STORIES OF REPENTANCE: JONAH AND THE NINEVITES

When the Book of Jonah is mentioned, I’m certain that for many of us the story of Jonah and the Whale immediately comes to mind. But what happens in the rest of the book after the huge fish vomits Jonah back onto dry land?

Jonah 3

God desires repentance, not punishment. He wants everyone to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth (cf. 1 Tim 2:4).

As we continue our Lent series leading into Easter, we’ll be looking at the story of repentance found in Jonah Chapter 3. In this chapter Jonah is re-commissioned by God to go to the Ninevites and proclaim God's judgement against them in forty days.

Rather than do nothing, the Bible says that the Ninevites respond to this message immediately and in one accord. From greatest to least, the Ninevites believe God and repent, and God relents from bringing on them destruction.

This narrative once again highlights the ongoing posture we are to have before God – a posture of faith and repentance. The Ninevites inwardly, and outwardly, turn from their sins and turn to God, and a mass revival on a scale like never seen before takes place in a nation that is incredibly far from God. Do you believe mass revival like this can happen again? That whole cities and nations can still turn from their evil ways and turn to God?

God desires repentance, not punishment. He wants everyone to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth (cf. 1 Tim 2:4). Unlike the Ninevites who weren’t sure whether God would relent, in Christ we can be assured that when we turn to Jesus, seek forgiveness and follow Him we will be saved. As it says in Hebrews 6:19, “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.”

Let’s keep believing and repenting, and let’s keep praying for revival!

Pastor Gwenda