Our previous study of the book of Jonah concluded with the prophet of God in the belly of a fish (Jonah 1:17). This fish was a vessel of God’s grace. Instead of allowing Jonah to drown in the sea, God prepared the fish to save and give him another chance. This was a miracle of God that Jesus verifies really happened in Luke 11:29-30.

In Jonah 2:1-10, the prophet is humbled while inside the fish. Jonah offered a prayer of thanksgiving to God in the form of song. He spent days in the fish before it vomited him out (Jonah 2:10).

Jonah 3:1-10

  • God called Jonah (for a second time) to go and preach to the people of Nineveh (Jonah 3:1-2). Nineveh is called a “great city.” It was large and extremely important in the ancient world.
  • Jonah obeyed God (Jonah 3:3). He learned from his past mistake!
  • He preached a message of repentance and judgment (Jonah 3:4). If the people did not repent in forty days, God was going to overthrow their city.
  • The Ninevites believed God’s word (Jonah 3:5). This was something that the people of Israel refused to do during this time!
  • Even the king of Nineveh believed and repented (Jonah 3:6).
  • The king even called for a period of national spiritual mourning (Jonah 3:7-8).
  • The king acknowledged God’s sovereignty (Jonah 3:9). He believed that God is powerful and fully capable of bringing disaster on them.
  • Their repentance caused God to relent His judgment (Jonah 3:10).

Key Lessons

  • God’s word is powerful (Romans 1:16; Hebrews 4:12)! The people of Nineveh were not converted because Jonah was such a powerful and eloquent preacher. They were converted because of the power of God’s message! Jonah was merely a vessel God chose to use to get His message to people who needed to hear it. We also are merely the vessels God has decided to use to proclaim His word.
  • God’s grace is amazing! Just as God extended His grace to Jonah, He also extended it to the people of Nineveh. Instead of wiping out these wicked people, God sent them a preacher. He wanted them to be saved, not destroyed (2 Peter 3:9).
  • There is a limit to God’s patience (Jonah 1:4). The Ninevites only had forty days to repent. God wasn’t going to wait on them forever. Since we do not know when the Lord will return, the time for spreading the gospel and for sinners to repent is now!

Conclusion:

Do you need to accept the Lord’s amazing grace and stop taking the Lord’s patience for granted?