Jonah and the Whale and The Prayer and Deliverance of Jonah
Jonah was in big trouble for disobeying the LORD and running away. No one can run away from the LORD when they had been called to do something for Him. Jonah learned this the hard way. The LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. Jonah prayed a prayer of deliverance and the LORD heard him. Just like the LORD heard the pleas of Jonah He will also hear our pleas when we come to the LORD in prayer.
Jonah 1:17- 2:10
The LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish’s belly, he cried by reasons of his affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell Jonah cried, and the LORD heard his voice.
Jonah cried out to the LORD who had cast Jonah into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods encompassed Jonah: all the billows of the seas and the waves passed over Jonah.
Then Jonah said, I am cast out of your sight; yet I will look again toward His holy temple. The waters encompassed Jonah, even to the soul: the depth closed Jonah round about, the weeds were wrapped about his head.
Jonah went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about Jonah forever: yet has the LORD brought up Jonah’s life from corruption, O LORD my God.
Jonah said that when his soul fainted within him he remembered the LORD: and his prayer came in unto the, into His holy temple. Those that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. Jonah told the LORD God that he would offer a sacrifice unto the LORD with a voice of thanksgiving. Jonah would pay what he has vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.
And the LORD spoke unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.
What Can This Story Teach Us?
The LORD God told Jonah to go to Nineveh to preach obedience to the people for their wickedness came up before the LORD. Jonah didn’t want to go so he tried to run away from the LORD God by going in the opposite direction away from Him.
Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish. The LORD God caused a storm to come. It nearly sank the ship. When the men on the ship discovered that it was Jonah’s fault, they threw him overboard into the sea, and the sea became calm.
The LORD God had provided a large fish that swallowed Jonah. Jonah prayed to the LORD God from inside the fish. He was in the fish for three days and three nights. The fish spit him out onto dry land.
Jonah was in big trouble for disobeying the LORD and running away. No one can run away from the LORD when they had been called to do something for Him. Jonah learned this the hard way.
Jonah was in the belly of a whale for his disobedience. When we are disobedient and run away from our responsibilities that the LORD had given us we feel alone and ashamed for not obeying. It is like being in a dark slimy place being all alone.
Just like Jonah we must get down on our knees and tell the LORD what we have done (admit our sins), ask for forgiveness, and the then change and accept the forgiveness of the LORD.
Just like the LORD heard the pleas of Jonah He will also hear our pleas when we come to the LORD in prayer.
Cite Article Source
MLA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne “Jonah and the Whale and The Prayer and Deliverance of Jonah:.” Becker Bible Studies Library Mar 2015.<https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2520,>.
APA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2015, March) “Jonah and the Whale and The Prayer and Deliverance of Jonah:.” Becker Bible Studies Library. Retrieved from https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2520,.
Chicago Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2015) “Jonah and the Whale and The Prayer and Deliverance of Jonah:.” Becker Bible Studies Library (March), https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2520, (accessed).
