These small group studies of Jonah 2 extensive cross-references, Bible study discussion questions, lessons to learn, and applications.  Visit our library of inductive Bible studies for more in depth inductive studies on this and other books of the Bible you can use in your small group.

Jonah 2 Bible Study – Jonah Prays from the Belly of the Fish

I. Jonah prays from the belly of the fish (1-10)

Discussion Questions

• Why did God send a fish to rescue Jonah? Had Jonah repented yet?
• What does this teach us about God’s character?
• Do we see any character development from Jonah in this chapter?
• What does he do in chapter 2 that he would not do in chapter 1?
• What does his prayer show us about his attitude?
• What does he believe about God?
• Was his statement in verse 3 true that “You cast me into the deep?” What might this statement reveal about his heart?
• Does Jonah repent in this prayer?
• How does Jonah’s prayer compare to great prayers of confession in Ezra 9, Daniel 9, Nehemiah 1, and Psalm 51?
• Is his prayer God-focused or self-focused?
• What might Jonah’s statement mean in verse 9 that “what I have vowed I will pay?”
• Why did God save Jonah from the fish? What does this reveal about His character?
• How do you see your character reflected in Jonah? Do you ever act like him? How can this chapter encourage and challenge you?

Verse by Verse Commentary

1. Then Jonah prayed –

Jonah 2:1 – Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish.

In chapter 1, Jonah had refused to pray to God. Even when all of the pagans were desperately crying out to their gods, Jonah remained stubbornly silent. He didn’t want to talk to God. He didn’t want to listen to God. He wasn’t interested in help from God. Jonah would rather die than submit himself to God’s plan to go to Nineveh.

After being swallowed by the fish, Jonah made some progress. There is some character development and growth. In the belly of the fish, Jonah prayed to God. As we go through his prayer, we will see that it does not reflect that deep humility or broken spirit of the great prayers of confession in Scripture. Jonah’s prayer is seriously lacking in some aspects, but he does pray. He wasn’t yet where God wanted him to be, but he had taken one step forward. That step was difficult and came only after an epic intervention by God the like of which the world had never seen before and has never seen again.

From this, we learn two key lessons.

A. God is the star of the show.

He is actually the key figure in the story even if the book is named after Jonah. Throughout the book, his grace and mercy stand in stark contrast to Jonah’s apathy and selfishness. God could have easily discarded Jonah and chosen a more willing vessel. Yet even as God had compassion on the people of Nineveh, He had compassion on Jonah. Rather than letting Jonah die in the midst of his rebellion (as he deserved and wanted), the Lord intervened. God was not finished with Jonah.

Consider the great lengths God went to in order to soften Jonah’s heart. It would have been far simpler to just send somebody else.

As God had a heart for Jonah to grow, so He wants you to grow. He does not give up quickly.

Hebrews 13:5 – He has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.

Application – Consider your own life. Think about the times you have fallen short. Remember when you have committed the same selfish sins over and over again. God did not abandon you. His forgiveness is vast enough to cover all of those. Spend some time thanking Him that He doesn’t treat you how you deserve.

B. The first step back toward God is prayer.

Jonah’s prayer was imperfect and self-centered, but it was still a prayer. Speaking to God is better than not.

He was still speaking to God. Where there had been total silence, now a dialogue was forming. That was an improvement.

James 4:8 – Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

The mere act of talking to God started chiseling away at the hardness of Jonah’s heart.

Once, one of my children had a rotten attitude like Jonah. I told her that if she would speak to God and ask for help, He would answer and help. But in that moment, she locked her jaw and steeled her expression and was unwilling to pray. It seemed that a spiritual battle was going on behind the scenes.

The Holy Spirit impressed on me that this battle was important and that if she continued steadfastly resisting praying, it would somehow be a big loss spiritually moving forward. So my wife and I resolved to stay with her and pray silently on her behalf until the time when she was ready to simply open her mouth and talk to God.

We did not push her or lecture her. We just held her hand and calmly encouraged her with the truth that she was not alone, that God was with her, that He listens to even simple prayers like, “God help me.” Meanwhile, the battle was raging inside of her. She was angry. Her fallen nature resisted coming to God.

But finally, after close to an hour, she spoke the words, “God help me.” Almost immediately, her entire countenance changed. Streams of tears poured down her face. Once those initial words were spoken, more poured out. The internal battle had been won. God did answer her prayer and helped her. The wall of resistance was torn down.

Many of us have been in the same position. Perhaps you have been angry at God and unwilling to speak to Him about something. Or perhaps you have been angry with a friend or a spouse. Maybe you also resolved your mind not to be the first one to speak. You made up your mind to go with the ancient battle weapon, the silent treatment. In those times, the longer you are silent, the harder it is to humble yourself to speak. Opening your mouth to pray does not end the battle. But the battle cannot be won until the silence is broken. And that is a huge part of the battle.

Application – Be careful not to start down the road of silence, either with God or people. The farther down that road you go, the harder it is to return. If you are angry with God or a person, don’t continue on. Stop now. Pray to God for strength. God has given you a tongue. Speak. If it is a person you are estranged from, arrange a meeting or pick up a phone and make a call. Humble yourself. Don’t cut off the lines of communication.

2. I called out to the Lord and He answered me –

Jonah 2:2 – I called out to the Lord, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice.

Throughout the book, Jonah serves as a foil for God. That is a character whose attitudes and actions are intentionally contrasted with God’s to highlight God’s character.

God is compassionate. Jonah is not. God pursues sinners. Jonah flees from them. Jesus is a perfect and willing sacrifice. Jonah is an imperfect and unwilling sacrifice.

And in this passage, God responds to Jonah’s call while Jonah did not respond to God’s. Jonah was obligated to listen to and obey God’s call, but refused, while God was not obligated to listen to Jonah’s call and still answered.

In fact, God even answered before Jonah started asking for it. Jonah had refused to pray for help on the boat and instead chose death. God sent the fish to rescue Jonah and save his life before Jonah asked for it. That is the definition of mercy and grace. God did not give Jonah what he deserved (death), but instead gave him what he didn’t deserve (life).

Out of the belly of Sheol I cried and you heard my voice.

Many times, we wait until we are in a desperate position to ask God for help. It is, of course, good to pray in those times. But don’t wait until those times to pray. A relationship is not built by only asking for help when we need it. Let us learn to pray without ceasing, having that mindset throughout the day that God is with us and we can pray to Him about anything.

Application – We all want God to listen to us, to hear us when we call out to Him. But do we listen when He calls out to us?

3. For you cast me into the deep –

Jonah 2:3 – For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas.

Reflect – Is this statement true? What does it show about Jonah’s mindset?

Jonah does recognize God’s sovereignty in allowing these things to happen. That is a good thing.

Yet he doesn’t take responsibility for his role in the situation. God did not actually cast Jonah into the sea. Jonah asked the sailors to do it. It was not the only option. He could have prayed and confessed his sin to God and asked for deliverance. But Jonah refused. He chose death instead of fulfilling his mission. Yet it seems that Jonah, at least subconsciously, blames God for his predicament.

The words we choose are important. Jonah’s words do not acknowledge his responsibility for the situation he found himself in.

We are often the same. It is easier to blame others or even God for our difficulties than to look in the mirror and take responsibility.

Application –

• If your marriage is failing, don’t immediately blame your spouse. Ask, “What have I done to contribute to this and how can I improve?”
• If you have become, don’t immediately blame God. Ask, “Has smoking, overeating, alcohol, or a lack of exercise contributed to my condition?” Not every illness is caused by personal choices, but some are. Self-examination is a wise step as we ask the question, “Why?”
• If you lose your job, don’t immediately blame your boss for being unfair. Ask, “What could I have done differently?”

4. Was Jonah repentant?

This is a big question in the overall narrative of the story.

If you examine his prayer, you won’t find any words of confession or repentance. We can compare his prayer to other Bible characters like David, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Daniel.

Psalms 51:3-4 – For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight.

Ezra 9:6 – “O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens.

Nehemiah 1:6-7 – I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father’s house have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments.

Daniel 9:4-5 – I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules.

Notably, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Daniel had not committed the worst sins that their people had. And still, they included themselves in these prayers of confession.

If you study Ezra 9, you will see his humility. He fell on his knees and stretched out his hands to God. He had already torn his garments and ripped out his own hair. Next, Ezra admitted to feeling shame and embarrassment because of the sin. He realized that he was approaching God not as an equal. God is the Creator of the universe, and he and the people of Israel were God’s unworthy subjects. Ezra recognized that he didn’t even deserve to come before God. True confession begins with sincere humility.

This is the type of heart we need when we approach God. We must realize that God is holy and we fall far short. When Isaiah saw God’s throne room, he was impressed by God’s awesome holiness and his own wretchedness (Isaiah 6:5).

It does not seem that Jonah is there yet.

However, two things may indicate that Jonah had, at least partially, had a change of heart.

A. “What I have vowed I will pay” (verse 9)

It is unclear what Jonah vowed that he would pay, but it could be a vow to fulfill his calling as a prophet. Right after this statement, God commanded the fish to return Jonah to land.

B. Repentance means changing direction.

In chapter 3, Jonah did go to Nineveh. That change of direction was no small battle. He had resisted it with every fiber of his being.

Jonah did finally do the thing God asked him to do, but with a very poor attitude. It is better to do what God tells us than not, but it would be better still to do it with the right heart attitude.

Application – All of us sin. But do we take our sin seriously and repent with the right heart?

Psalms 51:17 – The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Matthew 5:3-4 – Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Let us ask God to show us His holiness and our sinfulness and give us a heart of repentance. If you have been resisting that in any area of your life, now is the perfect time to surrender it to the Lord.

5. God’s universal presence –

One thing that Jonah clearly understood and is reflected in his prayer is that God was present even in the deeps of the ocean in the belly of the fish. God was not only present, but sovereign over all.

Jonah said, “your waves” and “your billows” passed over me. He said, “yet you brought up my life from the pit.”

Jonah recognized God’s sovereignty over all. He is not distant from creation, but actively guiding it to accomplish His perfect purposes.

God can use anything to move His plans forward.

• Angels (Luke 1:26-38)
• Believers (Acts 8:26-40)
• Unbelievers (John 11:49-52)
• Kings (Ezra 1:1-4)
• Slaves (2 Kings 5:2-3)
• Children (John 6:9-13)
• Animals (Numbers 22:28-35)
• Wind (Exodus 14:21; Jonah 1:4)
• Current (Acts 27:13-44)
• The sun (Joshua 10:12-14)
• Satan (Job 1:6-22)
• Demons (Mark 5:1-20)
• Antichrist (2 Thessalonians 2:3-12)
• Trials (James 1:2-4; Romans 8:28)
• Disasters (Genesis 50:20; Amos 3:6)
• Persecution (Acts 8:1-4; Philippians 1:12-14)

Joseph also recognized God’s sovereignty in his suffering.

Genesis 50:20 – As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

Application – Recognize that even if you find yourself in a dark and desperate situation, God is there. As He used the fish to teach Jonah a lesson, He intends to use your circumstances to teach you. Pray and ask God for wisdom to reveal His purposes and for humility to accept the lessons God has for you.

6. Turn to God –

Jonah turned to the right place. He forsook vain idols, which could not help him, realizing that love and deliverance are found in the Lord.

Jonah 2:8 – Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love.

Reflect – Where do you turn when you are in trouble?

Many turn to things in this world instead of God.

Some are clearly bad and unhealthy.

• Idols
• Superstition
• Shamans, fortune tellers, witch doctors
• Drugs
• Alcohol
• Sexual indulgences
• Escapism: thrills, entertainment, social media. Not all media is bad all the time, but it is not the answer to life’s troubles and will often magnify them.

Others are not inherently sinful in themselves. God often uses some of these to help us. But when we ultimately depend on these instead of God, we will not receive the salvation that only He can offer.

• Friends
• Spouse
• Counselors
• Chocolate
• Comfort food
• Solitude

Application – God often works through friends, counselors, and other means, but our hope should not rest in them. When you are in trouble, where do you generally turn? Do you turn to God first or last? As Jonah said, “Salvation belongs to the Lord“ (Jonah 2:9).

7. God’s faithfulness –

The main character and the hero of the book is not Jonah. It is God. Throughout this story, God shows Himself to be faithful even when Jonah was not.

Jonah 2:10 – And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.

Jonah was not perfectly repentant. Yet God still saved him in miraculous fashion and then used him.

This is extremely encouraging. God does not use only perfect people and vessels. He uses flawed human beings like Jonah, like you, and like me.

You do not have to wait until you are perfect to be used by God. That day will not arrive before eternity. Start today. You are not yet there, but you can take the next step.

Every journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.

– Ancient Chinese proverb

Reflect – What is the next step of obedience God is calling you to take? Perhaps in a relationship, in ministry, or in your personal life. Will you surrender it to Him?