Jump Start # 735

Jonah 2:1 “Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the stomach of the fish”

The story of Jonah—that was one of the early lessons we heard in Bible class as children. It is easy to dismiss things as this, or Daniel in the lion’s den, as children’s stories. First, they are not “stories” in the sense of make believe. They are historically and factually true. Jesus put His resurrection next to Jonah and the whale. Second, they were not written for children’s Bible classes. They are for adults. They are faith builders.

Our passage today begins with the word, “Then.” Most translations use that word to begin this verse. Chapter one ends with Jonah in the belly of the sea monster for three days. THEN Jonah prays. The word “Then” can mark the order of things. This happened first, THEN, that happened next. Or, it can be used simply as a connector.

It’s hard to imagine that Jonah was in the belly of the whale for three days and THEN he prayed. You’d think that Jonah was praying as soon as he hit the water. Maybe…maybe not.

Our passage reminds us of a couple of thoughts about prayer. First, some of us do not think about prayer until we are in the belly of a problem. Sunny days, good health, busy times does not bring prayers to our lips. They ought to. Prayer is much more than needing things and asking things, as it is talking to God. We need to talk to God, often. There is so much to be thankful for. Jonah is a great reminder that we often get ourselves into problems by our own doings. Jonah disobeyed God. That was his choice. God caused the storm. Jonah was tossed overboard. Jonah didn’t have a need for God when he was on the boat, at least he didn’t think he did. But once he was in a serious problem that he could not get out of, then the prayers go to God.

Secondly, our passage reminds us that God hears us, even from the depths of the sea and from the belly of a great fish. God hears. The belly of our whale may be the hospital bed outside the surgery room. It may be on an airplane flying high upon the clouds. It may be in a heated meeting at work.

Jonah’s prayer reveals that seaweed was wrapped around his head. You know it had to be dark, squishy, smelly and extremely gross inside that belly. People are not supposed to be there. Five minutes would be about all this guy could take. Jonah was there three days. Then the whale spit Jonah out. That had to be another extremely unpleasant experience.

It’s important to see the big picture here. Jonah had disobeyed God. He was in trouble. Now he wanted God. Our Lord did not give up on Jonah. He didn’t say, “You got yourself into this mess, now get yourself out.” God is not like that. Jonah learned some lessons from the belly experience. He learned that God is not to be out maneuvered by us. He learned that God means what He says. He learned that God doesn’t give up on us. Jonah must have thought while on the boat that he was too far away to go to Nineveh. God didn’t think so. There is no running away from God. The Lord will find you.

Do we see ourselves in Jonah? Have we disobeyed God and felt like He has given up on us? He hasn’t. He’s waiting for you to turn back to Him as Jonah did. Have we run from our responsibilites as Jonah did? Tired of being a parent? Tired of being married? Tired of being a Christian?

THEN—then Jonah prayed. Maybe you need a “Then” moment in your life. The “Then” God Jonah back on track with God. The “Then” is what Jonah needed. God was waiting for the “then.” He may be waiting for you as well…

Roger