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Jonah 3:5-6

5 So the people [enowsh] of Nineveh [Niynaveh] believed [aman] God [elohiym], and proclaimed [qara] a fast [tsowm], and put [labash] on sackcloth [saq], from the greatest [gadowl] of them even to the least [qatan] of them.
6 For word [dabar] came [naga] unto the king [melek] of Nineveh [Niynaveh], and he arose [quwm] from his throne [kicce], and he laid [abar] his robe [addereth] from him, and covered [kacah] him with sackcloth [saq], and sat [yashab] in ashes [epher]. KJV-Interlinear

5 Then the people of Nineveh believed in God; and they called a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them. 6 When the word reached the king of Nineveh, he arose from his throne, laid aside his robe from him, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat on the ashes. NASB

Nineveh is a great city. Later it will become the capital of the Assyrian Empire, and under the leadership of Sennacherib, the Assyrians will attack and invade Israel. The Assyrians will also invade Judah but there, God will annihilate 185,000 Assyrians in one night, who are surrounding Jerusalem. All of this is future relative to Jonah's day.

For now the city is not against Israel, nor does it have any interest in invading Israel. Or, perhaps if it did, this warning from God is enough to scare them out of their plans.

The reaction of the people is somewhat telling. They fast and they wear sackcloth. Both of these actions are external to the soul, and they both indicate a certain level of fear and foreboding. They were afraid for themselves.

Here is an Israelite right in their midst, walking through their very own city streets. Jonah must have had a reputation which preceded him. Otherwise the whole city would not have believed in such a manner.

Anyone can come along and begin shouting doom and gloom in the city and most would probably think that he was a nut case. But not Jonah. Do you think that the story of the fish got there before Jonah did?

Jonah's words carried force and authority. He was just one man. He was an Israelite. And, the news of his proclamation spread throughout the city like wild fire. People began to mourn over the mere threat of their doom. Even though there was no army surrounding them, no threat of a storm, nothing that one could look to, to believe that doom was in fact pending. But forty days was the warning, and in forty days something was going to happen to all who lived in the city.

Sodom and Gomorrah might have been in their minds Those cities received no warning. At least not when their time was up.

Now the king of the city heard of the activities in the city. He heard Jonah's warning and he too went through a repentance ritual. He removed his robe, an act of humility and submission to a higher authority, and the king too prostrated himself before God.

Their acts were outward, but presumably represent their inward repentance. Though this generation responds to God, that response will not carry over to the next generation as the next generation will ignore God as the prophecies of Isaiah and others will encourage them to invade Israel. So from parent to child to perhaps grandchild, the spiritual revival will not sustain itself.

Now for the view of all of this by Jonah. He sinned, by running away from the responsibilities of his spiritual life, but he repented and God showed him mercy. The ships crew were sinners and they too repented and received mercy from God.

Now Jonah is in a city of sinners, a city that was on the chopping block, and Jonah was ready to see them burn big time. He did not consider mercy a viable option for them. But then arrogant people (even subtle arrogance) presume that they can judge in Gods behalf. After all why should others who are clearly sinful, be entitled to mercy?

Mercy is ok for myself (so says the arrogant person) but clearly it is not ok for others. This the double standard of the arrogant. Note also that though Jonah did clearly have some spiritual growth under his belt, he was not exempt from flaws. He too had his own prejudices. That will become apparent in the next chapter.

But for now, one man walked through the city and preached their doom. Obviously what he had to say was effective because the population repented. Jonah did not expect this result. He expected to see the city fall. He wanted to see the city fall. He was not interested in their deliverance. His attitude probably enhanced his message and God used that to gain the populations repentance.

Now is the time to post a prayer.

End Of Lesson

Study to show thyself approved (mature) unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing (studying/discerning), the Word of truth.

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