Bible Version: New International Version (NIV)
Application Notes: Life Application Study Bible (NIV)
JONAH 2
1 From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. 2 He said:
“In my distress I called to the Lord,
and he answered me.
From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help,
and you listened to my cry.
3 You hurled me into the depths,
into the very heart of the seas,
and the currents swirled about me;
all your waves and breakers
swept over me.
4 I said, ‘I have been banished
from your sight;
yet I will look again
toward your holy temple.’
5 The engulfing waters threatened me,
the deep surrounded me;
seaweed was wrapped around my head.
6 To the roots of the mountains I sank down;
the earth beneath barred me in forever.
But you, Lord my God,
brought my life up from the pit.
7 “When my life was ebbing away,
I remembered you, Lord,
and my prayer rose to you,
to your holy temple.
8 “Those who cling to worthless idols
turn away from God’s love for them.
9 But I, with shouts of grateful praise,
will sacrifice to you.
What I have vowed I will make good.
I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’ ”
10 And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.
Application Notes
2:1-9 Jonah offered a prayer of thanksgiving and a cry for deliverance from the belly of the fish. God saved him from the raging sea, and Jonah was overwhelmed that he had escaped certain death. Even from inside the fish, Jonah's prayer was heard by God. We can pray anywhere, at any time, and God will always hear us. In the belly of the fish, Jonah was ready to submit to God’s will and purpose for him. His hard heart been humbled by God's mercy toward him. Like Jonah, the Assyrians didn't deserve God's love and mercy, but God offered it anyway. If God could love the cruel Assyrians and the rebel Jonah, your sin could never be too great or your predicament too difficult for his love and mercy to touch you as well.
2:1-7 Jonah said, “When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord” (2:7). Often we act the same way. When life is going well, we tend to take God for granted, but when we lose hope, we cry out to him. This kind of relationship with God can result only in an inconsistent, up-and-down spiritual life. A consistent, daily commitment to God promotes a solid relationship with him. Remembering the Lord implies more than recalling him or recounting things that have happened. It means respecting God's authority deeply and surrendering our hearts to his love completely. Honor and follow God during both the good and bad times, and you will have a stronger spiritual life.
2:2 Jonah compared his predicament in the belly of the fish to being in the land of the dead.
2:8 Those who worship false gods deceive themselves with pursuits that are ultimately empty and foolish. Make sure that nothing takes God's rightful place in your life and that nothing keeps you from following his purposes.
2:9 Obviously Jonah was not in a position to bargain with God. Instead, he simply thanked God for saving his life. Our troubles should cause us to cling tightly to God, not attempt to bargain our way out of the pain. When God speaks to us, we must act on his words. We should do it without complaining or negotiating because his will for us is always for our best.
2:9 It took a miracle of deliverance to get Jonah to do as God had commanded. As a prophet, Jonah was obligated to obey and proclaim God's word, but he had tried to escape his responsibilities. Finally he pledged to fulfill his vows. Jonah's story began with a tragedy, but a greater tragedy would have happened if God had allowed him to keep running. When you know God wants you to do something, don't run. God may not stop you as he did Jonah.
Taken from Life Application Study Bible - Third Edition - (NIV)