|
S
|
O far, the book of Jonah has been a little rough. We have met a
disobedient prophet & an obedient fish, & things even stranger than
that. But this chapter turns out just wonderfully. God gave Jonah a second
chance. Jonah took it. He did not squander it. He preached for a day in the
city of the Assyrians, declaring the "inevitable" judgment of God (which
was coming in 40 days). And what an amazing thing! The people believed Jonah's
words. Maybe his appearance had been uniquely adjusted in the whale's stomach.
Whether it was that or something else, God used something to convince these
people that the prophecies were true. Startlingly, the whole city turned to God
in faith & repentance. Then, because
the people repented of their sins, He repented of His judgment!
Do you love the
simple "who can tell" of Jonah 3:19!? The Ninevites had no guarantee
that their repentance would make a difference, but it did. Nineveh was 40 days
from being wiped out, but their repentance extended God's mercy. And, of course, God is the same today as He
was then. There is still room for
sinners to repent & find mercy.
Solomon said that as long as there is life, there is hope.
No comments:
Post a Comment