Reflections on Jonah 2

 Jonah 02  (Contemporary English Version)

1. From inside the fish, Jonah prayed to the LORD his God:
   
2. When I was in trouble, LORD, I prayed to you, and you listened to me. From deep in the world of the dead, I begged for your help, and you answered my prayer.
   
3. You threw me down to the bottom of the sea. The water was churning all around; I was completely covered by your mighty waves.
   
4. I thought I was swept away from your sight, never again to see your holy temple.
   
5. I was almost drowned by the swirling waters that surrounded me. Seaweed had wrapped around my head.
   
6. I had sunk down below the underwater mountains; I knew that forever, I would be a prisoner there. But, you, LORD God, rescued me from that pit.
   
7. When my life was slipping away, I remembered you-- and in your holy temple you heard my prayer.
   
8. All who worship worthless idols turn from the God who offers them mercy.
   
9. But with shouts of praise, I will offer a sacrifice to you, my LORD. I will keep my promise, because you are the one with power to save.
   
10. The LORD commanded the fish to vomit up Jonah on the shore. And it did.

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Jonah learned what any of us learn when we are disobedient. Whatever displeases us about being obedient to God and keeps us from doing what He wants of us is not as unpleasant as disobedience. In fact, when we are finally obedient we find it is not unpleasant at all. In chapter 1, Jonah realized as he was on the ship in the midst of the storm that he could not run from God. The storm was for his benefit and threatened not only himself but all those aboard. This is something else about our disobedience. It often affects others as well as ourselves. No doubt Jonah felt that when he was thrown overboard it would be the end of him.

Now, in chapter 2, Jonah found himself rescued by God in a very unique way. He was inside a fish and had no doubt it was God's provision for him. He was filled with gratitude to God. In fact, the whole experience was God's doing. It was God who threw him overboard even though it was at the hands of the sailors, and the breakers of the sea that swept over him were God's breakers. Jonah had been banished from God's sight. But as suddenly as he had been banished he was also rescued by the fish. It was not the fish, though, but God who raised his life "from the Pit." Jonah now looked to God's holy temple and lifted his voice of thanksgiving to the Lord. "Salvation," he said, "is from the Lord!" (2:9) This statement of faith is in contrast to the worthlessness of clinging to idols. It was not idols but the Lord who saved him, and to cling to idols is to forsake the One whose faithful love can and will rescue us.

With Jonah's recognition of God's salvation and his renewal of his vow to the Lord, the Lord "commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land." (2:10)