Sermon Notes for: 7/27/2008
 “Jonah's Prayer” - Jonah 2
-- Jeffrey C. Evans --

I. Introduction
a. What is truly great in the story of Jonah? Ninevah, the storm, the fish?
b. If Yahweh, in His mercy, is the truly Great one in the story, how is He glorified in Jonah 2? He is glorified despite Jonah’s hypocrisy through His objective work of salvation, the process of sanctifying Jonah, and even presenting an imperfect picture of the death and resurrection of Jesus.
c. Context & Structure
i. Bookends of the story: Narrative inclusio (1:17 & 2:10)
ii. Meaty thanksgiving prayer/psalm (2:1-9)
1. Description of God’s deliverance (vv. 1-2)
a. Jonah’s honest distress (vv. 3-6b)
2. Description of God’s deliverance (vv. 6c-7)
a. Hypocritical promise of service (vv. 8-9, cf. 1:9, 16)

II. Great Fish and a Greater God (1:17)
a. God’s preparation of the fish tell us not only of God’s sovereignty but also of His providential care towrds a rebellious prophet
b. Three days and three nights is at least a metaphor for death but probably indicate Jonah died and was brought back to life

III. Great Deliverance, Part 1 (2:1-2)
a. Crying out in great distress
b. Out of the depths of Sheol
c. That certain something that Jonah misses and therefore makes the end of his prayer incomplete.

IV. Great Distress (vv. 3-6b)
a. Deep seas, floods, billowing waves
b. Realization of being cast out from God’s sight and a desire to return to worship (cf. 1:3)
c. Drowned soul, strangling weeds, dragged to the foundations of the earth, and imprisoned

V. Great Deliverance, Part 2 (vv. 6c-7)
a. Salvation from deserved corruption
b. Salvation as the soul faints and dies

VI. Great (and yet unfulfilled) Promise to Serve the Great God (vv. 8-9)
a. Men and women desire and seek lovingkindness and yet are robbed unless they find it in the Great God
b. Jonah will sacrifice and pay his vows (cf. 1:16)
c. “Salvation is of the Lord!”

VII. Application

VIII. Conclusion

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