Jonah s Prayer. Jonah 2:1-10

Transcription

1 1 Jonah s Prayer Jonah 2:1-10

2 2 Text: Jonah 2:1-10, Jonah s Prayer 1. Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish s belly. 2. And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice. 3. For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. 4. Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. 5. The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. 6. I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God. 7. When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord; and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple. 8. They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. 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. 10. And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land. Introduction: I. Almost all of Jonah 2 consists of Jonah s prayer from within the fish s belly.

3 3 II. Smith stated, If in chapter 1 Jonah ran away from God, in chapter 2 he ran to God in prayer. III. Smith also said that this is a prayer of praise and thanksgiving rather than of petitions. Commentary: Jonah 2:1, Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish s belly. I. Jonah had escaped from death by drowning in the storm as well as between his been cast overboard and being swallowed by the great fish. A. Jonah was grateful for this deliverance and gave heartfelt thanksgiving for God s goodness to a wayward son. II. Note the following comparisons between statements in this prayer and those found in the book of Psalms: (Coffman) A. Jonah 2:3, For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. Psalm 18:7, Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth. Psalm 120:1, In my distress I cried unto the Lord and he heard me. B. Jonah 2:4, Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. Psalm 18:6, In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God; he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears. Psalm 30:4, Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

4 4 C. Jonah 2:5, The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. Psalm 42:8, Yet the Lord will command his loving kindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life. D. Jonah 2:6, I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God. Psalm 31:23, O love the Lord, all ye his saints: for the Lord preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer. Psalm 5:8, Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face. E. Jonah 2:7, When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord; and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple. Psalm 18:8, There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire, out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it. Psalm 69:1-3, Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God. F. Jonah 2:8, They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. Psalm 18:17, He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me. Psalm 30:4, Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. Psalm 103:4, Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; G. Jonah 2:9, but I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving: I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord. Psalm 142:4, I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me; refuge failed me; no man

5 5 cared for my soul. Psalm 143:4, Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate. Psalm 18:7, Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth. Psalm 5:8, Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face. H. Jonah 2:10, And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land. Psalm 88:3, For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave. Psalm 31:7, I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities; Psalm 26:7, That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works. Psalm 50:14, 23, Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God. Psalm 42:5, Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance. Psalm 116:7, Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee. Note: The above material was taken from Coffman, page 300, The Minor Prophets, Volume 1. Keil via Coffman wrote, Jonah s prayer is the simple and natural utterance of a man versed in the holy scripture and living in the word of God, and is in perfect accordance with the prophet s circumstances and the state of his mind. III. Coffman observed that one of the startling things about this remarkable utterance on the part of Jonah is the brevity of it. A. The entire prayer takes only one minute to read aloud. B. We also use many scriptural phrases in our prayers.

6 6 IV. Jonah prayed from within the fishes belly. A. There is no place from which a person cannot pray... and be heard. Jonah 2:2, And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice. I. I called by reason of my affliction unto Jehovah, and he answered me; A. The Bible speaks of many people s praying in various places and postures, but this is the only prayer from a great fish s belly. B. Examples from Coffman: 1. 1 Kings 8:54, And it was so, that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the Lord, he arose from before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven. 2. Nehemiah 9:5, Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahish, said, Stand up and bless the Lord your God for ever and ever: and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise, 3. Luke 18:13, Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting Kings 18:42, So Ahab went up to eat and to drink, And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees,

7 Kings 20:2, Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the Lord, saying, 6. Matthew 26:39, And he went a little farther and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. 7. John 11:41, 42, Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid, And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always; but because of the people which stand by II said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. II. Out of the belly of Sheal cried to, And thou heardest my voice. A. Sheol means netherworld or underworld and is equivalent to hades in the New Testament and refers to the realm of the dead. (Coffman) B. The belly of the fish represents the unseen world of departed spirits. Jonah 2:3, For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. I. For thou didst cast me into the depth, in the heart of the seas, A. God actually cast Jonah into the sea. The mariners were simply the instrument God used to Accomplish this result. B. Smith further wrote, It is to Jonah s credit that he did not have bitterness toward the sailors for throwing him into the waters.

8 8 II. Scriptures relating to God s hand in calamities: A. Job 1:21, And said, Naked came I out of m mother s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord, B. Job 2:10, But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips. C. 2 Samuel 16:5-11, And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera: he came forth, and cursed still as he came. And he cast stones at David, and at all the servants of king David; and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial: The Lord hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the Lord hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son; and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man. The nsaid Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head, And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because the Lord hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so? And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now may this Benjamite do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for the Lord hath bidden him. III. And the flood (river, deep) was round about me; All thy waves and thy billows passed over me.

9 9 A. The current in the Mediterranean sea flows west to east. 1. Psalm 24:2, For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods. B. Jonah understood that God was disciplining him for his failure to do his duty in regard to Nineveh. Jonah 2:4, Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. I. I am cast out before thine eyes;... from thy sight. A. Jamieson, Faussett and Brown wrote, He had turned his back on God, so God turned his back on him,... B. Smith noted that Jonah felt cut off from God, expelled from Yahweh s sight. II. Yet, I will look again toward thy holy temple in faith and/or reality. A. Wayward as he was, there was still hope of redemption for Jonah and that he would again see the temple in Jerusalem. B. Saul of Tarsus learned there was hope for him, a persecutor of Christians. C. Is there hope for us and others. Do we react toward repentant disciples as if they were still tainted by sin? D. Smith concluded, Arrogance had given way to humility, rebellion to submission.

10 10 III. When Jonah was in the belly of the great fish the temple was still standing. A. The temple was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. B. 1 Kings 8:38, What prayer and supplication so ever be made by any man, or by all thy people Israel, which shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house: Jonah 2:5, The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. I. The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: The deep was round about me; A. Jonah s soul (human life) was in severe danger. B. Smith wrote, Jonah felt himself sinking into the watery grave. II. The weeds were wrapped about my head. A. These weeds could have been encountered between being thrown overboard and being swallowed b the great fish or... (Dummelow via Coffman) B. they could have found their way to the great fish s stomach as Jonah was swallowed. C. How would you have felt if these thing shad happened to you? 1. Jonah had hit rock bottom!

11 He doesn t appear to have been a basket case because he had stedfast trust in God. Jonah 2:6, I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God. I. I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; to the place of no return. (Smith) A. Islands are the tops of mountains the foundations of which are on the bottom of the sea. 1. Psalm 18:7, Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth. B. This describes Jonah s view of the hopelessness of his situation. (Coffman) II. The earth with its bars closed upon me forever: A. Jonah despaired, believed his condition was hopeless. He thought he was a goner and that he would never again see the light of day, that the land of the living was shut against him. B. Smith wrote,... he was as good as buried in the earth, imprisoned by the bars of death. III. Yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, the Pit, O Jehovah my God. A. Compare Jonah s prayer with Hezekiah s prayer.

12 Isaiah 38:9, 17, The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness: Behold, for peace I had great bitterness; but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption; for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back. Jonah 2:7, When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord; and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple. I. When Jonah fainted, despacred, he remembered to pray, turned to the Lord for help. (Smith) A. Coffman observed that Jonah was a bit late remembering God. B. Scriptures: 1. Psalm 73:26, My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. 2. Psalm 42:6, O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar. C. Hope, faith revived when Jonah remembered the Lord. (Jamieson, Fausett and Brown) Jonah 2:8, They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. I. They that regard lying vanities. A. Dummelow via Coffman that vanities refers to idol gods. 1. Deuteronomy 32:21, They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger

13 13 with their vanities; and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation. 2. Vanities indicates worthlessness including the gods to which the mariners had prayed without success. 3. Psalm 31:6, I have hated them that regard lying vanities: but I trust in the Lord. II. Amazingly, even though the mariners had been most magnanimous toward Jonah, Jonah still had little respect for them. A. We may not worship the same idols the ancients revered, but we nonetheless worship idols such as money, position, alcohol, drugs, etc. II. Forsake their own mercy. A. Those who follow vanities destroy their way to God s mercy. B. Psalm 144:2, My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me. C. Psalm 59:17, Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for god is my defence, and the God of my mercy. D. Jeremiah 2:13, For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them our cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water. E. Jeremiah 17:13, O Lord, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in

14 14 the earth, because they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living waters. Jonah 2:9, but I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving: I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord. I. Jonah said he would sacrifice to Jehovah with thanksgiving. A. Sacrifice can be a means of: 1. appeasement of the wrath of God. 2. propitiation. 3. expiation. B. Blessings are to be anticipated and received with thanksgiving Chronicles 20:21, And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth for ever. 2. Psalm 119:67, Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word. C. He (Jonah) also now realized that salvation was by grace. (Smith) 1. Ephesians 2:8, 9, For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

15 15 II. Jonah promised to pay what he had vowed. III. Salvation is of Jehovah. Jonah 2:10, And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land. I. Jehovah spoke to the fish. II. The fish vomited out Jonah upon dry land. A. Did Jonah nauseate the fish? B. There are various opinions about where Jonah was returned to land and no direct Biblical statement specifying the place. Conclusion: I. Smith listed the following comparisons: A. Jonah 1 and 2 both conclude with sacrifice and vows. B. Both Jonah and the Gentile sailors had faced peril from the sea. C. Both had cried out to Yahweh. D. Both offered worship to him after being physically preserved. E. The proud and prejudiced prophet finally had matured spiritually to the level of the Gentile sailors. F. He who thought that preaching the divine word to the heathen was beneath him, now had learned that Gentiles quickly and sincerely respond to divine intervention in the affairs of men.

16 16 References Clarke s Commentary, Volume IV, Isaiah Malachi, Abington- Cokesbury Press, New York Nashville. Commentary on the Whole Bible, Robert Jamieson, A. R. Faussett and David Brown, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version, The Gideons International, 1979 Edition. Holy Bible, NIV, Zonderan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530, Holy Bible, NRSV, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, TN 37214, James Burton Coffman Commentaries, The Minor Prophets, Joel, Amos and Jonah, ACU Press, Abilene, Texas, 1981, The Minor Prophets, James E. Smith, College Press Publishing Company, Joplin, Missouri, 1994.

17 17 Questions Jonah 2:1-10 (Questions based on NIV text.) 1. From where and to whom did Jonah pray? Is there any place in the universe from which we cannot pray and be heard? 2. In my I called to the, and he answered me. What did the Lord say in his answer? 3. From the of the I called for, and you listened to my cry. Define grave in this verse. 4. Jonah, in verse 3, was in a terrible situation. He was in real trouble. What are the worst troubles you have ever experienced? How did you deal with them?

18 Is there anything worse than being banished from God s sight? Explain your answer. 6. Did Jonah have hope of returning to God s favor? Explain your answer. 7. How do you explain the many references to the book of Psalms in Jonah s prayer? 8. How does the reference to God s holy temple help date the writing, events in the book of Jonah?

19 The me, the me; was around my. To the of the I down; the beneath me in. 10. Jonah was in really bad shape. Is anyone ever beyond hope? See Jonah 2:6b, Matthew 12:31, 32 and 1 John 5:16, When Jonah s life was ebbing away, he remembered the Lord. Is that when we pray that is, when we are in trouble? Explain your answer. 12. Did the honorable mariners who had befriended Jonah forfet the grace that could be theirs? See Jonah 1:14-16.

20 Jonah promised, What I have vowed I will make good. What had he vowed? Do you keep your word to man and God? 14. Salvation comes from Jehovah, Yaweh. Is there any other god through whom salvation comes? 15. And the the, and it on to. Even the fish of the sea obey God. Why don t humans better obey God?