Running Away From God – Part III
Posted By Joe on July 31, 2009
- Running Away From God – Part I
- Running Away From God – Part II
- Running Away From God – Part III
- Running Away From God – Part IV
Last time, we studied Jonah's three day stay in the stomach of the great fish.
After calling out to God to save him from this terrible fate, the fish vomits Jonah out on the shores of Palestine. We pick up the story now in chapter 3.
Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, "Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and proclaim to it the proclamation which I am going to tell you." So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three days' walk. --Jonah 3:1-3.
Jonah has finally gotten his priorities right and immediately makes his way to Nineveh. Verse 3 describes the city as "three days' walk." At that time, Nineveh's circumference, including the surrounding land, was about 60 miles.
Then Jonah began to go through the city one day's walk; and he cried out and said, "Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown." Then the people of Nineveh believed in God; and they called a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them. --Jonah 3:4:5.
So here is Jonah, all by himself, going through this huge city telling the people "You have 40 days and then you're going to get yours." The most powerful city on the planet at the time, and what did the citizens do? They believed in God, called a fast, and mourned!
Why? Why would this great city, known for its atrocities committed against their enemies, believe based on Jonah's testimony?
What do you think you'd look like after spending three days soaked in stomach acid? Gross, I know. It's safe to assume that the acid in the fish's stomach most likely would have caused Jonah's hair to either fall out or turn white for starters. Secondly, the acid would most likely have bleached Jonah's skin white. He probably looked like a freaky albino or a ghostly apparition. You think he got people's attention simply by his physical appearance? You bet!
It's also interesting to note that "Jonah" means "dove." On the one hand it is a comment on Jonah's personality. Doves are usually known for being gentle. As we have seen and will see, Jonah is far from gentle. More than that, it's almost a comment on what his appearance must have looked like. Doves can either be white or sometimes a light gray. Either way, it's as if his name describes the color of his skin!
When the word reached the king of Nineveh, he arose from his throne, laid aside his robe from him, covered himself with sackcloth and sat on the ashes. --Jonah 3:6.
Word must have quickly spread about this ghost of a prophet declaring doom upon Nineveh. When word reached the king--either Adad-nirari III or Ashurdan III--he himself went into mourning by donning sackcloth--a very coarse, like burlap, material--and sitting in ashes, both a very common practice at the time.
He issued a proclamation and it said, "In Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let man, beast, herd, or flock taste a thing. Do not let them eat or drink water. But both man and beast must be covered with sackcloth; and let men call on God earnestly that each may turn from his wicked way and from the violence which is in his hands. Who knows, God may turn and relent and withdraw His burning anger so that we shall not perish?" --Jonah 3:7-9.
Repentance had come to Nineveh all the way to the king.
When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it. --Jonah 3:10.
And so ends chapter 3. God spared Nineveh because the people repented. They turned from their wicked way and earnestly called on God. This is exactly what God asks of us even today. If we will turn from our wicked ways, and call upon the name of Jesus to save us from our sins, He is just and merciful.
But this isn't the end of Jonah's story. Next time we will look at the lessons the hard-headed prophet still has to learn.
May He Increase!
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