Jonah 2:1-10 God's Compassionate Deliverance.
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We talked a lot about God’s compassion last week and we also witnessed Jonah’s confession to the sailors and repentance by sacrificing himself to the sea. Today we will focus on what being separated from God feels like, as well looking for God in a hopeless situation and experiencing God’s salvation/deliverance. Keep in mind up to this point Jonah has not prayed to God yet or it does not seem like he has. He has confessed to the sailors about him being the cause of the storm, and he even sacrificed himself to be thrown overboard to calm the storm and save the sailors, but he has yet to pray.
What is salvation?
SALVATION Examines the biblical concept of salvation as it develops from the sense of physical rescue in the present life (e.g., deliverance from danger or crisis) to the idea of spiritual rescue often associated with the afterlife (e.g., forgiveness from sins, eternal life). This development in the concept of salvation corresponds with changes in beliefs regarding life after death: As views about the afterlife became more optimistic, the understanding of salvation expanded beyond the present world to include hopes for divine deliverance and even resurrection in the world to come.
In the Bible, salvation usually comes from God, Jesus, or an agent of God.
2:1-2 God’s Deliverance Described.
2:1-2 God’s Deliverance Described.
Some times when God removes our hope we see Him more clearly. That sounds kinda funny. When we are hopeless - we become hopeful - it doesn’t even sound right. And that is exactly where Jonah is when he begins chapter two in prayer to the Lord his God from the stomach of the fish. Although for some - it may be hard to understand that when we are hopeless that is when we should be able to see the blessings of God. Perhaps, this is hard to do - especially when we are the cause of the hopeless situation like Jonah was. Similar to Jonah, we can be intentionally disobedient to God, and in essence our actions reflect a lack of faith. And just like we saw in the last chapter Jonah’s apparent lack of faith, has been turned around, and as chapter one came to a close we witnessed Jonah’s faith resurface.
What is interesting about Jonah 2, the entire passage is all about Jonah being able to see God’s deliverance every step of the way. This chapter also highlight’s Jonah’s remembrance of Scripture - the Psalms. Here in verse two we read that Jonah called out of [his] distress, and cried for help from the depth of Sheol - Depth literally means “Belly” and Sheol literally means “Abode of the dead”. This phrase is describing that Jonah’s place in the fishes belly is like being face to face with death - a hopeless situation. Jonah strengthen himself by recalling that God answered and heard him by showing him the same mercy He wanted Jonah to preach to Nineveh. God rescued him from the stormy seas by way of the fishes belly.
Psalm 18:5
The cords of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me.
Even though Jonah, like the psalmist, is in a fearful situation, Jonah acknowledged God’s mercy from saving him from the sea. Jonah knew he was in a tough spot but remembered what the scripture says about God.
Psalm 18:4-6
The cords of death encompassed me,
And the torrents of ungodliness terrified me.
The cords of Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.
In my distress I called upon the Lord,
And cried to my God for help;
He heard my voice out of His temple,
And my cry for help before Him came into His ears.
1 Samuel 30:6
Moreover David was greatly distressed because the people spoke of stoning him, for all the people were embittered, each one because of his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.
Like David, Jonah found his strength in Yahweh - the character and power of Yahweh.
2:3-7 Testimony of God’s Deliverance.
2:3-7 Testimony of God’s Deliverance.
Jonah tells us about how God delivered him. But first Jonah explains that God was the one that cast [him] into the deep, into the heart of the seas. God caused Jonah to endure being engulfed by the current - literal meaning of engulfed is surrounded. And God commissioned breakers and billows to pass over him.
The cross reference Psalm 69:1 parallels what Jonah is experiencing.
Psalm 69:1
Save me, O God, For the waters have threatened my life.
Like Jonah, the psalmist understood God is the one in control of the seas.
Psalm 42:7
Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls; All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me.
Jonah clearly understands that he is being disciplined by God - perhaps discipline is an understatement - regardless he is certain that his actions are the cause to his being expelled from Your [God’s] sight. How the tables have turned. In the last chapter Jonah made it clear that he was fleeing from the presence of Yahweh. Now he realizes and admits God has thrown him from His presence into the dangers of the sea. But this doesn’t stop Jonah from returning back to God with expectant hope. Jonah says, Nevertheless I will look again toward Your holy temple.
What does Jonah mean when he says, “I will look again toward Your holy temple”? Jonah is confidently praying with hope to worship at the holy temple in Jerusalem again [like he did before his disobedience]. The holy temple was the appointed place to worship, and Jonah is faithfully looking forward to give thanks to Yahweh for his deliverance at the temple.
Jonah now paints a picture to what appears to be a description of hopelessness. He was encompassed by water to the point of death. He was surround by the great deep, and weeds were wrapped around his head. He descended to the roots of the mountains. I would have been in a complete panic. Picture what he is describing. You are in the middle of the ocean, many feet down below the surface. It is completely dark the deeper you go. You can’t breathe. You have sea weed wrapped around your face, or at least it may feel like it. You are probably fighting to swim up to the surface, but instead of moving closer to it you are sinking further down to the bottom. feelings of hopelessness, fear and panic. Jonah says, The earth with its bars was around me forever. He feels like he is in a water prison with bars around him so that he can not escape - and worse than that - he appears to be completely cut off from God.
Lamentations 3:54
Waters flowed over my head; I said, “I am cut off!”
Psalm 116:3
The cords of death encompassed me And the terrors of Sheol came upon me; I found distress and sorrow.
Isaiah 38:10
I said, “In the middle of my life I am to enter the gates of Sheol; I am to be deprived of the rest of my years.”
But we all know that God does not cut off those that are faithful to Him. Although, Jonah implies that he was far removed from Yahweh and in the face of death. But God delivered him and brought up his [Jonah’s] life from the pit. Yahweh delivered Jonah from the pit of the sea by way of the fish.
While Jonah was fainting away [in the depths of sea], when all appeared to be hopeless, Jonah remembered the Lord, and his prayer came to Yahweh - just like Nineveh’s wickedness came up before Yahweh. God see’s and hears all.
Doesn’t this seem almost impossible. Jonah is conscience while he is in the sea being thrown around and even while inside the fish- he understands what is happening, and although it is more than scary he remained concrete in his faith that God would deliver him.
Job 33:28
‘He has redeemed my soul from going to the pit, And my life shall see the light.’
Psalm 16:10
For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.
2:8-9 Praise for God’s Deliverance.
2:8-9 Praise for God’s Deliverance.
And then he declares his covenant loyalty to God for it. He doesn’t take this lightly. He is not like the pagans who regard vain idols and forsake their faithfulness to Yahweh.
Psalm 31:6
I hate those who regard vain idols, But I trust in the Lord.
Vain means empty - lifeless, and powerless. Why is this important to know? Jonah declares that it is foolish to place faith in empty idols because it shows God that you departing from Him and His compassion and mercy - covenant disloyalty. Leaving Him or choosing idols over Him results in the loss of His covenant blessings. It means abandoning confidence in God, and the loss of His security.
Just as God’s deliverance of the sailors in chapter one caused them to sacrifice and make a vow, Jonah’s deliverance from the sea encourages him - will sacrifice to Yahweh, with a voice of thanksgiving which he has vowed to pay. What is a vow? It is continual - marriage. Jonah will honor what he has said he will do sacrifice and give thanks to Yahweh continually - this shows covenant loyalty to God. Jonah declares Salvation is from the Lord. Salvation - both physical and spiritual deliverance is from God. It was Yahweh who saved the sailors in chapter 1, and Yahweh who saves Jonah in chapter 2.
Psalm 3:8
Salvation belongs to the Lord; Your blessing be upon Your people! Selah.
2:10 Restored to Land.
2:10 Restored to Land.
Jonah chapter 1:17 picks up right here - Then the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up onto the dry land. - God delivers Jonah from the storm, sea, from the fish and places him back on dry land in Israel. This is something that the sailors could not do - getting the boat to dry land. God has navigated the entire situation, providing deliverance for the sailors, and Jonah. What about Nineveh?
Application
Application
Through prayer Jonah describes God’s compassionate and merciful salvation which he recalled from the Scriptures - the result is hope. Yahweh is the loving God of Israel.
Psalm 22:24
For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from him;
But when he cried to Him for help, He heard.
Jonah gives evidence to God’s deliverance by describing what God delivered him from. God had cast Jonah out of his sight. Jonah wanted to flee from God’s presence but actually experienced and felt how it felt to be cast away from God, and His covenant blessings, by God. Ultimately revealing God was in control the whole time although the situation seemed weak - God took compassion and Jonah returned to the hope and faith he had before.
Psalm 143:5
I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all Your doings;
I muse on the work of Your hands.
Faithfulness and loyalty to Yahweh who is a the ultimate source of salvation is the better choice and deserves praise and continual covenant loyalty- to choose otherwise - idols - illustrated departing from faithfulness to Yahweh - a lose of security. Jonah was not physically and spiritually secure in the water and he realized that.
Psalm 50:23
“He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me;
And to him who orders his way aright
I shall show the salvation of God.”
In the end God does what only God could do. Restores Jonah to land for His service.Is there and example to follow - remembering God’s mercy for His people that is scattered throughout the Scriptures. Highlight, God resurrected Jonah from the belly of the fish in the sea to dry land - similar and better to Christ who rose from the grave. Do we know and understand that the scriptures including those about Christ’s death are the true source of encouragement? They highlight God’s power and compassion.
What does this mean for us? One of the main truths about God in Jonah chapter 2 is that Salvation/Deliverance comes from the Yahweh alone through Christ alone by grace and faith alone.
Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Whether it be physical or body or spiritual saving; it comes from God. We are able to remember this truth by reading and memorizing scripture like Jonah had done.
Another truth is that Jonah found strength in God through the scriptures, and in essence he claimed God’s promises that He hears and sees.
1 John 5:14
This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
Psalm 66:17-20
I cried to Him with my mouth,
And He was extolled with my tongue.
If I regard wickedness in my heart,
The Lord will not hear;
But certainly God has heard;
He has given heed to the voice of my prayer.
Blessed be God,
Who has not turned away my prayer
Nor His lovingkindness from me.
Think about this Psalm - crying out to God is a profession that you are trusting Him, seeking Him. This is a condition we must meet as Christ followers. Prayer is powerful and is how God hears us! We should be praising Him and asking Him for help through prayer. Knowing that He hears us should give us a sense of security.
When we flee from God, we risk losing His blessings which include security, and deliverance, and we rely on the world for them. The world wants us to take our comfort and security from it’s worldly wisdom and knowledge but we take comfort and gain security in the fact that He cares, hears us, and if He responded by letting His Son hang on a cross for those who believe, He will respond to our prayers - in His time, but He will respond.
Christ death is the ultimate source of security and expression of God’s love and compassion.
Romans 8:29-30
For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;
and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
And out of gratitude and love we should have the desire for others to experience God’s security and salvation. We talked about it last week - perhaps there is a change of heart we need to pray for? and attitude to change, and a sin to confess and turn from with regard for being a witness for Christ - Why? Because security from this world, physical and spiritual are found only in Him. Not drugs, food, people, material possessions, big house, land, cars, money, earthly power or authority.
Romans 8:35-39
Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Just as it is written,
“For Your sake we are being put to death all day long;
We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.