JONAH 2 - LESSONS FROM THE BELLY OF A FISH
Jonah 2
Chapter 1 of Jonah showed us that while we can try running away from God, we can’t hide from Him if He is pursuing us, and we can’t escape His will for our lives, and that is a very good thing, because His presence in our lives is the ultimate good for us, and His will is always best for us. In Chapter 2, we are going to see that we can call upon God for help from literally anywhere, and that we can praise Him even when we are going through trials.
This is a very short Chapter, consisting of only (10) verses. Jonah describes in v. 1-3 how he called out to God in his distress from the depths of the sea, and how in v. 4-7, though the waters were closing in on him and he was headed toward death, he turned toward God in Heaven and prayed for deliverance. In v. 8, he declares the vanity of pursuing idols, and in v. 9 he gives praise & thanks to God. Then, in v. 10, we are told that God delivered him from the belly of the fish on to dry land.
Jonah prayed to God from the belly of the great fish that God had sent to swallow him up so that he would not drown in the sea. Even though being in the belly of a fish was probably not Jonah’s 1st, 2nd, or even 3rd choice for where he would want to spend (3) days & (3) nights, he realized that it was certainly better than trying to survive the same period of time alone floating in a storm tossed sea. This reminds us that the trials God allows us to go through are far better than what otherwise would have happened to us were we not in His sovereign care.
His means of delivering us may not always be what we would choose, but it is always superior to what we would choose.
The fact that Jonah could pray to God from the belly of a fish, and that God heard him from there, reminds us that there is no place and no circumstance that we can find ourselves in, where we cannot connect with God through prayer and receive comfort and help from Him in our time of need. The place or location of our prayers has nothing to do with the effectiveness of our prayers.
Our prayers are powerful because of the God to whom we are praying, not because of the place, posture, or circumstance of our prayer.
Jonah was literally covered in whale vomit, and he turned to God in prayer, and acknowledged the goodness of God and God’s ability to deliver him, and God delivered Him. In like manner, we can be covered in sin, and turn to God in prayer for deliverance, trust in His ability to do so, and He will deliver us. Jesus has paid the full measure for all of the sin we have or ever will commit, and He is a far bigger Savior than we can ever be a sinner.
We should never think that our sin is beyond the reach of God’s grace if we come to Him with a repentant and trusting heart.
Jonah also sensed God’s presence with him during his time of trial, and he knew that despite his situation, God was still good. As a result, he could declare the folly in v. 8 of seeking relief through anything other than God. He also understood that our idols do not love us or care for us the way God does. As a result, he could give heartfelt praise and thanksgiving to God in v. 9. He knew the truth of James 1:2 which encourages us to even count it all joy when we encounter various trials. In the end, our joy need not be dependent upon or limited by our circumstances. Joy that is rooted in knowing God and His character and love, is able to rise above even our most desperate circumstances. We can be connected to God through prayer and know the joy of His presence and goodness by turning to Him wherever we are. He is never more than a prayer away, and He will not cast out anyone who truly seeks Him.