Jonah: The Reluctant Prophet-11
Jonah: The Reluctant Prophet • Sermon • Submitted
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· 2 viewsJonah prays from the belly of the great fish.
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Introduction: In this chapter we are dealing with Jonah’s prayer from the belly of a great fish. It is here that we see Jonah’s repentance and God’s protection.
We saw last week several items concerning the prayer of Jonah.
Review:
We dealt with the Person of the prayer.
This was an amazing thing to see Jonah praying unto the Lord.
Then we saw the reason of the prayer, as is stated in verse 1. He cried by reason of His affliction.
We noted that you and I:
We should pray in our affliction.
We should be truthful in our prayers.
We should be fervent in our prayers.
We should understand that God desires to hear us in our affliction.
Then we saw the manner of prayer.
Jonah’s prayer was directed toward the LORD his God.
Jonah’s prayer was in submission to God. Remember his statement that we will look at more thoroughly today, he states in verse 9, “I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.”
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
Let us continue now in our notes and notice with me.
4. The Place of the Prayer. v2,3,5,6
In this account we see Jonah in prayer. And it is interesting to note the place of His prayer.
As we said before this prayer from the belly of a fish is perhaps the only prayer ever to be lifted up from the belly of a fish.
There is much debate as to whether or not Jonah died and was resurrected during this time.
Of course we understand that the Lord Jesus Christ pointed out that Jonah and His time spent in this fish was a type of the Lord Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection. (Matthew 12:39-40)
Explain a Type: Webster defines a type this way, “A sign; a symbol; a figure of something to come; as, Abraham's sacrifice and the paschal lamb, were types of Christ.” It is something that foreshadows something else. Old Testament types foreshadows what is called antitype in the NT. In the case of Jonah, he foreshadowed the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It does us well to note also the language of the Lord in verse 40 of Matthew 12, that the Lord states Jonah is in the belly of the fish.
Jonah also was said by the Lord to be a sign. Specifically as we will see later on Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites. (Luke 11:30)
This type certainly would be more parallel if Jonah died and was resurrected. But also, this is not absolutely necessary.
The language in this passage is certainly poetic.
There are great similarities in what we find here in Jonah chapter 2 and what we find in the book of Psalms.
As a matter of fact many believe he may have been quoting the Psalms:
Psalm 120:1 and Psalm 18:6 in Jonah 2:2
Psalm 42:7 in verse 3
Psalm 18:4 in verse 3
Psalm 31:22 in verse 4
Psalm 69:1 in verse 5
Psalm 16:10 in verse 6
Psalm 18:6 in verse 7
Psalm 50:14 in verse 14
Notice the following verses from the book of Psalms:
Psalm 18:3-6 “3 I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: So shall I be saved from mine enemies. 4 The sorrows of death compassed me, And the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. 5 The sorrows of hell compassed me about: The snares of death prevented me. 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.”
David is Psalm 18 certainly was not dead.
Psalms 86:13 “13 For great is thy mercy toward me: And thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.”
David in Psalm 86 was not dead.
Psalm 88:1-9 “1 O Lord God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee: 2 Let my prayer come before thee: Incline thine ear unto my cry; 3 For my soul is full of troubles: And my life draweth nigh unto the grave. 4 I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength: 5 Free among the dead, Like the slain that lie in the grave, Whom thou rememberest no more: And they are cut off from thy hand. 6 Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, In darkness, in the deeps. 7 Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, And thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah. 8 Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me; Thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth. 9 Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction: Lord, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched out my hands unto thee.”
Dr. Rundle had this to say concerning this passage:
“While the word translated "Hell" (Heb. sheol) here can refer either to “the grave,” or to “hell” as a place of eternal torment, the context must determine its meaning in a given location. The basic meaning of the word is “place of the departed.”
NOTE: There are two views of this passage:
1. Some say it refers to Jonah having actually died and, therefore, he was raised to life three days later when he was expelled by the great fish.
2. While this would be an even more attractive parallel to Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, the text does not necessitate it. He may very well be using it apocalyptically, that is, symbolically, as is common in this kind of literature to lend intensity to his experience, or to say at the time how he felt.”
Whether one holds the opinion that Jonah literally died in this fish, or that he was alive in this fish, I want us to understand that the Lord heard his prayer wherever he was.
The Bible tells us in verse number 2 that Jonah prayed, “...out of the belly of hell...”
In verse 3 we discover that “the floods compassed...” Jonah and that all God’s “billows” and “waves” passed over him.
In verse 5 the Bible says, “the waters compassed” Jonah about even to his “soul...” Inside this belly there were weeds about his head.
He describes the shear terror of this going down “to the bottoms of the mountains…”
And the earth’s bars seemed to be his prison according to verse 6.
This was a taste of chastisement; an instruction in judgement and also an instrument of salvation.
When we consider the attitude of Jonah and see this particular situation it reminds us of the Lord’s admonishment concerning judgement.
In Matthew 7:2 we find these words, “For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.”
As the Jews would state this proverbial saying, "Judge every man according to the balance of righteousness.'' - Joshua ben Perachiah
This does not mean that there are different standards of judgment, but rather would point us to this clear New Testament truth concerning God’s standard of righteousness, the “There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”
We my friend, all fail at the judgement of God concerning our sin.
This “taste” of judgement among other things underscored this message of God’s grace and Mercy toward Jonah, toward the Mariners, and toward the Ninevites.
One expositor said this concerning this place of prayer, “There likely has never been a stranger prayer closet than whence Jonah prayed. God had to put him in a place of deep crisis before Jonah would look up in prayer. But God has powerful ways to get one’s attention. Moreover, it is clear that there is no place where one cannot pray. It is often in the darkest hour that men pray the most fervently.”
Not only do we see The Place of the prayer, but notice secondly
5. The Faith of the Prayer v4,6,7
We are certainly learning a lot about prayer from Jonah.
Jonah the Bible says prayed according to the Scriptures.
“Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.”
This allusion in verse number 4 takes us back to I Kings chapter 8. Let’s turn there for a moment this morning.
I Kings 8:22-53
22 “And Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven:”
30 “And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: and hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place: and when thou hearest, forgive.”
The Temple “was a symbol of great encouragement, of great hope for the repentant sinner. Jonah knew he did not deserve help from God. He felt he was cast out of God's sight because of his sin; but he still prayed because the Temple, representing God's great mercy, gave him great encouragement to seek God in spite of his sin.
Today we have a far better Temple than the one in ancient Jerusalem to encourage us to pray in spite of our unworthiness. We can look to Jesus Christ.”- John Butler
Really we could say it this way, Jonah prayed in faith toward God.
You see, His situation was desperate, His situation was impossible. Yet His faith — trust --- believe--- confidence in God allowed Him to pray and seek God even from His desperate straits.
A Bible expositor said this, “Against hope he believes in hope,” and speaks as if the deliverance were actually being accomplished. Hezekiah seems to have incorporated Jonah’s very words in his prayer (Isa 38:17), just as Jonah appropriated the language of the Psalms.” -Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
In verse 7, we see Jonah remembering the LORD. No doubt his mind whirled about with the calamity, but the mind that exhibits faith sees and remembers the LORD.
The revealing fire of tribulation oftentimes shows us the strength of our faith. --- What do you really believe?
“Jonah could have done other things than pray. In fact, few would pray in Jonah's case. When men get into tough circumstances today, they often give up in futility; or they scheme and connive to do evil; or they curse God as Job's wife told him to do: "Curse God, and die" (Job 2:9). Others get drunk or turn to drugs to help them through the circumstances. But all substitutes for faith are only additions to the problem. Faith is the only successful solution no matter what our situation is.” — John Butler
Doubtless it is a requirement for you and as Christians to not only receive Christ through faith, but to walk in our lives by faith, which also means we are to pray in faith.... believing.
Well as we finish this weeks lesson we further understand more about prayer --
That regardless of the situation or place you and I can seek our Lord and Savior and pray.
Secondly, we see Jonah’s faith in this position. He may be a example of disobedience but we see this, He was a man of great faith.
We ought to pray in belief, having faith in the Lord.
Next week we will look at the conclusion of the prayer, the praise of the prayer and the result of the prayer.