Jonah 2

Intro:

Last week, we read about Jonah getting a message from God, but Jonah didn’t like that message.

Instead of going to Nineveh, he ran from God… And ultimately, that got him in the belly of a fish..

V. 1-2

Instead of praying to God on the ship… He waited until he was in the lowest of lows… The belly of fish.

Sometimes, we do this same exact thing… We don’t pray until we have already hit the lowest of lows.

I think that we could avoid a lot of problems if we would simply pray and sit still...

When you pray and sit still, it helps you get your heart right.. It helps you think about stuff before you act… These are things we need more of...

If Jonah would’ve simply prayed and been honest with God, it is possible that He would’ve gone to Nineveh without having to be made to.

Verse 2 summarizes Jonah’s prayer...

I called for help and God answered…

Sheol = Realm of the dead, the grave...

This fish’s stomach is metaphorically like a tomb…

Jonah might’ve thought he was dead at a point...

Hence the parallel in Matthew 12:40.

Here’s the cool part… God was present in Sheol and received Jonah’s prayer..

For us today, God is everywhere we are… When you are in the valley’s, he’s ever present with you..

When you’re going through the highs, hes present even there...

Wherever we go, God is there… Psalm 139:8…

That should bring comfort to the Christian… Knowing that God is always there, whether you like it or not...

It should also be convicting because whenever you are sinning, God is there watching… Don’t be sketch.

V.3-5

Jonah see the breakers and billows as God’s tools of judgment..

Even though it was the sailors who threw Jonah overboard, he acknowledged the fact that it was God using them to do so.

God can use anyone to get your attention… Even the unsaved..

Seems like Jonah still has hope in verse 4… He says, “I have been banished from your sight, yet I will look once more toward your holy temple...

He expected to live to pray again and maybe even worship in the temple in Jerusalem.

Jonah has water all around him and seaweed around his head… He wasn’t sure what was going to happen..

V. 6-7

Jonah feels like he’s dying, or he’s already dead...

But, then, God saves him from the Pit.

Jonah did nothing to deserve being saved by God...

Jonah deserved to die for disobeying his God.. Sin deserves death..

However, God, being full of grace, rescued Jonah...

This is salvation...

We deserve death and hell… But, God, in His grace and mercy saves. That should make us want to worship Him and live for Him…

He turned to God, prayed to hime for deliverance, and the Lord heard his prayer...

God hears our prayers…

Even when we don’t think he is… He is there.

V. 8-9

God saving Jonah shows that he exists, unlike the pagan idols that are worshipped..

Reminds me of Elisha, in 1 Kings...

1 Kings 18:20-46

Jonah makes a beautiful statement here...

Jonah confesses that salvation is from Yahweh, the God of the Bible..

The whale could not endure it, and he turned Jonah out directly he said, “Salvation is of the Lord.” The world does not like that doctrine, and there are many professing Christians who do not like it. They say, “Salvation is of man’s free will; salvation is of the works of the law; salvation is of rites and ceremonies;” and so on. But we say, with Jonah, “Salvation is of the Lord.” He works it from beginning to end, and therefore he must have all the praise for it for ever and ever. - Spurgeon

V.10

God only has to say the word and the sea-monsters obey Him.

God can speak to the sinner just like the fish..

God can bring back the fallen person...

God can change anything just by speaking a word.. That’s the power of God.

We all have friends and family that are not saved… WE should be praying that God would speak to them and that they would give up their sinful lives like the fish vomited Jonah..

Conclusion...

Salvation belongs to God… He is the one who grants salvation...

God is powerful, He simply has to speak a word and boom…