◄ Jonah 2:7 ►
As my life was fading away, I remembered the LORD. My prayer went up to You, to Your holy temple.
Study Bible
As my life was fading away
This phrase captures a moment of profound desperation and vulnerability. The Hebrew word for "life" here is "nephesh," which often refers to the soul or the very essence of a person. Jonah, in the belly of the fish, is experiencing a near-death situation, a fading of his "nephesh." This moment of crisis is a turning point, illustrating how God often uses our lowest points to draw us closer to Him. Historically, this reflects the human condition of reaching out to God in times of dire need, a theme prevalent throughout the Bible.

I remembered the LORD
The act of remembering in Hebrew is "zakar," which implies more than just recalling; it involves a conscious decision to focus on God. Jonah's remembrance signifies a return to faith and acknowledgment of God's sovereignty. This is a pivotal moment of repentance and realignment with God's will. Scripturally, this echoes the Israelites' frequent calls to remember God's past deliverances, reinforcing the importance of memory in spiritual renewal.

My prayer went up to You
The phrase "went up" suggests an ascent, indicating that Jonah's prayer transcends his immediate circumstances and reaches the divine. The Hebrew root "alah" conveys the idea of rising or ascending, symbolizing the elevation of Jonah's spirit as he turns to God. This ascent is not just physical but spiritual, representing the power of prayer to lift us from the depths of despair to the heights of divine presence.

to Your holy temple
The "holy temple" refers to the dwelling place of God, a central theme in Jewish worship. In Jonah's context, it symbolizes the ultimate place of communion with God. The Hebrew word "hekal" for temple denotes a sacred space, a place where God's presence is most profoundly felt. This reflects the ancient belief in the temple as the focal point of divine-human interaction, underscoring the importance of seeking God's presence in times of trouble. Historically, the temple was the heart of Israel's religious life, and Jonah's reference to it signifies his deep yearning for restoration and communion with God.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jonah
A prophet of God who initially fled from God's command to go to Nineveh, resulting in his being swallowed by a great fish.

2. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant name of God, whom Jonah calls upon in his distress.

3. The Great Fish
The creature appointed by God to swallow Jonah, serving as both a place of judgment and deliverance.

4. The Holy Temple
Refers to the heavenly dwelling of God, symbolizing His presence and the place where prayers are directed.

5. Jonah's Prayer
A heartfelt cry to God from within the fish, demonstrating repentance and reliance on God's mercy.
Teaching Points
The Power of Remembrance
In times of distress, recalling God's past faithfulness can renew our hope and trust in Him.

The Importance of Prayer
Jonah's prayer from the belly of the fish shows that no situation is too dire for God to hear and respond to our cries.

God's Presence in Desperation
Even in the depths of despair, God's presence is accessible, and His temple is a symbol of His readiness to hear us.

Repentance and Return
Jonah's turning back to God is a model of repentance, reminding us that it's never too late to return to the Lord.

God's Sovereignty and Mercy
The account of Jonah highlights God's control over creation and His willingness to extend mercy to those who seek Him.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Jonah's experience in the belly of the fish illustrate the concept of God's discipline and mercy?

2. In what ways can remembering God's past faithfulness help us in our current struggles?

3. How does Jonah's prayer reflect a change in his heart and attitude toward God?

4. What can we learn from Jonah about the importance of directing our prayers to God, even when we feel distant from Him?

5. How does Jonah's account encourage us to respond when we find ourselves in situations of despair or consequence due to our own actions?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Psalm 18:6
This verse speaks of calling upon the Lord in distress and being heard, similar to Jonah's experience.

Psalm 42:6
Reflects on remembering God from a place of despair, akin to Jonah's remembrance of the Lord.

1 Kings 8:38-39
Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the temple, asking God to hear the prayers of His people directed toward the temple.

Luke 15:17-20
The prodigal son's realization and return to his father parallels Jonah's turning back to God.

Psalm 77:11
Emphasizes remembering the works of the Lord, which aligns with Jonah's act of remembering God.
Sermons
Jonah an Example of Sanctified AfflictionPatrick Fairbairn.Jonah 2:7
The Fainting Soul RevivedCharles Haddon Spurgeon Jonah 2:7
The Prophet's PrayerA. Rowland Jonah 2:7
De Profundis: Distress and PrayerW.G. Blaikie Jonah 2:1-7
In the Deep and Mighty WatersS. S. ChronicleJonah 2:1-9
Jonah in the SeaS. C. Burn.Jonah 2:1-9
Jonah the Penitent SuppliantJ. O. Keen, D. D.Jonah 2:1-9
Jonah's PrayerA. Raleigh, D. D.Jonah 2:1-9
More of Thanksgiving Beneath the WatersChristian HeraldJonah 2:1-9
The Conflict Between Despair and FaithGeorge Hutcheson.Jonah 2:1-9
The Conflict of Faith and SenseHugh Martin, M. A.Jonah 2:1-9
The Imprisonment of JonahJames Clyde.Jonah 2:1-9
The Prayer of JonahThomas Bissland, M. A.Jonah 2:1-9
The Prophet's PrayerJohn Broad.Jonah 2:1-9
The Return to GodT. T. Carter.Jonah 2:1-9
Triumph, ThanksgivingW.G. Blaikie Jonah 2:2-10
Deliverance Waiting on the Assured Hope of itJ.E. Henry Jonah 2:5-10
People
Jonah
Places
Joppa
Topics
Fainted, Fainting, Feebleness, Holy, Kept, Memory, Overcome, Prayer, Remembered, Rose, Soul, Temple, Within
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Jonah 2:7

     8640   calling upon God
     8670   remembering

Jonah 2:1-9

     8609   prayer, as praise and thanksgiving

Jonah 2:2-7

     5300   drowning

Library
Salvation of the Lord
By salvation here we do not merely understand the special salvation which Jonah received from death; for according to Dr. Gill, there is something so special in the original, in the word salvation having one more letter than it usually has, when it only refers to some temporary deliverance, that we can only understand it here as relating to the great work of the salvation of the soul which endureth for ever. That "salvation is of the Lord," I shall this morning try to show as best I can. First, I …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 3: 1857

The Fainting Soul Revived
WHEN man was first made, there was no fear of his forgetting God for it was his highest privilege and delight to have communion with his Maker. "The Lord God walked in the garden in the cool of the day," and Adam was privileged to hold fellowship with God, closer, perhaps, than even the angels had in heaven. But the spell of that sacred harmony was rudely broken by man's disobedience and his dreadful fall. Ever since our first parent tasted of the forbidden fruit, which brought death into our world, …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 62: 1916

The Soul.
Man as we behold him is not all there is of man. He is a wonderful being. He stands in the highest order of God's creation. He Is A Compound. Man was created a physical and spiritual organism. He possesses an animal and a spiritual life. Thus he is connected with two worlds. The physical creation is termed the "outward man," and the spiritual, the "inward man." "For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day." 2 Cor. 4:16. "For we know …
Charles Ebert Orr—The Gospel Day

An Address to a Soul So Overwhelmed with a Sense of the Greatness of Its Sins, that it Dares not Apply Itself to Christ with Any
1-4. The case described at large.--5. As it frequently occurs.--6. Granting all that the dejected soul charges on itself.--7. The invitations and promises of Christ give hope.--8. The reader urged, under all his burdens and fears, to an humble application to him. Which is accordingly exemplified in the concluding Reflection and Prayer. 1. I have now done with those unhappy creatures who despise the Gospel, and with those who neglect it. With pleasure do I now turn myself to those who will hear me …
Philip Doddridge—The Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul

The Sovereignty of God in Salvation
"O the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgements, and His ways past finding out" (Rom. 11:33). "Salvation is of the LORD" (Jonah 2:9); but the Lord does not save all. Why not? He does save some; then if He saves some, why not others? Is it because they are too sinful and depraved? No; for the Apostle wrote, "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief" (1 …
Arthur W. Pink—The Sovereignty of God

Whether the Fire of Hell is Beneath the Earth?
Objection 1: It would seem that this fire is not beneath the earth. For it is said of the damned (Job 18:18), "And God shall remove him out of the globe [Douay: 'world']." Therefore the fire whereby the damned will be punished is not beneath the earth but outside the globe. Objection 2: Further, nothing violent or accidental can be everlasting. But this fire will be in hell for ever. Therefore it will be there, not by force but naturally. Now fire cannot be under the earth save by violence. Therefore …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

The Revelation of the Old Testament in Writing.
"Then I said, I will not speak any more in His Name. But His word was in my heart as a burning fire, shut up in my bones: and I was weary with forbearing, but I could not."--Jer. xx. 9. Altho the miracles performed for and in the midst of Israel created a glorious life-center in the midst of the heathen world, yet they did not constitute a Holy Scripture; for this can not be created except God speak to man, even to His people Israel. "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times …
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit

But Though Prayer is Properly Confined to Vows and Supplications...
But though prayer is properly confined to vows and supplications, yet so strong is the affinity between petition and thanksgiving, that both may be conveniently comprehended under one name. For the forms which Paul enumerates (1 Tim. 2:1) fall under the first member of this division. By prayer and supplication we pour out our desires before God, asking as well those things which tend to promote his glory and display his name, as the benefits which contribute to our advantage. By thanksgiving we duly …
John Calvin—Of Prayer--A Perpetual Exercise of Faith

God's Sovereignty and Prayer
"If we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us" (1 John 5:14). Throughout this book it has been our chief aim to exalt the Creator and abase the creature. The well-nigh universal tendency now, is to magnify man and dishonour and degrade God. On every hand it will be found that, when spiritual things are under discussion, the human side and element is pressed and stressed, and the Divine side, if not altogether ignored, is relegated to the background. This holds true of very much of the …
Arthur W. Pink—The Sovereignty of God

The Pilgrim's Progress
FROM THIS WORLD TO THAT WHICH IS TO COME. THE SECOND PART. DELIVERED UNDER THE SIMILITUDE OF A DREAM. WHEREIN IS SET FORTH THE MANNER OF THE SETTING OUT OF CHRISTIAN'S WIFE AND CHILDREN, THEIR DANGEROUS JOURNEY, AND SAFE ARRIVAL AT THE DESIRED COUNTRY. By JOHN BUNYAN. 'I have used similitudes.'--Hosea 12:10. London: Printed for Nathaniel Ponder, at the Peacock in the Poultry, near the Church, 1684. THE AUTHOR'S WAY OF SENDING FORTH HIS SECOND PART OF THE PILGRIM. Go now, my little book, to every …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Jonah
The book of Jonah is, in some ways, the greatest in the Old Testament: there is no other which so bravely claims the whole world for the love of God, or presents its noble lessons with so winning or subtle an art. Jonah, a Hebrew prophet, is divinely commanded to preach to Nineveh, the capital of the great Assyrian empire of his day. To escape the unwelcome task of preaching to a heathen people, he takes ship for the distant west, only to be overtaken by a storm, and thrown into the sea, when, by …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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