Message topic: God keeps His promises when men fails.
Scripture text: Jonah 3:1-7
The people of Nineveh were evil in their ways, they did many evil things in the sight of God; now God was about to destroy them, so he called one of His prophets, Jonah by name, and told him to go and tell the Ninevites of a pending destruction that is about to come on them from the God whom they fail to honor and serve.
Jonah knows all the evil doings of the Ninevites to the Israelites, and he would be deleted to see the destruction of Nineveh so he willingly disobeyed the command of God, and took a ship going in the upper sit direction from Nineveh, hoping that if he did not give the warning to the Ninevites, they would be destroyed by God.
Jonah did not know the depth of God’s love for mankind and that he was not willing to destroy anyone without first giving them the opportunity to hear His command and refuses to heed before He would punish them. Jonah in his dislike and hearted for the people of Nineveh wanted to see the destruction of these people so instead going and give them the warning from God, he went to another place to await the destruction of these people.
Jonah intended to sail in a ship on top of the water to get to the place of his choice, but God took him under the water to get to Nineveh the place He intended him to go with the message He has for those people to turn from their wicked ways. Or be consumed in his anger of their evil ways within forty days.
God wanted the Ninevites to know that if they would turn away from their transgressions, that they are transgressing against Him, He would give them a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die in your transgressions. For I have no pleasure in the death of him that die, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn your selves and live.
God’s plans will always prevail, and though Joana’s plan was to sail in a ship on top of the sea, God’s plan was for him to go to the city of Nineveh with the message he gave him, even if he will have to go under the sea, he will get there with the message from God to the people of that city. God’s will must, and will be done.
It is possible that Jonah thinks this would be the end of his life when he said to the sailors of the ship on which he was sailing to get to the destination of his choice, but he did not know that God has a plan to get him to Nineveh with the message he had for those people.
He was swallowed alive by a large sea dwelling creature and was there for three days and three nights before he reached the shore of Nineveh and was vomited on the shore of the city where God intended him to be with his words for those people.
What was the message that God had for the people of Nineveh and chose Jonah to take it to them? The city of Nineveh would be overthrown in forty days if they did not turn from their wicked ways.
How did these people react when they heard this warning?
The people were sorry for all the evil things that they had done, and proclaimed a time of fasting, putting on sackcloth and ash:
The King arose from his throne, removed his robe, and covered himself with sackcloth ashes and asked for forgiveness from God: God heard their earnest request, and answered their prayer.
The King and the nobles called for a decree, saying, let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any- thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God; yea let them turn everyone from his evil ways and from the violence that is in their lands.
Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not. Do you think this was an earnest request to God for forgiveness?
What is ment by sackcloth and ash? Sackcloth and ash were used in the O/T times as a symbol of great morning or repentance: someone wanted to show his repentant heart would wear sackcloth which was made from black goat’s hair, making it quite uncomfortable to wear, and then sit in ash, in showing their regret.
Reflecting back on our topic for sharing today: what can we understand from the words; God keeps His promises when men fail to do so? Can we see any failure of man in this incidence?
The first thing we saw displayed in this incidence is selfishness on the part of Jonah, knowing that these people were not obedient to the commands of God as they the Jews of Israel were, he wanted them to experience the wrath of God.
We hear God speaking through His prophet Isaiah in these words to the ungodly: let the wicked forsake his ways, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon: for my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways saith the Lord.
These people were given forty days to repent and turn to God, they heed the warning: and from the King and all the nobles including all men and beast should eat no food or drink any water, all that they should do was to earnestly seek God’s mercy and forgiveness.
When God saw their action that they turned from their evil way of living, He relented concerning the judgment he had threatened them with and did not destroy them.
This did not satisfied the selfish unforgiving nature of the messenger of God, but it displeased Jonah exceedingly and made him very angry.
He prayed to God and said, I pray thee O Lord, was not this my saying, when I was in my country? therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness, and repent Est thee of evil.
Let’s ask ourselves, who was Jonah? Jonah was a prophet, a man of God, then why was so much hate and spitefulness in him against the Ninevites? Why didn’t he want to see God extending his mercy to the people who followed the instruction given to them to turn to God and seek his mercy.
He had no love for these people and was not willing to forgive them of their lack of service to the God of Israel, his God.
What about us today who professes to be men and women of God? Can there be any of Jonah’s hate and unforgiveness be found in us
When we look at the act of Jonah did we see him displaying the love that God requires us as His people to be being displayed? Do we know what kind of love we are to display at all times?
Paul in first Corinthians 13: tells us of the type of love we should have for each other: how loving and kind are we? Are we gentle and forgiving as we art to be?
When we say to other that the Spirit of Christ is living in us, can they see any of the attributes of Christ Jesus being displaying through us at anytime or any place?