Jonah - Pt. 4

 

Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth. Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them. (Jonah 3:1-5 ESV).

 

From the entire context of Jonah’s story we know he did finally go preach to Nineveh; however, we also know he was not happy about it. It reminds me of the behavior of young children. You’ve seen it all too often. A young child looks out for himself. If someone has the toy he wants, he protests by taking it. Parents usually respond with, “Say you’re sorry.” This must happen before play can resume, but how many times does the child really feel sorry? Many times it’s a quick, whispered or even sarcastic, “Sorry,” followed by the same action a few minutes later.

 

The people of Nineveh had sinned. Jonah warned them of God’s plan to destroy their city. They didn’t just say they were sorry to appease God or Jonah, they humbly repented. First, “the people of Nineveh believed God” (v. 5). They believed in His power and His word. Second, the people humbled themselves. The king “arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes” (v. 6). The people followed. They took lowly positions to show their sorrow as they cried out for forgiveness. Third, they changed.

 

Humble repentance means recognizing our actions don’t line up with God’s purpose. It means putting aside pride and stubbornness to admit we have been wrong and asking for God’s forgiveness. It means changing. God’s response to repentance is always to forgive. He forgave the people of Nineveh. He stands ready to forgive us too. He has already paid the penalty for our sin on the cross. The psalmist reminds us of God’s response to repentance. “For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you” (Psalm 86:5).

 

Our world seems to be stuck in the childish self-centeredness of our sin nature. We refuse to admit there are wrongs we’ve committed against one another in the name of “right.” There is only One who is right. His desire for us is to love and forgive one another, restoring relationship in a way that is other-centered. Once again, we see Jonah stomp off mad at God’s mercy. That is not an example we should follow!