INTRODUCTION: The amazing story of Jonah and the whale has for centuries been a favorite of children and a target of Bible-deniers. We hold God’s word to be true in all its details and have no problem believing God prepared a great fish that could swallow a man and spit him up, still alive, three days later. The messages of this story are many. We see God as one who holds His messengers accountable for the message He gives them to deliver, yet, we also see Him as the God of mercy. Even though Nineveh had been marked for immediate destruction, God turns from this judgment when the people of Nineveh turn from their sins. Which reminds us that God is a faithful God as He promises security to those who obey Him in Jeremiah 4:1If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove.
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1. THE PRAYER OF JONAH (Jonah 2:1-10 [1] Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly, [2] And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice. [3] For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. [4] Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. [5] The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. [6] I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God. [7] When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple. [8] They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. [9] But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD. [10] And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.
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1. The Place of Jonah’s Prayer (Jonah 2:1-2 [1] Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly, [2] And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.
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1. Out of the fish’s belly (Jonah 2:1Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly,
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1. Only after the chastening of the Lord – “Then”
2. He prayed to the LORD his God; Note: Jonah’s disobedience did not change the fact that the Lord was “his” God.
2. Out of the belly of hell (Jonah 2:2And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.
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1. Jonah cried because of his affliction.
2. Jonah cried unto the Lord.
3. The Lord heard his voice.
2. The Cause of Jonah’s Prayer (Jonah 2:3-6 [3] For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. [4] Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. [5] The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. [6] I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.
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1. He was cast into the deep (Jonah 2:3For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.
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1. Identified as the midst of the seas
2. Where floods compassed him about
3. Where billows and waves passed over him
2. He supposed himself to be cast out of the sight of God (Jonah 2:4Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.
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1. Jonah had fled from the presence of God (Jonah 1:3But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.
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2. Jonah determined again to look toward God’s holy temple.
3. Note: Jonah suspected that he had been cast out of God’s sight, but that was not a reality (Psalm 139:7-12 [7] Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? [8] If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. [9] If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; [10] Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. [11] If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. [12] Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
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3. He was compassed about by the waters (Jonah 2:5The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.
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1. Even to the soul
2. Closed about in the depth
3. Weeds wrapped about his head
4. Brought down to the bottoms of the mountains (Jonah 2:6I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.
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1. The earth with her bars was about him for ever.
2. Yet God brought up his life from corruption.
3. The Power of Jonah’s Prayer (Jonah 2:7-9 [7] When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple. [8] They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. [9] But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.
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1. He responded to the fainting of his soul (Jonah 2:7When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.
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2. He remembered the Lord (Jonah 2:7When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.
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3. His prayer came into God’s holy temple (Jonah 2:7When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.
   See All...c; Psalm 5:7But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.
   See All...; Psalm 11:4The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD's throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.
   See All...; Psalm 138:2I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
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4. He recognized the uselessness of rebellion (Jonah 2:8They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.
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1. They observe lying vanities (Psalm 31:6I have hated them that regard lying vanities: but I trust in the LORD.
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2. They forsake their own mercy. They oppose themselves (Acts 18:6And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean; from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.
   See All...; 2 Timothy 2:25In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
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5. He came with a sacrifice, the voice of thanksgiving (Jonah 2:9But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.
   See All...a; Hebrews 13:15By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
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6. He promised to pay his vows (Jonah 2:9But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.
   See All...b; Deuteronomy 23:21When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the LORD thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee.
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7. He declared salvation to be of the Lord (Jonah 2:9But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.
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4. The Results of Jonah’s Prayer (Jonah 2:10And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.
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1. The Lord spoke to the fish. Note: Jonah rebelled against the Lord, but the fish obeyed. Throughout scripture, animals proved more obedient than man.
2. The fish vomited Jonah up on dry land.
2. THE PREACHING OF JONAH (Jonah 3:1-4 [1] And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying, [2] Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. [3] So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey. [4] And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.
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1. The Call of Jonah (Jonah 3:1-2 [1] And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying, [2] Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.
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1. By the word of the Lord (Jonah 3:1And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying,
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2. The second time (Jonah 3:1And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying,
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3. The same message (Jonah 3:2Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.
   See All...; compare Jonah 1:2Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.
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1. Arise.
2. Go.
3. Preach – he must preach the preaching that God bade him to preach (Jeremiah 1:17Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them.
   See All...; Ezekiel 2:6-8 [6] And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house. [7] And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious. [8] But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee.
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2. The Obedience of Jonah (Jonah 3:3So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey.
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1. He arose.
2. He went to Nineveh.
3. He did according to the word of the Lord.
4. Three days’ journey
1. Many think this refers to the distance Jonah was from the city.
2. Nineveh certainly included a large area considered a part of the city, even if it was not all within a city wall. Evidently, it took Jonah three days to get through the city preaching the message of repentance.
3. This seems interesting in light of the fact that Jonah spent three days in the belly of the fish. Perhaps the Lord chose three days in the fish to remind Jonah that he could have instead been preaching three days.
3. The Message of Jonah (Jonah 3:4And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.
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1. A time: in forty days
2. An event: Nineveh shall be overthrown.
3. THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH (Jonah 3:5-10 [5] So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. [6] For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. [7] And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: [8] But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. [9] Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? [10] And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.
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1. The People Believed the Message (Jonah 3:5So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.
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1. The people of Nineveh believed God. Note: They accepted Jonah’s message as words from God (1 Thessalonians 2:13For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.
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2. They proclaimed a fast.
3. They put on sackcloth.
2. The People Repented of Their Sins (Jonah 3:6-8 [6] For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. [7] And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: [8] But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.
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1. The repentance of the king of Nineveh (Jonah 3:6For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
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1. He arose from his throne.
2. He laid aside his royal robe.
3. He put on sackcloth.
4. He sat down in ashes.
2. The proclamation of a fast (Jonah 3:7-8 [7] And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: [8] But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.
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1. By decree of the king and nobles (Jonah 3:7And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water:
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2. That none should eat or drink (Jonah 3:7And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water:
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3. That all should be covered with sackcloth (Jonah 3:8But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.
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4. That all should cry mightily to the Lord (Jonah 3:8But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.
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5. That all should turn from their evil ways (Jonah 3:8But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.
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3. The People Hoped in God’s Mercy (Jonah 3:9Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?
   See All...; Psalm 33:18Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;
   See All...; Psalm 147:11The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.
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4. The Lord Forgave the People (Jonah 3:10And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.
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1. God saw their repentance.
2. God repented of His intended judgment.

CONCLUSION: While there is life, there is still hope that God will see our repentance and will forgive and restore. We see forgiveness with the people of Nineveh. We see forgiveness and restoration with the prophet Jonah. Truly, we can hope in His mercy.