4th and 40

The word of the Lord came to Jonah.

Go to Nineveh

Headed to Tarshish

Storm

Thrown overboard

Fish swallows him

Jonah praises the Lord.

Fish spits Jonah out on dry land.

Jonah 3 NASB95

1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and proclaim to it the proclamation which I am going to tell you.” 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three days’ walk. 4 Then Jonah began to go through the city one day’s walk; and he cried out and said, “Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” 5 Then the people of Nineveh believed in God; and they called a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them. 6 When the word reached the king of Nineveh, he arose from his throne, laid aside his robe from him, covered himself with sackcloth and sat on the ashes. 7 He issued a proclamation and it said, “In Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let man, beast, herd, or flock taste a thing. Do not let them eat or drink water. 8 “But both man and beast must be covered with sackcloth; and let men call on God earnestly that each may turn from his wicked way and from the violence which is in his hands. 9 “Who knows, God may turn and relent and withdraw His burning anger so that we will not perish.” 10 When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it.

Immediate obedience

Arise, go to Nineveh

Jonah arose and went to Nineveh.

(I wonder if he smelled the fish?)

2nd chance to make a first impression.

Jonah was disobedient, He repented, he got a 2nd chance.

Discipline vs. Punishment.

Discipline - To keep you from future wrongdoings.

Punishment - Payment for past wrongdoings.

Proverbs 13:24 NASB95

24 He who withholds his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him diligently.

Hebrews 12:6 NASB95

6 For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, And He scourges every son whom He receives.”

Hebrews 12:11 NASB95

11 All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

Romans 6:23 NASB95

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Nineveh was large

3 Days walk.

45 miles diameter

15 miles in.

Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown.

40

Rained 40 days and 40 nights

Moses killed Egyptian - 40 years

Moses on Mt. Sinai 40 days and 40 nights

Wondered the desert 40 years

Israelites spied on Canaan 40 days

Israel served the Philistines for 40 years before Samson’t deliverence.

Goliath taunted Saul’s army 40 days before David arrived

When Elijah fled from Jezabel he traveled 40 days and 40 nights to Mr. Herob

Jesus was tempted for 40 days and 40 nights

There were 40 days between Jesus resurrection and his ascension.

Ali Baba had 40 thieves.

Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown.

The Peoples Response

Jonah 3:5 NASB95

5 Then the people of Nineveh believed in God; and they called a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them.

Fasting - the act of denying the body’s physical needs to focus on the spiritual.

Sackcloth- Animal hair (camel or goat) What they mate sacks out of.

It was itchy and uncomfortable - Act of humility and mourning.

Cancer diagnosis- Punch in the gut.

King- Wore sackcloth ; sat in the ashes.

Ashes- Another sign of humility and mourning. Ash Wednesday (beginning of Lint)

Priest would put ashes on their head.

The king SAT on the ashes.

The King’s proclamation

Led by example.

Complete fast.

covered in sackcloth

Call on God, turn from his wicked way

Jonah 3:10 NASB95

10 When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it.

Their deeds didn’t save them: Their deed were the evidence that their heart had changed.

James teaches us:

James 2:18 NASB95

18 But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”

James 2:26 NASB95

26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

Jesus and Jonah

Luke 11:29–32 NASB95

29 As the crowds were increasing, He began to say, “This generation is a wicked generation; it seeks for a sign, and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah. 30 “For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. 31 “The Queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation at the judgment and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. 32 “The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.