarah) means "tightness" or "anguish"—he was literally and figuratively in a tight place!

2. Jonah’s Descent and God’s Discipline (2:3-4)

"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. Then I said, ‘I am driven away from your sight; yet I shall again look upon your holy temple.’"

Jonah acknowledges God’s sovereignty—"YOU cast me into the deep."

Even though the sailors threw him overboard, Jonah sees it as God’s discipline.

The phrase "waves and billows" (מִשְׁבָּרֶיךָ וְגַלֶּיךָ, mishbarekha wĕgallekha) is the same language used in Psalm 42:7, indicating complete overwhelm.

Jonah thought he was cast from God’s presence, but faith begins to emerge: “Yet I shall again look upon Your holy temple.”

3. The Depths of Despair (2:5-6)

"The waters closed in over me to take my life; the deep surrounded me; weeds were wrapped about my head 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."

Jonah describes near death—sinking lower, seaweed wrapping around his head, reaching "the roots of the mountains" (the ocean floor).

The phrase "bars closed upon me forever" suggests imprisonment—he felt locked away from life itself.

But then, hope breaks through: “Yet you brought up my life from the pit.”

The word "pit" (שַׁחַת, shachat) often refers to the grave or destruction. God intervenes to save him!

4. Jonah’s Turning Point (2:7-9)

"When my life was fainting away, I remembered the LORD, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple. Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love. But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the LORD!"

Jonah finally surrenders.

He remembers (זָכַר, zakar) the Lord—this is the turning point in his heart.

He contrasts God’s mercy with idolatry—those who worship idols lose out on steadfast love (חֶסֶד, chesed), God’s covenantal mercy.

His final declaration is profound: “Salvation belongs to the LORD!” (יְשׁוּעָתָה לַיהוָה, yeshuʿatah laYHWH).

This is the key message of Jonah’s story—God alone saves!

5. Jonah’s Deliverance (2:10)

"And the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land."

Just as God appointed the fish to swallow Jonah, now He commands the fish to release him.

The word "vomited" (קִיא, qiʾ) is graphic—Jonah is spit out like something distasteful!

God did not save Jonah just for his sake—He saved him for a mission.

Jonah now has a second chance to obey.

Closing: Three Life Applications

1.God hears us even at our lowest point.

No matter how far we’ve fallen, God’s mercy reaches deeper than our sin.

Are you in a "belly of the fish" moment? Cry out to Him—He hears!

2.Repentance requires surrender.

Jonah had to let go of pride and self-reliance before God rescued him.

Are you still holding on to your own plans instead of fully surrendering to God’s will?

3. Salvation belongs to the Lord.

It was never about Jonah’s efforts—it was always about God’s grace.

Have you trusted in His salvation fully, or are you still running?

Final Challenge:

Maybe today, God is calling you back.

Maybe you’ve been running, resisting, or delaying obedience.

Learn from Jonah—cry out from your distress, surrender fully, and declare, "Salvation belongs to the Lord!"