O God, May Praise and Repentance Be Our Song

Jonah 2:1-10

A conference speaker stands before a group of students and gives his presentation of the gospel. He stresses the love of God, the grace of God, the sacrifice of Christ, and calls his hearers to faith. Then he steps off the stage and the message is over.

A pastor preaches from the pulpit of his church week after week for years. He preaches consistently about the love of God, the sacrifice of Christ, the commands of God, and the call of Christians to be engaged in evangelism.

A believer shares the gospel with an unbelieving friend of theirs. They share of the love of God toward sinners, the good news of forgiveness in Christ, the hope of heaven forever, and the need for faith in Jesus.

A professing Christian has neglected consistently meeting together with and committing herself to a local church. She knows that God has commanded it, but she simply tells herself that God loves her regardless of if she is actively committed to a church and that He will forgive her of her continued neglect of His people and His command.

What is missing in each of these stories?

So many people in the Church have been taught of a God who has one main attribute- love, and all other attributes must be secondary. It is because of this type of teaching that so many professing Christians have no categories for a God who calls sinner to repent of sin, who disciplines His children, or who commands His people to walk in holiness and righteousness and carries out omnipotent wrath against sin.

What we believe and teach about repentance has profound effects on every part of the Christian life. Specifically, as we look to Jonah 2, what we believe about repentance will deepy effect the way that we see and respond when the storms of life come.

(vv. 1-2) Jonah prays

He is in distress and what does he do?

He cries out to God

Psalm 88:2- Let my prayer come before you; incline your ear to my cry!

God hears him

When you are in distress, what do you do?

We are so quick to turn to our own devices

The extent and substance of our prayer lives reflects whether we in trust Him or ourselves

This is even more clearly evident when trouble comes our way

When the storm comes, may we not try to doggy paddle ourselves to safety. May we humble ourselves and cry out to God

(vv. 3-6) Jonah recounts God’s discipline

This was no small amount of pain and terror

Jonah 2:2

Lamentations 3:55-56- “I called on your name, O Lord, from the depths of the pit; you heard my plea, ‘Do not close your ear to my cry for help!’

Jonah 2:3

Psalm 88:6-7- You have put me in the depths of the pit, in the regions dark and deep. Your wrath lies heavy upon me, and you overwhelm me with all your waves.

Psalm 42:7- Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me.

Jonah 2:4

Psalm 31:22- I had said in my alarm, “I am cut off from your sight.” But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy when I cried to you for help.

Jonah 2:5

Lamentations 3:54- water closed over my head; I said, ‘I am lost.’

Psalm 69:1- Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck.

God’s omnipotent grace is on display

If it were not for His discipline, Jonah would be still be running from God

If it were not for His mercy, Jonah would have drowned in the sea

This is what He deserved

If it were not for His discipline, Jonah was certain to make shipwreck of his life

God’s discipline toward us is gracious

As it is happening it hurts so bad

It is nothing short of God’s wise providential grace toward you

Proverbs 3:11-12- My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.

Hebrews 12:5-7- And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”

What is it’s purpose?

(vv. 7-9) Jonah repents (or does he?)

God’s discipline turns Jonah’s heart

He recognized God’s mighty hand in what has happened

He acknowledges idolatry as a rejection of the love of the one true God

This is exactly what Jonah has done

Yet he does not give any personal confession of sin

This is a half-baked form of repentance

God ordains that discipline happens when we walk astray to bring us to repentance

Confess YOUR sin

1 John 1:9- If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Turn once again to the Savior

Cast yourself on His mercy and walk in holiness by the power of His Spirit

Strive to walk in holiness and righteousness

Hebrews 12:10-11- For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

(vv. 9-10) Jonah praises God for His salvation

It is clear- salvation has been given by God to Jonah

It is given in order that He will go and do what God has commanded him to do

Praise God for His salvation in which He keeps us through His discipline

Hebrews 13:12-15- So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.

May we acknowledge the painful mercies of God in our lives and rejoice in His grace towards us