Jonah in the Sea
S. C. Burn. Jonah 2:1-9 Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God out of the fish's belly,… 1. Objectively, the prophet's experience was that of one in the belly of hell, in the midst of the seas, entangled in the weeds, and among the caverns worn by the waves beneath the mountains on the coast. Jonah was in the belly of hell — Sheol, the region of the dead. He was in the heart of the seas. He sank at once when cast into the sea. He was entangled with the sea-weeds. Entangled with the weeds which gathered about his head, the prophet drifted towards the coast, and was presently carried into some of its submarine caverns by the current, and there he must have perished but for the Divine mercy. 2. The subjective experience of Jonah beneath the waves was that of a living, conscious, suffering, and suppliant person. It was a miraculous circumstance that the prophet remained alive in such a position. Jonah was not only alive, but conscious while under the sea. The distress he experienced beneath the water appears to have been spiritual rather than physical. His soul was overwhelmed with the consciousness that he was cast out of God's sight. Jonah was saved from despair by the suppliant mood which possessed him. We need despair of no man while he prays. His prayer was accompanied by a look toward the temple of Jehovah. It was prompted by his remembrance of the Lord. "I remembered Jehovah." It was accompanied by a vow. It was answered in a remarkable manner.Observe his reflections when in the fish. 1. "Thou hast brought up my life from destruction, O Lord my God!" 2. "My prayer came in unto Thee, into Thine holy temple." 3. "They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy." 4. "Salvation is of the Lord." (S. C. Burn.) Parallel Verses KJV: Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly, WEB: Then Jonah prayed to Yahweh, his God, out of the fish's belly.