08.25.21
Jonah in the City
And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid you.” (Jonah 3:1, 2)
We saw Jonah in the storm as he rebelled against the command of the LORD to go to Nineveh and preach. God got his attention.
Then we saw Jonah in the fish. Because of his rebellion, God placed him in a slimy, smelly schoolroom for three days. Jonah got the message and confessed, repented, praised God and promised to obey if given a second chance. He is now back on dry land. The LORD once again commands him to go to Nineveh and preach whatever God puts in his mouth.
Jonah chapter 3 is one of the greatest displays of grace to be found in the OT. God was gracious to Jonah in giving him a second chance. God was gracious to the Assyrians by allowing them an opportunity to repent before He brought upon them great judgment.
This chapter stands in stark contrast to the first chapter. No doubt Jonah looked a little odd after his adventure in the fish. It is probable that his skin was bleached white or spotty. Perhaps his appearance was used of the LORD to get the attention of those in Nineveh.
This time Jonah promptly obeyed. So Jonah arose, and went into Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days journey. (3) Men have scoffed at this verse, not believing that ancient cities could be so large. The three days journey is referring to how long it would take to walk around the entire circumference of the metropolis. It was 60 miles around, at 20 miles per day. Jonah would not just be walking, but preaching as he went.
The population (based on the 120,000 infants, 4:11) would have been somewhere between 600,000 and 1,000,000 souls. The phrase ‘a great city’ is literally ‘a great city to God.’ It speaks of both its size and the way God viewed it—a city in great need of Him. Jonah’s preaching was coupled with his experience with the whale and his bleached appearance—he was a sign to all (Luke 11:30). At this point, Jonah’s obedience is as conspicuous as his disobedience.
Jonah began immediately to preach. And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. (4) His simple message was a manifestation of the Lord’s mercy, giving man opportunity to repent.
The forty days is consistent with the way of the Lord. ‘Forty’ in Scripture is the number of testing. Moses was 40 days on the mount; Israel wandered 40 years in the wilderness; Jesus was tempted for 40 days.
Notice the words of the Lord Jesus regarding the ministry of Jonah: For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of Man be to this generation. The men of Nineveh shall rise up in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn them; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah and behold, a greater than Jonah is here (Luke 11:30-32)
When the people saw Jonah and asked him about his appearance, he no doubt told them about his experiences in running from the LORD. Then as he preached what God had told him to say, the LORD did the work in their hearts. Next time, we will see the amazing thing that God did.