Avoiding Overthrow

“And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day’s walk. Then he cried out and said, ‘Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!’ [1]

The Lord graciously warned the people of the great city of Nineveh of a pending overthrow. 40 days early warning! They had a choice: take God seriously and act or disregard Him and be overthrown. No loophole to the declaration, legalese language or third option possible!

Thankfully, the Holy Spirit graciously worked alongside God’s Word, and convicted the nation’s heart. He also moved upon the nation’s king to believe and act after they did. Faith and repentance began with the PEOPLE and then, struck the king and his nobles…

“So, the PEOPLE of Nineveh BELIEVED GOD, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them.”

“Then word came to the KING of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the KING and HIS NOBLES, saying…

‘Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water. But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and CRY MIGHTILY to GOD; yes, let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish?’” [2]

Both PEOPLE and KING believed God’s Word and acted upon it. They repented, fasted, and prayed. They cried mightily to GOD. Not in glazed over, ho-hum manner. Like a giant Titanic ship, their city was going to sink unless God reversed the damage from their sin. They needed God’s forgiveness. They needed God’s intervention. They wanted to live.

“Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.” [3]

God cannot lie. He is bound to keep His Word. Sin must be judged. But He does have an escape clause for those who do not want to perish in their sin. It is to believe in Him, repent of the sin, and seek God’s forgiveness. Then, God can choose to relent of acting upon His promise to judge sin, show mercy, forgive, and heal.

“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” [4]

“Dear Heavenly Father, nothing is impossible with You. Please convict our nation by Your Word and Holy Spirit! Unconfessed and unrepented sin leads to overthrow! Please turn our hearts to Your Son, Jesus Christ, on whom You laid the sin of us all. Move us to cry out mightily, so that You may be able to rightly forgive our sins and heal our land. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.”

[1] Jonah 3:4
[2] Jonah 3:5-9
[3] Jonah 3:10
[4] 2 Chronicles 7:14