June 18, 2020
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Reading along with us in Jonah? Here’s today’s reading:
Jonah 3 (ESV)
Jonah Goes to Nineveh
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.”........Continue Reading
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“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.”
Jonah 3:10 ESV
https://www.bible.com/59/jon.3.10.esv
God, in His mercy, forgave those who had Godly sorrow and repented of their sin.
So amazing to see a population repent based on faith
Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.”
When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.
I think this is a good example of God’s sovereignty and man’s free will balancing. God had made up his mind (God’s sovereignty) to punish Ninevah and have them overthrown for their wickedness in response to people (man’s will) bringing it before his throne (in chapter 1). Jonah declared the impending punishment (God’s sovereignty) and the King and his nobles responded with sincere repentance (man’s will) all the while recognizing God’s sovereignty to act as He wills, but still acting in their own will in hope that He will change His mind: “Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.” Then When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways (man’s will), He relented (God’s sovereignty) and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.
Of course, God knew exactly what was going to happen…and perhaps that is why He sovereignly sent Jonah to preach, knowing they would repent.
God’s call on Jonah’s life take 2. What a juxtaposition between this chapter and chapter 1! When we follow God our lives and the lives of others will be totally different. How merciful God is to a foreign people to give them a chance to repent and boy do they!. What makes all this possible is obeying the message of God rather than rejecting it. In addition to the proclamation of Jonah there had to be a great working of God’s Spirit to bring about such a radical change in a very wicked people but as Amy says above, they had to listen and follow as well. The truth of God on the inside and on the outside is always available to everyone, it is just a question of whether we will listen and follow. It’s an important thing to remember when we have opportunity to share the message of God…there is a part of people that wants to believe and no person is too far gone for God to save! It is only when we obey the call on our lives to pray for unbelievers and share the gospel that we can participate with God’s work in bringing people to salvation. And how exciting it would be to see a whole city, a whole nation, a whole people saved and changed! We won’t see it happen if we keep running to our own Tarshises……..
God sovereignly grants second chances. I see this for Jonah as well as for the people of Nineveh. Not only is God concerned about His chosen people, Israel, but he is concerned for the Gentiles as well. While the narrative of God’s word in the Bible focuses primarily on Israel, his heart has always been for all men. For he is willing that none should perish but that all should come to repentance.
1Then 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.” 3So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord