Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

• Example of man's life
• Example of people being brought up into church life but have back-slidden
• Jonah was a back-slidden believer
• What was going though Jonah's mind as this calamity unfolded?
• How did his back-sliding begin?
• He seemed to not pay attention to the word of God as he ought to
• He was ignoring he truth of God's word
• Little by little prejudice was building up in his heart
• He had forgotten grace and mercy
• He refused to go and preach when commanded by God
• The calamity he faced was great
• God's hand was heavy against him
• The greater the privilege, the greater the hand of God against you
• He was rebellious and now God was chastising him
• God did not leave Jonah in this state
• God prepared a "great fish" - 1:17
• This was something utterly miraculous - to save and restore Jonah
• Jonah prayed in the belly of the fish
• Then he sought God
• It is a staggering prayer of faith - not of despair

When did he pray?

• When did he pray?
• He was a prophet and surely a man of prayer
• Was there a prayer after God had spoken to him to preach in Nineveh?
• Did he pray when he was in the bottom of the boat when instructed by the captain?
• Did he pray when he went down into the water?
• He did pray in the belly of the fish
• It is never too late to pray
• The story of the 33 Chilean miners trapped for 69 days in Aug 2010
• 22 professed faith in Jesus Christ
• All 33 men were rescued
• It was a remarkable physical and spiritual deliverance
• Will it take a calamity to bring you to God?
• We can call upon Him at anytime for He is near
• If you know you are rebellious - do not leave it until the last moment (there may not be a last moment)

What and how does he pray?

• An amazing prayer of faith
• This is the actual prayer that Jonah prayed (v1 & v6) - it was not prayed after the event
• Imagine the scene
• v5 - seaweed around his head
• v6 - went down into the depths
• Do we find this source of faith elsewhere in the bible?
• Abraham - children in his own age (cf Rom 4)
• Paul - a terrible shipwreck, in prison
• Christians can go through terrible experiences yet know great faith
• Some may ask is this event true?
• Various stories on the internet
• Our faith doesn't need to rest on confirming evidence
• Do we believe the word of God?
• Jesus parable: Luke 16:19-31
• Are you looking for external evidence to confirm that the Bible is true?
• People try to explain things away - we need to be careful with those who try to reduce the bible to an 'irreducible minimum'
• This prayer does sound like a Psalm
• Maybe after Psalm 42
• Perhaps the prophet had stored up the word of God in his heart and mind
• Jonah is praying scripture
• cf Psalm 120:1, 33:22, 18:6
• cf Psalm 30:3, 69:1-2, 88:6-7; 116:3
• A lesson for us to take hold of God's word when we are in deep despair
• After crying out to God there is assurance
• cf Psalm 6:9, 30: 33, 116
• There is repentance - v4
• Not turning your back to but looking towards God
• Jonah was looking toward the holy temple - the place of God's glory and where sin was dealt with
• Turning round in your heart and mind
• Looking towards the cross
• Pleading the mercy of God and accepting/trusting in Christ's sacrifice on the cross
• Jonah's heart is turning back to the Lord - v7
• The same happened to the prodigal son
• Jonah is in the belly of the fish but God hears his prayer
• Wherever you are let your prayer rise into the holy temple of God
• Examples:
• Think of Martin Luther
• He wrote down his prayers
• Sometimes writing down prayers can help if we can't speak them
• The next day Luther knew God's presence with him
• Luther stood fast and God stood with him
• Think of Hezekiah
• He wept before the Lord
• Think of Jeremiah, Joseph, David (all in the pit)

Closing Remarks

• Next time: was Jonah fully restored (a spark of compassion is rising in his heart - v8)
• God is currently restoring him - v9
• May we understand that God's grace is magnificent and that He can lift us up from the lowest point and set our feet upon a rock
• God will work in us
• May we learn the lessons from Jonah's life
• Never too late to pray
• Store up the word of God in our life
• Remember God's grace