God Saves Us from the Pit of Sheol
Jonah 2
When we are in despair without hope of deliverance, look to the merciful Lord who is faithful to save and deliver.
#God
#salvation
#thanksgiving
Published June 29th, 2018; Updated July 9th, 2018
Main point summary
Arc
notes
Main point summary
Thank God for His abundant mercy, because in distress, in the furthest pit of despair, and even in the face of death, it is God alone who can save us, and He will save us if we call out to Him and acknowledge Him as He deserves.
Arc
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OT
Jonah 1:17-2:10
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1 And the Lord appointed 2 a great fish to swallow up Jonah.
The Lord chose a fish to swallow Jonah
w And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
AS A RESULT, Jonah stayed in the fish's belly for 3 days/nights
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Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God
AS A RESULT OF GOD'S DELIVERANCE, Jonah prayed
from the belly of the fish,
WHILE INSIDE the fish
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saying,
MORE SPECIFICALLY, he prayed,
x “I called out to the Lord ,
"I sought out the Lord
out of my distress,
IN distress
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and he answered me;
WITH THE RESULT that he answered
y out of the belly of Sheol I cried,
IN OTHER WORDS, I was trapped/in ruin and called to God
z and you heard my voice.
WITH THE RESULT that you heard me
ideaexplanation
a For you cast me into the deep,
BECAUSE you were the one who brought the storm
into the heart of the seas,
MORE SPECIFICALLY, you required that I be thrown into the sea
and the flood surrounded me;
WITH THE RESULT that the waters overtook me
b all your waves and your billows passed over me.
IN OTHER WORDS, the power of the sea were drowning me
ground
c Then I said,
THEN, because you hear me, I prayed,
‘I am driven away from your sight;
SAYING, "I have sinned against you and have been cast out from your presence
d yet I shall again look upon your holy temple .’
BUT I will still pray towards you (the temple)
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e The waters closed in over me
EVEN AS the waters flood me
f to take my life;
WITH A PURPOSE TO kill me
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the deep surrounded me;
IN OTHER WORDS, as I'm drowning
weeds were wrapped about my head
IN OTHER WORDS, as I'm suffocating
at the roots of the mountains.
AT the bottom of the sea
I went down to the land
IN OTHER WORDS, the pit of Sheol
whose bars closed upon me forever;
MEANING, the place where I will be imprisoned forever
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yet you brought up my life from the pit, O Lord my God.
NEVERTHELESS, you saved me, God
When my life was fainting away,
WHEN I was dying
I remembered the Lord ,
I remembered the faithfulness of God
g and my prayer came to you,
WITH THE RESULT that I sought Him out
into your holy temple .
IN your dwelling place (you allowed me in)
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h Those who pay regard to vain idols
Contrary to those who worship idols
i forsake their hope of steadfast love.
WITH THE RESULT THAT they forget about the God who delivers them
j But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you;
MY RESPONSE OF COMING INTO YOUR DWELLING PLACE/being delivered is that I will give thanks and worship God, my deliverer
what I have vowed
IN OTHER WORDS, what I promise to do for you
I will pay.
WILL RESULT in me actually doing it
negativepositive
k Salvation belongs to the Lord !”
FOR Salvation belongs to the Lord (and I owe Him my life)
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And the Lord spoke to the fish,
AS A RESULT of Jonah praying, the Lord (perhaps still disappointed in Jonah) commanded the fish
and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.
THE RESULT of the Lord's command caused the fish to throw-up Jonah onto land.
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Disclaimer: The opinions and conclusions expressed on this page are those of the author and may or may not accord with the positions of Biblearc or Bethlehem College & Seminary.