JON 2:4 Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.

>>The history of Jonah is a great encouragement to see that salvation is all of the grace of God — But grace is not a license to sin.

ROM 6:1-2 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

>>Those who sin against light find as Jonah that they loose the presence and fellowship of their God. That is what wrested the cry from Jonah’s heart in our text

JON 2:4 Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.

>>Jonah was presuming upon the secret will of God — that it was of no use to obey His revealed will — Jonah was angry at the Lord’s Compassion

JON 4:1-3 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.

2 And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.

3 Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.

>>Notwithstanding Jonah’s rebellion and ignorance — in God‘s chastening hand — those who rebel are brought into travail as a woman waiting to be delivered

ISA 26:16-17 LORD, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them.

17 Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O LORD.

>>Such sore travail does not bring despair but quickens faith — and causes the rebellious to return unto their God in humble prayer.

JON 2:5-7 The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.

6 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.

7 When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.

>>As long as Jonah could lay sleeping in the storm he was prayerless — notwithstanding his danger.

JON 1:4-6 But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.

5 Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.

6 [See how Jonah was rebuked by the heathen for his prayerless state in the midst of danger!!!] So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.

>>We find throughout Scripture that outside the grace of God — those who sin against light would have never returned again unto the Lord. — As with the prodigal David — as well as with Jonah — the Lord is always first.

JON 1:2-4 Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.

3 But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.

4 But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.

>>AS I pointed out — Those who sin against light find as Jonah — that they loose the presence and fellowship of their God

JON 2:4 Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.

>>David also mourned the lose of God’s favour — even though he did not sin away God’s grace.

PSA 51:11-13 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

>>While David was going on in the deceitfulness of his heart — his deceit seemed to be well within his tolerance — but see what he said when his eyes were opened to see his sin.

PSA 51:6-10 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

>>In all his afflictions we do not see David questioning that the Lord was his God — but as with Jonah — he was mourning His absence. See what Jonah said in JON 2:7-9 When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.

8 They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.

9 But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.

>>Are these kind of experiences recorded to teach that this is the way God leads all His people??? See where Joseph differed from David!!

GEN 39:7-9 And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me.

8 But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand;

9 There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?

>>Joseph was not committed to prison for his own sin — but out of persecution

GEN 39:11-12 And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within.

12 And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.

>>Joseph was not a prisoner of rebellion or sinning against light — Joseph was not in prison in the way of God’s chastening — but in the way of God’s providence in infinite wisdom.

GEN 45:4-7 And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.

5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.

6 For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest.

7 And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

>>We do not find any record of Joseph crying unto the Lord as David in PSA 51:1-4 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.

4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.

>>With Joseph it was quite the contrary. It was not he who confessed — but as God put the rebellious into his hands — it was those who sinned that confessed before Joseph!!!

GEN 42:21-24 And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.

22 And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.

23 And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter.

24 And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes.

>>The context of our text reveals the extremity of Jonah’s case wherein he had justly forfeited the least of God’s mercies — yet by faith in the unchangeable Character of his God he made his petition before Him.

JON 2:1-7 Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly,

2 And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.

3 For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.

4 Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.

5 The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.

6 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.

7 When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.

>>The surest way for a guilty soul to find relief, — is by turning the eye of faith unto a merciful Saviour — who intimately understands the power of temptation and sin.

EPH 2:17-19 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.

18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

>>Our text says, JON 2:4 Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.

>>When we come to realize our Lord has withdrawn Himself because of indwelling corruption — and unbelief — we may be able to understand the language of Jonah saying — "I am cast out of thy sight."

>>The blessed nature of the gospel for backsliders is found in the words of our Saviour in JOH 3:14-15 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

>>However low the ebbing of faith may go — God given faith will never end with despair. The extremity of Jonah’s trial brought his back to take that look of faith — even as those who were smitten by the fiery serpents.

JON 2:7 When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.

>>When our Lord sends revival — the first grace that revives is faith. — When faith is revived to look back unto Christ — all other graces are restored.

NUM 21:8-9 And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.

9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

>>Faith revives love — and love constrains — or moves irresistibly unto repentance.

ZEC 12:10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

>>When faith is revived after long decay — then the Spirit of prayer is also revived — Jonah could sleep through the most dangerous tempest sent for his sin — but when faith was revived — prayer and faith worked together as we see from our text

JON 2:1-4 Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly,

2 And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.

3 For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.

4 Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.