Ninevites’ Repentance and Forgiveness

Jonah 3:5-10

As we follow Jonah, we see him entering Nineveh, the big city. He went into the city and proclaimed, “Fourty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown” (Jon. 3:4). Nineveh was such a big city that it took three days to go through. The king must have also been one great person.

But, as they heard the word of God, “A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish” (Jon. 3:5-9, NIV).

Filled with mercies, God saw how they turned from their evil ways and relented and did not bring on them destruction.

We have so many things to learn from this story. Let us look at some of them.

1. To preach the word of God effectively, the preacher must have proper repentance in him/her. Jonah also repented of his ways and therefore, his work was truly effective. Even though the Ninevites were not believers, they turned from their evil ways. Could it be that our many works and churches today fail because we fail to repent of our own sinful ways?
2. Jonah did not seem to be an eloquent man. But as he went, obeying the LORD, his word became very effective. God does not want eloquent people, He wants obedient people.
3. We see the importance of heeding God’s words from this story. The Ninevites were foreigners, but because they listened to God’s words, and humbled themselves, they ended up being saved from destruction. However powerful and great we may be, let us always remember that God is always above us.
4. A person who acknowledges God is always successful; and a person who calls upon the LORD is always a great person.
5. We also see God’s unending love, mercies and compassion in this story, When the Ninevites humbled themselves and turned from their evil ways, God relented and did not bring the destruction He proclaimed upon Nineveh. God does not punish those who humble themselves. God hates pride (Prov. 8:11; 11:12; 13:10; 16:5, 18; 21:4 etc). Let us remember to be obedient to him, being humble always.

Have we been unfaithful like Jonah and the NInevites? Let us return to the LORD, and He will save us for salvation belongs to the LORD (Jon. 2:9).