Minor Prophets LII: Even The Pagan's Believed

Jonah having been saved from the clutches (or stomach) of death now has a new attitude or gratitude towards God’s mercy and offers up sacrifice(s) to fulfill his vows to the Lord. Jonah finally does what the pagan sailors have already figured out…giving praise or a psalm of thanksgiving. He makes good on his word by making the very next statement that, “Salvation comes from the LORD”

We also see evidences of true repentance on the part of the Ninevites in Jonah 3:5-8.

"The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence." Jonah 3:5-8

As subtle as it is in verse 5 it should not be overlooked. As Christians this action is the core of our belief system. “

The Ninevites believed God. This needs to be understood two ways. They believed in Him. By doing this they would have also believed what He said. So there are two (2) “believed” here. One is inextricably linked to the other. Then an even more demanding and dedicated response that required them to put their bodies in subjugation to their will which was now in subjugation to the will of The One: They fasted and put on sackcloth as a sign/symbol of grief, penitence or mourning. By believing and fasting they are then also putting trust in God. What is ironic is that we are seeing pagan culture acting as if they are God’s own (Israel). We must remember that these are Assyrians…a brutal pagan regime. The other thing seen here is that “all” responded including the king who, “rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust.” He subsequently issued a proclamation to not: “let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink, but rather, “ be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence.” Pretty amazing considering that fact that before Jonah arrived, they probably didn’t even believe in Jonah’s God. They then end up being a better example of reverence than Jonah did in chapter 1.

I mean, think about what Jonah did here. This would be like a missionary going into Al Qaeda or Taliban infested areas of Afghanistan right now and saying that Jesus told them to repent...and actually have them repent! You'd be lucky to get out of there with your life let alone actually make a claim as a Christian that God's judgement was coming to your nation if you didn't get you act straight. Jonah's fear wasn't that he was going to be executed by the Ninevites but that they would be spared. It had absolutely no doubt that he would be safe when deliverring the message. This idea isn't even mentioned in the text. He worried they would be spared!!

We see the reasons for the Ninevites being spared judgment in Jonah 3:9

“Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.” Jonah 3:9

We see an unmistakable example of God’s sovereignty here. God can do what He wants, when He wants, to whomever He wants (and they had better like it! :). I can picture/detect a slight hint of either sarcasm or elitism from Jonah when this line is delivered. What we realize is that even prayer, worship and penitence before a holy God does not guarantee a positive outcome. God is just and Nineveh has sinned. They are still due a counterbalance to the sin but it is also within God to forgive…as long as there is atonement.

God is under no obligation to forgive just because you ask for mercy but because men come to him in repentance and a contrite heart there is a chance. If you show up before God without this though you flirt with disaster and could quite literally be destroyed. We see this in all sinners. All sin and are worthy of death for the wages of sin is death. But Jesus removed that onus if we repent and accept the work that has already been done for us. If you come and cop and attitude to the One that offers forgiveness you get what you deserve for being so stupid.