OceanSide church of Christ

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PRAYER FROM THE BELLY OF A FISH (2)

Jonah 2

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.    Last Sunday morning we began a study entitled:  “Prayer from the Belly of A Fish.”

 

B.      The title for the sermon comes from Jonah 2:1

 

Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish’s belly.

 

C.     In our previous lesson, we looked at three things:

1.      The background of the prophet Jonah.

2.      Jonah’s Transgression

3.      The Wrath of God

a.      The storm on the sea

b.      Jonah’s being cast overboard

c.       Jonah’s being swallowed by a great fish prepared by God.

 

D.    We want to continue this study by looking at three more points.

 

I.                   JONAH’S PRAYER

 

A.    Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and nights (Jonah 1:17).  At some point, he prayed unto God (Jonah 2:1).  Question:  How long did it take him to pray? 

1.      Jonah 2:2 provides part of the answer.

 

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 hearest me.

 

2.      Jonah 2:7 also provides part of the answer.

 

When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord:  and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.

 

3.      LESSON:  When individuals are afflicted enough and their souls faint within them, they finally look for the Lord and cry out unto Him for help.

 

B.      The Contents of the Prayer

1.      The Punishment (Jonah 2:3-4a)

a.      “For thou hadst cast me into the deep…”

b.      “I am cast out of thy sight…”

2.      The Pain

a.      Mine affliction (Jonah 2:2)

b.      Out of the belly of hell (Jonah 2:2)

c.       The waters compassed me about, even to the soul (Jonah 2:5)

d.      The depth closed me round about (Jonah 2:5)

e.       The weeds were wrapped about my head (Jonah 2:5)

f.        When my soul fainted (Jonah 2:7)

g.      I went down to the bottoms of the mountains (Jonah 2:6)

h.      The earth with her bars was about me forever (Jonah 2:6)

3.      The Prayer

a.      I cried (Jonah 2:2)

b.      My prayer came unto thee (Jonah 2:7)

4.      The Prospect

a.      And he heard me (Jonah 2:2)

b.      Thou heardest my voice (Jonah 2:2)

c.       Yet I will look again toward thy holy temple (Jonah 2:4)

d.      Thou hast brought up my life from corruption (Jonah 2:6)

e.       Salvation is of the Lord (Jonah 2:9)

f.        NOTE:  Because Jonah served the God of Israel, he had hope in the midst of disobedience, in the midst of the belly of a whale, and in the midst of darkness.

 

II.                JONAH’S PENANCE (Jonah 2:9)

 

But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that I have vowed.  Salvation is of the Lord.

 

A.    He remembered the Lord (Jonah 2:7).

 

B.      He was well aware that mercy was there (Jonah 2:8)

 

C.     He cried to the Lord (Jonah 2:2, 7)

 

D.    He brought forth fruit (Jonah 2:9)

1.      I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving.

2.      I will pay that that I have vowed.

3.      Salvation is of the Lord.

a.      This is a statement of faith on Jonah’s part.

b.      It undergirds the two actions he mentions at the first.  He will sacrifice and pay his vows because he deeply trusts that “salvation is of the Lord.”

 

E.      Repentance involves a deep change in the individual.

1.      A change of mind that leads to a change of action that results in a reformation of life.

2.      Let’s look at Jonah’s change:

 

First Call (Jonah 1:1-3)                                             Second Call (Jonah 3:1-3)

 

The Assignment (Jonah 1:1-2)                                               The Assignment (Jonah 3:1-2)

 

Now the word of the Lord came unto                     And the word of the Lord came unto

Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,                              Jonah the second time, saying,

Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city,                   Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city,

and cry against it; for their wickedness                    and preach unto it the preaching

is come up before me.                                                that I bid thee.

 

The Action (Jonah 1:3a)                                            The Action (Jonah 3:3a)

 

But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish                   So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh,

From the presence of the Lord…                              according to the word of the Lord…

 

 

 

III.             GOD’S DELIVERANCE (Jonah 2:10)

 

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

 

A.    From confinement to freedom

From the sea to the land

From wet to dry

From darkness to light

From displeasure to good pleasure

From rebellion to obedience

From despair to hope

From a rebel to a prophet

 

B.      Jonah was right when he said:  “They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.  But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving…” (Jonah 2:8-9a).

1.      Thanksgiving for God

2.      Thanksgiving for prayer

3.      Thanksgiving for mercy/forgiveness

4.      Thanksgiving for deliverance

5.      Thanksgiving for a second chance

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.    Some events in the Bible are almost beyond belief.  Who would actually believe that a rebellious prophet could be swallowed by a great fish and live to tell about it?

 

B.      I am glad that we have confirmation of Jonah’s story in the New Testament.  Not only is it in the New Testament, but it is confirmed by none other than Jesus himself (Matt. 12:40-41).

 

For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.  The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it:  because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.

 

C.     We can be much like Jonah at times.

1.      We rebel and sin (I John 1:8)

 

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

 

2.      We need to turn to God and confess our sins (I John 1:7).

 

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 

3.      We need to repent and pray God to be forgiven (Acts 8:22).

 

Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.