Jonah You are, or should be turned to Jonah 2:3

Jonah A Reprise The prophet has fled from the presence of the Lord In the process he has separated from the presence of his entire world; – Country – People – His father’s house – His office Strangely, in fleeing from all earthly things, he finds himself in the belly of the fish – alone with God Now, free from all distractions, he is forced to contemplate: – His sin – His Lord We find him praying

3 For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me; all your waves and your billows passed over me. See the goodness of God in bringing us into affliction Many will not cry out to God from prosperity and ease If we are to pray, it must be this side of death Though he mariners were the instruments, Jonah knows that he is in this place by the hand of God Jonah recognizes that they were God’s waves and His billows – Both made and directed by Him Jonah quotes from Psalm 42:7 Here is a demonstration of the usefulness of memorization When we are oppressed, it is good to remind The Lord of His aid to others in similar stress Strictly speaking, however, Jonah’s case has no parallel

4 Then I said, 'I am driven away from your sight; Yet I shall again look upon your holy temple.' He sought to leave the presence of God Not that separation is his greatest grief He is in a place where no one can see him Consider for a moment what it means to be lost Jonah does not grieve as one who has no hope He is revived to believe that The Father has sent this fish so that he may be preserved He will again see the temple of God He will cast his eye in the direction of the Presence and the mercy seat Remember that Christ is the temple (Matt 24, 26)

5 The waters closed in over me to take my life; the deep surrounded me; weeds were wrapped about my head Jonah’s case is hopeless He cannot help himself No man knows of his condition No one can reach him here to help him The great fish continues in its courses The sea plants that the fish devours wrap themselves about the prophet Unless God helps him, he is beyond help

6 at the roots of the mountains. I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever; yet you brought up my life from the pit, O Lord my God. Here is another elegant description of his condition He is at the bottom of the sea The very root of the great mountains of the land are here Jonah views them as bars to his prison His souls desponds – he will lie here forever He does not say that his fate is undeserved It is His pit If the Lord should rescue him would be grace Yet, Jonah knows that The Lord is good and merciful He acknowledges The Lord as his God What will be the sinners hope when he is similarly engulfed?

7 When my life was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple. Jonah is in a dire situation He felt himself dying He cannot help himself Then he remembers The Lord – In Faith – In prayer He recalls The Lord’s mercy The Lord hears his prayer from the depths of his prison From the temple – Either in Jerusalem – Or in heaven

8 Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love. Jonah’s reference here is not only of others: – The heathen generally – The mariners He himself has followed idols: – His will – His disobedience – His plan Now these testify against him If forsaking The Lord, we forsake our only hope How glorious is Our father that He will condescend to consider us at all!