This is the second in a four part series on Jonah.

Jonah’s prayer in chapter two continues with the language of spiritual descent that is used in chapter one.  In chapter one, Jonah continually went down (“yarad”) away from the presence and will of the LORD.

The language of his prayer from the belly of the fish is heartfelt and figurative language that Jonah used to describe just how awful his descent away from the LORD really was.  In 2:1, Jonah finally qara (“calls out”), but instead of calling out against Nineveh he was forced to call out to God for rescue.  Jonah says that he called and cried out to the LORD from the depths of Sheol.

Sheol, in the ancient mind, was the place of death.  It was the final resting place for everyone.  It was a place where one’s voice could not be heard; a place where the power and abilities of the very gods themselves were restricted.  Only death could reach Sheol.  There was no escape for one who entered Sheol.

Jonah’s prayer is often called a psalm of thanksgiving because something surprising and amazing happened to Jonah while he was in his own personal Sheol; God heard and answered Jonah.  Though he had descended to the very roots of the mountains themselves God was able to hear him and give answer to his prayer.  Sheol could not hold back the power of the LORD.

Verse six says it all.  “I went down (“yarad”) to the land whose bars closed upon me forever; yet you brought up my life from the Pit.”  It was Jonah’s disobedience that sent him down to a place he would never have been able to escape, but it was God’s love that lifted him up from the depths of the Pit, (a word that often is paired with Sheol.)

Just like Jonah, our own disobedience has taken us to the pit of Sheol and away from the presence of God.  But thanks be to God that Christ descended onto the cross and into death for us and on our behalf so that we could be lifted up with him; that his death could be our death and his resurrection our resurrection.  Through his obedience we are forgiven our disobedience.

This is the first in a four part series on Jonah.

The first chapter of Jonah has some particularly fun Hebrew word-play going on.  The first word God says to Jonah is to qum (“arise” or “rise up”) and go to Nineveh.  When he gets to Nineveh he is supposed to qara (“proclaim”, “cry out”, or “call out”) against it.

Of course Jonah rises up, but not to go to Nineveh.  Rather he rises (“qum”) to flee to Tarshish.  When Jonah flees to Tarshish he goes down (“yarad”) to Joppa and then goes down (“yarad”) onto the ship.  Once on the ship, Jonah descends even further (“yarad”) into the hold of the ship and falls asleep.  The use of yarad (“descend” or “go down”) is a literary way of describing Jonah’s fleeing to Tarshish as a descent away from the presence (literally “face”) of the LORD.  Jonah qum in order to yarad rather than qum in order to qara.

But God desires to reach the people of Nineveh and Jonah is his man for the job… whether Jonah wants to be or not.  God will not let Jonah off the hook.  After all, the LORD is “the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land” (v. 9).  In other words, God is sovereign over everything.  He has a purpose in mind and Jonah is God’s man for that purpose.

Verse 4 says that God hurled a great wind and storm upon the sea causing havoc with the boat.  When the captain of the ship finds Jonah below, his words to Jonah mimic God’s words to Jonah.  “Rise up (“qum”) and call on (“qara”) your god!”  The captain’s words remind us that Jonah is going the wrong way.  He is descending instead of rising up.  Not only that but Jonah doesn’t cry out (“qara”) to his God, instead it is the sailors who qara to the LORD.

There really isn’t anything good about Jonah in this chapter.  But what is important about this story is that it really isn’t Jonah’s story.  It is the story of God’s concern for the people of Nineveh, a people detested by God’s chosen.  As this series continues we will see that God’s interaction with Jonah portrays God’s complete sovereignty and expansive grace because, as we will see, in God’s pursuit of Nineveh, God still takes time out to rescue Jonah from himself.

For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself. Acts 2:39

During the last few weeks we followed the descent of humankind into sin and death. We watched it play out at the Tower of Babel and we see it play out in our own lives as well. We also saw the gracious response of our God as he continued his love and care for his people. We heard the first promise of a Savior made in the presence of Adam and Eve in the Garden. We heard it reiterated to Sarah and Abraham and fulfilled through the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

Through Jesus’ words to his disciples, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” we see God reaffirming that his plan of salvation is for all.

On the day of Pentecost, these same disciples were gathered together when the Holy Spirit came upon them in power with the sound of a mighty rushing wind which filled the house. Tongues of fire descended upon them and they began to speak in other languages as the Holy Spirit enabled them. See Acts 2:104. On that day God endowed his disciples with the ability to speak the native languages of visitors from a great host of the surrounding nations. On that day they were transformed from frightened men and women to bold men and women who would proclaim God’s Word with power. And what did they proclaim? They proclaimed that Jesus, our Risen Savior, has died for you and conquered the grave so that you might have forgiveness of sins and eternal life in Him.

At the tower of Babel God confused human languages and scattered sinful humanity across the face of the earth. In Jerusalem God infused his people with the Holy Spirit, and endowed them with the gift of tongues so that all the nations might hear the testimony of what God has done for us.

Today the Holy Spirit continues to break into our lives bringing with Him God’s gifts of righteousness, joy and peace. The Holy Spirit is busy still today granting repentance and creating faith in the person of Jesus Christ to the glory of God the Father.

You see the message entrusted to us and to the entire Christian church is not simply that God has given his Son to live, die and rise again for the forgiveness of sin and the imputation (giving) of righteousness, but that God has given His Son to live, die and rise again for you. We all have gone astray. Correspondingly Christ has come for all. Some will continue to reject and rebel and remain under condemnation but many will believe. My hope is that your thoughts may dwell on the grace and mercy of God given to us through Jesus. God is here. He is with us. Immanuel.

Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all. Romans 5:18

At the cross we see both the fullness of God’s wrath against sin and God’s love for sinners displayed.

Sin is no trifling matter. Romans 6:23 teaches, “The wages of sin is death.” In Hebrews 9:22 we learn that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin. God’s proclamation that disobedience will result in death given to Adam and Eve in the Garden is a reality – not a joke.

At the cross, Jesus, God’s beloved Son, suffered and died for you. At the cross Jesus took on your sin. At the cross Jesus was forsaken by His Father. At the cross Jesus gave his life for you.

A surprising, and often overlooked, truth is that Jesus did not just die for us. Of course, Jesus did in fact do so. But on the cross believers in Christ also died with Him. Romans 6:6 says, “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.”

Christians are not sinners who have amended their ways. No, Christians are sinners who have been put to death and raised to newness of life in Christ Jesus. And now having died with Christ we believe that we will live with him. Romans 6:8.

On the cross the condemnation for sin fell upon Jesus. Through His life, death, and resurrection salvation has come to us in Jesus Christ, God’s Son.

Adam and Eve, having rejected the Lord and despising His Word were cast out of paradise and prevented from reentering and eating from the tree of life. Jesus Christ, through his perfect trust and obedience has become our salvation. In Christ, and in Christ alone, we have forgiveness of sin, newness of life, and fellowship with our Heavenly Father. Someday, Christ will come back to bring all who believe in Him to be with Him for eternity in Heavenly glory.