Context:
Jonah, a prophet of God, disobeyed God and went downward. God did not let him unpunished, but sent him a life threatening wind. Knowing that the wind was targeting at him, he told sailor to throw him into the sea and the sea will be calmed down. Only the pagan cried out to God and feared God. Not Jonah in ch 1.
Ob and In:
1. What God had done prior to this prayer and what God did afterwards.
1:17 The LORD sent a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights. (2:6 6 I went down to the very bottoms of the mountains;
the gates of the netherworld barred me in forever,
but you brought me up from the Pit, O LORD, my God. )
10 Then the LORD commanded the fish and it vomited Jonah out onto dry land.
2. After his prayer in 2:2, 4 God brought him up. Probably the moment the fish swallows him. From sending the life-threatening wind to save him in the huge fish. What did Jonah prayed that reverses God's judgement? (v.2 is a summary statement. v.4 is probably the only prayer before God saved him)
v.4 I thought I had been banished from your sight,
that I would never again see your holy temple!
a. He almost died and have no hope
b. He knew he had no chance to see God's holy temple or he has expressed some desire to worship God in His temple. Either one of this, he expressed he has desire for God's temple. When he needed God's help he thought about God. Only with this prayer God brought him up. Without any confession, God has gracious saved him the first time into the fish belly. That environment must be really bad, but to Jonah he was thankful already in his prayer. At least he was not dead.
3. After his prayer in v.7-9 God commanded the fish to vomit him out onto dry land. What did Jonah prayed that God give Jonah a second chance? Or God had already set the time for 3 days and 3 nights before he prayed v.7-9??
v. 7 When my life was ebbing away, I called out to the LORD,
and my prayer came to you, to your holy temple.
8 Those who worship worthless idols forfeit the mercy that could be theirs.
9 But as for me, I promise to offer a sacrifice to you with a public declaration of praise;
I will surely do what I have promised.
Salvation belongs to the LORD!”
a. He saw his prayed was granted (and he did not died because of that)
b. the idols worshipper forfeit mercy which he enjoyed (His salvation was a mercy from God).
c. He promised to offer sacrifice and praise (in ritual) to God.
d. Jonah acknowledge God's authority to give salvation.
4. Doubts about Jonah:
a. Did Jonah confess his sins when he expressed his desire to God's holy temple? God is holy and should have led him to see his sinfulness in disobeying God. But he was silent about his sin.
b. Why did he brought up idol worshippers as they forfeit God's mercy? Did he just want to raise himself?
c. Did he really believe that God has authority to the salvation? No, (ch4). Even with this half-hearted state, God gives him a second chance to serve Him in Nineveh.
Reflection: God saved Jonah and gave him second chance. I might have some doubts about him, but God knows. Even what I doubted might stand, that did not change God's mercy to Jonah. Why cant I give mercy to others like Jonah? Why cant I give second chance to others who are like Jonah?
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