BLESSINGS IN AFFLICTION

Jonah 1:17-2:10

            ….

God’s hand of providence reached down and provided a preservation for the prophet, jonah.  In the midst  of this terrifying experience of being swallowed by a huge fish a positive change happened in Jonah.  Affliction opened a mouth that sin had closed.  In Jonah 2:1 we read for the 1st time in the book that Jonah prayed.  The word prayed  is a strong and forceful word.  It refers to intervening prayer.  The same word, palal in Hebrew, is used of Hannah in 1 Samuel 2:1-10 as she poured out her soul to God.  Isn't it true that when we're in trouble, we pray the most, maybe "foxhole prayers"?  As we look at the prayer of Jonah, we'll see some of the blessings that came to him by experiencing affliction.

I.  Affliction brings the afflicted to God.*  "I called out of my distress to the LORD, and He answered me" (2:2.  "While I was fainting away, I remembered the LORD" (2:7).

Add tsk Treasury of Scripture Knowledge at StudyLight.org to the following:

Jonah 2

Overview
2:1	The prayer of Jonah.
2:10	He is delivered out of the belly of the fish.

Detail
Jonah 2:1	prayed 2 Chronicles 33:11-13; Psalms 50:15; 91:15 Isaiah 26:16; Hosea 5:15; 6:1-3 James 5:13 out Job 13:15; Psalms 130:1,2; Lamentations 3:53-56; Acts 16:24,25
Jonah 2:2	I cried Genesis 32:7-12,24-28; 1 Samuel 30:6; Psalms 4:1; 18:4-6 22:24 34:6 65:2 Psalms 120:1; 142:1-3 Luke 22:44; Hebrews 5:7 by reason of mine or, out of mine. 1 Samuel 1:16 out Psalms 18:5,6; 61:2 86:13 88:1-7 116:3 hell or, the grave. Psalms 16:10; Isaiah 14:9; Matthew 12:40; Acts 2:27 and thou Psalms 34:6; 65:2
Jonah 2:3	thou 1:12-16 Psalms 69:1,2,14,15; 88:5-8 Lamentations 3:54 midst Hebrew heart. all. Psalms 42:7
Jonah 2:4	I said Psalms 31:22; 77:1-7 Isaiah 38:10-14,17; 49:14 Ezekiel 37:11 out 1 Kings 9:7; Jeremiah 7:15; 15:1 toward 1 Kings 8:38,39,42,48; 2 Chronicles 6:38; Psalms 5:7; Daniel 6:10
Jonah 2:5	Psalms 40:2; 69:1,2 Lamentations 3:54
Jonah 2:6	bottoms Hebrew cuttings off. mountains. Deuteronomy 32:22; Psalms 65:6; 104:6,8 Isaiah 40:12; Habakkuk 3:6,10 the earth Job 38:4-11; Proverbs 8:25-29 yet Psalms 16:10; Isaiah 38:17; Acts 13:33-37 corruption or, the pit. Job 33:24,28; Psalms 30:3,9; 55:23 143:7
Jonah 2:7	my soul Psalms 22:14; 27:13 119:81-83 Hebrews 12:3 I remembered 1 Samuel 30:6; Psalms 20:7; 42:5,11 43:5 77:10,11 143:5 Isaiah 50:10 Lamentations 3:21-26; 2 Corinthians 1:9,10 my prayer 2 Chronicles 30:27; Psalms 18:6 holy 4; Psalms 11:4; 65:4 Micah 1:2; Habakkuk 2:20
Jonah 2:8	1 Samuel 12:21; 2 Kings 17:15; Psalms 31:6; Jeremiah 2:13; 10:8,14,15 16:19 Habakkuk 2:18-20
Jonah 2:9	I will sacrifice Genesis 35:3; Psalms 50:14,23; 66:13-15 107:22 116:17,18 Jeremiah 33:11 Hosea 14:2; Romans 12:1; Hebrews 13:15 I will pay Deuteronomy 23:18; 2 Samuel 15:7; Job 22:27; Ecclesiastes 5:4,5 Salvation Psalms 3:8; 37:39,40 68:20 Isaiah 45:17; John 4:22; Acts 4:12; Revelation 7:10
Jonah 2:10	1:17 Genesis 1:3,7,9,11,14; Psalms 33:9; 105:31,34 Isaiah 50:2 Matthew 8:8,9,26,27 2.  affliction brings god’s word to the mind of the afflicted.  There are @ least 12 parallels (and up to 27 allusions) in jonah 2 and the psalms and lamentations

*Speaking to Life's Problems (Perry & Sell)