JONAH 2:1-3 - JONAH PRAYS FROM THE BELLY OF HELL

JONAH 2:1-3

JONAH PRAYS

FROM THE BELLY OF HELL

Jonah 2:1 Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish's belly,

Susie: Jonah’s private prayer closet was inside the fish’s belly—wet, slimy, and most definitely smelly.

Susan: Now Jonah’s attention has finally turned to his God, to the Person and place you would think the prophet of God would look all along. God had to bring Jonah to the point of being at the end of himself where he had no resource except for the Lord to deliver him.

Susie: This is true for many people who have rebelled against God. It is only when they have sunk to the lowest level possible that they look up and see God. The hardest thing as a parent, a sibling, a friend is to cease trying to rescue them ourselves and let them hit rock bottom in order to learn to depend upon God.

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.

Susie: When Jonah hit that place of rock bottom or in his case the darkness of the mammoth fish’s belly, he cried out to the Lord God. He remembered the Lord was sovereign over all of nature and every creature He created. He remembered that God was in control.

Susan: Jonah compared being in the fish to being in hell, complete separation from his Source who is the One True God, the God of Israel. In this place of pitch black horror, Jonah was assured that God heard his cries.

Susie: In our darkest moments, we can rest assured that our Master, Savior, Father hears us as well. The night my husband left me, I was at the lowest point I had ever been. I cried out or actually screamed at God, and I found Him to be my loving Father, full of grace and comfort.

Susan: One of the darkest moments of my life was, like Jonah, a time when I had disobeyed the Lord. God had impressed upon me that I needed to end a relationship that I had thought would result in marriage and return to being just friends or I would be heart broken. I refused to act on that  immediately and argued with God. Because I didn’t obey and kept pursuing the relationship, I ended up with a shattered heart when he said he wanted to date other people. When I cried out to God, He provided one of my professors and his wife to help put my pieces back together. In so doing, God graciously gave me two life-long friends, prayer warriors, familyship who continue to encourage me today.

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.

Susie: Something Susan and I noticed about this verse that had never jumped out at us before is that Jonah says GOD cast him into the deep. Not the sailors, but the Lord! We knew that was ultimately true but had never noticed that Jonah acknowledge that truth.

Susan: Wow! I’m 50 years young and have graduated seminary, and I had never seen that before.

Susie: Ultimately, God was responsible for the sailors’ actions because He made it clear it was necessary in order to save the ship and themselves. This is an acknowledgement of God’s sovereignty, His absolute rule and control, as He controlled the circumstances.

Susan: Jonah had sunk to the depths of the deep, perhaps nearly to the bottom of the sea before the fish gulped him down.

Susie: Not sure whether Jonah had the presence of mind to be thankful for the fish at the moment he was swallowed; but in retrospect, he realized the Lord sent it to save him from drowning.

QUESTIONS

1.        Jonah prayed from inside a fish. Have you ever found yourself in the lowest, darkest place and cried out to God? Write about that experience.

2.        Jonah had confidence God heard his prayer. Do you have a relationship with God as Father that assures you that He will hear your prayer? If so, explain how you have that confidence. If not, please talk with a Christian friend, pastor, or Bible study leader to find out how you can have that confidence.

3.        Jonah realized that God had orchestrated his dire circumstances. Do you take comfort in knowing God has allowed you to be in an uncomfortable situation or does that make you question Him? Explain.