Day #168: Jonah 3:6-10

This week's blog is written by Pauline Lo Alker

Background

God gave Jonah the command to go to Nineveh again, the second time, after He ordered the great fish to purge Jonah from its belly onto dry land. This time Jonah obeyed. Jonah spent three days to walk through the city of Nineveh and its surrounding villages, preaching God's warning of impending judgment. Amazingly, the Ninevites immediately repented and readily believed God. The people openly expressed their grief and mourning by fasting and putting on sackcloths.

The King's Proclamation

What about the ruler and the powers that be of Nineveh? Did they join the people's 'mass conversion' to Yahweh, the True God?

"The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat on ashes." (3:6 ESV)

Although Nineveh was an "exceedingly great city," in Assyria, it was not the capital. So the "king of Nineveh" was probably referring to the provincial governor who ruled Nineveh, but not the king of Assyria himself.

Like the ordinary folks, the king became extremely mournful upon hearing God's message from Jonah. He took off his royal robe, put on sackcloth and sat on burnt ashes on the floor. But he didn't stop there. "And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh. "By the decree of the king and his nobles ...... let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands."" (3:7-8)

Before or After?

We might wonder why the king would 'order' everyone to fast and put on sackcloth when they had already done so (3:5). It is likely that the anonymous author of the Book of Jonah deliberately reversed the chronological order of events in 3:5 and 3:6-9 to illustrate an important point. First the king issued the proclamation, and then the people followed. By putting the people's response ahead of the king's proclamation, the author underscored the people's immediate repentance from Jonah's message, and not necessarily from responding to the king's command.

"Who Knows?"

The king explained his reason for issuing his proclamation of mourning and repentance: "Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so the we may not perish." (3:9)

Wow, out of the mouth of a new believer of God hundreds of years before Christ, came the same message of John the Baptist: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 3:2 ESV)

The words "Who knows" clearly indicate the king's hope that "God may turn and relent" and spare them all from death.

These were almost the exact words David used when he pleaded to God to spare the life of the child he and Bathsheba conceived in their adulterous affair: "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, "Who knows whether the Lord will be gracious to me, the the child may live"" (2 Samuel 12:22 ESV)

Did God?

Let's hear what happened when Moses 'negotiated' with God to spare the Israelites for their heinous rebellion in the desert:

"Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people ....... Then the LORD relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened." (Exodus 32: 12, 14)

How about what God told Jeremiah to say to the potter who disobeyed God's direction:

"If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned." (Jeremiah 17:7-8)

Indeed, our God is a compassionate God. He told us that He is "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness" (Exodus 34:6)

Over and over again, God had shown supreme patience and compassion to the Israelites, His people, despite their continuous rebelliousness and sinful ways. His compassion is boundless and will also be extended to the repenting Gentile Ninevites.

"When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that He had said He would do to them, and He did not do it." (3:10)

So What? (What will I do with what I have read today?)

Many of us, believers of God, are reluctant to talk about our faith. We are afraid to look foolish and different in front of others. We don't want to risk ridicule or rejection. But look at what happened at Nineveh! There was probably no city more unlikely to repent than that great sinful metropolis of Jonah's time; and yet when God's message was finally delivered, all did repent.

Imagine all the lives spared by one lone voice empowered by God! Just think about the multitude of people today not yet saved. And how many of them are not saved because we, God's people, have been too timid or unwilling to share with them the Word of God -- the Good News of Christ's free gift of salvation!

I know I am guilty of this. I will continue to ask God to lead me by praying Jesus' words:

"Do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit." (Mark 13:11 NIV)

As Jonah? He followed God's order to lead the entire Nineveh to repentance thus sparing their impending doom. Was he 'hero' or 'villain'?

................. to be continued.