Some people can’t look up until they hit absolute rock bottom. That’s what happened to Jonah, the reluctant prophet from ancient Israel. God had called him to preach to the enemy city of Ninevah, but instead he ran in the opposite direction. Caught in a storm of his own making, he was thrown overboard into the raging sea. That’s when he was famously swallowed up by a great fish. 

[Related: When Jonah Ran]

Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of that fish – a perfect metaphor for hitting rock bottom in life. It was there that Jonah was able to reflect on his choices. His prayer is recorded for us in Jonah chapter 2, and it’s an example of how we should pray when our choices leave us in a dark place. Let’s break it down into three steps.

Step 1: Admit

The first step is to admit the trouble you’re in. This might seem obvious, but it’s a classic move for troublemakers in every generation. Even the twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous start with an admission: “We admitted we were powerless over alcohol — that our lives had become unmanageable.”

It’s not clear why Jonah suddenly got honest about his situation. Maybe it was the nagging sense of guilt that follows disobedience. Perhaps it was the panic that comes with a near-death experience. Or possibly Jonah was simply claustrophobic. Whatever the case, he prayed:

Jonah 2:2-6 He said, “I cried out to the LORD in my great trouble…. I called to you from the land of the dead… I sank beneath the waves…. I sank down to the very roots of the mountains….”

Jonah took an inventory, and he acknowledged that he was in a dark place. He got specific, and he even wrote it down. He was done with denial, and that was the beginning of his victory. But Jonah didn’t just admit the facts of his predicament; he also recognized God’s part in the whole story: 

Jonah 2:3- “You threw me into the ocean depths…. buried beneath your wild and stormy waves. Then I said, ‘O LORD, you have driven me from your presence.'”

Jonah knew that the storm was the catalyst for God’s hand of discipline. And instead of railing against God for it, he simply acknowledged it. He knew that God was treating him like a son, and he deserved what was coming to him.  

Proverbs 3:11-12 (NLT) My child, don’t reject the LORD’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you. For the LORD corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.

Sometimes God has no choice but to discipline us. It’s never fun, but it’s always for our good.  For some people, rock bottom is the only place they’ll look up – and admit the trouble they’re in.

Step 2: Affirm

The second step in our rock-bottom prayer is to affirm who God is – and that he’s able to save. The twelve steps say it like this: “Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.” For a Christian that “Power” has a name – the Lord. Jonah knew it too:

“I cried out to the LORD in my great trouble, and he answered me. I called to you from the land of the dead, and LORD, you heard me! … I sank down to the very roots of the mountains. I was imprisoned in the earth, whose gates lock shut forever. But you, O LORD my God, snatched me from the jaws of death!”

Jonah affirms three things about God in his prayer: “he answered me,” “he heard me,” and he “snatched me from the jaws of death!” Jonah’s “great trouble” caused him to run toward God instead of running away from him. 

[Related: Prayer – What? Why? When? Where? Who?]

Take a careful look at Jonah 2 and here’s what you’ll find: Jonah never mentions the fish in his prayer. Instead, he mentions “Sheol” – the Hebrew place of the dead. Surely Jonah expected to drown when he was thrown overboard into the raging sea. Down he sank, and then everything went black. His situation was hopeless. It’s likely that Jonah didn’t realize he was miraculously swallowed by a fish – and kept alive! 

Here’s the point: we’re not always aware of God’s rescue plan, even when we’re right in the middle of it. For Jonah, the fish was God’s provision, not his punishment. It was the means by which God would eventually deliver Jonah safely to shore. 

Step 3: Align

The final step that Jonah models for us is to align ourselves with God’s plan. Remember: Jonah got into this mess because of his misalignment at the beginning of the story. He rejected God’s calling on his life and ran in the opposite direction. Now, at rock bottom, he finally makes the right choice:

Jonah 2:7-9 “As my life was slipping away, I remembered the LORD. And my earnest prayer went out to you in your holy Temple. Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God’s mercies. But I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise, and I will fulfill all my vows. For my salvation comes from the LORD alone.”

In the belly of the fish, Jonah finally vows to try things God’s way. He has seen God’s salvation and his own sinfulness, and he’ll go to Ninevah after all. It’s reminiscent of another prophet:

Isaiah 6:5-8 (NLT) Then I said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.” Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. He touched my lips with it and said, “See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.” Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.”

A genuine encounter with the God of the Bible has a way of changing our plans. It’s not just that God is awesome and to be feared – though that is true enough. The real epiphany for both Jonah and Isaiah is that God is gracious and to be loved – because he’s willing to let us off the hook for our sins. 

The third step of AA articulates what Jonah did in that fish thousands of years ago: “Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.” Jonah aligned with God because he was finally starting to understand him. He is a God who cares about everyone, even prophets who are reluctant to obey.

Have you hit rock bottom in your life? Admit the trouble you’re in. Affirm that God alone has the power to save you. And align yourself with his plans, and stop running in the opposite direction.

[Related: Steps to Recovery Series]

Did you ever play a game as a kid, and when you messed up, you asked for a ‘do over’? You wanted a second chance. You just knew if you had another shot at it, the outcome would be different. Well today, we’re going to see how God gave Jonah a ‘do over’. 

God is a God of Second Chances

Jonah 3:1-3 Then the LORD spoke to Jonah a second time: “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh, and deliver the message I have given you.” This time Jonah obeyed the LORD’s command and went to Nineveh, a city so large that it took three days to see it all. 

The Lord spoke to Jonah a second time – what an encouraging statement. God didn’t have to use Jonah. He could have dismissed him, and just written him off. There were plenty of other prophets he could have used. He didn’t even have to use a prophet if he didn’t want to. God is God. He could have communicated in an entirely different manner to the people of Nineveh if he wanted, through signs and wonders. But God didn’t give up on Jonah. God wasn’t only desiring to do something through Jonah, he was desiring to do something in Jonah. 

The same applies to you and me. If God has called you to do something and you’ve found yourself hesitating or even running like Jonah did, He not only wants to do something through you, he wants to do something in you. He wants to grow your faith. He wants to help you come to a greater understanding of his goodness and his great love for you. Maybe he’s trying to help you understand in a deeper way just how much you need him. Whatever it is, God is not giving up on you. 

It really shouldn’t surprise us that God gave Jonah a second chance. It’s just part of his nature. He longs to forgive. He seeks to redeem and reconcile. It shouldn’t have surprised Jonah, either. Jonah knew how many second chances God had given the nation of Israel. Time after time we see God’s people rebel and worship idols. Disaster comes upon them and they cry out to God. God comes in and rescues them. Shortly after they start to drift away again. Disaster overtakes them, they cry out, God steps in. It’s like a bad record that just keeps repeating. 

The Bible tells us that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. His character doesn’t change. He is still a God of second chances. Maybe you feel like you’ve burned up all your chances with God. If you’re still on this side of the grave and Jesus hasn’t come back yet, God is ready to give you another chance. 

God’s Message is Simple and Powerful

Jonah 3:4 On the day Jonah entered the city, he shouted to the crowds: “Forty Days from now Nineveh will be destroyed.

That’s the message? All of this running away was over that? Seems like a whole lot of drama over a simple message. These words probably weren’t the only words Jonah spoke, but they were the central theme of the message. It wasn’t an eloquent message filled with persuasive words. Jonah simply passed on the very words God had directed him to deliver. The words of God are powerful! With his words, God spoke the universe into existence. The words of God have all the power they need.

[Related: How God Reveals Himself to the World]

Notice, too, that this was a message of judgment and destruction. This wasn’t a message about how much God loved the city of Nineveh. Yes, God is a God of love. Yes, he’s compassionate and merciful. Yes, his grace is amazing! But God is also just. He is holy. He hates sin and one day all of those who die without putting their faith in Jesus are going to face his judgment. And if we love those people, we need to let them know that. 

1 Corinthians 1:18 The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. 

The apostle Paul knew the power of God’s simple message. He said the cross is foolish to those headed for destruction, but for we who are being saved it is the very power of God. He worked to keep his message simple and centered around Jesus and the cross. 

Jonah was emboldened by this simple yet powerful message. He shouted it to the crowds. He wasn’t hesitant this time around. He didn’t walk around whispering this message in the shadows or speak it in code. He spoke exactly what God had told him to speak and he made the most of his second chance. As unlikely is it may have seemed, the people of Nineveh responded. 

Every Generation gets to make its own choice

The Assyrians were the last people you would expect to repent. They were known for their brutality and violence. In a time where torture was commonplace, the Assyrians turned it up a notch. They would have mass executions by impalement. They were known to skin conquered people alive and then hang their skins up on the city wall as a reminder to anyone who might want to disobey. But in spite of all this, they repented at the preaching of Jonah. God’s Word penetrated their heart. 

Jonah 3:5 (NLT) The people of Nineveh believed God’s message, and from the greatest to the least, they declared a fast and put on burlap to show their sorrow.

The people of Nineveh believed God’s message. Repentance always begins with believing God. In the case of the people of Nineveh, they believed that Nineveh would be destroyed in 40 days. That is one of the reasons they fasted and put on burlap. They were mourning. They weren’t primarily mourning that they had sinned before a holy God; they were mourning that they were going to be destroyed. When God said Nineveh was going to be destroyed in 40 days they believed it was really going to happen! 

Jonah 3:9 “Who can tell? Perhaps even yet God will change his mind and hold back his fierce anger from destroying us.” 

The Ninevites were pleading to God’s mercy. They were hoping their change in attitude and behavior would cause God to relent, but they didn’t have assurance that he would. They didn’t have a relationship with God. They didn’t know about his longsuffering and his patience. Maybe you can relate to that. You’ve wondered if God is willing to forgive you. You recognize you’ve sinned against him. You know you’ve run and you’re not sure he wants to forgive you. We have this amazing promise in the New Testament about his forgiveness when we confess our sins to him. 

1 John 1:9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

God saw that the Ninevites had repented and he relented on the destruction he had threatened. He’s a God of miracles who is willing to let everyone off the hook for their sins, and he’s willing to do that for you if you’ll come to him and ask for his forgiveness.

[Related: Getting Right with God]

Have you ever seen a grown man throw a tantrum? Embarrassing, right? Like Bobby Knight in basketball or John McEnroe in tennis, it’s hard to look away when an adult acts like a kid. But that’s exactly what the prophet Jonah did in chapter 4 of his autobiographical Old Testament book – arguably the most embarrassing chapter in the whole Bible.

Attitude Problems

Let’s start with some context. God called Jonah to preach to the enemy nation of Israel, which he finally did in the previous chapter. But instead of destroying Ninevah like Jonah warned, God ended up sparing the city because of their repentance. That’s when Jonah lost it. 

Jonah 4:1-3 (NLT) This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry. So he complained to the LORD about it: “Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, LORD? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people. Just kill me now, LORD! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.”

Consider Jonah’s attitude change from chapter 2 to chapter 4. When he was desperate and in the dark, Jonah humbly vowed to go God’s way. Now that Ninevah’s in the hot seat instead of him, he’s furious that God isn’t meeting his expectations. It’s embarrassing when your attitude toward God gets exposed. 

More context. Jonah is quoting from Exodus 34, where Moses had to get a second copy of the Ten Commandments because he broke the first tablets out of anger (how embarrassing). Israel was, in Moses’s words, “a stubborn and rebellious people”. Sound familiar? 

But Moses knew what Jonah was finding out about God’s fundamental nature, that he is “a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love“. This is a popular Old Testament statement (see Joel 2:13; Nehemiah 9:1; Psalm 86:15, 103:8, 111:4, 112:4, and 145:8). God is more willing to forgive than we can even imagine.

But Jonah is angry about it. How embarrassing! 

Undeserved Mercy

The truth is, we love it when God lets us off the hook… and we hate it when he does it for our enemies. This proves how little we really understand God’s mercy and grace. That’s embarrassing.

Jonah 4:4 (NLT) The LORD replied, “Is it right for you to be angry about this?”

God is patiently trying to help Jonah understand the extent of his mercy. Jesus did the same thing in his parable of the vineyard workers. The landowner invited additional laborers at different times during the work day, but at the end of the story he paid them all the same wage. When the early workers got angry, the landowner defended his actions: 

Matthew 20:13 (NLT) He answered one of them, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair! Didn’t you agree to work all day for the usual wage? Take your money and go. I wanted to pay this last worker the same as you. Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?’

There’s something in most of us that really hates this parable. It pushes against our idea of justice. It doesn’t seem right. That’s exactly how Jonah felt about the situation in Ninevah.

Remember, Nineveh was evil. And it was the sworn enemy of Israel – and the nation who would later destroy the Israelites! Why would God possibly want to forgive Nineveh?

But why not apply the same logic to Israel, or to Jonah, or to us? Are we any better? What have we done to deserve his forgiveness? God’s mercy and grace is undeserved, no matter who you are. That’s the lesson everyone learns when they meet the God of the Bible. 

Rude Awakening

Jonah was a slow learner, so God used an object lesson to try to get his point across. 

Jonah 4:5 (NLT) Then Jonah went out to the east side of the city and made a shelter to sit under as he waited to see what would happen to the city.

Jonah is overlooking the city, waiting for the fireworks show. He hoped against hope that God would follow through on his threat after all. He knew about Sodom and Gomorrah, and he wanted an encore of the fire-and-brimstone God.

But nothing happened. The only heat was the sun beating down on Jonah’s back. So God showed him some mercy.

Jonah 4:6 (NLT) And the LORD God arranged for a leafy plant to grow there, and soon it spread its broad leaves over Jonah’s head, shading him from the sun. This eased his discomfort, and Jonah was very grateful for the plant.

Jonah waited, comfortable enough to camp out for the night under God’s protection (Psalm ‭121:5-6‬). The next day brought a rude awakening:

Jonah 4:7-8 But God also arranged for a worm! The next morning at dawn the worm ate through the stem of the plant so that it withered away. And as the sun grew hot, God arranged for a scorching east wind to blow on Jonah. The sun beat down on his head until he grew faint and wished to die. “Death is certainly better than living like this!” he exclaimed.

Jonah had had enough. Once again, he’s mad at God – but this time for the most petty of reasons: he’s uncomfortable. How embarrassing. 

Jonah 4:9-11 Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry because the plant died?” “Yes,” Jonah retorted, “even angry enough to die!” Then the LORD said, “You feel sorry about the plant, though you did nothing to put it there. It came quickly and died quickly. But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?”

And that’s how this epic story ends: with a question. The cliffhanger causes us to do some reflecting of our own. What makes us grieve? Our own personal struggles, trivial as they usually are, or the spiritual well-being of other humans? It’s embarrassing how we care more about our own comfort than people. 

Jonah knows God but he has taken his special relationship with God for granted. God has given Jonah the privilege and honor of His great purpose: to seek and save the lost. Jonah totally missed it. Do we? 

The book of Jonah is filled with larger than life events, miracles, redemption, and even a cliff-hanger (We don’t really know how Jonah responded to God’s rebuke in chapter 4). But even though it may read like an epic fairy tale, Jonah was a real person who lived in a real place at a real time.  We know that he was the son of Ammitai.  He was from Gath Hepher.  He’s mentioned in the book of 2 Kings which is categorized in the Old Testament with the history books.  And Jesus certainly acted as if Jonah was a real person.  The Jonah story is a story of actual events that display the God of miracles who’s willing to let everyone off the hook for their sins.  

When you think about the miracles in the book of Jonah, your mind may immediately go to the great fish and Jonah being kept alive in its belly for three days and three nights before being spit out on the beach.  That is a powerful miracle, but we see several others that show up in the story prior to that. 

It’s a Miracle that God spoke to Jonah

It’s a miracle that God spoke to Jonah.  That certainly can’t be explained by natural or scientific laws.  It’s a miracle that God would want to speak to us and that he invites us to communicate with him. I think for those of us who grew up in the church and grew up reading our Bible, we can sometimes take for granted that God speaks to us.  It is a miracle every time God speaks. God spoke the world into existence. When God says something, it happens.

Isaiah 55:11 It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.

God’s word is so powerful.  He tells us through the prophet Isaiah that his word always produces fruit. It will accomplish all he wants it to.  There isn’t a “might” or “maybe” here.  God has declared that his word will prosper everywhere he sends it.  

It’s a Miracle that God Controlled the Storm

This storm that Jonah found himself in wasn’t just bad timing.  It was no coincidence.  We read in Jonah chapter 1 that God hurled a powerful wind over the sea, causing a violent storm.  God’s control over the weather and over the sea is amazing to us, but it carried even more power and symbolism in Jonah’s day.  In many pagan religions of the time, the sea was synonymous with chaos. There was this close connection between the sea being chaotic and untamable, but it’s not untamable to God.  

Job 38:8-11 Who kept the sea inside its boundaries as it burst from the womb, and as I clothed it with clouds and wrapped it in thick darkness? For I locked it behind barreled gates, limiting its shores. I said, ‘This far and no farther will you come. Here your proud waves must stop.’

God not only caused the storm.  He also calmed the storm.  The sailors on the boat with Jonah had tried everything they could think of to reach land, but it was to no avail. They finally threw Jonah overboard, as he had requested, and the Bible says the storm stopped at once! It didn’t just gradually blow over.  It was a miraculous event.  The sailors were awestruck by God’s great power.  Think about it, these sailors had likely seen bad storms before.  If you make your living on the sea, you’re eventually going to come into some harsh weather and waves.  But they had never seen anything like this where the sea is raging one minute and then immediately calms down.  

It’s a Miracle God provided the fish

Jonah 1:17 says, “ The Lord had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah.”   We also see God use the worm in chapter 4 to eat the gourd that had been providing shade to Jonah.  We see the full spectrum of animals here; from a tiny worm to a huge fish.  All of the animal kingdom, from the least to the greatest is subject to God’s authority. 

We actually see God using animals throughout scripture.  He caused a ram to be caught by its horns in a thicket so that Abraham could use it in place of Isaac. He used Baalam’s donkey to keep him from going and cursing the Israelites.  He brought in flocks of quail to feed the people in the desert.  In the New Testament, he used a fish with two coins in its mouth to pay the temple tax.  These are just more examples of God’s sovereignty over all creation. God reminds us in the book of Job about his authority over the animal kingdom.

Job 39: 26-27 Is it your wisdom that makes the hawk soar and spread its wings toward the south? Is it at your command that the eagle rises to the heights to make its nest?

As amazing as controlling the seas and animals is, the next miracle points to the greatest miracle mankind has ever seen.

It’s a miracle that the fish couldn’t contain Jonah

Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, but then at God’s command, the fish spit him out.  If you’re skeptical and think, “There’s no way that could happen.”, you might be right under normal circumstances.  But Jonah is a story about the God of miracles.  And keeping Jonah alive in the belly of the fish, or resuscitating him, would be an easy feat for the God who spoke the world into existence, controlled the seas and storm, and controlled the animals.  

The grave couldn’t contain Jesus

Some of the religious leaders of Jesus’ time approached him and asked for a miraculous sign to prove his authority. Keep in mind, Jesus had already performed many miracles up to this point.  He had healed people of diseases.  He had cast out demons.  He had calmed the storm and sea.  His miracles had already provided ample evidence of his authority. He gave them the following reply:

Matthew 12:39-40 39 But Jesus replied, “Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign; but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. 

He’s talking about his death, burial, and resurrection here.  He’s telling them what’s going to happen.  And just like the fish couldn’t contain Jonah, the grave couldn’t contain Jesus.  We see God’s word force the fish to spit out Jonah and the Word made flesh, which is what Jesus is called in John’s gospel, forced the grave to give him up.  And with his resurrection, he conquered sin and death for all who would put their faith in him.  With his resurrection, he made it possible for our resurrection.  That’s why this miracle is even greater than all of the miracles in the story of Jonah. 

There’s one more miracle in the book of Jonah.  When Jonah gets a second chance to go and preach to the city of Nineveh, the unthinkable happens.  The people of Nineveh repent.  The Bible tells us that it’s God’s kindness that leads us to repentance.  Apart from God and his softening of our hearts, we’d never repent.  

Some of you may be experiencing a miracle right now.  The God of the universe is speaking to you.  He’s drawing you to himself and his kindness is leading you to repentance.  But, he won’t force it.  Will you respond?