Rerouted: 30 Days Through the Book of JonahSample

The Depths of God

Kellye Schiffner Carver

Psalm 36:6

Some scientists call the ocean “the final frontier.” Despite covering 70% of our planet, the majority remains unexplored. Humans have mapped about 25% of the seafloor, which is less than we’ve mapped of the moon or Mars. Extreme pressure, cold and darkness make much of the deep ocean inaccessible.

Jonah and David both referenced these depths when talking to God (Psalm 36:6; Jonah 2:5) — which is one reason why we’re studying a psalm of David alongside Jonah's story today.

The Hebrew noun for “deep,” tehom, often evokes a vast abyss or ocean in Scripture. In Psalm 36:6, David said God’s “judgments are like the great deep.” God also illustrates His power over the sea in Job 38:16, asking, “Have you entered into the springs of the sea, or walked in the recesses of the deep [tehom]? … Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth?”

For ancient Israel, the ocean represented chaos and disorder, and Jonah asked God to save him from tehom in Jonah 2:5: “The waters closed in over me ... the deep [tehom] surrounded me.”

Psalm 36:1-4 is also a plea for salvation, as David was surrounded by evil people. Yet David reflected on God’s goodness on a scale far beyond his personal circumstances, and he likened God’s righteousness to mighty mountains in addition to describing His judgments as “deep” (Psalm 36:6).

At first, David’s prayer for justice and Jonah’s cry from the depths might seem unrelated; however, both men ultimately responded to God with gratitude and trust. Jonah 2:2-9 reveals Jonah’s confidence in God’s deliverance, echoing themes from David's psalm.

And just as God’s righteousness and justice were true for Jonah and David … they are true for us. Our God loves righteousness and justice and fills the earth with His unfailing love (Psalm 33:5). Believers are betrothed to Him in righteousness, justice, steadfast love and mercy (Hosea 2:19). And Jesus continues this legacy: He reigns on David’s throne, and His justice and righteousness will last forever (Isaiah 9:7).

We can celebrate God’s righteousness and justice today, just as David and Jonah did — and even more so in Christ. Whatever depths we find ourselves in, the depth of God’s character always comes through.