Jonah 3 Commentary
“Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” Like Jonah’s prayer, this sermon is incomplete and actually poor. It doesn’t say why Nineveh will be overthrown, neither does it state what Nineveh should do. Jonah’s sermon is a good example of not how to preach.
Regardless, Nineveh repents. Just like his poor prayer ‘saved’ the day, his very poor sermon has done the job! The scripture is making the point that preaching, like prayer, isn’t dependent on man’s brilliance. The meat is in the fact that you have preached not in the brilliance of your presentation. It all comes down to obedience, albeit poor obedience in many cases, including Jonah’s.
The highlight here is the generosity of the LORD.
It took 3 days to cover the entire city of Nineveh but Jonah wasn’t one to cover the entire city. He did the minimum: one day’s trip and that was it. The sermon was poor on purpose. The coverage for his sermon was also poor on purpose. Jonah!
Nineveh was the imperial capital of Assyria. Other prophetic utterances against Assyria are lengthy and detailed but not Jonah’s. It is a single short statement! Positively, this prophecy is unique in that it was delivered directly to the affected nation. What courage! What luck! Just ask the great prophet Jeremiah what it means to deliver such messages!
Look at the king’s decree. It is definitely a superior piece of communication! The king states what must be done; who must do it, how, and when. The purpose is given; the expected result is also known. “God may yet relent and with compassion turn from His fierce anger so that we will not perish.” So admirable!
Dare we not preach salvation as an option on the menu! The sinner is already in a bad position. Their future isn’t anything to write home about. They have fears that they can never escape. The gospel comes in as the only option.
It is a “great salvation” and not a trip from a luxurious life into the monotony and flat existence of the saint. Greatness is this side of creation – the God side. The rest is death and nothing else. What Jonah’s sermon lacked in content has been more than compensated by its no-nonsense, direct, and raw delivery!
And the king wasn’t a fool! Animals also needed repentance! You see the value when the LORD dishes out ‘generosity’. The animals are also spared! Won’t you need that business or project to behave in a baptized way for its posterity? And your body also needs physical rehabilitation as the gospel sweeps through. You have noticed how saints age so gracefully…knowing the value of repentance in non-traditional areas!
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