Jonah Chapter 2, Part 1
Jonah Seemingly hopeless situation: Jonah 1:17-2:10
V1:17a Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah.
· An extraordinary fish created by the extraordinary LORD for an extraordinary purpose.
· Now: the exact time specified by the LORD. Jonah was not in the sea fifteen minutes longer than the LORD had planned before he was cast in the sea.
*Consider this possible order of events.
1. The LORD prepared a great fish [V1:17] (Jonah did not know it was a whale all he knew was that it was a great fish
2. The LORD told Jonah to go to Nineveh [V1:2]
3. Jonah fled from His presence [V1:3]
4. Jonah was cast into the sea at it’s deepest part [V1:15]
5. He was floundering in the sea, [V2:3]
6. The great fish swallowed him up. (Jonah did not know it was a whale Matthew 12:40) [V2:4-6]
7. Then he prayed [V2:1]
8. Then the fish vomited him out on dry land after 3days and three nights. [V2:10]
When was Chapter 2 written, while he was in the belly of the great fish or after he was vomited out on dry land? On Dry Land
From where did Jonah pray? V2:1-2 V1
Out of The fish’s belly – V2 Out of the belly of hell
· Jonah either considered being in the belly of the fish as like being in hell or he did not know that he was in the fish until he was vomited out on dry land and thought he had went to torments. [Luke 16:23]
· This was written after he was vomited out on dry land so when this was written he knew from where he prayed. And that the LORD had heard his voice.
*When did he pray? V7 When his soul fainted within him and after he remembered the LORD.
*To whom did he pray? To the LORD his God (V6b)
Vs3-6 Why did he pray Jonah’s seemingly for ever, hopeless situation.
· He was floundering in the sea. (Going down for the third time)
· Then swallowed the great fish he surrounded by water and sea weed. Could have Jonah felt the whale diving deep to the bottom of the great sea? Could the bars of the earth be the ribs of the great fish?
· He believed he was cast out of the LORD’s sight for ever. [2Thessaloians 1:9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;]
· When it seemed he got what he wanted (out of the presence of the LOLRD) he realized that was not where he wanted to be. Then his soul fainted within him [V7]
He realized he had not drowned. He realized the great fist did now chew him up and tear his body apart (corruption). He could not believe he was alive.
· Jonah’s reaction was like that of Jacob when he learned Joseph was alive [Genesis 45:26]
*What he prayed form the belly of the great fish.
· (V3) LORD 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. (V4a) I am cast out of thy sight (V5-6a) The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever:
· Jonah believed it was hopeless, but, (V4b) yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. (V6b) yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.
· When Jonah He realized he was alive in some place he described as the belly of hell and came to the conclusion that wherever he was it was going to be for ever. He cried, “O LORD my God”, the cry of a soul that had fainted, a humble spirit, a broken and contrite heart.
· Isaiah 57:15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones
A cry of David when surrounded by his enemy
Psalm 13:3 Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;
Psalms 38:15 For in thee, O LORD, do I hope: thou wilt hear, O Lord my God.
**NOTE: Jonah said in (V2) and thou heardest my voice and in (V7) and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple. He could not have known these were true until after he was vomited out of the great fish.
While he was writing about his experience and his prayer, Jonah could not help writing also to the LORD. (In Psalm 23 the same thing happened to David as he wrote this psalm)