約拿的禱告
讀約拿書一章17節至二章10節
17耶和華安排一條大魚吞了約拿，他在魚腹中三日三夜。
1約拿在魚腹中禱告耶和華─他的神，
2說：我遭遇患難求告耶和華，你就應允我；從陰間的深處呼求，你就俯聽我的聲音。
3你將我投下深淵，就是海的深處；大水環繞我，你的波浪洪濤都漫過我身。
4我說：我從你眼前雖被驅逐，我仍要仰望你的聖殿。
5諸水環繞我，幾乎淹沒我；深淵圍住我；海草纏繞我的頭。
6我下到山根，地的門將我永遠關住。耶和華─我的神啊，你卻將我的性命從坑中救出來。
7我心在我裡面發昏的時候，我就想念耶和華。我的禱告進入你的聖殿，達到你的面前。
8那信奉虛無之神的人，離棄憐愛他們的主；
9但我必用感謝的聲音獻祭與你。我所許的願，我必償還。救恩出於耶和華。
10耶和華吩咐魚，魚就把約拿吐在旱地上。
信息分享
有人指出，除了約拿以外，一切約拿書中所記載的，都對神順服。風浪聽從神的話；船員聽從神的話；大魚聽從神的話（且聽從了兩次！）；後來的蓖麻和蟲子也都聽從神的話。
然而，這位神頑梗固執的僕人，卻遲疑了整整三天，才開口禱告，呼求神的救助。我們可以將第7節意譯為：「感覺著生命漸漸離我遠去的時候，我開口向你呼求。」約拿說他向著耶路撒冷神的殿求告，因為神曾應許過必在那裡聆聽祂兒女的聲音。在魚腹中的約拿，竟曉得聖殿的方向？！
請留意約拿所用的措辭：「我求告，我呼求」（2節），「我說……」（4節），「我就想念……」（7節），「我許願……」（9節），和最後的「我必（定）……」（9節）。走了多長的路，他才終於走到這個境地啊。他的路本來可以很不一樣，是神的手一直在他身上，直至他最終降服。
神再次開口說話──不是對約拿，而是對大魚說。當約拿再次踏在乾地之上的時候，他知道神赦免了他。悔改帶來了即時的赦免與復和。
下一章我們會看到神如何給約拿第二次機會。我們今天基督徒之間也未必願意彼此原諒，但在神卻永有赦免之恩。當神赦免之後，祂便即時忘卻了你的罪。我們的神，豈不是一位奇妙慈憐的神嗎？
JONAH'S PRAYER
Jonah 1:17-2:10
17 Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
1 Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the fish’s belly.
2 And he said:
“ I cried out to the LORD because of my affliction,
And He answered me.
“ Out of the belly of Sheol I cried,
And You heard my voice.
3 For You cast me into the deep,
Into the heart of the seas,
And the floods surrounded me;
All Your billows and Your waves passed over me.
4 Then I said, ‘I have been cast out of Your sight;
Yet I will look again toward Your holy temple.’
5 The waters surrounded me, even to my soul;
The deep closed around me;
Weeds were wrapped around my head.
6 I went down to the moorings of the mountains;
The earth with its bars closed behind me forever;
Yet You have brought up my life from the pit,
O LORD, my God.
7 “ When my soul fainted within me,
I remembered the LORD;
And my prayer went up to You,
Into Your holy temple.
8 “ Those who regard worthless idols
Forsake their own Mercy.
9 But I will sacrifice to You
With the voice of thanksgiving;
I will pay what I have vowed.
Salvation is of the LORD.”
10 So the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.
Message
Someone has pointed out that everything in the book of Jonah obeyed God, except His servant. The storm obeyed. The sailors obeyed. The fish obeyed God (twice!). And later the vine and the worm both did what God wanted.
But God's stubborn willful servant seems to have delayed three days before he finally prayed and asked for help. We could paraphrase v.7 - 'When I finally felt my life slipping away, I cried out for your help.' Jonah said he prayed towards God's temple in Jerusalem, the place where God said He would always hear the prayers of His children. We could wonder how Jonah knew which direction the temple was.
Notice the words Jonah used - 'I called, I called for help.' (v.2) 'I said…' (v.4) 'I remembered…' (v.7) 'I have vowed…' (v.9) Finally he said 'I will…' (v.9) What a long time it took to come to that place. His story could have been so different. But God kept the pressure on him until he yielded.
Then God spoke again - not to Jonah but to the fish. Jonah knew he had been forgiven when he felt dry land under his feet once more. Repentance brought immediate forgiveness and restoration.
In the next chapter we will see how God gave Jonah a second chance. Christians don't always give other Christians another chance but God does. And when God forgives, He forgets. Don't we have a wonderful God?