Who Knows

Repentance works

Jonah 3:6-10 “The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: 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.” 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.”

Sackcloth

A rough cloth made from animal hair, usually that of a goat or camel. In both Greek and ancient Near Eastern literature, it refers to a type of material used in various household duties such as the construction of clothing and sacks; the word can also refer to the clothing or sack itself. In the ancient Near East, the use of a garment made of sackcloth came to symbolize sorrow or submission. The Hebrew and Greek words undoubtedly share a common etymology.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible Chapter 1

burden of Nineveh—the prophetic doom of Nineveh. Nahum prophesied against that city a hundred fifty years after Jonah.

Repentance is available to all classes

Luke 18:23-25 “But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.””

Repentance is contagious

Asburry revival 1970

One recalcitrant senior shocked the audience by confessing, “I’m not believing that I’m standing here telling you what God has done for me. I’ve wasted my time in college up to now, but Christ has met me and I’m different. Last night the Holy Spirit flooded in and filled my life. Now, for the first time ever, I am excited about being a Christian! I wouldn’t want to go back to the emptiness of yesterday for anything.” Others followed. Everyone sensed that something unusual was happening. God seemed very near.

Sensing the mandate of the moment, near the close of the allotted chapel hour one of the professors slipped to the platform and expressed his feeling that any students who wanted to pray should feel free to come to the altar. There was no pleading or cajoling—just the quiet reminder that the altar was open.