O Worship the LORD in the Beauty of Holiness

LESSONS FROM JONAH’S PRAYER

Jonah was a prophet to the Northern Kingdom of Israel during the reign of King Jeroboam II of Israel (c. 783-743 BC), and his mission to Nineveh probably took place during the reign of the Assyrian king Ashurdan III (773-755 BC). 

The book of Jonah tells the story of God’s sovereignty, mercy, grace and patience with His servant. Sovereignty means that God is ultimately in control of everything. God in His divine Sovereignty controlled past events that are History. He established kings and rulers. He controls the seas with its creatures, the weather, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. He directed the destinies of great cities, and the paths of men He so chooses to direct. The book of Jonah also tells the story of God’s divine compassion. However, like most people are, Jonah was selfish and perhaps self-righteous and didn’t want Nineveh to repent and be saved while God did. God wanted to show them His mercy despite the fact that they were heathen who worshipped other gods and cruelly attacked Israel. 

Now we might ask, what makes Jonah’s prayer so special? Jonah’s prayer is worth studying because in it he finally surrenders and submits to God. The story begins with a disobedient and rebellious man who boards a ship to sail in the opposite direction instead of where God had instructed him to go. And we see God exercising His sovereignty in Jonah 1:17, “Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.” 

Jonah was miraculously kept alive in the belly of this great fish. We would have thought that he would drown in the sea or be digested in the fish's belly. But the Lord preserved him in his affliction for His divine reasons. 

Do you think Jonah deserved to be preserved? Was he a good prophet? Was he obedient? Well, Jonah was preserved and finds himself in the belly of the great fish. Being filled with anxiety of certain death he begins to pray. 

“Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly, 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.” (Jonah 2:1-2) 

Although Jonah was a prophet, he wasn’t perfect nor obedient. The prayer in Jonah 2 are the words of a desperate man who could have hardened his heart and sunk into further separation from God. However, by God’s grace he realized that even though his rebellion had brought him into this dire situation, God was still present. God could have allowed Jonah to drown. He could have started over with someone else - another prophet - but He did not. In His grace, He allows the fish to swallow Jonah. Then Jonah finds himself still alive and realizes that his life has been miraculously spared and is being given a chance to seek God’s deliverance. 

As dark and wet as the place is where he sits, God is not far off and distant. God is near. He is Omnipresent. In verse 2 Jonah says, “Thou heardest my voice”. We therefore learn the fundamental truth that while we are alive, God is still accessible. (Verses 1-2) 

We don’t realise how important the availability of communication is until we travel overseas and don’t have mobile data. So the first thing we do is to buy a data plan for the country we are visiting, or we have to resort to searching for free Wi-Fi. For without communication we feel handicapped and lost. We can’t navigate, we can’t book a Grab, we can’t access our email for our hotel booking. We can’t talk to family and friends unless we make an expensive IDD call. But for the Christian, the privilege of prayer is tremendous, knowing that we can speak to our Heavenly Father anytime, anywhere is just so comforting! 

1. Pray in Affliction

This is the first lesson we can learn from Jonah’s prayer. He prays in his affliction, “Thou heardest my voice.” This means that he must have prayed out audibly in the fish. I wonder what the fish felt? He continues to pray saying, 

“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. Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. 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. When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.” (Jonah 2:3-7) 

This portion of Jonah’s prayer is a cry from the bottom of his heart. It is a desperate cry from a desperate man. He pours out his heart to God. This brings us to the second lesson… 

2. Tell God Everything

He elaborates the details of his experience and feelings of desperation to God. In verse 4 he almost doubts that he is within God’s visual range, but he manages to look to God through the eyes of faith towards His holy temple. The Jews, having been to the grand temple that Solomon built, have a physical form to remind them of God's awesome presence and power. 

As New Testament Christians we are taught to worship the Lord in Spirit and in truth, regardless of which church building or place we worship God in. During the Covid pandemic, all of us worshipped for a season from home while watching services streamed from church online. But the idea is we must have a personal relationship and communion with God every day and anywhere we may be. Not just on Sunday in church but everyday in our secret prayer closet. It could be your room in the morning or evening, your office, or a quiet corner during lunch. There you read His Word and pray and listen to Him through meditating on His Word. For Jonah’s circumstance his prayer closet was in the belly of a large fish. 

Jonah goes on in verses 5-6 telling God that he experienced near death, and how the earth almost closed him up. And when he was so close to death, he remembered the Lord and he prayed. (verse 7) 

Telling God everything is really something we must learn. Because God who is our Heavenly Father desires our communion with Him. For our Triune God is a relational being, as seen in the following passages of scripture: 

John 17:5 – “And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.” 

John 1:1-3 – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” 

Genesis 1:1-3 – “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” 

We read from John that Christ is the Word, and in Genesis that the Spirit moved on the surface of the waters. The Father wills creation, and the Word brought the elements into being. There is perfect communion and cooperation in the Triune God. 

We also see how God reached out to His chosen ones to reveal Himself to them. He did this to Abraham, Jacob, Moses, etc. 

Since God desires our communion with Him, we should therefore tell God everything, even though He already knows it because He is Omniscient. He still desires us to approach Him and to call out to Him. He wants to hear from us, our Adoration, Confessions, Thanksgivings and Supplication. (ACTS) 

Those who have children or grandchildren will remember how much joy we experience when they run to us when we reach home and they tell us about their day. Whether it was to complain or to relate things that happened in school, to ask for help, or to ask for things, etc. doesn’t it bring us joy? Relationships give us joy and meaning in life. God made us relational beings after His own image. So let us relate to God through regular prayer, as we are reminded in Philippians 4:6-7, “Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” 

3. Remember God’s Faithfulness and Repent

“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. … But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.” (Jonah 2:2,9) 

When Jonah found himself still breathing and alive in the big fish, he must have recognised that God had preserved his life and that he had been given a second chance. He had 3 days to come to his senses and to repent. It must have felt like the longest 3 days of his life. 

Don’t we see God’s patience and wisdom in his dealings with Jonah and in our own lives? 

We see God’s gracious response to Jonah’s prayer: In verse 2 God hears the prayer of the once rebellious Jonah. God gives him time (three days) to be humbled and to repent, and then in verse 9, God saves the repentant man. 

This third lesson is crucial. We must consider God’s faithfulness, and that must elicit the right response in us which is to humble ourselves and turn to God in repentance. According to 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 

We see Jonah’s repentance when he prayed, “I will pay that I have vowed”, while we are not told what he vowed, we do know that he was running away from God’s instructions for him to go to Nineveh to preach repentance to the Assyrians. And so, we may surmise that he vowed to obey God’s specific instructions on this matter. And we see in the very next chapter that he did go. As he preached to the Ninevites, the Assyrian king himself led in a national fast and prayer of repentance. God then mercifully spared them from judgement for a period of time until they rebelled again. 

So “Salvation is of the Lord.” It belongs to God and comes from God. The star of Jonah’s story is certainly not Jonah, but God to whom prayer was made, because we see God’s sovereignty, faithfulness, grace, mercy and patience in His dealings with the rebellious Jonah and with the people of Nineveh. 

Now, back to the question: Did Jonah deserve to be preserved? To be kept alive in the fish? Was he a good prophet? Was he obedient? Most of us would think that Jonah was a disobedient and rebellious Jew who doesn’t deserve to be a prophet. But if we are to be honest and self-reflective, aren’t we too oftentimes disobedient and rebellious? How often do we suppress the prompting of the Holy Spirit to speak to our neighbours and colleagues about the gospel of Christ? How often have we pulled back from showing kindness, we don’t do the good that we ought to do like giving to the poor and needy especially when no one is looking? 

We are all guilty of disobedience, yet we do not find ourselves punished. If most of us are preserved, it is only because of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed. However, some of us do find ourselves in the “big fish”: It could be a serious illness, or being fired from work, or our spouse has given up on us and left home. Our relationships are strained and broken because of our sinful behaviour and harsh insensitive words. 

Let us consider Jonah’s prayer and the three lessons we have learnt from it, so that we may seek God, pray and return to Him. For Hebrews 12:6 assures us, “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.” So let us take comfort and respond in humility and true repentance. 

God did not reject Jonah when he disobeyed; in fact, He patiently pursued him and preserved his life until he had repented and acknowledged God and His Sovereignty. This is good news for us if we have been rebellious and disobedient. God is giving us another chance. Maybe our life is in a mess right now because of some bad choices. We are reaping what we have sown. 

Dearly beloved, let us learn from Jonah’s experience and prayer. Let us humble ourselves, acknowledge God for who He is, and submit to Him in obedience. 

Let us remember the three lessons:

1. Pray in Affliction.
2. Tell God Everything.
3. Remember God’s Faithfulness and Repent. 

The book of Jonah is really an interesting book. It has adventure, natural calamities, miraculous deliverance, and repentance of the wicked. But the star of this story isn’t really Jonah, nor is it the Big fish, nor the sailors who threw Jonah overboard, nor the Assyrians who correctly and obediently repented. The star of the story is God Himself, because through the narration of this history, we see God’s compassion on the Assyrians, His might in controlling the winds and sea, His control over the big fish, His patience towards Jonah, His wisdom in dealing with a disobedient prophet, His lovingkindness and grace in hearing and answering Jonah’s prayer, and His Mercy in saving Jonah and the Assyrians. 

So, if there is another lesson to learn from our meditation on Jonah’s prayer, it is about the wonderful character of our God who exercises lovingkindness, judgement and righteousness on earth. And if we dwell and delight on this knowledge of God, we are told that it delights Him (Jeremiah 9:23-24). Let us rejoice and glory in God, and be faithful in our service to Him.

– Elder Terence Tan

Shorter Catechism Question 7

Q: What are the decrees of God?

A: The decrees of God are his eternal purpose, according to the counsel of his will, whereby, for his own glory, he hath foreordained whatsoever comes to pass .

Appointments for the Week

Monday, Aug 5

        7.30 pm     ERBL: Intro to Biblical Counselling (Mr Joel Seah)

Tuesday, Aug 6

        8.00 pm     Prayer Meeting (Eld Woon Sin Wei)

Thursday, Aug 8

      10.00 am     Ladies’ Prayer Group

        7.30 pm     No ERBL Lecture

Saturday, Aug 10

        3.00 pm     LTF / YLM

Sunday, Aug 11

  8.00 am     For Better for Worse Malachi 2:10-16 (Rev Charles Seet)

  8.00 am     Choir Practice

  9.15 am     Library (Sanctuary Balcony)

  9.40 am Sunday School / Catechism Class

10.15 am Coffee Corner

11.00 am For Better for Worse Malachi 2:10-16 (Rev Charles Seet)

11.00 am Children’s Ministry

11.00 am Chinese Service (MPH)

11.00 am Filipina Service (Rm 1-6)

12.15 pm Library (Sanctuary Balcony)

  2.30 pm Thai Service (LMH)

  4.00 pm Indonesian Service (Rm 1-6) 

Preaching appointment: Rev Seet in Batam. 

Announcements

Life BPC Job Vacancies

1. Church Operations Manager (COM)

Responsibilities:

The COM provides active oversight and support in the mission, administrative affairs and general operations of the Church including Financial Management, HR, MIS Technology, Media Technology, Facilities and General Administration.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor degree or higher
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in operations or managerial positions
• Good interpersonal and communications skills 

2. Estate Management Officer (EMO)

Responsibilities:

EMO plans, oversees and coordinates all property management and preventive maintenance activities associated for the church premises. Coordinates facilities usage for a range of Church activities and Church’s authorized users using the premises. The EMO reports to the Church Operation Manager.

Qualifications:

• Diploma or equivalent
• 5 years’ experience in real estate management and maintenance
• Certification in real estate management and maintenance is an added advantage
• Lifers are preferred 

Candidates with relevant qualifications and experience may submit your application and CV to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Parking of Vehicles on Sundays

Kai Suites has kindly agreed to allow us to park in their premises. For those parking at Kai, please park only in designated areas as agreed with the Kai Suites Management. A parking notice may be placed on your windscreen if you are parking in an undesignated area. Thank You.

Church Camp 2024 Recordings available in Life RTL Portal

Church Camp 2024 audio & video recordings are now available in the Life RTL Portal for members to access.

For members who have not registered with this portal, kindly log into the Life RTL site at www.lifertl.com and register for a member account, using the same email address as given to the Church Office.

Door to Door Evangelism

4 August 2024 (Today) Meet in Beulah Room 2-11, 12.30pm Contact: Desmond  or Amos

Traffic Warden Service

We welcome all church members to join in this work. Our TW’s role is to provide godly service to facilitate worship. We need help in following time slots for Sunday: 7.30-8am or 10.30-11am with a frequency of once or twice a month. Please contact Dn Chan Yong or Bro Kelvin.

Thanksgiving

From Esther L: "I wish to thank the Pastors, Session members and brothers and sisters for their presence, love gifts, encouragement and prayers for my family & me during my father’s sickness and wake. Thank God for His mercy & grace that my father eventually rests in God. Thank God for grace & mercy showered upon my family & me during this difficult time. All glory be to our God." 

LIFE B-P CHURCH SURVEY 2024

In order to better understand the spiritual life of our congregation, our church pastoral staff is conducting an online survey of the Pulpit Ministry and the Prayer Meeting. Kindly click on the following URL or scan the QR Code below to participate in this survey. Deadline: Monday, 12 August 2024. https://lifebpc.com/survey/index.php/434388?lang=en 

In-Person Church Prayer Meeting

4 August 2024, 5pm @ Beulah Rm 2-1 

Dementia: Making Sense, Seeking Support

Speakers: Dn Dr Koh Lip Hoe & Sis Cheung Siew Li

Date: 24 August 2024

Time: 4-6pm (followed by dinner)

Venue: Beulah MPH

Register at https://www.lifebpc.com/sfseminar by 4 August

YF Camp (for youths aged 16-25)

16-20 Dec 2024, “To live is Christ, to die is gain” by Eld Chin Hoong Chor. 

YLM Seminar: The Quest for True Holiness

31 Aug 2024, 10am – 3.30pm @ Beulah MPH. Speaker: Rev Mark Chen. Note: Deadline for sign-ups is 18 Aug 2024. 

Missions Seminar 2024

28 September; 3-6pm @ Beulah MPH. “Witnessing for Christ in the Last Days”

Speakers: Rev Charles Seet, Rev & Mrs Moses Hahn, Mr & Mrs Lim Kwang Taek, Bro Benjamin Heng

Registration link at: https://forms.gle/u92nfBsCWCgRDMaDA

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