JONAH 2:7-10 - JONAH IS GRATEFUL BUT FISHY FEELS SICKY

JONAH 2:7-10

JONAH IS GRATEFUL

BUT FISHY FEELS SICKY

Jonah 2:7 When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.

Susan: It took a near death experience for Jonah to realize that needing God and talking to Him, prayer, was vitally necessary, and exceedingly excellent.

Susie: Jonah realized that even though God manifested His presence in the temple at Jerusalem, He was able to hear and respond to Jonah’s heart cries from inside a fantastic fish in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea.

Jonah 2:8 They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.

Susie: When the sailors prayed to their pagan idols, there was no response. The sea still raged. The ship was still tossed about. There was no mercy.

Susan: When Jonah inquired of the one and only true God, the sea instantaneously quieted as the sailors flung Jonah overboard in obedience to God’s will.

Susie: Pagan deities were not known for mercy. They were vengeful narcissists and needed constantly to be appeased. But our God is a God of mercy and grace, willing to receive the repentant sinner unto Himself.

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.

Susan: Jonah lifted his voice in gratitude for the saving grace of His God.

Susie: Notice that all this praying is while Jonah is still embraced by the claustrophobic tomb of the gargantuan fish. This reminds me of Paul’s admonition to us.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Susan: Jonah says he will make good on what he has promised to the Lord.

Susie: The Bible does not specify what Jonah had vowed to do, but it would seem logical that he is saying he will obey the Lord and preach in Nineveh.

Susan: I would think Jonah would want to travel to Nineveh and give them God’s message after this tumultuous ordeal he had been through and having to confess, repent, and get back in God’s favor. I would want to go and see what the end result of obedience would be.

Susie: As we will see later, Jonah had an inkling what the end result would be when he prophesied in Nineveh. It is part of the reason he ran.

Jonah 2:10 And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.

Jonah 2:10 (VOICE)   Then the Eternal One directed the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto the shore.

Susie: The Lord showed the fish where to swim in order to deposit the prophet on dry land in a good place to begin his journey to Nineveh.

Susan: I find it ironic that we as people of God fail to remember that God orchestrates all things for His purposes and His pleasure.

Ephesians 1:9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

Susie: When the Lord had the fish in the perfect position, He caused it to become violently ill and spew Jonah onto the shore. Pretty gross, but I’m sure Jonah was grateful to be on dry land even if he was in dire need of a bath.

Note from The Reformation Study Bible:

The fish, which might have been God’s weapon of death, by grace became God’s tool of deliverance.

QUESTIONS

1.        What did it take for Jonah to remember to pray?

2.        Has God ever had to take you to the lowest place before you looked up to Him? Describe that encounter.

3.        What did the temple symbolize for Jonah?

4.        Contrast pagan gods with the One True God.

5.        What did Jonah promise God in his prayer?

6.        What do you think Jonah vowed to the Lord?

7.        Why did the fish suddenly spit Jonah out?