Briarwood Baptist

Sermon Notes 1-8-2012

    Jonah 2:4 “I cried by reason of my affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heard my voice.”
    In Jonah’s story we have insight into how God brings His will to pass in his sovereignty and power.  He has authority and providence to govern his creation.  He’s living and active today and working in our lives just as he was in Jonah’s day.  These events are orchestrated by God to accomplish his purpose. 
    In v. 3 Jonah sees his predicament ultimately as God’s work.  God has humbled him because of his sin.  Jonah didn’t know what would happen next and that resulted in his submission to God.  He has displeased the God whom he so greatly loved.  It’s to a tender heart like this who sees his sins that our text speaks.
    We looked at three things 1) Jonah’s despair “I’m cast out”.  2) His rising from despondency “Yet I’ll look again to thy holy temple.  3) The lesson taught to us.
    The affliction from the Lord accomplished its purpose; it had brought Jonah to despair and despondency.  He no longer had a sense of God’s presence with him.  Yet as a believer he had hope and looked up to God with a repentant heart.  How could he do this in his circumstance?  Faith; his trust in God’s promises sustained him.  He didn’t blaspheme God because God’s fear was in him.  His afflictions had been profitable to him and his dungeon drove him to prayer.  Even in this hopeless state, his mind’s eye was looking toward the God he had offended many times.  He had no way to access scripture or enjoy the ordinary means of grace, but he had Ps. 42:7and 69:1 in his mind and applied them to himself.  God dealt with him through His word.  The afflictions were good for Jonah and they’re good when they come to us as well.  Heb 12:8 “But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.”  This is why some never profit from the chastening.  Turn to God if you’re languishing in the belly of the whale, open his word and study it.