Jonah 3 -- The First Two of Four Marvels

My commentary speaks of four marvels in this chapter and the next.  The first is the marvel of the undeserved commission:  “Throughout Jonah’s time of rebellion, God was displeased with His servant, but He never once deserted him … His promise is, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.’”  God met Jonah, spoke to him, and commissioned him.  Yes, God restored Jonah after his rebellion, but we must be careful never to use those restorations as an excuse for sin, my commentary said. 

“The person who says, ‘I can go ahead and sin, because I know the Lord will forgive me’ has no understanding of the awfulness of sin or the holiness of God’ …. God in His grace forgives our sins, but God in His governance determines that we shall reap what we sow, and the harvest can be very costly.”

A second marvel was the unparalleled awakening.  “From a human perspective, this entire enterprise appears ridiculous.  How could one man, claiming to be God’s prophet, confront thousands of people with this strange message, especially a message of judgment?”  And the message was only, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.”  “Surely he spent time telling the people about the true and loving God, for we’re told, ‘The people of Nineveh believed God.  They would have to know something about this God of Israel in order to exercise sincere faith.”

The people there were so moved that the king even put on sackcloth and ashes and issued an edict calling for a fast that would even include their animals.  “At some point, God spoke to Jonah and told him that He had accepted the people’s repentance and would not destroy the city.”  God was responding to the reaction of the people based on what they’d done.  It had been His plan all along.  It only appears that He was changing His mind, my commentary said.

Father, I will always that You for reaching out to me when I was unlovely and deadest against You.  You did not give up on me in my stubbornness, but kept seeking after me until You got me.  Thank You for Your incredible love and grace! 

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford