Jonah chapter 2:1-10 says, “Then Jonah prayed to Yahweh, his God, out of the fish’s belly. He said, “I called because of my affliction to Yahweh. He answered me. Out of the belly of Sheol I cried. You heard my voice. For you threw me into the depths, in the heart of the seas. The flood was all around me. All your waves and your billows passed over me. I said, ‘I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple.’ The waters surrounded me, even to the soul. The deep was around me. The weeds were wrapped around my head. I went down to the bottoms of the mountains. The earth barred me in forever: yet have you brought up my life from the pit, Yahweh my God. “When my soul fainted within me, I remembered Yahweh. My prayer came in to you, into your holy temple. Those who regard lying vanities forsake their own mercy. But I will sacrifice to you with the voice of thanksgiving. I will pay that which I have vowed. Salvation belongs to Yahweh.” Yahweh spoke to the fish, and it vomited out Jonah on the dry land.”
While considering this portion of the story of Jonah two incredible things become apparent that give us a new perspective on Jonah and the kind of prayer that God honors. 1) Jonah is praying this prayer while he is inside the fish! 2) Nowhere does Jonah ask for deliverance, rather he prays this prayer from the viewpoint of one who has already been delivered. As far as Jonah is concerned his prayer has already been answered. When we come before God in prayer, do we come with this kind of confidence?
A great deal could be said about Jonah’s prayer. We will only take the time, however, to consider a few of the phrases he used.
“…You heard my voice.” (Jonah 2:1)
In Isaiah 65:24 God gives His people the following promise: “It shall happen that, before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” One of the attributes of God is that He is eternal. In other words, He does not live in time. This is why the Bible affirms that God knows the end from the beginning. Since God is not bound by time, to Him all time, both past and future, is present. Because of His omniscience, God is able to answer before we call out to Him though His answer is often different than we expect. Jonah probably wasn’t expecting a fish when he prayed for deliverance. But think about it. That fish had to be there long before Jonah finally gave in and called on God! It would have done Jonah no good whatsoever if the nearest suitable fish was a hundred miles off when he cried out.
Another lesson we can learn from this verse is that God is there until the very end. Jonah was about to drown when he was rescued. However, the precariousness of the situation doesn’t affect God’s ability to save, one whit. He can work in and through impossible situations. When we pray do we have faith that God has heard us even though we are in an impossible situation?
“…I will look again toward your holy temple.” (Jonah 2:4)
Three things come to mind in this verse:
1) Hope. Jonah has been inside the fish for three days. From a human perspective there is no hope at all. Yet Jonah knows that this isn’t the end. He will still be able to worship and serve God in days to come. When we pray do we consider how we can serve God in the future, or do we merely pray because we want to get out of trouble?
2) From Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the temple which is recorded in 1 Kings 8:22-53, it seems that “looking toward the temple” is a symbolic expression for repentance. For example, Solomon prayed, “ Listen to the supplication of your servant, and of your people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place. Yes, hear in heaven, your dwelling place; and when you hear, forgive.” (1 Kings 8:30) Jonah exhibits a completely different heart in the fish’s belly than he had while on board ship. There he was insensitive and indifferent, here he is contrite and repentant. When we pray, do we come before God with a repentant heart?
3) Remember that Jonah’s ministry up to this point has been in the country of Israel while God’s temple was located in Jerusalem in the country of Judah. Also remember that Jeroboam the first had deliberately introduced idol worship in Israel to prevent people from worshiping at God’s temple in Jerusalem. It is very possible that when Jonah says that he will look toward the temple again, he is acknowledging that he has given more importance to serving his country than to serving God. He is once again making serving God his first priority. Where are our priorities? Are we allowing anything to hinder our service to God?
“…I remembered Yahweh…” (Jonah 2:7)
What caused him to forget God? We don’t know the details. We are left to conjecture, but Jonah was an influential man. Was it his prosperity and his acceptance at the king’s court that turned his head and heart? Jeroboam II is described a wicked king. Did Jonah fall into the trap of excusing or overlooking his wickedness? We all want God’s blessing. But it is ironic that those very blessings can cause us to forget God. In Deuteronomy 8:11-14 Moses warned the people: “Beware lest you forget Yahweh your God, in not keeping his commandments, and his ordinances, and his statutes, which I command you this day: lest, when you have eaten and are full, and have built goodly houses, and lived therein; and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold is multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; then your heart be lifted up, and you forget Yahweh your God, who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage;” Many other things also can cause us to forget God. We all need to examine our hearts to make sure that business, evil companionship, anger, bitterness or something else does not draw us away from him.
“Those who regard lying vanities forsake their own mercy.” (Jonah 2:8) (“Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.” NIV)
Jonah clung to his idols until it was almost too late. But when we’re staring death in the face an awful lot of the things that we thought were so important lose their glitter. Jesus said, “For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world, and forfeit his life? For what will a man give in exchange for his life?” (Mark 8:35-36) We have to give up in order gain what is really worthwhile. A seed cannot bear fruit unless it dies. What worthless idols am I clinging to which prevent me from experiencing God’s grace?
“…with the voice of thanksgiving…” (Jonah 2:9)
In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 the Christian is instructed, “ Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you.” Thanksgiving and worship are so intertwined that we can even say that worship doesn’t take place in the absence of thanksgiving. But can I give thanks in all circumstances – for instance in the belly of a fish?
“I will pay that which I have vowed.” (Jonah 2:9)
We aren’t told in the text what Jonah’s vow was. However, we can make an informed guess. Remember that Jonah was a prophet, one who was solemnly anointed and set apart to proclaim God’s message. Isn’t it logical to assume that he had vowed to faithfully fulfill the charge that was laid on him? But proclaiming God’s message was the very thing he had refused to do! Now, after three days in the fish he is finally ready to keep his vow. Notice that it is only at this point, when Jonah re-commits himself to the fulfillment of the vow, that God commands the fish to put him on the beach! Lip service isn’t enough. God demands obedience. Am I being true to the vows I have made before God?