Thoughts from Jonah/Part 5

Jonah 2 contains the prayer of a truly helpless man; we must remember that we are as helpless as Jonah, a people completely dependent on God's loving provision. One commentator, writing about this scene, recalled a child's Bible storybook that he read as a young boy. The illustrator of the book portrayed Jonah calmly seated at a table while drinking coffee and reading a newspaper, all while inside the fish. This commentator observed that even as a young child he knew this probably wasn't quite accurate. Make no mistake; God certainly has Jonah's attention! He is cramped in the belly of the great fish, uncertain as to which breath might be his last. The gastric juices from the fish are bleaching his skin. The stench of digesting food is unavoidable. And the temperature is approximately 100-110 degrees F. All of this for three days and nights. From these circumstances, Jonah prays. He pours out his heart to God. But prayer isn't a one-sided conversation. God also speaks to Jonah, and in this frame of time Jonah's heart is touched by the grace of God. The climax of the prayer is found in Jonah 2:9: "Salvation is of the Lord!" Jonah recognized what we often miss: only God can save. Therefore our reliance is not on self, religion, or any other of the countless makeshift plans, schemes, and systems devised by the human heart. Our hope is only in the Lord. Jonah came to this realization in the belly of the fish. As we will see later, he didn't grasp the implications of such a declaration. But at this point, he is willing to go to Nineveh. So, at God's command, the fish safely vomits Jonah onto dry land. Next stop: Nineveh! But maybe a shower first...