The Bible

 

Jonah 2 : Jonah in the Belly of the Whale

Study

1 Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly,

2 And said, 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.

3 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.

4 Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.

5 The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.

6 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.

7 When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.

8 They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.

9 But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.

10 And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.

Commentary

 

Jonah Series, Part 2 of 4 – Prayer from a Desperate Place

By Todd Beiswenger


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We know that when we get in a tight spot, it is time to pray! What makes Jonah's prayer special isn't so much the prayer itself, but it is Jonah's transformation that goes with it. He's realized that his choices have only made him miserable, and he's ready to do God's will.

(References: Arcana Coelestia 458; Heaven and Hell 6; Jonah 2:1-10)

From Swedenborg's Works

 

The New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Teachings #275

Study this Passage

  
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275. It is important to know that there is divine providence and there is also divine foresight. 1 Goodness is what the Lord provides, and evil is what the Lord foresees. Both foresight and providence are necessary, because what comes from us is nothing but evil and what comes from the Lord is nothing but good.

From Secrets of Heaven

Since everything good that the Lord provides us flows in, I need to include in what follows citations from Secrets of Heaven concerning inflow; and since everything that the Lord provides he provides in accordance with the divine design, I need also to cite passages from the same source concerning the divine design.

Footnotes:

1. The Latin words here translated "providence" and "foresight" are providentia and praevidentia-a play on words that is difficult to convey in English. [GFD]

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation for their permission to use this translation.