Useful Bible Studies > Jonah Commentary > chapter 2

Salvation is from God alone

Jonah 2:9

In his greatest troubles, Jonah declared that he would look towards the temple, God’s house in Jerusalem (2:4). For Jonah, that meant much more than just to look in that direction.

Rather, Jonah means that he made a vow, a serious promise to God. If he could, he would have gone to the temple at once. He wanted to offer a sacrifice (an animal’s life) there to God. He was offering that animal because he wanted to offer his own life to God. God would accept that sacrifice, and so God would accept Jonah’s prayer.

Of course in the present situation, Jonah was unable to go. So, instead he promised to go and to offer that sacrifice as soon as he could. He declared that he would offer it with joy, and with a thankful heart. He was truly grateful to God, who had saved him from the sea, from death and from hell.

So, Jonah declared the lesson that his experience had taught him so clearly: salvation is from God alone. Salvation means rescue and safety; and it depends completely upon the work of God. Only God can truly rescue anyone; only God can bring that person to a place of true safety. We cannot do such things by human effort; we cannot save (rescue) ourselves (see Psalm 62).

This lesson, that salvation comes from God, is one of the most important lessons in the Bible. Jonah himself emphasised it in the original language (Hebrew) – in that language, he added an extra letter to the usual word for salvation. By that, he seems to show that he did not just mean his rescue from the sea or from the fish. Rather, he meant God’s complete work of salvation. That is, God rescues people who by their evil deeds have ruined their relationship with him. Then he brings them right through their lives to a place of complete safety with him in heaven.

Next part: God commands the fish to return Jonah to the land (Jonah 2:10)

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