Nineveh’s Great Awakening

Jonah 3:1-10

1.  Jonah’s Second Great Commission (3:1-2)

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."

A.  The Lord Forgets

When his people return in repentance He is ready to receive them back.  God holds no grudges. He doesn’t hold our past sin over our head ready to remind us should we start to slip again.  God is omniscient…all knowing, yet He will not remember past sin that has been forgiven.  One great attribute of God is that He forgets. 

B.  The Lord Forgives 

God recommissions Jonah to go to Nineveh , that great city. 

What made Nineveh great to God? (Jonah 4:11)

C. The Lord Delivers

By allowing Jonah a second chance, God spared him from being responsible for the blood of Nineveh , that great cit y (Ezekiel 33:1-9).

2.  Jonah’s Sermon (3:3-4)

[3] So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh , according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days' journey in breadth.  [4] Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's journey. And he called out, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!"

Jonah is now operating in the realm of obedience.

Have you ever had your faith tried?  Were you willing to step out in faith when the Spirit of God wanted you to?

What made Jonah’s message so powerful?  The key in understanding this is to realize that Jonah was only the mouthpiece of God.  He was only saying what God told him to say and God did the rest. In preparing Jonah to deliver the message God was more interested in Jonah’s heart than in Jonah’s speaking ability. 

Here in this text, in the original language, it says Jonah called out to the great city.  Jonah was a saved sinner who wasn’t preaching down to the Ninevites but was pleading with them.  He was preaching to sinners as a saved sinner.  That’s important when we speak to others about the Lord that we aren’t arrogant or think we have things under control and all the answers.  Don’t cry out against them but cry to them, there is a difference.

 

 

3.  God’s Mighty Work of Repentance (3:5-9)

[5] And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them...

     [8] but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands.  [9] Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish."

We see a great and proud people reduced to humble repenters, from the king to the meanest citizen.

A. The Origin of Repentance

Their repentance began as a result of Jonah’s message of destruction.  They heard it and believed it and wanted to escape it.  It was prompted by faith.  And the people of Nineveh believed God.

God opened their hearts to believe His Word.  While Jonah preached, God was working in the hearts of the hearers (Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:5).

Where did the faith of the Ninevites come from?

(Ephes. 2:1-10)

B. The Nature of Repentance

Here we see something of the nature of repentance.  We see the people turning from wickedness and sin.  No doubt they turned from that to God but we are not given that part in the account. 

C.  The Expectation in Repentance

Initially in repentance one turns from former evil in hopes that God will grant forgiveness.  That’s what we see in this passage.  [9] Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish."

The idea that God would forgive Gentiles has always been an amazing thought.  This truly shows God’s great mercy and love. It truly amazed Peter

(Acts 11:15-18).

4.  God’s Mighty work of Forgiveness ( 3:10 )

[10] 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.

Why are we given the account of Jonah?

(1 Cor. 10:1-11)

(Luke 11:32)

Today we must say that One greater than Jonah is here in this place.  Will you not come to Christ in repentance today? Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that you may not perish."