Text: Jonah 2 (English Standard Version)
1 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish,2 saying, I called out to the Lord, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice.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.4 Then I said, I am driven away from your sight; yet I shall again look upon your holy temple.5 The waters closed in over me to take my life; the deep surrounded me; weeds were wrapped about my head6 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.7 When my life was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple.8 Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love.9 But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the Lord!
10 And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.
- Have you ever cried out to God in distress? I cannot imagine anything more distressing than sitting in the belly of a whale calling out to the Lord.
- Jonah had hope that he would see the holy temple of God again. This is a great reminder that God gives us hope in every situation!
- Jonah committed himself to the Lord and His steadfast love.
- I can imagine that being vomited out of a whale could be an interesting adventure. I’m cool with reading about it….don’t really feel the need to experience it!