Repent!

Jonah  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  27:44
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Psalm 85:12-13 (Opening) 12  Yes, the Lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase. 13  Righteousness will go before him and make his footsteps a way. Introduction We are bombarded every day with information. Messages from people and companies that we don’t know. Since we don’t know them, we don’t really know if they can be trusted or not. We trust what we see and hear on TV and radio. But should we? No matter what the source, the information we hear from that source is going to be biased by the staff at that source. If they want to present a particular message, they will tend to focus more on information that supports the message they want to send. Honestly, I do the same thing when I’m writing my sermons. I only include information that supports the point I’m trying to make. But my intent is different. I’m trying to inform, yes, but I’m also trying to persuade. I’m trying to make a point. That’s what I’m expected to do. When it comes to advertising, the Federal Trade Commission, the FTC, enforces the truth-in-advertising laws, which says that “When consumers see or hear an advertisement, whether it’s on the Internet, radio or television, or anywhere else, … that ad must be truthful, not misleading, and, when appropriate, backed by scientific evidence.” There used to be something similar to that in regard to issues of public importance. The Federal Communications Commission had something called the Fairness Doctrine, which required broadcast media to allow equal time for opposing viewpoints for these important issues. However, that doctrine was eliminated in the 1980s and all the laws spawned by it were removed from the books by 2011. The Fairness Doctrine lessened the impact of a particular organizations bias in any direction. When it comes to God’s word, the Bible, we know it can be trusted. How do we know that? From a scientific standpoint, there are more manuscripts of books of the Bible than from any other book. The differences between most of those manuscripts is minor, usually at most a word or two, or maybe an added phrase or sentence. The longest book of the Bible, Isaiah, was found in its entirety among the dead sea scrolls, nearly identical to the copy of Isaiah in your Bible today. So we know the copies of the Bible over the years are trustworthy, but what about the actual information in the Bible? Can we trust that? A lot of the historical information has been verified through archeology, but the other aspects of the Bible, the prophecy and the promises, those have to be accepted on faith, and that’s where a lot of people have problems. They understand the trustworthiness of the message, they just don’t know if they can trust the one who sent the message. Re-try Jonah was supposed to be God’s messenger to Nineveh. But he didn’t start out obeying; at least not in the book that bears his name. The first time God told him to go to Nineveh with a message, he went the opposite direction to get as far away from there as possible, and ended up first in the sea, and then in a big fish. God must have decided Jonah had learned his lesson, so He tried again. Jonah 3:1-2 1 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” There’s no significant difference between what God said to Jonah the first time and this time. The first time God said the reason was because of the evil of the people of Nineveh. This time, He didn’t give a reason. He simply says He will give Jonah the message to give to Nineveh. I’m sure Jonah remembered the people of Nineveh were evil, since Assyria was the biggest military threat to any nation at the time. This time, when God commanded him to go, Jonah’s response to God’s command was different then the first time; this time he was obedient. Jonah 3:3 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth. We don’t know how long it had been since Jonah’s fish ride and unceremonious expulsion onto the beach. We don’t know where Jonah was when God spoke to him the second time. Some scholars believe he was on the beach, some believe that he had traveled home to Gath-Hepher. Either way, it would take Jonah around a month to travel to Nineveh, maybe longer. Nineveh was a large city. The walled area of the city was about two and a half square miles. But there were “suburbs” surrounding Nineveh on both sides of the Tigris river, in all directions. Archeologists haven’t determined how big the “metropolitan Nineveh area” may have been, but here it says it took three days to travel across it. That would be at most 60 miles, but probably less. But scholars don’t agree on what is meant by the phrase that’s translated as “three days’ journey in breadth”. The phrase “a three days’ journey” could have been an idiomatic expression, simply meaning “really big” or “really important”. Moses asked Pharaoh to allow the Israelites to go on a three-day journey to worship God. So, if it was an idiom, we’re not exactly sure what it meant. Suffice it to say that Nineveh was really big. Jonah 3:4 4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” Jonah’s cry reminds me of the myriad of cartoons over the years of a man dressed in a monk’s habit carrying a sign saying, “The end is near!” with various punchlines. My favorite punchline was “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” If you had a message to deliver to every person in the city, how would you do that? Jonah didn’t know anything about the city of Nineveh. We really don’t know much about it either, except that it was big, and a crossroads for trade. A city of that size would have many market places where people would gather to buy and sell. Wherever people gather is a good place to pass on a message. I can imagine Jonah walking into the city, following the major streets to market places around the city. When he would arrive in the market place, he would share the message God sent him to tell. You’ve got 40 days to straighten up or God will punish you. The word translated “overthrown” here in verse four is the same word used to describe what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah. When used the way it’s used here, it implies the judgement of God. React Put yourself in the place of the people on Nineveh for a minute. This strange man comes to town. He has an odd accent, but you can understand him. He dresses differently. He looks like he has traveled a long way. Then he shares his strange message. In this chapter of Jonah, God’s name is only used in verses one and three. When Jonah or the Ninevites speak of God, they use the generic term for God, Elohim. You hear this strange man saying that a god, a foreign god, will destroy the city you live in, the largest city in the known world, if Assyria doesn’t change its ways within 40 days. Assyria was the military superpower and was generally considered by everyone around them to be not very nice people. They were ruthless and unmatched in battle, almost always successful. But some scholars have said that Jonah’s visit to Nineveh was during a bad time for that nation. There had been famines and drought, and a lot of political unrest, causing a lot of instability. Economically, everything would have been more expensive than when things were good. Things were looking bad for Assyria. Maybe that’s why the people of Nineveh accepted what Jonah was telling them. They saw the signs. Jonah 3:5 5 And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them. The people of Nineveh heard the message from God that Jonah brought to them. They believed the message was true and that something had to be done to avert the impending disaster, so they fasted and put on sackcloth. Fasting was generally considered a sign of contrition and submission to God. Sackcloth was a rough and uncomfortable cloth made of goat hair, generally worn by the poor and also worn during times of mourning. Verse five is actually a summary of the next four verses. These verses give more detail about the actions of the people of Nineveh, from the greatest to the least of them. Jonah 3:6 6 The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. Somehow the king of Nineveh heard about Jonah’s message of doom and gloom from God. We don’t know how the message got to him. It doesn’t seem like Jonah had an audience with the king. Maybe some of the king’s advisors had heard the word on the street and brought it to the him. It doesn’t matter how he learned about it. What matters is that he believed it. Maybe he was desperate and was willing to try anything to get back in favor with the gods. The message had a big impact on the king, because he stepped away from his seat of power, his royal throne that showed he was the most powerful man in the world. He took off his royal robes, probably beautifully embroidered with brilliant colors, another symbol of his power. Instead of his robes, he put on sackcloth, the clothing associated with the poor and mourning, and sat in ashes, another sign of mourning and deep humiliation. This king, probably the most powerful man in the known world, humbled himself before a God he knew nothing about. He was the example to his people. Jonah 3:7-8 7 And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, 8 but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Scholars believe the wording of the decree published by the king shows that there was political turmoil in Assyria. Normally the word of the king is enough for a proclamation to be accepted and followed. But this one included the fact that his nobles agreed with him, possibly because they had more political clout than he did at the time. What ever the case, the king’s decree for fasting and sackcloth was all encompassing. Even the sheep and goats, the cows, and the beasts of burden, were all to wear sackcloth and fast. The decree says they should call out mightily to God. I’ve heard the bellows of a hungry cow, and believe me, they would call out mightily. Even if the fast was just for one day, which is likely, the clamor from around Nineveh would have been loud. The city and the surrounding suburbs had large parks where flocks and herds were grazed. With a population estimated at over 150,000, there would have to be a lot of animals to support their food requirements. If all those animals were not allowed to eat or drink for a day, they would surely make a lot of noise! The king ended his proclamation with a question; a hope or a prayer maybe. Jonah 3:9 9 Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.” Would it make a difference? Would this act of mourning and humility be enough to make this strange God turn away His wrath and spare Nineveh and all of Assyria? That was the hope of the king. That’s what they wanted, but they would have to wait the 40 days of Jonah’s warning to see if they had made any impact on this foreign God. I can imagine the waiting was unbearable. Maybe there was even a renewal of fasting in sackcloth and ashes the day before the dreaded event was supposed to happen. Relent But that day came and went without the destruction of Nineveh. I’m sure some of the people probably thought it was all a useless waste of time. Nothing happened, so it was all probably just a lie to make them look foolish. But we know why nothing happened. Jonah 3:10 10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it. God saw their contrition, their humility, their change of heart, even if it was only temporary. We know it was only temporary because within 60 years of when Jonah probably visited Nineveh, the Assyrian army invaded Israel and sacked the major cities, including Samaria, and took the survivors off as captives. But within 150 years, Nineveh itself would be destroyed by a coalition of several nations it had conquered earlier, including Babylon, who would become the next superpower. The Hebrew in this verse is interesting because the word translated as evil regarding the behavior of the Assyrians and the word translated as disaster that God relented from is the same word. Both the Assyrians and God turned from doing something. They both relented. The Assyrians relented or repented from doing the evil they were known for, mourning and fasting in sackcloth and ashes. God relented from what would have been considered evil by the evil Assyrians. God’s discipline and truth are often considered evil by those who are themselves evil. Lots of people are confused by this chapter. Did God change His mind? I thought God never changed. How can He change His mind? Jonah’s message to the people of Nineveh was not a prophecy; it was a warning. If things continued as they had been before his warning, God would have destroyed Nineveh. As it is, when they turned back to their old ways, God did destroy them. God delayed His wrath against Nineveh and Assyria as a whole, because of their turning away from the evil they were doing, and their acts of contrition toward God. In Jeremiah chapter 18, God tells Jeremiah to go to the potter’s workshop and watch him work. God spoke to Jeremiah there, explaining that God was like the potter. Since He was the creator, He could decide the fate of His creation. Jeremiah 18:7-8 7 If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, 8 and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it. Just like He did with Nineveh, God tells Jeremiah that those nations who turn from evil will not receive the punishment that would have been in store for them. The people of Nineveh heard the message, believed it was true, and acted on that message. They believed the message, but I don’t think they truly believed in the God who sent them the message. Their actions were based in fear of the punishment, and not respect for the One who would be giving that punishment. Things are no different for us today than they were for the people of Nineveh in Jonah’s day. If we believe the message is true and repent of our sins, and act on that message, then God will save us from the disaster that is planned for all of those who are against Him. Believing a message is one thing. It’s even more important to believe the one who sent that message, not just the messenger. Like Jesus said: John 13:16 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. The one who sent Jonah to Nineveh is greater than all. Conclusion Jonah’s message was simple, and the people of Nineveh believed it. 40 days, and it’s over. Peter’s message was a little more complex, but still simple to understand. On the day of Pentecost, after the Holy Spirit fell on the disciples that were gathered together, Peter explained to the crowds that gathered what was going on. But he did it by pointing to prophecy in scripture. Peter quoted from Joel, explaining the amazing things that had happened that day. He quoted from the Psalms, pointing to more prophecy that Jesus was truly the Messiah they were waiting for, even though He wasn’t what they expected to see. With the help of the Holy Spirit, his sermon was compelling and convicted the people listening to him. Just like the people of Nineveh, these people heard the message, and they believed that message. But they were confused about what to do. Acts 2:37-38 37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Three thousand people who heard Peter’s message acted on what they heard that day, and were baptized. They were immersed into the death of Christ and raised to be a new person, forgiven of the sins of their past. That offer still stands for all who believe. Luke 11:32 (Closing) 32 The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.
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