Text: Jonah 3:1-10, Joel 2:13, Nahum 3:1-7, Jeremiah 18:7-10
This is part of a 7-day series on Jonah in the Lent 2016 reading plan.
Nineveh was the worst.
A chief city in the already brutal and wicked Assyrian empire, Nineveh removed the noses and ears of their prisoners to mark and maim them for life. And like most Mesopotamian civilizations, their culture was immoral and generally terrifying—temple prostitution, child sacrifice, abortion, and infanticide.
I love my ears and nose, so I understand why Jonah didn’t want to go.
These are the people who heard God’s call to repentance. These brutal eye-gougers! The Ninevites listened to Jonah and to God. And they repented. They stopped, stripped off their clothes, rubbed their faces in the fireplace, and gave up eating. They were desperate to get God’s attention.
And they did get His attention. God had mercy on even these most wicked people. They didn’t know how wrong they were until God arrested them in their sin. But this is a story only marginally about about the repentant Ninevite hearts, and centrally about God’s mercy and forgiveness.
God knew the depth of their sin, and used Jonah to deliver a call to repentance. Astonishingly, the Ninevites listened, repented, and began fasting.
Fasting hurts: that painful ache in the stomach is hard to ignore. It’s tangible and practical repentance, and repentance must change how we live our lives. We turn from the things that give us false comfort, and only have God.
For the Ninevites, fasting meant giving up their means of power and energy, and depending on God alone for power in a very real way. They humbled themselves publicly and didn’t hold back for pride or fear of what others would think. Even the king—who held an almost god-like status in the culture and had everything to lose—humbled himself, bowing before the one true God. It was a culture-wide repentance, extending from the greatest to the least.
Their repentance was not chiefly about their emotions, how sorry they felt, but about casting themselves wholly upon God’s mercy. It wasn’t about what they could bring to the table. Rather, they said, “Who knows? God may turn and relent” (Jonah 3:9). They recognized that repentance is about what God is doing, not what we can do.
Mercy is not a matter of merit; it is gift from God.
Genuine repentance is a tangible 180-degree turn of the heart. In Jonah’s case, he made a literal about-face—repenting, turning, and traveling on in the opposite direction. God said, “‘Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach the message that I tell you.’ So Jonah got up and went to Nineveh according to the Lord’s command” (Jonah 3:2-3).
Even though Nineveh was awful by any standard, God had mercy on them. I would’ve stubbornly agreed with Jonah that they were just too far-gone. But God’s grace and mercy reach even the blackest hearts.
I’m with Paul, who claimed himself as the foremost of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). I don’t gouge eyes out, yet pride, envy, and wrath are always within arm’s reach for me. “But I received mercy for this reason, so that in me, the worst of them, Christ Jesus might demonstrate His extraordinary patience as an example to those who would believe in Him for eternal life” (1 Timothy 1:16).
The story of Nineveh’s repentance is about God’s perfect patience, His deep mercy, and His profound forgiveness. Thanks be to God.
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62 thoughts on "Nineveh"
9″And if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, 10 and if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will relent
of the good that I had intended to do to it.”
Oh Lord, grant our nation your great mercy as you did for the Ninevehites!
Mercy by Matt Redman:
http://youtu.be/Vcps8EQUOt4
I have to admit these verses confuse me a bit. Not their meaning so much, but I have grown up in church hearing how we can rely on God 100% because he is steadfast and unchanging, and yet all of these verses show his mind can be changed.
I appreciate your comments. I think He at times changes His mind, but only to our benefit. Every time I read of Him changing His mind, he is showing greater mercy to us instead of inflicting punishment.
K
Rebeka, thanks for being real about your confusion. Hopefully this might help…
God in his entirety and everything he stands for is unchanging and steadfast. A major, unchanging descriptor of God is merciful. Before Jesus, God showed mercy to those who displayed obedience and sacrifice, and he forgave them. Mercy, forgiveness, justice and sovereignty are all at the core of God’s unchanging personality, so to speak, but it requires a God who can change his mind if we prove to be better or worse than when he first made a decision.
When I read this passage, it seemed to me that the people of Nineveh (or any other kingdom God was dealing with at the time) were the ones changing. God’s love of His people is steadfast, as is His hatred of sin. I read it more as God being consistent with His commandments.
I’m convicted by these verses to pray for our nation. The King of Nineveh influenced his city to repent and turn back to God. We need to be praying earnestly for our nation’s next leader.
I too feel this scripture has 100% application in our country today. After the spectacle called a debate last night, we can only trust in God and His plan. Thankful for His forgiveness and mercy today.
I thought the same thing as I read the verse from Joel. Lord, we plead mercy. Hear our prayers for our nation to hear Your voice
That is exactly what was on my mind with this devotional. I have already been praying this way and I feel even more now that I am praying the right way about this issue.
I too have the same thoughts. I’m saddened by the way our nation’s poor choices have led us to where we are today. I’m praying for a turning of hearts and for we as Americans to trust God and His plan.
Jennifer, our country has been so heavy on my heart. I pray everyday for God’s mercy over our nation. That we would return to the Lord. And as I cry out to him each day, He is gracious to remind me that HE ALONE is my hope, steadfast and immovable, even, especially in our increasingly changing world. I’m so grateful that no matter who is elected, He will ALWAYS reign as King!! My hope is secure in Him, and yet He still calls for me to pray for others to come into repentance, and that is what I’m praying for our nation.
I am eternally thankful for God’s love, patience, and willing to forgive!
C | http://atlantic-c.blogspot.ca/
So so thankful for God’s patience, mercy, and forgiveness.
Me too, Kasey! Thanks for joining us today.
xoxo-Kaitlin
Did anyone else get hung up on the passage from Nahum, particularly verse 6? I sometimes have trouble with words or commands like these from God in the Old Testament. I know we have to look at all sides of God and we cannot put Him in a box. But I (and most people I’m sure) would much prefer to think of God’s goodness, kindness, love and mercy. Any thoughts or comments would be appreciated!
Hi Lindsey! I, too, struggle at times with these aspects of God. Just, Jealous, Angry…I try to remember that these attributes are perfectly holy, and that my understanding of Him and His ways are limited. He says His ways are above my ways and His thoughts above mine…who can fully understand Him? At those times I try to remind myself that all things are for our benefit, our good. Ultimately, the Ninevites repented and God forgave them. His ways are perfect, and for those that were ultimately saved from God’s wrath against their sin and rebellion, the discomfort of the chastisement only lasted a short time compared to the Joy of His presence for eternity.
Lindsey, for me when I read in passages like this and see God’s judgement which stems from His holiness and creates fear of such a God, I am even further amazed then of God’s goodness, kindness, love, and mercy. I mean, God’s goodness, kindness, love, and mercy is all the richer and fuller because we in fact as sinners do deserve the judgment of His wrath, His hatred, and His punishment. What kind of God is this, who knows our sinful ways, the depth of our corruption, and yet offers us a relationship with Him by giving up the life of His Son? Only an INCREDIBLE God!
I agree with the other ladies who commented, & would add that Even God’s judgment is merciful as it drives sinners to true repentance. It is purposeful & redemptive. If we took a cold hard look at our sin, we should be more shocked at God’s mercy towards us than His judgment. Think about the worst thing you can think of that happened to you or a loved one. Would you really want that to go unpunished? At any rate, God is ultimately slow to anger & His anger only lasts a moment, while His love is everlasting. (Exodus 34:6, Psalm 30:5, Psalm 106:1)
Nehemiah 9:17 says God is forgiving, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. The just side of God should help us have reverence and awe for God, but not fear Him. Ultimately God wishes that no man perish but that all repent (2 Peter 3:9).
I agree with all these comments in reply to Lindsey. However, I also look at it from another perspective – that of the maimed people/sacrificed children/forced prostitutes who suffered at the hands of the Ninevites. Some died at their hands and would have had close family members grieving. Even with the Ninevites’ repentance, if we think of just one Ninevite mother who had perhaps lost her children in an inhumane manner, it is extremely challenging to accept God’s mercy and forgiveness given to ALL Ninevites. It is much easier to understand an angry God, ready to strike back for the evil committed. Since Jonah knew that God’s plan was likely to be one of mercy and forgiveness, it is easy to understand why Jonah didn’t want to obey God. It must have appeared to be an unjust plan.
It would require a very mature attitude, so that, in spite of severe suffering at the hands of another, those people could rise above their pain, putting their trust and faith in God, recognizing that He knows best and works all things for the greater good in any given situation. It is worth remembering, of course, that it is easier to forgive suffering inflicted by another, if they recognize their wrong-doing and truly seek repentance. However, that will not re-instate a maimed face, nor bring a sacrificed child back.
We should not underestimate how difficult it can sometimes be to forgive another’s wrong-doing, nor should we underestimate how easy it is for us to harm others. Sometimes we cannot rise above a situation and we need to call on the Holy Spirit to enable us to forgive, where our natural response is one of ‘unforgiveness’. If we are at the receiving end of forgiveness, we should be suitably humble, realizing how hard it can sometimes be to forgive.
Ladies, today I would like to ask for prayers for a friend of mine today: he lost his brother to an in-operable cancerous brain tumor on Saturday. He was a Christian and was being a light for Christ literally up to the moment of death. He has such a great testimony because even when battling a disease only a miracle from God could save him from, he was still able to stay positive and share God’s love with others. Please pray for the whole family today. They are having 2 memorial services, one today at his home church and one tomorrow at his family’s home church. I know these next two days and the coming weeks and months and rest of their life is gonna be hard without him, but I am so glad that they know he is in heaven praising the Savior.
Praying for all of them to know God’s peace in this difficult time.
Praying too, Pam
Pam:
Read your comment a good two+ hours ago, and was praying for your friend and his family as I dropped off to sleep (was up excessively early and needed a “big girl nap”…
I will continue to hold this family up!
Added the family to my prayer book, and that you would be an encouragement to them.
What a great word today. I am overwhelmed by Gods grace and mercy. Sometimes it’s just too much to take, he is so very good to us. Thank you for reiterating this in today’s devotional
I am so thankful for the Lord’s mercy! So many gifts that He blesses us with… truly amazing
http://www.in-due-time.com
The story of Nineveh’s repentance is about God’s perfect patience, His deep mercy, and His profound forgiveness. Thanks bto God.
I love this! I am going to read it everyday! Blessings on the writer.
I was moved to tears this morning… especially by the verses from 1 Timothy. I’ve been reading through Psalm 51 every day during Lent this year. It has humbled me so. It really sank in to me today that I am the foremost of sinners… yes, me. (1 Tim 1:15) As I wept over this thought this morning, I read on to verse 16 and was so encouraged. God will use the fact that he has shown me mercy (even though I’m the worst of sinners) to bring others to himself. Then the final result in verse 17… God’s glory! This is the message I received today… I am the chief sinner… Christ showed me mercy… others will see and believe… he will be glorified!
Thank you so much for adding this this morning! What a blessed picture!
You have the initial and last name of my niece! I’m just imaging these beings her words, perhaps 8 years from now. What a paradigm shift. My selfish worries don’t matter all that much when I think about the fact she will be grown one day, and would I want her to model after who I am?
Thanks for commenting, LJohnson <3 Glad you're here.
amen!
“They recognized that repentance is about what God is doing not what we can do.” This really spoke to me!! We may be going through something trying, so we cry out to God because we want God to fix it and take it away, but God wants us to have a heart that doesn’t just focus on God taking away all our problems but about the transformation we allow God to do within our hearts during this time. We shouldn’t want to call on the lord just because we want God to fix our problems. We need to approach God in a way that no matter what happens I want to be transformed and renewed in what you’re doing and on your time God. As much as I want all my problems to go away right now I have to focus on what God is doing within me during this time rather then when he’s going to fix my problems. I do believe our problems are opportunities that God uses to grasp our attention, but not for us to just come to him to fix them but rather allow him to transform us during them. Let’s not make our devotion time a time where we think “God I’m giving you my time so fix my problems” but rather approach it with hearts that focus on God transforming us and not just “when are you going to fix my problems?” Let’s forget about God taking away our trials and the timeline of that and just come to the lord today with a clear conscience not expecting him to take away our trials, but wanting him to transform our hearts.
amen!
well said megan!
Amen! God has been bringing this to the forefront of my mind each and every day as the weight of my trying times threaten to overtake. I am learning to praise God in the storm for He has grown me so close to Him in the process!
Amen!! Makes me think of a song I love, Laura Story’s Blessings. It’s hard to desire all God has for us when some of that means enduring hard times, but He is always blessing us in the midst.
Sorry, I am thinking about my heart today. But God, in his mercy saw fit and sees fit to cover me.
it’s about pride and comparison, how can I ,think I am better than someone else if my sin is inward sin, and his sin is outward sin. It is all sin and it separates me from God. I want to have a heart like
Jesus. I want to see how you love each of us. I want to cast off fear of not enough, to God’s enough
for each of us. I am over whelmed by his love today and He continues to rescue me.
I am blessed by SRT, and the honesty I see.
The sins of pride and wrath, (among others)these are what I am needing to repent of and struggle with,everyday. I am so truly thankful for his patience with me, everyday.
In reading today’s passage, I can’t help but to think of the state of the world we live in today and how this message can be seen in today’s times. We are living in a society of Nineveh in current times. Hate is spewed as the norm on a day to day. My heart aches for the world we live in so, image how our creature feels. My prayer today is that we all bow down and humble ourselves before it’s too late. As God user Jonah, I pray that he uses me and other believers to take a stance to spread his word to change our world for the better. Allows us to unite and turn from the hateful and sinful ways so, he will have mercy on us. I pray that I will listen to the lord when he talks to me and follow suit even when it may seem impossible to overcome. If I repent he will relent!!!
Well said. Amen
Amen!
Blessed to tears this morning by these chosen Scriptures and Rebecca’s devotion. So much to ponder. SRT, I look forward to my early morning time with you all every day because you take me deep and you lift me up. I appreciate my Lord and the body of believers more and more because of what you do here. I know that I was Nineveh (not eye-gouging but a sinner nevertheless). BUT praise God, through Jesus I am lost no more. Blessed and on my knees by the thought!
Amen amen and amen!!
I am blessed by your articulate response as well. AMEN and AMEN
Amen…my sweet sister…
God be with you..
Sending you hugs wrapped in love…xx
“The story of Nineveh’s repentance is about God’s perfect patience, His deep mercy, and His profound forgiveness. Thanks be to God.”
This part hit me. I’ve always thought of the story of Jonah as a story about Jonah, or secondarily about the Ninevites…but never really thought of it as a story about God. GOD working in and through Jonah to bring him to a place of desperation and repentance and whole-hearted running after God. GOD working in the Ninevites to show them mercy when they realized the depths of their sin and repented before God. It’s a great reminder of the thread of redemption He is weaving throughout all of history, and Jonah and the Ninevites simply had the privilege of having their little part of the story written down as an example of what God can do when hearts are changed. Thanks be to God indeed!
Did you realize that there was one word recurring in nearly each passage? Relenting. This was interesting to me, cause in my German bible all those passages have the word “regretting”. And this is what I was always told and never quite understood – that God regretted his words. But relenting is quite something different (correct me if I´m wrong): it´s a deliberate step towards somebody to meet their need. This makes me see all those well-known passages in a different light.
What an enrichment to read and discuss God´s word in another language! :)
… and it makes me rethink my own conduct – am I willing to relent like He does or am I insisting on having my way?
…”am I willing to relent like He does or am I insisting on having my way?”. Thank you, this has spoken to my heart, feeling quite convicted.
me too!
Thanks for that comment. I agree, Marianne. There are times when I am confused by something in the Bible, especially in my recent Bible study. It may not strike me quite right the way it reads…and that is the key…the translation. If I do a little research, especially as to what the original word was and meant, I can usually resolve that conflict and gain an even deeper understanding. Reading different versions helps me also pin point where I am confused! Thanks for reminding me of this! I know God has a plan for all of us, so if we search, we will start to understand what He is trying to tell us.
But this is a story only marginally about about the repentant Ninevite hearts, and centrally about God’s mercy and forgiveness….
Amen…Amen…Amen.
What absolute truth…the Ninevites chose that way of life..they chose to be like that…But God…Oh But God…He went even further and beyond to give them yet another chance at repenting…another chance at being His people, another chance at living the life He would have them live…
What a gracious God. What a loving God. I’ll say it again, What a loving God..
And as to the forgiveness of those awful, awful things they had been doing, ugh, it takes a Mighty, Loving, Merciful God to forgive, and forgive He did…
This Matt Redman song came to mind…
You alone can rescue…here’s the link.http://youtu.be/Mgl_GWeHO-k
Praising and thanking you Lord God that ONLY you can save, only you can rescue, thank you that it is only in YOU that we find the freedom to be the people you call us to be…and that it is never too late because you Lord God, would go even further to save us and bring us back to you…Thank you Lord God..Thank you, in the life giving name of Jesus, I pray…Amen.
Ladies, praying the Lord God turn His face to shine on you today with grace, peace, and love in abundance…Amen.
Xxx
I love your thoughts, Tina. I love how no one is too far gone for God to save. He saves us all out of the ugliness of our sin.
And if no one is too far off, then certainly not my ‘non-christian’ friends who do ‘nothing wrong’ (at least from their point of view). I might feel like it’s a waste of time trying to be a light in their life, but, if the ninevites can repent, then surely they can. It reminds me not to give up just because I feel like they are not ‘interested’ (yet?)
“I don’t gouge eyes out, yet pride, envy, and wrath are always within arm’s reach for me.’ But I received mercy for this reason, so that in me, the worst of them, Christ Jesus might demonstrate His extraordinary patience as an example to those who would believe in Him for eternal life’” (1 Timothy 1:16)
Reading this was such a powerful moment for me. The Lord continues to teach me humility and leave me in awe of His mercy. Jonah, Nineveh, myself, *everyone*, we’ve all fallen short of God. In His eyes we are equal. And yet He made us for our distinct, unique purpose. The extreme experiences I’ve had have given me lessons most others are never taught; a view that comes from being in that desperate last place with only God.
I feel a sense of oneness with Peter. We are the epitome of change, the epitome of what God can accomplish. Every day, we all have the opportunity to lay ourselves down to God and do His will. We have the utter privilege to breathe His name, to praise Him, to repent in Him, to have our sins cleansed by *His* sacrifice, and even still, we can pray for help! It’s an unfathomable amount of love I doubt I’ll ever understand. We are all so blessed.
Praying for all of you. A big thank you to the ones who read this, and to ladies behind She Reads Truth for providing the material and opportunity to share our thoughts on this platform. God bless!
to *the ladies
amen
Such great words. Every day we have the opportunity to Lau ourselves down to God and do His will.
Sorry I can’t see what I type until it posts. Know that your words are being savor rd by me today.
Great words, I can identify. God bless you