The Book of Jonah might be one of my most favourite books in the bible. It is only four chapters but there were so many aspects and perspectives to explore. As our church invites us to fast and dig deeper into the word to seek more of God’s heart, I read this book for the second time. Indeed, you cannot outlearn the Word of God. Every time you are to reread a book, new revelations surface.
I reread this book mainly because I want to be able to write my thoughts and the impactful verses for me – for I haven’t done this during my first reading. But like I said, despite being four chapters, I found remarkable new revelations that I missed the first time. Jonah was considered a prophet, as he was asked to preach in the great city of Nineveh for their wickedness has come up before God (Jonah 1:2). He was that famous biblical character who got swallowed by a huge fish because he tried to flee from God. It is amazing to understand that Jonah’s disobedience is not the only central theme that I was able to find. What caught me the most, as I reread, were the verses in Chapter Two, when Jonah prayed and prophesied over himself:
Jonah 2:2 “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.”
Jonah 2:4 ‘I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple’
Jonah 2:6 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 to the pit.
Jonah 2:7 When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayers rose to you and your holy temple.
It is interesting how Jonah can pray these words inside the belly of the fish. If you’re going to ask me, my prayers would all be about my complaints about how much I hate being in the gut of a fish, or how scared I am because I am drowning and there is no way for me to come out, or how I would justify my disobedience to God in the guise of apologizing to him. Also, his usage of the past tense like you listened to my cry, you brought my life up to the pit, my prayers rose to you and your holy temple connote something very essential that we should all have as Christians and warriors of God.
Jonah, despite being in the belly of a huge fish, prayed as if God already saved and rescued him from where he was, thus the usage of the past tense. Jonah prayed as if he was already out of his uncomfortable circumstance. Jonah prayed and declared things over himself as if they are, even though aren’t yet. Then on verse 9, when he, with shouts of grateful praise, sacrificed to God and said that ‘Salvation comes from the Lord,’ Jonah got vomited onto dry land.
One of the most important things it taught me was how much authority I have to speak blessings and favour despite me being in the deep pits of my current circumstances – whether if it is my fault or not. I reckon that if it was not for the strength and the spirit of God, Jonah would have not even uttered this powerful prayer. That leads me to understand that, indeed, God is with me even if I think that I am in the darkest and farthest places. While I was doing my notes, I asked myself, if God can hear Jonah from the belly of a fish, what makes me think that God cannot hear me from where I am?
This chapter of the book challenges me to exercise that authority the way Jonah did. By God’s grace and love, I have power over my circumstances. That sometimes, blessings, favour, and salvation would only come if I speak it over me with boldness and confidence and faith. I can speak things as if they are even though they are not yet.
However, understanding this also presents another challenge. More often than not, abilities and gifts – such as prophesying, are not for me alone. They are for me to use and share with others. An interesting point arose again, when Jonah, in the middle of his disobedience, learned to prophesy over himself before he prophesied over the nation of Nineveh, whose disobedience and wickedness had come up before God. I reckon that my trials and tests, even failures and mistakes are my training so I can release a greater power that God gave me for other people.
Truly, with shouts of praise, I will also sacrifice to you, Lord my God. Salvation comes from You. Thank You for opening my heart to receive this revelation and share it to others. Glory to You, Father.
