"The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head." Jonah 2:5
God in His eternal, sovereign mercy, bring sinners to this blessed place. Blessed place, where waters compass and weeds are wrapped? Oh, yes, for this is the place where sinners look up at last, and there is hope.
It should be our intent, when preaching, teaching or speaking to sinners who know not the Saviour, to compass them about with waters and wrap weeds around their head. This is just another way of saying, "We must shut men up to the Lord Jesus Christ!"
When the sea of our sins floods in upon us and the weeds of our vileness before God settle about our head like a crown of shame, then we shall most certainly cry out with a voice that God is sure to hear. Jonah 2:2 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.
Men's problem is that they are high and dry in their self righteousness. By nature, we are oblivious to the fact that, like Jonah we are running as fast as we can from the presence of the Lord" (1:3), and that shipwreck and violent death is our portion for it (1:4).
The only remedy is for God to bring us to "the belly of hell" (2:2) that we may see our deplorable condition in His holy sight, our utter inability to heip ourselves and that the blood of Christ alone can wash our vileness. Only then will the waters of affliction become unto us a fountain of grace and the weeds be exchanged for a crown of life. by Chris Cunningham
