The Lord answered the prayer of the reluctant preacher Jonah after he repented
When Jonah disobeyed the will of God to preach to the inhabitants of the city of Nineveh, God sent a mighty storm on the ship in which Jonah was a passenger. When the prayers of the crew to their gods proved futile, the shipmaster awakened Jonah to pray to his God. The casting of lots proved Jonah to be the guilty party that brought the storm. They asked Jonah what might calm the storm. Realizing his folly, his immediate reply was "Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest [is] upon you" (Jon 1:12 ). When the seamen finally cast Jonah into the storm. the LORD sent a big fish to swallow Jonah. While in the belly of the fish for three days and nights, Jonah repented of his sin and he prayed. Jonah 2:2 testifies, "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."
Jonah humbled himself
Though it was the seamen that cast Jonah into the deep, Jonah recognized that it was the hand of the Lord behind their action. He acknowledged in his prayer: "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" (Jon 2:3 ). Inside the belly of the fish was like being in the belly of Hell. He accepted the Lord's chastisement for his disobedience and cried in earnest to the covenant keeping God from the belly of hell. Indeed, like the psalmist, Jonah cried, "The sacrifices of God [are] a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise." (Ps 51:17 )
Jonah sought earnestly for the presence of the Lord
Jonah felt totally helpless, hopeless and in despair when he was imprisoned in the belly of the big fish. Though the hand of the Lord was against him for his disobedience, yet he recognized that the raging waves did not harm him, neither did the gastric juices in the fish's belly consume him. Though he felt imprisoned, yet it was the very imprisonment within the fish's belly that saved him from drowning. He testified that it is the Lord that "brought up his life from corruption" (Jon 2:6 ). Hence he "looked again toward thy holy temple" (Jon 2:4 ) when before he was fleeing by ship unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord (Jon 1:3 ). This was Jonah's way of saying that he wants to come back to the LORD and do His holy will.
Jonah offered the sacrifice of thanksgiving unto the Lord
Jonah saw the folly of his disobedience and his pursuit of lying vanities for which he rightly deserved no mercy from God (Jon 2:8 ). Hence, he warned others not to follow his example. Yet God did show him mercy through the miraculous deliverance. Hence his response of thanksgiving and keeping of vow is recorded in these words: "But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay [that] that I have vowed. Salvation [is] of the LORD" (Jon 2:9 ). In the prayer, Jonah pronounced the statement of truth and of blessing; salvation is of the Lord. His prejudice and anger toward the Ninevites had to be repented of. No matter what, salvation is not in the hands of God's prophet but in the sovereign hands of the Almighty God.
May the example of the reluctant and disobedient preacher who turned in repentance to the Lord encourage us. If we have been wayward, fleeing from the presence of the Lord and seeking after lying vanities, let us seek the Lord before the Lord sends a raging storm to chastise us.