In Jonah 2:2 we are given Jonah’s prayer from an undersea perspective. This is a typical Hebrew psalm of thanksgiving, in that it has an introductory statement of answered prayer (vs. 2), the report of personal crises (3-6), and then lastly it has a vow of future praise based upon the answered prayer (7-9).
This brings us to a great dilemma as to whether or not Jonah repented. Was this prayer a sham? If you read the 4th chapter it may seem that way. Did Jonah repent? I believe that he did. So then what’s up with chapter four? Well, I think that Jonah responds like many believers. In Romans 7:15-25, Paul, speaking from his own personal testimony, explains the battle of our flesh and our spirit. That’s what is going on with Jonah here. A personal crisis comes into his life because he is disobedient; he waits until he has no other choice but to admit that he has blown it, repents, and promises to yield to the will of God in his life, only to have to face it again head-on.
Folks, a lot of books have been written on spiritual warfare, but the greatest foe you will ever do battle with is the one that awaits to greet you in the mirror each morning! And I’m not talking about your spouse! Paul reminded himself often of this for his need to “reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 6:11) The truth of the matter is that our old fleshly nature will never get better on this side of heaven. Did Jonah mean what he prayed here? I’m sure he did, just as much as you and I do when we promise the Lord to change. What we see here in the book of Jonah ought to give our lives a boost, for we see that God’s faithfulness to make us more like His Son is not based upon our faithfulness or success but rather His!