Jon 2:4 | KingComments | STEP | Jonah says he was expelled from God’s sight, while he himself had chosen to leave the presence of God ( ). Here he experiences what this is. The terrible thing about hell is that someone there is expelled from God’s sight. There is nothing more terrible for a man than to be without God. Similarly, the happiness of heaven lies in the fact that someone is close to God. On earth one can feel that God has expelled him, no longer bothering about him. That is a great grief ( ; ). Jonah realizes how awful it is to be away from the presence of God. He longs to be back in it again. Jonah comes from the ten tribes realm. There, under the leadership of Jeroboam I, the people erected their own temples in Bethel and Dan ( ). But they do not count for Jonah, nor for any God-fearing Israelite. Despite the religious confusion he sees only one place of worship and that is Jerusalem. Here he already says in faith that he will see again the temple that stands there.

‏ Jonah 2:4

Expelled

Jonah says he was expelled from God’s sight, while he himself had chosen to leave the presence of God (Jona 1:3). Here he experiences what this is. The terrible thing about hell is that someone there is expelled from God’s sight. There is nothing more terrible for a man than to be without God. Similarly, the happiness of heaven lies in the fact that someone is close to God. On earth one can feel that God has expelled him, no longer bothering about him. That is a great grief (Psa 31:22; Isa 49:14).

Jonah realizes how awful it is to be away from the presence of God. He longs to be back in it again. Jonah comes from the ten tribes realm. There, under the leadership of Jeroboam I, the people erected their own temples in Bethel and Dan (1Kgs 13:26-33). But they do not count for Jonah, nor for any God-fearing Israelite. Despite the religious confusion he sees only one place of worship and that is Jerusalem. Here he already says in faith that he will see again the temple that stands there.