Jonah--week 2

Intro:

Last week we were started talking about Jonah

Jonah Disregarded God trying to tell Him something

God wanted Jonah to learn a lesson, but Jonah refused to comply

Don’t we do that all the time?

The sailors threw him out of the Boat

This is a great example of God not allowing His children to stay in sin

When we are lost in sin, God wants to get our attention back to him

Often He does this by allowing hard times to come into our lives

Example:

isrealites

God is using this hard time “Storm” in Jonah’s life to draw his attention back to Himself…and it works

We see in Jonah 2 a prayer from Jonah to God. This prayer is Jonah Recognizing, thanking, repenting, and running towards God

When storms come into our lives, perhaps God is trying to redirect our attentnion back to himself.

DON’T WASTE YOUR STORMS

Jonah recognized God’s hand (1-5)

English Standard Version Chapter 2

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

He recognized God was allowing this to happen

-V. 3 you cast me into the deep

V. 4 i am driven away from you risght

How could a loving God allow this to happen?

Allowing this hardship to happen is the ultimate form of love

Running from GOd is far more dangerous then whatever hardship God allows in your life.

He recognized God would be his helper

v. 2 I called out and he answered me.

God allows hard times to come into our lives, but he doesn’t make us wait in fear.

He offers his hand as help

He recognized God should be his focus

v. 4 Yet i shall again look upon your holy temple

This refers to an ancient practice of praying towards the temple

This means Jonah was returning his view towards God

Jonah recognized God’s compassion (v. 6-9)

English Standard Version Chapter 2

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.

God’s compassion is incredible

English Standard Version Chapter 2

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.

-Even in the worst situation imaginable (being stuck in the belly of a big fish) God had compassion

Jonah did not deserve this compassion (being saved) but God gave it to Him anyway

We don’t deserve it, but God will give it to us anyway

English Standard Version Chapter 2

When my life was fainting away,

I remembered the LORD,

and my prayer came to you,

into your holy temple.

Even when Jonah had come to the end of himself and he thought he might die, God still had compassion

Don’t think that you are special enoguh that God wouldn’t forgive you and have compassion on you.

God’s compassion is for His children

English Standard Version Chapter 2

Those who pay regard to vain idols

forsake their hope of steadfast love.

If you have no regard for God, eventually He will let you have yuor idols, but you won’t be able to have him.

Jonah recognized His need for God

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.

God is deserving of His thanks

Again, God did not need to save Jonah

He did it because of His incredible love and mercy

Do you remember to thank God when he protects, sustains, and cares for you/

When Good things happen do you remember God?

When bad things happen do you remember God?

God is deserving of His praise

Salvation belongs to the Lord!

This was an indication of God’s favor to Him

God knew Jonah’s heart was still bad towards the ninevitese (Chp 4), but he still had mercy on Jonah.