Jonah Part 03
Jonah then remained in the belly of the fish “three days and three nights,” which Jesus cited as the ONLY sign of His Messiahship, pointing to His own burial and resurrection over the same length of time.
As we look at Jonah 1:13–17 and continue into chapter 2 today, the narrative highlights both the character of the sailors and God’s direct intervention. In verse 13, before throwing Jonah to what seemed certain death, the sailors made their best effort to save all of them. This shows their humanity as they were not callous or cruel, and they did value human life, yet God wouldn’t give them the option of saving them all with Jonah still on the boat. Although it’s unlikely that these sailors knew God or were converted, they clearly respected and feared a God who could control such a storm, and so they asked for His pardon as they took drastic action based on Jonah’s own confession and direction. When they finally cast Jonah into the sea, they witnessed a great miracle as the storm stopped immediately after they threw Jonah in! This is another clear example of God’s power over the elements.
Verse 16 shows that the storm must have ceased quickly enough to make a powerful impression: they had already feared God, but now “they feared the Lord exceedingly”! They even offered a sacrifice on the spot. Ironically, Jonah’s failed attempt to avoid a Gentile mission led Gentiles to turn toward the true God.
God had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah, suggesting a deliberate and well-formulated plan. The Hebrew word dag simply means “fish,” while other terms can imply a sea monster. When Jesus Christ later referred to this event, He did NOT use the Greek word for fish (ichthus), but rather “ketos,” meaning sea monster or huge fish. Before English translations, most Latin readers thought of the story as “Jonah and the sea monster.” The Bible does not specify the exact type, and it is best understood as something uniquely prepared by God. The focus is on God’s intervention rather than the species of fish. Jonah then remained in the belly of the fish “three days and three nights,” which Jesus cited as the ONLY sign of His Messiahship, pointing to His own burial and resurrection over the same length of time. Jesus treated Jonah as a historical reality rather than an allegory.
“Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish.”
This is the first recorded prayer of Jonah in the book. Jonah’s prayer, likely written down later and possibly a condensed version of a longer prayer, is notable because it is NOT a request for deliverance, but praise for deliverance already granted. Either Jonah died and was resurrected in the whale, or he stayed alive the whole time (possible by a miracle of God). In either case, it required divine intervention and led to profound repentance. In this way, Jonah thanks God in advance for what has not yet occurred. His prayer echoes many passages from Psalms, such as crying out and being heard (Psalm 3:4) and being brought up from the grave (Psalm 30:3). References to “sheol” may point either to the depths of the sea or to death itself.
As the prayer continues, Jonah describes being in “the lowest pit,” with waters surrounding him and “weeds wrapped around my head,” a vivid detail suggesting this is not merely symbolic but reflects a real experience. He acknowledges that he had once fled from God’s presence yet now feels that separation as punishment and longs to return, looking again “toward Your holy temple.” This reflects the dedication prayer in 2 Chronicles 6:20–21, where God promises to hear prayers directed toward the temple. Jonah also recognizes that a person cannot continue with “lying vanities” while seeking God’s mercy, and he recommits himself with thanksgiving, declaring that “salvation belongs to the LORD,” a theme echoed throughout the Psalms.
Finally, in Jonah 2:10, God commands the fish to release him, and it “vomited Jonah up on land,” probably near the coast of Palestine close to Joppa, where his journey had begun. This too was a divine miracle, completing Jonah’s dramatic descent and deliverance and preparing him to carry out the mission he had originally tried to avoid.
UYA Team | uya@ucg.org
United Young Adults (UYA) primarily serves the 18–32-year age group for the United Church of God. There are three main areas of contribution to the lives of the young adults: Promoting Spiritual Growth, Developing Meaningful Relationships and Making the Most of Your Talents. The Know Your Sword series is a daily expository message introducing God’s Word from a trusted perspective.
