And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying, Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey. And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?
And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.
Nineveh was a very wicked city that knew nothing of Jehovah God. They had no Bible of that day, no ceremonial laws, no understanding of the Word of God. What was Jonah commanded to preach to the Ninevites? It was "Judgement, God would destroy them in 40 days". No message of "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life".
And what was the attitude of the Ninevites? They recognized Jonah's message as the Word of God. They humbled themselves. They repented. They cried to God that maybe maybe God would would not destroy them; that God might save them.
The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.
We see that God had prepared the hearts of the the Ninevites to repent and they did because God had elected them and therefore saved them as is confirmed in Matthew 12:41
How different was Jonah's preaching to what is currently being proclaimed in the churches of our day? Is it any wonder what we read in 1 Peter 4:17. For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
Wonderfully God is still saving in our day OUTSIDE the churches. But the Gospel that saves is the Gospel of the Bible. The whole counsel of Judgement for sin and Mercy in salvation.
Joel 2:12-14
Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God?
Jonah 3
And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying, Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey. And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?
And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.
Nineveh was a very wicked city that knew nothing of Jehovah God. They had no Bible of that day, no ceremonial laws, no understanding of the Word of God. What was Jonah commanded to preach to the Ninevites? It was "Judgement, God would destroy them in 40 days". No message of "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life".
And what was the attitude of the Ninevites? They recognized Jonah's message as the Word of God. They humbled themselves. They repented. They cried to God that maybe maybe God would would not destroy them; that God might save them.
And what did God do? He did it not.
Matthew 12:41
The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.
We see that God had prepared the hearts of the the Ninevites to repent and they did because God had elected them and therefore saved them as is confirmed in Matthew 12:41
How different was Jonah's preaching to what is currently being proclaimed in the churches of our day? Is it any wonder what we read in 1 Peter 4:17. For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
Wonderfully God is still saving in our day OUTSIDE the churches. But the Gospel that saves is the Gospel of the Bible. The whole counsel of Judgement for sin and Mercy in salvation.
Joel 2:12-14
Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God?
Praise God for so great salvation!
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