Jonah 3
God again told Jonah to go to the city of Nineveh, and tell the people the words He told him. That city was a long distance from the Great Sea where Jonah was; we do not know how he traveled, or how long it took, but this time he obeyed God.
Nineveh was the capitol city of the country then called Assyria; the king and chief men lived there, and no doubt had great palaces; many other people lived there. It had so much land within its walls that the herds and flocks were kept inside. It was a “three days’ journey” around it which would be about 60 miles, and a day’s journey meant about 20 miles or more, the usual distance a man should walk in a day, But the king and people of Nineveh had not honored God, but had many idols and did very wicked things: their riches were taken in wars with other cities, and their soldiers were very cruel to the captured people.
God knew their sins, that was why he sent Jonah to speak to them.
Jonah went a day’s journey into the center of the city, and called out the message God told him: he said,
“Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”
Jonah must have told the people this was because of their wicked deeds, and have spoken very earnestly and said God had sent him, as the people all believed the solemn message and began to mourn.
When the king heard the message, he left his throne, put off his fine robes, put on sackcloth (coarse cloth), and sat down in ashes. He gave command for all the people to turn from the wicked ways and violence, to sorrow, to eat no food, and to not give food and water to the animals, and to put sackcloth blankets on the cattle, for they too would be destroyed with the city. And he said for the people to pray “mightly” to God to save them that they perish not.”
This king and the people did not laugh at the message, or say it was not important, or that they could escape, and they did not keep on in gay ways; they mourned, “from the greatest, even to the least.”
God saw that those people stopped their-wicked things, and He knew they were sorry, and He did not send the destruion. This showed the great mercy of God; He has always forgiven any who were truly sorry for sins. Yet we know from other prophets, that later kings and people of Nineveh followed the same wicked ways; they were cruel to the nation of Israel and others, and God again said it would be destroyed (Nah. 3:77And it shall come to pass, that all they that look upon thee shall flee from thee, and say, Nineveh is laid waste: who will bemoan her? whence shall I seek comforters for thee? (Nahum 3:7)). It was later destroyed by the armies of other nations. It has laid in ruins many centuries.
This story of Nineveh is to teach its also, to believe God’s words. He has said. He has “appointed a day in which He will judge the world” (Acts 17:3131Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. (Acts 17:31)), not just one city, hut the whole world. He has not named the exact day, as He did to Nineveh.
Remember God’s kindness in sending His Son to take the punishment of sins for all who believe on Him as their Saviour.
Be certain that you trust Him as your Saviour!
ML 08/30/1942