Jonah 2

Jonah 2:1-9

Afflictions often prove the best phyla for the Jail. Jonah is now brought home to God, and cries after him. In his prayer we hear, 1. The great diffrest and danger he was in, ver. 2, 3, 5, 6. 2. The difgour he was thereby almost reduced to, ver. 4. 3. The encouragement he took in this deplorable condition, ver. 4, 7. 4. The affeavance he had of God’s favour to him, ver. 6, 7. 5. The warning he given to others, ver. 8. 6. The praise of all is given to God, ver. 9. 7. Jonah’s deliverance out of the belly of the fish, ver. 10.

1. THEN Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish’s belly, 2. And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice. 3. For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the s middt of the seas, and the floods compailed me about, all thy billows and thy waves paffed over me. 4. Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight, yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. 5. The waters compailed me round about, even to the soul; the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapt about my head. 6. I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God. 7. When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the LORD, and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple. 8. They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. 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.

Never, to appearance, was situation more desperate than when Jonah was cast into the stormy ocean, unless it were when he descended into the fish’s belly: yet even in the lowest state of misery God can save; and Jonah now is as safe in the monster’s stomach as if he were on dry land, and finds both power to pray, and fervent desires after the Lord his God, who thus plainly shewed him he had not abandoned him to destruction, and thereby engaged him to exercise faith in his pardoning grace and preserving provisions. Note, (1.) No place can shut out the soul from communion with God; wherever we are, the way to a throne of grace is open. (2.) Our encouragement to draw near to God is the humble persuasion that he is our God, reconciled to us, and willing to hear and help us in every time of need.

1. He cried and was heard: I cried by reason of mine affliction. This was the blessed means of driving him to God. Out of the belly of hell I cried, out of the belly of the fish, where he seemed buried as in his grave; and thus heardest my voice, for no prayer of faith returns without an answer of peace.

2. He describes his diffrested situation, sunk in the deep, buried in the midst of the seas, compailed with the floods, and all the waves and billows running over him. And this was God’s doing, v. 3. His life appeared in the most imminent danger: he was inclosed with waters, and his head wrapped with seaweeds, v. 5. he went down to the bottoms of the mountains, when the fish descended; and the bars of the earth, in deep he sunk, appeared to be about him for ever: his state helpless and hopeless. To such diffrests are God’s dearest children sometimes reduced, to shew them more eminently the power and grace of God engaged for their deliverance.

3. His heart began to fail him. God’s displeasure, seen in his wretched case, discouraged him, and he feared that he was abandoned, and cast out of God’s sight, as he knew he had justly deferred to be. Thus, when outward trials upends them, God’s people are sometimes fore belet with inward fears and unbelief, as if God had utterly forsaken them, and hid his face in displeasure.

4. His heart is encouraged notwithstanding to trust still in God; and, in the exercise of faith, he directs his prayer to heaven, from whence alone his holy could come. When his soul fainted, he remembered God, thought upon his power to save,

reflected on the riches of his grace, and his own past experience; before Christ and thus his hopes revived, his fears were silenced. And in the same way must every child of God overcome his unbelieving fears; remembering his power and love, who hath engaged to save to the uttermost all that trust in him.

5. His prayer was answered; it entered into the holy temple above, and God in mercy regarded his suffering servant, as he gratefully acknowledges to the glory of the Lord his God. Yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption; either this he said in the fish’s belly, and it speaks the language of his faith, assured God would interpose to save him; or when he afterwards was cast on the land, and wrote down the prayer and complaint, he added this to the praise of the glory of God, and for the confirmation and encouragement of others in the like case, that they might see, that none ever trusted God, and were confounded.

6. He gives a warning to others of the vanity of idols, and declares the blessedness of dependance upon God. They that deserve lying vanities, pertain their own mercy: no idols can have after this sort. Perhaps he intended also herein to reflect upon his own folly in flying from God, whose work would have been its own reward, whilst misery is the lure attendant on every departure from him.

7. He solemnly engages to offer the grateful sacrifice of praise, and to discharge the vow he had made in trouble, which might be some sacrifice which he would offer at the temple at Jerusalem, or his resolution to go without delay to Nineveh, in obedience to God’s command. Note, (1.) Thanksgiving and praise are the tribute we owe, and should without reading pay to the God of our mercies. (2.) Every gracious soul, when he rises from his falls, sets himself with redoubled canesthesis to the work and service of God.

8. He concludes with describing glory to God. Salvation is of the Lord, and from him alone the temporal, spiritual, and eternal salvation of his people is to be expected, even from his power and love, and to be acknowledged to his glory. And they who depend on him for all shall find, by blessed experience, that he hath never failed them who trust him.

9. And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.

Jonah 2:10

In answer to his prayer, he is discharged from his prison. He who commanded the fish to receive him, now obliges him to dislodge his prey; and once more the prophet is safe on shore, as one raised from the dead. Thus God restores the poor sinner, when he is often ready to despair of himself, and raises him from the death of sin to the life of righteousness. Jonah’s deliverance was also the type of the resurrection of Jesus, and is a pledge of ours. When we see what God hath done for him, we need not think it incredible he should raise our bodies from the dust.