(12-26) 拿 Jonah 2:1-9

和合本

NKJV

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 ， 祢 就 應 允 我 ； 從 陰 間 的 深 處 呼 求 ， 祢 就 俯 聽 我 的 聲 音 。 3 祢 將 我 投 下 深 淵 ， 就 是 海 的 深 處 ； 大 水 環 繞 我 ， 祢 的 波 浪 洪 濤 都 漫 過 我 身 。 4 我 說 ： 我 從 祢 眼 前 雖 被 驅 逐 ， 我 仍 要 仰 望 祢 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 ， 祢 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 祢 的 聖 殿 ， 達 到 祢 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 祢 。 我 所 許 的 願 ， 我 必 償 還 。 救 恩 出 於 耶 和 華 。

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.”

雖然約拿不順服神，神要他往東他卻往西，可是他畢竟還是認識神的先知，在魚肚中他不但沒有苦毒，而且還能發出讚美的詩歌。他明白，他被投入大海原是死路一條，神卻應允了他的呼求禱告，安排一隻大魚吞了他使他還能存活，因此這隻大魚不但不是審判反而是拯救。你我在認識神以前都曾偏行己路，神卻使我們眾人的罪孽都歸在耶穌身上，拯救了我們。有時我們被驅逐，心裏發昏，要記得仰望神，以禱告進入祂的殿；有時我們發現自己被大水環繞、洪濤漫身，要記得向神呼求、禱告；也許我們得救後發現自己還在魚腹中，尚未重見天日，情況不如從前，可是我們要記得向神獻上感恩的祭，讚美祂的救恩。讚美神，祂引導我們走義路；讚美神，祂聆聽我們的禱告；讚美神，祂拯救我們的性命；讚美神，正如約拿還要被吐在旱地上獲得完全自由，我們這有聖靈初結果子的，也在等候我們的身體得贖，並且我們深信那為我們信心創始成終的主耶穌基督，到那日必成就這事！

Although Jonah did not obey God, when God wanted him to go east he went west, but after all he is a prophet who knows God. In the fish's belly, he was not only free of bitterness, but also brought forth a song of praise. He knows that he was destined to death when he was thrown into the sea, but God answered his cry and prayer, and prepared a great fish to swallow him so that he was kept alive, hence this great fish is never a judgment but rather, a salvation. Before you and I knew God, we have turned to our own ways, but God laid on Jesus the iniquities of us all, hence saved us. Sometimes we are being cast out and our souls faint, remember to look upon God, and enter His temple with prayer; sometimes we find ourselves surrounded by flood and passed over by billows and waves, remember to cry out and pray to God; maybe after we are saved, we still find ourselves in fish's belly, not yet brought to light, and our circumstances to be worse than before, we should remember to offer thanksgiving to God and praise His salvation. Praise God, He leads us in the path of righteousness; praise God, He listens to our prayers; praise God, He saves our lives; praise God, just as Jonah would be vomited onto dry land to receive complete freedom, we who have the firstfruits of the Spirit are also waiting for the redemption of our bodies, and we deeply trust that Jesus, who is the author and finisher of our faith, will fulfill this thing in that day!