Jonah: Rising From Rebellion

Read Jonah 2:10-3:10

After Jonah’s change of heart from inside the belly of the fish, he was spit out onto dry land.

You can go straight to your Nineveh to begin with, or you can let god get you there the hard way.

Once Jonah rose from rebellion, he still had to choose to obey God and go. He wasn’t dropped off in Nineveh.

He was given a 2nd chance to make everything right.

The message was to go and preach to the city.

Jonah was a sign of wrath to come. Unhinged.

“In 40 days Nineveh will be demolished!” over 3 days.

“Demolished” (haphak) - Basic meaning is “turn”, but the word is used for destruction and transformation.

In 40 days, everything will change.

The nature of the change depended on Nineveh.

No change = Judgment. Change = Mercy.

God had every right to destroy them. Instead, he provided an opportunity to repent.

How does revival happen? When repentance happens. As people turn, so God turns.

The whole city repented!

Believed God and proclaimed a fast. The King urged the people to stop and pray to God.

They put their $ where their mouth were.

Visible demonstration of heart change. Posture of repentance.

God relented

He does not change, but He can adjust to the changes of humans.

Their repentance produced something for His grace and mercy to respond to.

Nineveh’s repentance was the greatest miracle recorded in the book of Jonah.

He has enough grace for everyone.

Jonah reluctantly preached one sermon, and it resulted in the greatest revival in human history.

That’s the grace of God.

What can we learn if we want to rise from rebellion?

1. Without repentance, God won’t work through you.

2. God doesn’t need our best effort. He wants people to be obedient to Him.

3. If you run from God’s will, you might miss out on a movement of God.

4. Set the baggage aside and go with God’s plan.