Jonah 1

Lesson 9

“Jonah Praying; God Hearing. God teaching; Jonah Learning”

Jonah 2:1-9

Again we note the Prophet of God in the whale or the great fish, at the chastening hand of God. Many times in our life things happen that are of affliction to us. We must always remember, as we said last message in Jonah: “The Lord is on the Throne.” No matter the circumstances in our lives: sickness, death, loved one dies, we become as vagabonds, we have great wealth, we are prospered greatly, we have good health, we find love in our lives: God is on the throne and things are being brought to pass. We must always acknowledge the hand of God in our lives.

Note as well, that there are a few possibilities when we find trouble. Either you have sin in your life and God is purging you so that the sin might be removed; or God is testing you or proving you to try your faith (as in the case of Job). It will take much spiritual discernment to know which one it is. But now it had become quite clear unto Jonah that he was under the hand of a Chastening God; and why shouldn’t Jonah be. For he was a prophet of the LORD who had willfully disobeyed the very commands of God.

I. Jonah Prays: Jon.2:1-9 We noted last sermon concerning the condition that Jonah was in. A very, most terrible condition. But that is where he needed to be. When the shipmaster came and ask Jonah why he was sleeping and not praying to his God (Jon.1:6), Jonah was not on praying ground. Jonah was still in rebellion. We cannot pray to God when sin is on our minds and we are willfully continuing in sin. When our lives are not right it is most difficult to offer prayer aright (Isa.59:1,2 comp. w/ Lk.18:9-14 case of the Pharisee). Jonah did not have a desire to pray and that is the condition of a backslider. They don’t care to pray, they don’t care to study God’s word or be in His house. They will have this excuse or that excuse, but someone who loves the Lord, who is right with God, the most important thing to them is going to be doing the will of the LORD. And Jonah was finally brought to that (Jon.2:9). And when submission and faith took the place of disobedience and rebellion, the Most High was able to hear, was willing to hear and to deliver the captive, to pardon the sinner, to employ again the unfaithful fugitive. I heard one fellow say, “That he was so happy that God had answered his prayers while he was willfully living in sin and kept him safe in all of his iniquity.” It wasn’t that man’s prayers that were heard, it was everyone else’s prayers who were making intercession for that man. If Lot had prayed in Sodom, God could not, yea would not have heard Lot because of sin; it was the prayer of ‘faithful Abraham’ that God did hear and saved Lot from destruction.

a. How could God hear Jonah: God is everywhere! And God commands us to pray everywhere (1Tim.2:8). Some people don’t think you ought to pray when you are at someone’s home who doesn’t pray. They think it is disrespectful; they are of the opinion ‘when in Rome do as the Romans’; but my Bible says to pray everywhere. I think that when you are in the presence of God you ought to act like you are in the presence of God; and since God is everywhere; we have no place where we should act as if He cannot see us.

b. Jonah Pleads His Case: In all that Jonah speaks in Vv.2-7, he is pleading for God’s mercy upon Him. Not once does Jonah mention his deserving of anything good. We don’t read where Jonah says that, “I prophesied for you Lord, and you owe me.” That’s how a lot of people pray. They pray thinking God owes them something, but God doesn’t owe you anything and that is why your prayers aren’t answered.

i. Jonah doesn’t bargain with God: We don’t read where Jonah says, “God if you’ll do this I’ll do that”. We read where Jonah says that he will pay his vows, but it wasn’t a bargain with the LORD. That is mere foolish praying. You don’t barter with the Lord. You ask and believe that God will provide, but above all you ask for the Lord’s Will to be done and God will give in accordance with His will and you’ll be happy cause that is what we should desire above all things: God’s Will to be done.

Jonah’s case before the Lord was one of mercy. He besought the mercy of God. That is what we do read all through these verses. Though the word ‘mercy’ is never mentioned the theme of mercy is traced throughout his prayer to the Lord. When we pray we do not often know what we are to pray for, and we cannot even form words with our lips or our hearts for there is too much grief and sorrow or too much joy and happiness. But always remember that the Spirit of God does make intercession for us speaking that which we cannot (Rom.8:26).

II. The Lord Hears: Jon.2:1-4,6,7,9. Note all of the Nouns and Pronouns that are in reference to the Lord. Did you ever wonder why God doesn’t answer your prayers? Maybe because you aren’t praying to Him. Maybe because you are not directing your prayers to Him. Just because you use the Name “Lord” or “God” doesn’t mean that you are talking to Him. Your prayers are from your heart and proceed to your lips and that is where Jonah was praying from, from his heart.

a. The Lord Hears: The Word “hear” has to do with more than just listening. God hears to a purpose and that purpose is to answer, to rescue, to save. The Omnipresent did not lose sight of his servant even when he was beneath the waves of the ocean and in the bowels of the fish. God was not inattentive to Jonah’s supplication though he had been long in rebellion and disobedience, but when Jonah cried unto the Lord and Jonah’s heart was right; God was waiting to hear the prayer. There is not one circumstance that can separate us from the love of God: Rom.8:35-39—Not even the belly of a fish:

We are troubled on every side (according to sense);

Yet (by faith) not distressed

(as to sense) we are perplexed;

but (through faith) not in despair;

persecuted (by man), but not forsaken (by God)

cast down (by God’s Chastening hand),

but not destroyed (by the flame of His purifying fire)

always bearing about in the body the dying of

the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be

made manifest in our body. For we which live are

always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that

the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in our

mortal flesh.” 2Cor.4:8-11

b. Why did the Lord hear Jonah: Jon.2:2,4,7—Jonah said that the Lord heard him. The Lord did not hear him because there was anything good in Jonah or that Jonah had pleased God for we know that Jonah was rebellious man and disobedient prophet.

i. The Lord heard Jonah because of Jesus’ sacrifice: We pray in Jesus’ name because we are told that whatsoever we ask, if we ask in Christ’s name the Heavenly Father will hear and give us (Jn.15:16; Jn.16:23,24,26; Jn.14:13,14).

1. The Temple: Vv.4 & Vv.7 (Publican and Pharisee went up to the temple to pray). The temple was where the altar was and it was where the sacrifice was put upon the altar and it was where the Lord did meet with His people. God’s answer people’s prayers because of what Jesus did; not because of what we do. And that is what we see here. Jonah’s prayer came into the presence of God, into the holy of holies because of the sacrifice, which had been made by the blood of bulls and goats (in Jonah’s case the sacrifice was foreshadowing or picturing the sacrifice of Jesus yet to come). It was on the grounds of the blood of Jesus that Jonah’s prayer was heard. He said that my prayer came into thy temple; Lord it came into your very presence, upon your throne of Grace, in front of your very holy person and you heard it. God be praised that we have such access to our God. That he is not like Baal (1Kgs.18:27—who is a god; and is talking or he is pursuing or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth and must be awaked). Thankfully we don’t have a God like that. But one who is always ready and willing and able to hear and who will forgive when we come before Him with a broken and contrite heart (Psa.51:17—and that is what Jonah had).

2. Fervently Prayed: Vv.4,7. In Vv.4 he says, “…yet I will look again.” Not one thing could stop Jonah from praying to the Lord. Not one circumstance could keep him from looking to God. If Jonah was going to parish, he was going to do so trusting in the Lord. No matter what happened to Jonah now, he was going to trust in the Lord. He was steadfast, his heart was indicting a good matter and he was fervent (intensely devoted or earnest) in bringing it to the Lord. No wonder we have not our prayers answered, we are not fervent in them (Jas.5:16,17).

3. Jonah had assurance: Vv.7—“…and MY PRAYER came in unto THEE.” Jonah knew his own personal prayer came to the LORD. Maybe others had not come to the Lord, but he knew that His prayer did. What assurance there is in praying to God! No wonder we should make it a daily task to pray to the Lord.

4. Our Altar; Our Sacrifice: Heb.13:10 & 1Cor.5:7. Jonah had no peace with God. God was very wroth with His servant who had disobeyed Him. Jonah was in need of a peace offering being made between him and God. And when we have disobeyed God we must go to Jesus Christ who made peace for us at His cross (Psa.85:10). That is where we go. Yes the House of God is to be called a house of prayer (Matt.21:13). But we are not required to be in the church to pray, but when you do pray go to the cross by faith for it is upon that Lamb of God which was sacrificed that you will only gain entrance into the very presence of God (Heb.4:14-16). Come into the throne in boldness believing that God will bless us. What a privilege it is to carry everything to the Lord in prayer.

III. God teaching Jonah; Jonah Learning: Vv.8,9—Many times God is teaching us something, but we aren’t learning anything from it. Every single thing that happens to us in our lives, we ought to say: “Lord, what are you trying to teach me that I just am not getting it? Lord, reveal it unto me.” God may be teaching you patience, to not covet, to live a holy life, to give your life to the Lord; He may be teaching you that you need to have more faith in Him…there are many things we need to be taught of God and in order to be taught we must be learners or disciples of Christ (that is what disciple means: learner or follower). I don’t read too much concerning the apostles or disciples teaching Jesus anything, because they didn’t teach Him one thing. They did not say, ‘Lord, we are going to teach you how to pray.’ NO! They said, “Lord teach us to pray.” (Lk.11:1). And the Lord does teach, and He teaches in and through His kind of a church.

a. What did Jonah learn:

i. Lying vanities: Vv.8—this has to do with false gods (lying vanities). The word vanity has to do with worthlessness of no value. And false gods are liars and thus they are lying vanities because they are worthless liars. Perhaps fresh from Jonah’s experience with the mariners he learned that when they called on their gods it was to no avail, but when the Lord had been called on it was to much avail or it availeth much (Jas.5:17). Jonah says, why even to observe them is to forsake your own mercy. To ponder them is a waste of time for your mercy is in the Lord. Certainly it was a waste of the time for the mariners to call upon their gods, to try to save themselves with their own works (Jon.1:5,13). Mercy cannot be found in these gods, but it is only found in the Lord. Why? Because salvation is solely based upon the mercy of God and Salvation is of the LORD (Jon.2:9).

ii. Salvation is of the Lord: God will save whomsoever He pleases to save. If God chooses to save your arch nemesis and passes over your closest friend whom you hold as the apple of your eye, your own children, your own parents…what is that to you? It is God who saves and He saves as HE pleases to do so: HE saves in His own time and in His own way and whosoever He wills to come will come. Jonah had a hard time with this (Jon.4:2). Jonah couldn’t understand why God would save the capital city of those who besieged the city of Jerusalem. It wasn’t for Jonah to know the why and it isn’t for you to know the why (Deut.29:29). The why(s) are the secret things and they belong unto the LORD! The church at Jerusalem had trouble with this, you recall when the Lord saved one by the name of Saul of Tarsus who persecuted the church (Acts.9:26). And one of the Lord’s apostles had some trouble as well preaching the gospel unto a gentile: i.e. Simon Peter and Cornelius (Acts.10:1-16). And God had to straighten out Simon Peter. Let us not be prejudice as Jonah was, as Simon Peter was towards those who are without. Regardless of their ethnicity, regardless of their social status. I think we Baptists neglect the paupers of the world and they need Jesus Christ just as much as the rich doctor does, do they not? If we don’t take them the Word of God who will? The Methodists, the Lutherans, the Catholics, the Jehovah’s FALSE Witnesses? It isn’t there job or commission to spread the gospel; it is ours! And we aren’t doing it. I reckon some folks would go out and go door to door and invite folks to church and if they came to a coloured man’s home they would say, “oh, never mind I’m at the wrong house.” I read in my Bible where it says to preach the gospel to all creatures. God saved the Ethiopian Eunuch. What colour do you think an Ethiopian is?

IV. Closing: I know that the Lord has, is, and will continue to teach us many things. But are we going to be students of the Word of God or is it going into one ear and out the other? Let’s get with it brethren and sisters. You say, “I am with it.” Then let’s see some fruit (and I know God gives the increase), but let us pray for the fields are white with harvest even now! (Jn.4:35).