As Jonah temporarily lived inside the
digestive system of the “great fish” which was “prepared”
by “the LORD”, he cried out in prayer and began to
describe his surroundings. Deep waters, waves, billows and seaweed
encapsulated him and caused him to “look again toward”
God's “holy temple”. In other words, he looked toward the
sanctuary that could be found in the LORD. In chapter two and verse
six of this prophesy, Jonah continued to describe his conditions as
he shared concerning “the mountains, the earth” and
deliverance from “corruption”. We read:
I
went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars
was about me for ever: yet have you brought up my
life from corruption, O LORD my God.
The
verse begins, “I went down to the bottoms of the
mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for
ever:” The writer began with
the words, “I went down”
or “Jonah declined, descended, marched and sunk down” “to
the bottoms” which refers to
“the cut, shape, extremity, form and base” “of the
mountains” or “the hills or
range of hills”; “the earth”
which means “land, country, territory, district region and piece of
ground” “with her bars”
which refers to “such as with a fortress or prison” “was
about me for ever” which means
“of long duration, antiquity, futurity, ever, evermore and
everlasting”. Jonah's journey in the “fish”
took him to the great depths of the seas and felt like “bars”
of imprisionment which would never let him go.
The
verse continues, “yet have you brought up my life from
corruption, O LORD my God.” The
writer added, “yet have you brought up” which
means “ascended, climbed, sprung or grown up” “my
life” which refers to “Jonah's
living, sustanance and maintenance” “from corruption”
which means “the pit, destruction and grave”, “O
LORD” which refers to “Yehovah
or Jehovah who is the existing One and the proper name for the one
true God” “my God”
or “ruler, judge and divine One”. Even though Jonah felt like he
face “bars” of
eternal consequence, the LORD would deliver him from the “pit and
the grave”.
When
we think through the words in this verse, we see Jonah continuing to
describe what it was like to be in the “belly” of
the “great fish”.
We can imagine the “mountains” that
were deep in the “sea”
and how the “seaweed” both symbolically and metaphorically
“encaged” him like he was in a prison. However, even though he
was “constrained” and in a state of “destruction and the
grave”, the LORD delivered him out of it. Those who turn their
attention toward the Savior Jesus will find that He is able to free
them from whatever bondages they face. Though their current state may
seem like an “eternal prison”, Jesus came to set men “free”
and to set them “free
indeed”.
Next
time we see Jonah “remembering the
LORD”, so
read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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