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Bob Davis: God Almighty inhabits eternity. We don't yet. We have eternity in our hearts. We have Jesus Christ. We're saved by grace through faith. Yet we can't even imagine. Even when the song says I can only imagine, you can't cuz Jesus says you can't. The the Bible says you can't even imagine. We've never seen anything like it. We're going to be thrilled. I think God's keeping some from us so that when you get there, you're going to be thrilled and you're going to get to see I've never seen anything like this.

Guest (Male): Welcome to Apply Within, a verse-by-verse study of the word of God with Pastor Bob Davis of North Country Chapel. We invite you to join with us as we by the power of God's Holy Spirit apply his word within our own hearts as we study line upon line, precept upon precept verse by verse through the Bible. Our study continues in Jonah chapter 2 as Jonah cries out to the Lord from the belly of the great fish. Here's Pastor Bob.

Bob Davis: This book is quick. It's just short, but there's a lot in it and and today all we're going to do is look at a prayer. We're going to look at somebody else's prayer. That always amazes me. God will put this in here and I'll think I'll just skip over this. This is personal between Jonah and him, but you you're amazed at what you see when you do this. It's that simple. You're amazed at what's there. You also might be amazed at what's not in there. And that's the way to look at this. He is now in the belly of this great big fish and people say this is a child's story.

This is a fairy tale. Jesus Christ himself said no, it's not because just like Jonah was in 3 days 3 days and 3 nights in the belly of that whale, the son of man will be 3 days and 3 nights in the tomb. So he used Jonah not some kind of little story thing, not some kind of parable. It really happened. Chapter 2 verse 1. Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish's belly and said I cried by reason of my affliction unto the Lord. And he heard me out of the belly of hell.

Out of the belly of hell I cried. I cried out in other words. And you heard my voice. There's a lot of good news there. You say why do we read this prayer? Why not skip on to the good parts? Because in his prayer there are lessons for me. There are things to make me think and it it teaches me sometimes watching Jesus, listening to him, it teaches us how to pray. And so this will help. Jonah cries out to the Lord from inside the belly of that great big fish. He's alive in there. He got swallowed alive.

And the remember once he was swallowed in that whale, everything the the sea calmed down. It wasn't so calm where he was, but the ship was saved and all the people on it. And isn't sure Think about this. He does not know what's going to happen next. We do. We've read it. Someone told you the story in Sunday school. You know what's going to He has no idea what's going. He believes he's dying. Would you believe that too? You know, he's not sure what's going to happen. And because he's not sure or probably figures I'm done, he does the smartest thing that anybody could ever do pray.

What's the first thing that many of us do? Whine. Not to God. Man, why is this happening to me? I mean, everybody I look at everybody else that come why me right? And then and once you get through that and nobody else wants to hear it, then maybe you'll think about praying. But I think if you were in a big fish and I was, I think maybe maybe maybe we'd say I don't like this and we cry out right away. That's what he's doing. He's not sure what's going to happen, but he does the smartest thing anyone could ever do ever.

He prays to the Lord God Almighty. And notice something. As we read through it, you look for it. He doesn't actually What's the word I should use? Speak a petition. Uh request. Not a real request. I don't hear him say get get out of here. Could you get me out of this jam and I'll give you that 50 I owe you? I expect him to be crying for and he doesn't do that. He never specifically asks for that. Maybe because he thinks he's a goner. I don't know why. You can make it up in your own heart, but that's amazing to me.

You'll read it. You'll see. Not a clear specific get me out of here. What he does, he gives thanks to the Lord. He confesses, repents from his foolishness or you know running away from God is silly cuz you can't run from God. And here he is. He gives thanks to the Lord. He repents. He's confessing his sin and his rebellion. God said go go east. He went as far west as he could get. Now he is in a whale of trouble. Confesses sin and his rebellion and he basically rededicates his heart. Gets his heart back to where it belongs to the service of the Lord even if there's only 30 seconds or a minute left.

Everybody we read verses 1 and 2. He says it I cried out to the Lord. I cried out. And he says the Lord heard me. Uh let's let's put it in an in American. The Lord was listening to me. He wasn't going I'm mad at you. You ran. What a what a dork. No, God is there listening to this man who just ran away from home to get far away from God as he could and God was right within the whole way just like you and me, just like the prodigal son and the prodigal daughters that we are.

And so it's good news. If you're running right now and you're in the in the belly of some kind of fish you're in this and that and the other, don't panic. Calm down and cry out to the one who can do something about it. How's he going to get himself out of that whale? Well, he's not going to. Going to have to be God or he's done. I cried to the Lord and he listened to me from the belly of Sheol. When we read it, hell. If you look up the the language in the Hebrew Sheol.

You say what is Sheol? Sheol means basically the grave. Some would say the depths of the abode of the dead. There's the long version of that word in American. The depths of the abode of the dead. In American, that guy is as good as dead. Wouldn't you say so? Do they Yeah, he's he's as good as dead and he thinks that too. But listen as he cries out and God listened to his prayer. So learn from this prayer because you haven't any troubles. Not this moment. We'll give it some time because you know how the days go.

Here everything's going great until you open your mouth. You know. So learn a lesson from a guy inside a fish. It's never too late to cry out to the Lord. Right now is not too late. You say well, I am losing my home and I am I don't have a job and well, my home left me. It was a mobile home and now I don't have that, right? And you got all these issues. I am not getting along with what's his name. I am not getting along with the what's her name either. I am not getting along with anybody that's human right now.

Lord, something's crazy. Something's crazy. What's going on? It's never too late to cry out to the Lord even if you're inside some giant giant bit of trouble. It's never too late to humbly call upon the Lord. As a matter of fact, what God says, I'm paraphrase, now is always the best time to pray. Right now is always the best time. Now is the day of salvation, God says. He can't think of a better time for you to get saved than right now. I don't know what you're waiting for, but when we read his prayer, you go look at that.

That's a lesson. Jesus taught that same thing. He didn't learn it from Jonah because Jesus is God, but Jonah he cried out. Well, he's in a tight spot metaphorically speaking. And he's got nowhere to go. Well, you're in a tight spot sometimes and you think well, praying is not going to fix it. Praying will always do something. Now is always the best time. William Law old old preacher wrote he or she who has learned to pray has learned the greatest secret of a holy happy life. It's going to be bad as long as you're bitter.

It's going to be yuck as long as you're mad at what's her name, what's his name, as long as you don't like if you let it go and you start to pray, God moves. He always will. He or she who has learned to pray has learned the greatest secret of a holy happy life. If you want to be happy, keep doing what you're doing. See how easy this is. But God can do anything. Look at verse 3. He said he's he's crying out to God now. He's not talking to me and you, but we're learning.

We're listening. We're allowed to listen. For you had cast me into the deep. Who? Who? Who's he talking to? Say that loud. God. The Lord God Almighty. He's talking to God, right? Who does he accuse of throwing him in the water? God did. Well, he knows it was God. Listen. You cast me into the deep in the midst of the seas and the floods, the waters surrounded me, compassed me about. All thy billows and thy waves passed over me. I was under all that, inside all that. And I like it and it's a lesson for me.

I think it could be a lesson for you. You you decide. Jonah does not blame those sailors on that ship. Who threw him in? Well, the sailors did to save their own lives. He said you're going to have to throw me in or it's we're all going to go down. And they even prayed to his God. Don't hold it against us. He says that's what we should do. We we don't want to be the cause of somebody's blood. We don't want to shed blood, but we'd like to live and keep this boat afloat. So they did what Jonah said they had to do.

Jonah doesn't hold them, but do you, Christian, somebody else you're you're in a jam and it's so and so's fault, isn't it? Cuz you're the nicest person on the planet. It's always somebody else. Instead of saying God has allowed this in my life, we blame it on who's Well, whoever's available, it doesn't matter. Uh the the family dog, whatever. You'll find something. Couldn't be that God is trying to get you to look look over here, look over here. It's usually somebody else there. If they would change, then my life would right. Mhm. Never works. Jonah does not blame those sailors on that ship and neither should we.

He knows it was the Lord God that tossed him into the water. He also once again says that the Lord God Almighty controls the winds and the waves of the sea. It's my God who controls the weather and I still whine about the weather. You don't, I know. Good for you. But it is our Lord, our God who controls the wind and the waves. Jonah says and look, he says they're yours inside that belly of that whale or that great fish. He said they're yours. They're your currents. They're your waves that passed over me. That's what we'll read it again.

For you cast me into the deep in the midst of the seas and the floods surrounded me about. All thy billows and all thy waves You did that to me. You you shoved those waves over me. You are God Almighty in control. They're your currents. They're your waves that passed over me. So far he's just basically saying I brought this on me. And I am asking you to have mercy. He doesn't blame the sailors. He doesn't blame the ship. He doesn't blame the storm. He doesn't blame anything most of us would start to look to to figure out what's going wrong.

He just immediately cries out to God. And you say well, if I was in the fish, I would too. Well, just pretend like these troubles you got are a big fish and you are stuck in the tummy and you can't get out. You can't move. He's going to describe himself in a moment here. Look look at verse 4. Then I said I am cast out of your sight, verse 4 says. Yet I will look again toward the holy temple. Okay. Now I got this picture in my mind. He's in a whale, right? I don't know.

It's dark in there. You can't see nothing. And so when he says I am going to look towards your temple, I think the only way he could really look was up cuz he just knows I am down in the water. I don't know how deep, going deep and and right? So he's he's looking to the temple. He can't know which way is east. He doesn't know which way that that that little that that big fish is swimming. So he had to be just looking up, but but just get the point. Then I said I I am cast out of thy sight.

Yet I will look again toward the holy temple. The waters surrounded me about. I was covered even to my soul. The depth closed me around about. The depth It's getting deeper, probably a little bit more pressure. He could feel that as this whatever is going on. And the weeds wrapped around my head means he's covered, you know, the vegetation of the sea, sea weeds. You know, when that whale swallowed him, probably took in all kinds of stuff. You know, whales will do that. I saw that in Pinocchio. I believed all that. A little wooden boy.

I mean I am cast out of your sight. Now in the Hebrew This is King James English, but in the Hebrew the word means banishment or you could say exiled. God sort of banished him to the whale for a few days is what he said. I am banished. I am I am locked away. I am exiled from everything. I can't get out of here. Probably can't move and he got sea weeds surrounding his head, probably all all around his body. And it's because he says I am cast out of your sight. In the midst of the seas, the floods surrounding me, all the billows passed over me.

It's because of his he understands. It's because of his disobedience. He should have gone east to go on over to Nineveh and deliver the message, but he ran and went west. And so there you go. He knows this is absolutely God because CS Lewis writes he calls the the Holy Spirit the Hound of Heaven. He and he wrote you can run, but you can't hide from the Hound of Heaven. Once you belong to the Lord, he is a prophet of God. Jonah is. He is a prophet of God. You can't run away from God. You you can't where are you going to go?

If you go into the depths of hell, he is there. If you go to the highest heaven, he is there. God is everywhere. You can't do it, but I know people who try, probably all of us at one time or another. Maybe right now some of you are. You're running saying I am going to get away from him cuz this is crazy, but you're not going to. You might as well stop in the whale and pray. Just cry out to God and you say I don't have any words. Good. Cry out to God and be quiet and listen really closely because of his own sin of disobedience.

But in his prayer we read then I said, verse 4 I am cast out of your sight. Yet or still I am cast out of your sight, but yet I will look again toward the holy temple. Verse 5. The water surrounded me even to my soul. The depth closed me around about. I am completely surrounded with sea weed wrapped around my head. Doesn't matter. He can't see a thing. It's dark anyway. In his prayer basically confessing You haven't heard him ask for anything. Could you give me some fresh water? Could you give me Would you pull me out of here if you had Do you have the time?

You know, he is not say could I You got any shoes cuz my feet are killing me? You don't hear that. Isn't that interesting in that prayer? So maybe we could learn something from that. He's confessing. He's recognizing you are God and I am not and this is clear right here in a whale. It's clear. Sometimes you know uh what do they say uh when you're flat on your back, it's easier to look up at the stars. So sometimes God allows you to get the spiritual wind knocked out of you and you're flat there going okay God, I am looking straight up.

Help me here cuz it's easier that way. In his prayer though, we see faith. What do you mean? He says faith yet or still I will look to your holy temple. Now many suggest that Jonah is referring to the temple in Jerusalem. Maybe. Probably and I'll show you why, but ultimately the temple in Jerusalem is a a picture perfect copy of the real temple in the heaven of heavens where God's throne is in the Holy of Holies there in the temple. So yeah, he's talking about the temple in Jerusalem, but ultimately it's the temple of God right there in heaven where God is seated enthroned and Jesus Christ our Lord is sitting at the right hand of the Father right there.

It's true faith. In faith he says it. Verse 4. Then I said I am cast out of your sight, yet I will look again toward thy throne. In other words, even from here inside this dark I will look up cuz I am crying out to you. True faith. What is faith? Cuz people ask it well, just put your faith in Jesus. Okay, what is faith? Hebrews 11 verse 1. Now faith is the substance of thing to hope for, things hope for, the evidence of things not seen. That's what faith is. 4 Maybe. Probably and I'll show you why, but ultimately the temple in Jerusalem is a a picture perfect copy of the real temple in the heaven of heavens where God's throne is in the Holy of Holies there in the temple.

So yeah, he's talking about the temple in Jerusalem, but ultimately it's the temple of God right there in heaven where God is seated enthroned and Jesus Christ our Lord is sitting at the right hand of the Father right there. It 's true faith. In faith he says it. Verse 4. Then I said I am cast out of your sight, yet I will look again toward thy throne. In other words, even from here inside this dark I will look up cuz I am crying out to you. True faith. What is faith? Cuz people ask it well, just put your faith in Jesus.

Okay, what is faith? Hebrews 11 verse 1. Now faith is the substance of thing to hope for, things hope for, the evidence of things not seen. That 's what faith is. You used it today, most of you when you walked in and you maybe sat in the seat you've never sat in before, but you didn't test it first. Why? Because you believed it would hold you up and you just sat right down. You just plopped right on that thing. That's what faith is. You get on a plane. They said it was going to Houston. You look at that thing says Houston.

Okay, good. You get on a plane. When you get out, you're not panicked or afraid. You run around. What if this is Oklahoma? You don't do that. You get out and say where do I get a cab or where can I rent a car or where do I I got to got find another flight, right? So you in faith believe you you have no idea what those pilots are doing up there. You don't know know you have no idea what they're about, do you? Do this. But you get on there and you expect that they should have some training.

You didn't ask you aren't don't doubt why don't you doubt. That's how simple faith is. And we're excited. Inside that whale quite a bit of water, he said. Outside the whale is a lot more. And Jonah inside the whale was surrounded pretty much by water, he says. The depth closed me round about and some uh some of the teachers teach that he's talking about the pressure as that that uh big fish would swim down a little deeper. You you'll you'll you're going to see that feel the pressure pressure changes. And sea weed is wrapped around his head.

That would have been crazy to see. Maybe God's got photos. We'll see them when we get there. Sea weed wrapped around his head. What a strange picture of a servant of God. And I I don't want to ruin it for you, but he's still a servant of God inside the whale. He doesn't think he's coming out, but he's still there. And that's what he says. I am still looking to your holy temple. That's I don't know. That's impressive.

Guest (Male): Thank you for listening to Apply Within with Pastor Bob Davis. Apply Within is a radio outreach ministry of North Country Chapel. Our Sunday morning Bible studies are at 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. We also have a Friday evening Bible study at 7:00 p.m. and a Monday evening Bible study at 7:00 p.m. You can download today's message in its entirety at northcountrychapel.com/study. That's northcountrychapel.com/study. If you would like a copy of today's message, write to us and ask for the message with today's date. The address is Apply Within 2281 West Seltice Post Falls, Idaho 83854 or call us at 1-800-572-8851.

That number again 1-800-572-8851. Our mobile app is available for iPhone and Android. Download it to listen to full-length studies, watch the live stream of our services, or to find out more about church events. If you have been blessed by the teaching or have prayer requests that you would like to share with us, write, email, or call us as well. Please join with us every Monday through Friday as we study together verse by verse on Apply Within sponsored by North Country Chapel. God bless you.