Jonah 3
COMMENTARY:
: 2 Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid you. (7121 “preach” [qara’] means call, proclaim, utter a loud sound, to call unto, to read aloud, invite, or recite.)
DEVOTION: God is a God of a second chance to follow HIS commands. There is not a second chance after death because the Bible says that it is appointed unto man once to die and then judgment. So after death the decision is final. Those who reject Jesus Christ in this life will not get a second chance but will be judged at the Great White Throne judgment and sent to the lake of fire.
Here we have a servant of the LORD who has been chastened by the LORD by living in a great fish for three days. Now he is told to proclaim the message he was given before he ran in the wrong direction.
God’s message doesn’t change. HE wanted the city of Nineveh to repent and turn away from their present lifestyle.
That is the message HE is proclaiming today to all those who presently don’t know the LORD. HE is not asking them to believe in God because even the demons believe in HIM. HE wants them to repent of their sins and serve HIM.
There needs to be a change of behavior. There needs to be genuine desire to serve HIM daily. We are all to proclaim the message of salvation to all those in our world.
WOW!! At the end of the chapter we learn that the whole city repented and the LORD changed HIS actions toward them because of their repentance.
CHALLENGE: We are all to proclaim the truth of the Word of God. All are called to be ministers of reconciliation. Do your job!!
: 5 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. (539 “believed” [‘aman] means to stand firm, to trust, or to be certain.)
DEVOTION: The people of Nineveh heard the preaching of Jonah. They were certain that what he said was true. Because they were certain, they sprang into action.
There are at least two types of belief. There is the belief that when you are caught you will be punished and so you don’t do it. There is the belief that you need to change your actions because you know it is right. There is a difference in motive. One is out of fear. The other is a command of the LORD because of HIS love for us. The people of Nineveh knew that the LORD was capable of destroying the city. They were motivated by fear. Whether it was because of a true belief in God, it is not said. Was there a revival in the city? Did everyone become a true believer? It is not said. They acted on the knowledge that the LORD is sovereign.
When we know something to be certain, we spring into action. The action needed in this case was to proclaim a fast, put on sackcloth and wait. Once the king heard that the people were doing something, he proclaimed a fast for all the people, asked all to turn from their evil ways and hoped that God would change the future by letting them live.
When we hear the truth of the Word of God, do we go into the action and repent and change? When we see the actions of our friends that are not according to the Word of the LORD, do we ask our friends to change their behavior? Remember that the LORD chastens those HE loves. All those who are true believers are HIS children. There are some who say they are believers but their actions don’t show it. They are not chastened. They are not true believers. We need to guard our actions. We need to watch our motives. Do we not sin because we don’t’ want to be caught? Or do we not sin because we want to please the LORD and glorify HIS name?
CHALLENGE: There are church people who like to be around Christians. Many who attend church are not genuine believers. Their actions and attitudes toward service show how genuine they are to their LORD.
: 5 The people of Nineveh believed God’s message, and from the greatest to the least, they declared a fast and put on burlap to show their sorrow. (NLT)
DEVOTION: What happens when someone believes the message of the LORD? Belief causes change. Before someone believes the message of the Word of God they act according to their own pleasure. After someone believes the message of the Word of God, they act according to God’s pleasure.
The people of Nineveh knew that God was going to destroy their city if something didn’t happen to change HIS actions. The first think they did after they believe the message of Jonah was too fast and sit in burlap. These were signs of humbling themselves before God.
They knew that their actions had to change. So they didn’t eat or drink anything for a certain time period. Also they were to turn from their evil ways toward the way the LORD wanted them to act.
When we get up each morning do we think about how the LORD wants us to act each day? Our responsibility is to obey the LORD and those who HE has put over us. For children this would be parents. For adults this could be employers.
CHALLENGE: We are to serve the LORD by our actions because we want to say thank you to HIM for providing us salvation.
: 9 Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish? (NKJV)
DEVOTION: We have found other places in the Word of God where it is stated that the LORD relented of HIS actions toward certain groups because of their actions. The word “repent” seems to confuse many people. God doesn’t need to repent of HIS actions. HIS actions are always good.
HE gives people a choice throughout the Word of God. They can choose to follow HIM or go in the opposite direction. There are consequences to each action. If they choose to follow HIM there are blessings. If they choose to go in the opposite direction they will be cursed. HE gives them warnings and choices.
Here we have the people during from their evil way toward the LORD. HE sees their actions and takes away the curse for a time period. We will read later in the Old Testament that they went back to their old ways and the LORD judged the city.
We have choices each day. Our choices determine the LORD’s actions toward us. If we confess our sin HE is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Our responsibility is to stay in fellowship with HIM after we have made a commitment to follow HIM.
Some people are said to be saved yet so as by fire. This means that their works will not be made of precious stones or gold or silver only of wood, hay and stubble. However, some of those thinking those thoughts might be surprised because the LORD could say to those whose actions never please the LORD even after they say are became followers of HIM, “I never knew you!”
CHALLENGE: Our actions need to represent our commitment to HIM. The people of Nineveh knew it.
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
People of Nineveh proclaimed a fastverses 5, 7
Put on sackclothverse 5
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Word of the LORDverses 1, 3
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal)verses 1, 3
I bid you (Jonah) – preach
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead – God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign, Plural name)verses 5, 8-10
Turn and relentverses 9, 10
Anger of Godverse 9
God saw people of Ninevah turn from evil worksverse 10
HE did not do what HE said HE would do because people of Ninevah turnedverse 10
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Nineveh – great cityverses 2-7
Exceeding great city of three day’s journey
People of Nineveh believed God and proclaimed a fast and put on sackclothverse 5
King of Ninevehverse 6
King put on sackcloth and sat in ashesverse 6
King of Nineveh – decree – no one taste anything – let them not feed, nor drink waterverse 7
Man and beast of Nineveh in sackclothverse 8
King told people to cry mightily to God and to turn from evil way and violenceverses 8, 9
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Evil wayverses 8, 10
Violenceverse 8
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Preachverse 2
Message to preachverse 4
Believedverse 5
Fastverses 5, 7
Turn from evil wayverses 8, 10
Repentverse 9
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Jonahverses 1-4
Arise and go to Nineveh – preach
Went to Nineveh
Cried – Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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