Project 119: Jonah 3
| Project 119 | Joel Burks
In Jonah 3, we see the evidence of reconciliation between the Lord and Jonah. Whether Jonah repented of his disobedience is not very clear, but what is clear is that he was chosen yet again to deliver the Lord’s message. Jonah was tried, convicted, locked up, and then released onto dry land via God’s will. We see one of my favorite attributes about God all throughout this story: His willingness to forgive all of the misdeeds committed by someone and to embrace them as His own. In other words, we see the Lord’s grace.
All throughout Scripture, we see evidence pointing towards the fact that we serve a God of second chances. It is true in the Old Testament, as well as the New. At the beginning of this chapter, we see the word of the Lord again return to Jonah sending him towards Nineveh. Not wanting to see what might happen if he disobeyed the Lord a second time, Jonah promptly heads towards the city. Think about what Jonah does in this chapter in the context of our current society. What if God came to me and said “Joel, I want you to go proclaim my good news to the people of New York City!” I mean… where to begin right!? Jonah approaches this city and it takes him three days to walk through the entire city proclaiming the message of the Lord!
Three days? Most of us would probably get tired within the first couple hours and maybe even give up. Jonah, though, had a task to complete, and was devoted to finishing up the work at hand.
Earlier, we talked about the Lord’s grace in our life. Jonah knew that the Lord is abounding in grace and that is what caused Jonah to ultimately question God’s plan for Nineveh. Let me ask you something though. Have you found God’s overflowing grace for your life? Have you made some mistake like Jonah that landed you in a place that you don’t even recognize? Jonah’s story helps us to see clearly the God that we serve: the God who is rich in love, slow to anger, and so very gracious.
Thank You Lord for giving me grace, especially when I don’t deserve it. If I have done anything to sin against You, I pray that You show me the depths of Your mercy and kindness. I pray that You reveal my Nineveh and give me a heart to do Your will. In your name I pray. Amen.
Jonah 3 (ESV):
Jonah Goes to Nineveh
1 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.” 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!” 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.
The People of Nineveh Repent
6 The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, 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.”
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.