19 May (Jonah 2)

Jonah 2

(v.1) As we concluded chapter 1, we see that God had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah, and he was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights? Does this sound familiar? Jesus refers to this in Matt 12:40

For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Also, in Luke 11:29 Jesus calls Jonah a prophet, thus giving Jonah an importance and status that most people don't realize. Whether Jonah was in a whale, a shark or some kind of serpent, it doesn't matter...it was big enough to swallow him whole! The Hebrew word used for fish is Dag and can mean fish or serpent. Most often, it was used to reference a fish, but that may be because people discussed fish more than serpents!

(v.2) What a prayer from Jonah! Like most of us, it takes extreme measures for us to get serious and really cry out to the LORD!

I also take time to remind my kids that Jonah mentions the Hebrew word Sheol (it is called Hades in Greek), which is the spiritual place where all who died go to. As we discussed in previous books, the believers went to Abraham's Bosom, and the unbelievers went to Sheol. Not until Jesus' blood washed away sin, could Moses, Abraham, David and all the other believers enter heaven with the Father...they were still in a sinful state. The moment Jesus died on the cross, and hereafter, all who die in faith will immediately go to heaven with the Father, but before that, the faithful had to wait in Abraham's Bosom. If you wish to learn more about this, read Luke 16 where Jesus tells us of this.

I also point out to my kids that Jonah didn't pray until three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish. This is why I believe that Jonah actually died, and he was resurrected and spit out onto the beach...he was again a type of Christ, who was dead for three days and three nights, then resurrected. I can't prove that, but it fits the pattern, and since Jonah's life is mirroring the life of Jesus in many ways, it makes sense to me!

(v.5) Read these verses with Jesus in mind, and it fits. Jesus freed that "captives" in Abraham's bosom. Luke 4:18

Jonah is describing the center of the earth...the abyss. The Greek word for that is Abusso, which is referred to mean hell. Notice how Jonah says the earth with its bars closed behind me forever...he is describing hell...or Sheol/Hades.

(v.9) Whether Jonah was physically dead or not, he was in a bad situation! He prayed fervently to the LORD, and He heard Jonah. I think what did it, was Jonah called upon the name of the LORD by saying, Salvation is of the LORD. This is the name of Jesus...YHWH Saves!