Jonah - Chapters 1 and 2

Jesus was asked by the pharisees to give a sign. Jesus said “but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah”. Having said that, I believe there’s no need to explain how important Jonah is.

Jonah first appearance in the Bible is way before his well known story in the book of Jonah. God used him to prophecy for the restoration of the whole land of Israel when he was serving under a king named Jeroboam II.

He restored the border of Israel from Lebo-hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the LORD, the God of Israel, which he spoke by his servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was from Gath-hepher.

2 Kings 14:25

It was one of the best days in Jonah's life. The prophecy uttered though his mouth has come true and his beloved nation Israel has been fully restored from the top to the bottom. God has done a marvelous thing restoring all that the Israelites lost to their enemies.

But, the joy didn't last very long. There was a moral decline and the LORD’s word has come again but now to a shepherd Amos who was living in the same time as Jonah. He prophesied that Israel will soon lose everything to a nation that LORD himself will raise.

"For behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel," declares the LORD, the God of hosts; "and they shall oppress you from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of the Arabah." - Amos 6:14

What's interesting is that the territory Amos says that Israel will lose is the exact same territory God restored through prophecy by Jonah.

Jonah on hearing this not only realized what is coming for Israel but he also knows who this nation is that God is raising to destroy Israel. It’s Assyria whose capital is Niniveh.

He was furious. He's angry that God has decided to punish Israel and remove the land that he once prophesied to regain. He’s raged that God has not sustained his deliverance. He’s depressed that God has not continued to keep the territory that Israel has gained. Bitterness inside his soul, rage in his veins, irritated in the mind and questions over his purpose. That’s when the book of Jonah chapter 1 starts.

Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.”

Jonah 1:1-2

On one side, a bitter-angry-depressed prophet and on the other side a God who made the heaven, earth and all human beings asking this prophet to set out to do something. This to Jonah was rubbing salt in the wound.

How many times have we been bitter, angry and depressed because God didn’t do things the way that we wanted. You open the Bible and it says there - “God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength” and you go “Arghhh”.

You go to church with your anger because God didn’t answer your prayers and then the pastor says “God is ever present help in times of need” ? Don’t you just roll your eyes, bite your teeth, wait for the service to over and rush out ? Jonah is no exception.

But Jonah set out to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid his fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.

Jonah 1:3

Here’s Jonah simply going off the way. Away from the LORD. No prayer. No reply to God’s request. Just simply walking off God. My dear friend, have you walked away from God anytime like Jonah did? .

Don’t worry. Our God just won’t let you to walk out easily. He loves you more than anything and God did love Jonah more. He caused a wind to sweep Jonah and Jonah ended up in belly of a large fish.

But the Lord provided a large fish to swallow up Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Jonah 1:17

Three days and three nights inside the fish without a prayer to God to rescue him. When we are bitter, we would rather wait to die than to call out to God and that’s just what Jonah did. But he comes to his senses (like all of us at some point) and he utters his first prayer (there are only two prayers Jonah prayed).

Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish

Jonah 2:1

and he finishes the prayer with a faithful declaration that the LORD has already rescued him.

But I with the voice of thanksgiving
    will sacrifice to you;
what I have vowed I will pay.
    Deliverance belongs to the Lord!”

Jonah 2:9

That’s the secret. You can be bitter and angry but when you get down on your knees, pray and declare in faith that the LORD has already completed the job for you and attribute to him that he is the deliverer, he will be there to rescue you. The Bible says immediately after this declaration of faith from Jonah, the LORD springs into action and he utters the word to do the job.

 Then the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out onto the dry land.

Jonah 2: 10

This is it my friend. Whatever bitterness you are going through, your unanswered prayers, your complaints against God, the silence, the depression, just remember this: pray and don’t lose your faith. Shout to the LORD and say - “Forgive me LORD. You are my deliverer !" and he will deliver you. The bible says

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would approach God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
Hebrews 11:6

The first two chapters from Jonah teaches us a invaluable lesson to go through our everyday life- There will be joy and there will be sadness. There will be a great day and a not-so-good day. One day you will be at a palace prophesying and one day you will be at the belly of a fish surrounded by darkness and gasping for air. But in every single second, the LORD is with you. He’s watching you ! He’s looking out for your faithfulness. Trust in him and surrender to him.

You won’t realize how many times I have just shouted angrily against God and after some time go into a room, close the door, get on my knees and say - “Please forgive me LORD. I am sorry for what I said. Just save me from this waters that are all over me” I’m a living example that the LORD has never let the waters sweep over me. God does not promise there won’t be waters up to your neck. He simply says there will waters out there to kill you but i’ll be with you. When you pass through these water, they will not sweep over you.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you

Isaiah 43:2

This verse was fullfilled in Jonah’s life and it is also a promise for you today. Whatever waters you are in right now, it might be up to your neck but they will not sweep you because the LORD of Israel is watching over you. He neither sleeps nor slumbers. He will keep you and you will come out of the waters with a testimony. God bless you !