Jonah's Prayer of Praise

Introduction

If you were with us last week, you may remember that we left Jonah in the middle of a big fish. We ended with Jonah 1:17.

Jonah 1:17 NIV84

But the Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights.

As we begin today, I want to ask you a question:

QUESTION: Have you ever experienced a “big fish” experience in your life?

I wish I could say I have never had a “big fish” experience, but the truth is I’ve had a number of these experiences in my life.

So, if you are like me, and you’ve had a “big fish” experience I want you to picture it in your mind as we study Jonah’s prayer.

Now, as we continue I want you to also remember that Jonah is still inside the big fish.

So if you have your Bibles, turn with me to Jonah 2 and we’ll begin by looking at verse 1.

Jonah 2:1 NIV84

From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God.

Jonah’s Prayer

Now, I love Jonah’s prayer. So let’s dive in.

Jonah 2:2 NIV84

He said: “In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry.

God Hears Our Prayers

Jonah begins by saying in the middle of his distress he called on the Lord.

And the amazing thing is that God heard his prayer.

Now he repeats his situation in a second way for emphasis.

— From the depths the grave (the Hebrew word is sheol the well of souls, or dwelling place of souls) Jonah called for help.

— And from the depth of grave God heard his cry.

Jonah 2:3 NIV84

You hurled me into the deep, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me.

Before that, Jonah says that God hurled Jonah into the deep. Into the very heart of the seas.

Jonah says that the currents swirled around him as the waves and breakers washed over him.

Jonah 2:4 NIV84

I said, ‘I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple.’

Jonah knows that God is displeased with him, and with his actions.

Yet, he longs to see the temple of God one more time.

Jonah 2:5 NIV84

The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head.

Jonah says he was a goner!

—The water threatened him.

—He was sinking under the water.

—Seaweed was wrapped around his head .

Jonah 2:6 NIV84

To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you brought my life up from the pit, O Lord my God.

—Jonah was sinking down to the bottom of the ocean, to a watery grave.

—Jonah is about to die!

—But God saved Jonah from the “pit” or death.

Jonah 2:7 NIV84

“When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple.

Jonah continues to praise God for His salvation, because God saved him at the last moment.

Jonah is thankful that even in the midst of God’s punishment, his prayers reached God in God’s dwelling place.

Jonah 2:8 NIV84

“Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.

Contrasts of Idols

First idols are worthless.

And worse than that trusting in an idol forfeits God’s graciousness. They forfeit God’s love in their life.

Question: What idols are you clinging to?

If I’m honest, there are times when I cling to worthless idols. It is easy to fall into the idol trap.

It is so sad to me, that I would trade God’s love for the worship of something that can give me nothing.

Jonah counters the worthlessness of idol worship, with his own worship.

Jonah 2:9 NIV84

But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the Lord.”

Jonah’s Worship

He offers a song of thanksgiving.

He will sacrifice to the Lord.

He will keep his vow.

And he will trust in God’s salvation (because it is the only salvation).

God’s Response

Jonah 2:10 NIV84

And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

God delivers the Jonah from the fish—vomiting Jonah onto dry land.

God spared Jonah life, so that Jonah could do the job God told him to do in the first place.

And so we leave Jonah—he’s out of the belly of the big fish. He’s back on dry ground. But what do we learn? What do we take away from this story.

So What

No matter what’s happening to you—even in the belly of a big fish—you can call out to God and He will answer you.

Even when you think everything is lost—and you can’t go on any more, God is there with you!

It may feel like God answers just in the nick of time—but He does answer!

Idols can only meet the need for a short while—but in the end idols cause us to forfeit the love and graciousness of God!

Instead, we need to worship the Lord God with thanksgiving and with sacrifice, knowing that true salvation can ONLY come from God!