Jonah: The Reluctant Prophet-12

Introduction: We are continuing through Jonah’s prayer, concluding with Jonah being expelled from the great fish. This is a second opportunity for Jonah.

II. Jonah’s Repenting: God’s Protection - Chapter 2

A. The Prayer Of Jonah v1-10

1. The Person of the Prayer v1

2. The Reason of the Prayer v1,2

3. The Manner of the Prayer v2

4. The Place of the Prayer v2,3,5,6

5. The Faith of the Prayer v4,6,7

This whole chapter deals with the prayer of Jonah from the moment he is cast overboard, to the moment when God commands the great fish to expel Jonah.

It begins with the introduction that Jonah is one praying here to God, the Bible says in verse 2 that he is in great affliction.

I have not really taken the time to center in on this, but if you can imagine the disgusting nature of being swallowed by a fish. If you can image the horrible stench and smells. If you can imagine the burning of stomach acid and the other things perhaps in the belly of this great fish.

It must of been quite horrific.

Jonah on the other side of this no doubt would have visible physical marks of being part of this fish’s digestive process when he hobbled into Nineveh in chapter 3.

He prays describing his plight. He uses language such as:

vs. 3 “...thou hadst cast me into the deep...”

vs. 5“The waters compassed me about, even to the soul...”

He states that the earth was his bars and no doubt the sea weeds were as chains.

He speaks perhaps of a near death experience which gives us the understanding that this is a terrible and impossible situation.

But we see here in our text one hallmark of this prayer is Jonah’s faith toward the Lord.

Jonah cries out to His God in the midst of this affliction.

We now turn our attention to three last subjects concerning this prayer of Jonah.

We will discuss the conclusion of this prayer, the praise of the prayer and the result of this prayer.

Notice number 6 in your notes:

6. The Conclusion of the Prayer v8,9

In the preceding verses, we have seen really the substance of Jonah’s praying. In other words, what did Jonah say to the Lord and why did he say it.

When we get down to verse 8 and 9, we see Jonah’s conclusion.

This conclusion is a summary statement for Jonah.

In these very two verses we see a wealth of wisdom.

Verse 8 tells us, “They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.”

Notice in this first statement the third word. It is the word observe.

What does this word mean?

This word gives the idea of paying attention to, or watching but with the intent of obedience.

It is not just watching, but really has to do with following after.

The next word is pretty obvious for us to understand which is the word ‘lying.’

We would understand the word ‘lying’ means something that deceives.

But these two words, “lying” and “vanities” are to be taken together.

This expression ‘lying vanities’, has to do with the emptiness or worthlessness of idols.

Putting it all together we might say, that which is not God but obeyed as God.

In essence, Jonah is speaking of idolatry.

As we look at the text, we can see that this phrase here in verse 8, “They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy” is put in direct contrast with his statement in verse 9, “I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.”

So that the opposing observations are this,

They that trust in anything other than God… they are abandoning there only means of mercy, their only means of Salvation.

This is both true in terms of our Salvation, but also is true in the context of God’s blessing upon my life as a Christian.

Example: If I were to go out and speak to someone about the Lord Jesus Christ i would begin witnessing to someone about who the Lord is and why it is that he came.

I might tell them about John 3:16 “16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

I might explain that because of the fact that I am a sinner and the before God saved me, I was separated from Him and without hope.

I might explain to them that Jesus came to this earth from Heaven being God in the flesh and that He came with the purpose of seeking and saving the which was lost.

He came to save a person like me, separated from God because of my sin.

And there was a day when I understood this, that Jesus paid the price for my sin.

He was nailed to a cross, and there He bled and died on that cross because of my sin and the sin of the whole world.

I might tell them how the Bible describes Him declaring the He finished this work, and that He diesdand was buried.

I might continue and tell this person that by the operation of God he was victorious and came up out of the grave having finished the work paying for my sin and the sin of the whole world, and that He is alive for every-more.

And that the Bible says, all who will repent of their and sin and trust Him by faith can also be saved and forgiven even as I was many years ago.

That if they were willing and would cry out to God themselves in prayer expressing just that. That they understand they are separated from God because of their sin and they believe in the Lord Jesus and what He did for them on the cross and they trust in Him for Salvation asking God to save them, the he promises He would!

I might tell someone that, but they might look at me and say, “Well that all well and good for you and I am glad you believe that, but I think I will just choose my own way.”

My friend, if someone rejects the Lord Jesus Christ they are forsaking their only means of Salvation they are forsaking the grace of God and His mercy.

Many might argue this today and state, “Aren't there many religions and many ways to God. They are all basically the same just different names and different ways.”

“You have your way and that’s fine for you and I have my way and in the end in all accomplishes the same ends.”

My friend, the answer that Jonah has given is absolutely not!

We could summarize this statement by making note of several things:

We all need mercy.

In the New Testament, we would begin with this truth when we come to Jesus Christ for Salvation; this fact that we are sinners and in need of a Savior.

The Bible tells us that the wages of our sin is death, and we are in need of a Savior. And this is the fact and plight of all humanity. We are lost and undone without Christ.

The Lord Jesus Christ in dealing with this subject told those that were deceived by their own self-righteousness this when he stated it this way, “They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

This starting place was to recognize this truth that we are sick and in need of a Savior. That my righteousness as the Bible puts it is as “filthy rags.”

Not only in terms of Salvation, but we even as Christians are dependent upon the mercy and blessings of God as we see here in Jonah’s plight.

Remember Jonah is God’s man; He is a prophet. Jonah was not a heathen man.

He certainly acted as a heathen man in His fleshly pride and disobedience.

We would understand that once we receive Christ as our Savior having come to a place where we understood that we needed to be saved, that our sins are dealt with.

Once we have received forgiveness because of the precious blood of Jesus Christ, we will never be found guilty condemned to Hell.

But every day we walk in this world we can find ourselves as Jonah did in a place of disobedience and chastisement.

We can can find ourselves in need of God’s mercy having forsaken by our own sinful actions our place of blessing upon our lives.

How dangerous it is for us to think we could observe lying vanities and prosper in the way we are going?

Everything outside of the one true living God is false, deceptive, and empty.

When we look in the world today it is full of idols. False substitutes for the One True Living God.

All around us are ‘lying vanities’ that are courting humanity saying, “Trust in me…” “Find your fulfillment over here” They come in all forms and types. The end of which is empty and worthless.

There is no means of Salvation except by God.

When the Lord Jesus Christ stated in John 14:6 “..I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

He declared that He is the only way, He is the only truth, He is life.

There is no other means of Salvation.

Grace, Mercy and Peace are only found in Him.

There is no other way for a Christian to walk in this life but in fellowship with the Lord.

When we think about this powerful statement by Jonah, He is commenting on His own plight and instructing you and I even as a child of God that he forsook His own mercy for a time by breaking fellowship with God.

Perhaps we might see it in this way,

How much would you and I warn others after having failed in a particular way or particular area in life?

We might exclaim this to others by way of testimony, “Do not do as I did! Do not go the way I went!” “Look at what befell me!”

Jonah had allowed Himself to turn from the living God. He had given way in Himself over to an evil heart of rebellion.

He consulted with His own reasoning rather than submitting to His God.

And He discovered or we could say, yea already knew it was as a wound to Himself.

It was a choice of forsaking His own mercy.

Those that choose the road in opposition to God play a foolish game and reveals to us that they forsake their only means of Salvation.

Albert Barnes had this to say, “It is then one general maxim, including all people’s idols, idols of the flesh, idols of intellect, idols of ambition, idols of pride, idols of self and self-will. People “observe” them, as gods, watch them, hang upon them, never lose sight of them, guard them as though they could keep them. But what are they? “lying vanities,” breath and wind, which none can grasp or detain, vanishing like air into air. And what do they who so “observe” them? All alike “forsake their own mercy;” i. e., God”

“Here we learn the value to attach to all superstitions, to all those opinions of men, when they attempt to set up religion according to their own will; for Jonah calls them lying or fallacious vanities. There is, then, but one true religion, the religion which God has taught us in His Word. Men in vain weary themselves when they follow their own inventions,—for the more strenuously they run, the farther they recede from the right way, as Augustine has well observed.”

Exell, J. S. (n.d.). The Biblical Illustrator: The Minor Prophets (Vol. 5, p. 36). Fleming H. Revell Company.

The question we should ask ourselves is this:

Do we need to be reminded of this, this very morning?

The answer is yes, for we would not find it recorded in the Word of God if it were not so.

But we do find this in the Scriptures, we find this recorded from this prophet of God.

And He cries out to you and I and says look this happened to me, this was the situation, this was the prayer and this is what I have learned and the Lord showed me to be true.

They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.

Secondly, I would like for you to notice what Jonah states in verse 9.

"But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.”

This is a turning statement that is made by Jonah.

He gives us the somber warning about forsaking the mercy of God.

But we see here he states, I will do this., “I will pay that that I vowed.”

This is a statement of commitment to the Lord.

Jonah is dedicating His life to the Lord.

Perhaps in time past he vowed to serve the Lord as a prophet of God.

And it seems he attempted to forsake that. But here we see the clear simple commitment that Jonah makes.

We will see in chapter 3, Jonah does what God asks Him to do a second time.

He goes to Nineveh.

He preaches that message that God has for him to preach.

He submits himself in obedience to doing what God has asked him to do.

I wonder as we look at this statement of Jonah,

How many times we have come to this altar here at the church house and made commitments to the Lord?

Vowed to do a certain thing? Or vowed to accomplish a particular task?

Perhaps we have come before the Lord and told him we would make some certain changes in our lives concerning our attitudes and thoughts.

I think we may be too quick sometimes with our lips in what we say and what we vow to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The Lord Jesus Christ gave us a far better practice for our lives to keep and He stated it in this way,

Matthew 5:34-37 “34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne: 35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. 36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. 37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.”

The Jews in order to add weight to their statements would swear or make an oath by heaven.

They would swear by the temple or they may even swear by their own head.

The object of their swearing was to convince who they were speaking with that they were telling to truth.

This became more important than their actual honesty and truthfulness.

Their words became a formality without the fulfilling of them.

And the Lord says, what you say you will do, do. What you say you will not do, don’t do.

In other words, those things we commit to Lord and those commitments that with make with our mouths, ought to be acted upon in truth.

Whatever Jonah had vowed to His God, Jonah should keep.

A right heart attitude toward the Lord is a careful obedience in the right direction.

I know based on the events of chapter 4 Jonah still wrestling with his pride and prejudice in his heart toward the Assyrians.

However, he sees this truth concerning Salvation in his own life.

And he says, Lord I am going to thank you and praise you for who you are. And I am going to do that which I said I would do.

7. The Praise of the Prayer v6,9

Both in verse number 6 and verse 9 we see Jonah does something significant and important in His prayer. And that is he praises the Lord.

Jonah praises God for who He is. He says, “I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving.”

This crucial element in our praying is often left off.

We are quick to tell God all that we need. We are quick to let out our laundry list of difficulties and problems.

Perhaps we are quick to ask the Lord for grace and mercy in the midst of chastisement, but do we praise and thank the Lord for who He is.

Jonah states, “I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving...”

The psalmists in Psalm 100:4 declares for you and I “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”

The Lord in teaching the disciples to pray expressed this to them as necessary when we pray. In Matthew 6:9 that He states, “9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.”

This expression is one of praising God for who He is. And so we see Jonah’s repentance toward God and and God’s protection of Jonah.

Lastly though as we close I want us to see

8. The Result of the Prayer v10

What was the result of Jonah praying?

I believe we can see several things.

God acted in Mercy upon Jonah’s Prayer.

You might here it said often that prayer is what moves the hand of God. And here we see a clear example of this, as Jonah turned to God as he recommitted Himself to the Lord, the Lord acted upon His prayer.

The Lord in His sovereignty is free to do as He wills. And we see He acted on Jonah’s behalf and allowed Him the second chance to do what he called Him to do the first time.

God allowed Jonah an additional opportunity to serve Him.

The result of this prayer is seen in God’s allowance of Jonah to continue the high privilege of going about God’s work here on this earth.

After many failures people oftentimes feel unfit to serve the Lord. And yet we see as a result of this prayer that God in His grace allowed Jonah to a second chance.

Jonah is back in fellowship with the Lord.

The function of prayer itself is communication with God. Right praying that is the result of a heart pointed toward God indicates fellowship. Jonah was the prophet of running from God. In his praying he ran to God.

If we were to ask Jonah at the end of this chapter, did you waste your time praying?

I have no doubt he would say absolutely not.

Well next week we will begin to look at chapter 3. And we will see one of the greatest sermons ever preached that resulted in a whole city turning to the Lord.