Jonah 3:1-10 – “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 thee. So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey. 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. So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, 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 every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?

And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.”

Ch. 1 – Away from God leaving Ch. 2 – Alone with God learning Ch. 3 – Active for God laboring Ch. 4 – Angry at God and lagging

Verse 1 “And the Word of the Lord came unto Jonah” The Lord in His grace and mercy speaks unto him the second time

Verse 1 “The God of the second chance” Thousand chances Psalm 136 – “For His mercy endureth forever.”

Verse 2 “Arise go to Nineveh” Jonah 1:2 – “Arise go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me” o The mission was the same – “Go to Nineveh!” o The message was the same – “Preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee”

Verse 3 “So Jonah arose and went unto Nineveh” This time Jonah immediately obeys God’s call

Verse 3 “Three days” Refers to a larger administrative district of Nineveh (Circumference of 55 miles)

Verse 4 “And Jonah began to enter into the city” o Preached about the true God of Heaven and earth o Preached about the wickedness of the people of Nineveh o Preached about the need to repent and turn to Jehovah o Preached a message of judgment

Verse 4 “Yet 40 days and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” Both the announcement and this specified delay shows God’s mercy

Verse 5 “So the people of Nineveh believed God” The people of Nineveh were ripe for Jonah’s evangelistic message

Verse 5 “They proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth” These are expressions of mourning and lamentation

Verse 5 “From the greatest of them to the least of them” All classes of people were involved in this national repentance

Verse 6 The King also humbles himself and repents

Verse 7 The King proclaims and publishes a fast throughout Nineveh

Verse 8 o The way to national repentance is the repentance of its leaders o Repentance: A change of mind that results in a turning from sin to God

Verse 8 “Cry mightily to God and turn everyone from his evil way” Two essentials for salvation: Faith and repentance Mark 1:15 – “Repent ye and believe the Gospel”

Verse 9 “Who can tell if God will turn and repent, that we perish not” They had no evidence on which to base their faith, they simply threw themselves on the mercy of God Lamentations 3:22,23 – “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”

Verse 9 “Who can tell if God will turn and repent, that we perish not” They had no evidence on which to base their faith, they simply threw themselves on the mercy of God Romans 11:32 – “For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.”

Verse 10 “And God saw their works, and God repented of the evil” God did not change in His intentions toward the Ninevites, rather, they changed in their attitude toward Him Titus 2:11 – “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men”

Verse 10 “And God saw their works, and God repented of the evil” God did not change in His intentions toward the Ninevites, rather, they changed in their attitude toward Him Hebrews 2:9 – “That He by the grace of God should taste death for every man”

John 1:17 – “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ”