A GREAT HE-FISH, SHE-FISH
Opening Prayer
Lord, thank You for hearing our prayer.
Read JONAH 2
2 1 [a]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,[b]
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.
Footnotes:
a Jonah 2:1 In Hebrew texts 2:1 is numbered 1:17, and 2:1-10 is numbered 2:2-11.
b Jonah 2:5 Or waters were at my throat
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Meditate
“If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there your hand will lead me, and your right hand will lay hold of me” (Ps139:9,10, NASB).
Think Further
The Hebrew word for the fish that swallows Jonah and then spits him out is a masculine noun, but a female noun for “fish” is used for the fish in whose belly Jonah resides. Various commentators have put forth their suggestions and interpretations, some conjectural, but the swapping of the fish’s gender is yet another unusual twist in this fascinating book. This great he-fish, she-fish plays a bizarre, God-ordained role in the rescue of Jonah. When the sailors pray, the fish swallows Jonah and when Jonah prays, the fish vomits him up. Jonah tells the sailors he fears the God who made the sea and the dry land, and God uses both in his salvation of Jonah. Jonah could not run away from God, and neither can we. Sometimes that is comforting; at other times, perturbing. Even when God is rebuking His child, it is almost always rooted in mercy, usually to bring back the wandering sheep to Himself. Unlike the Prodigal Son, there is no record of Jonah’s repentance, and some have suggested that Jonah’s prayer is insincere. I am reluctant to label another’s prayer as insincere. God knows the heart, and it might be that the prayer(s) Jonah refers to in verses 2 and 7 include repentance.
Nevertheless, while Jonah’s prayer of gratitude may well be genuine, it is ironic that he attributes his situation to God (3, 4), not to mention his references to idol-worshippers, (8) given that the idol-worshippers behaved more righteously than he. Even so, he is correct with his proclamation that, “Salvation comes from the LORD” (9). In fact, it might be a good summary for the Book of Jonah. The sailors are saved from bloodshed and Jonah from death. It is the same today: salvation is from the Lord!
Apply
Thank You that salvation is from You, Lord. Thank You that we are never beyond Your reach and that You can use any means You wish to save us.
Closing prayer
Lord, the mercy shown to Your contrary prophet is a source of encouragement to the rest of us.
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