Jonah Delivers

Jonah 3:1–5 ESV

1 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth. 4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” 5 And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.

God’s Request

Jonah 3:1–2 ESV

1 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.”

First we see God’s Compassion

we also see God’s committment

God’s Persistence

God has been chasing Jonah down for 2 chapters

Upon being found Jonah begins surrender

In chapter 2 we see Jonah begin to show a touch of humility

and if you remember we see Jonah surrender Kind of

Jonah’s kind of surrender will be made more evident in the passage today

Here we see God giving Jonah a second chance

Jonah is given the opportunity to do what God had called him to do

God tells Jonah

Go to Nineveh

Tell them the message I tell you

We see Jonah preparing for this instance in the last chapter

A reminder of this is

Jonah 2:9–10 ESV

9 But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the Lord!” 10 And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.

God had brought Jonah to the point of Surrender

Jonah vowed to God

He vowed service to the Lord

And we see next Jonah ultimately delivers

He delivers on his promise

Jonah Delivers

Jonah 3:3–4 ESV

3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth. 4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”

In these next verses we see something interesting

Jonah is delivering a message of love

a message directly from the heart of God

But there is something important about this message

Jonah was apparently close to the city

we see God’s omnipotence

God had the whale put Jonah within decent walking distance of the city

we also see that Jonah was a great city

a city that took a long time to journey through

Jonah ultimately would listen and without a lot of detail began delivering a message

Jonah delivered a message that declared destruction

overthrowing of power

Jonah in fact in his message doesn’t list God

he doesn’t list repentance

He merely does what God has called him to do!

In this proclamation of pending judgment Jonah utters no 2nd chance

he doesn’t say from what we see to repent and turn

He doesn’t say to turn to the one true God

he doesn’t spout of prophecy like many old testament prophets do

instead he simply shouts “Yet forty days and the city of Nineveh shall be other-thrown”

a message that seems grim

but a message that is preceded and followed by a God like tone

God had been working through the words of Jonah

The people had their hearts softened

even amidst Jonah’s chaotic surrender

God was working

After God puts his presence on the land

the city of Nineveh calls for and does something Spectacular

Nineveh Listens

Jonah 3:5 ESV

5 And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.

The city of Nineveh

heard the call of surrender and repentance

in fact they even believed God

meaning they also believed in God

The then did something more of Jewish tradition towards God

They fasted

they put on sackcloth

this was a sign or way of surrender

it was a sign of showing humility and repentance to God in the old testament

We see this city of Nineveh turn in 3 days towards recognition of the one true God

Lord’s Supper