Jonah’s message from God

Sometime after the fish vomited Jonah onto dry land, the word of the Lord comes to him yet again, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” (Jonah 3:2) God shows his concern for the city in sending the prophet twice to it.

This time Jonah doesn’t run away. He rises and does as the Lord directs him. He goes to the great city, the capital city of the empire with whom he and his people are bitter enemies.

How are the people of Nineveh going to respond when he calls out against it? As he enters the city, I’m sure Jonah wonders what the outcome will be. The Assyrians are ruthless people. There’s no telling just how they may respond.

After going a day’s journey, Jonah calls out to the people of Nineveh, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” (Jonah 3:4) Many scholars believe that Jonah did this in the various districts of Nineveh to make sure all the people know of the coming wrath of God.

When the people of Nineveh hear Jonah’s message from God, the most unexpected thing occurs. They believe it! All of the citizens of the city, from the least to the greatest call for a fast and put on sackcloth. These public signs of repentance and mourning show that the call to repentance has cut Nineveh to the heart. They believe God and they desire His mercy.

It’s one thing for the citizens of Nineveh to receive God’s message, but how is the king going to receive it?

The king humbles himself with his people! He removes his royal robe, puts on sackcloth, and sits in ashes.

Not only that, but the king makes a decree: “Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish.” (Jonah 3:7-9)

The repentance of the people of Nineveh shows the power of God’s Word.

The Lord declares through the prophet Isaiah, “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:10-11)

The writer of Hebrews says, “The word of God is living and active.” (Hebrews 4:12)

God’s Word brings about creation. It bestows life. It puts away sins and raises the dead. It endures forever.