Jonah’s Recommission

Jonah’s Recommission

Text: Jonah 3 – And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying, 2 Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. 3 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. 4 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. 5 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. 6 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. 7 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: 8 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. 9 Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? 10 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.

Introduction

I. God’s (v. 1-2)

Jonah 3:1-2 – And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying, 2 Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.

• God’s (v. 1)
  Jonah 3:1 – And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying,

  Psalm 34:15 – The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.

  Psalm 78:38-39 – But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath. 39 For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.

  Ephesians 4:30-32 – And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

  “He who cannot forgive others breaks the bridge over which he must pass himself.” – George Herbert
  
  

• Jonah’s (v. 2)
  Jonah 3:2 – Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.

  2 Timothy 4:2 – Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.

  “The will of God will never lead you where the grace of God can’t keep you and the power of God can’t use you.” – Warren Wiersbe
  

Jonah’s (v. 3-4)

Jonah 3:3-4 – 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. 4 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.

• A Messenger (v. 3a)
  Jonah 3:3a – So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord.
  
  

• A Mission Field (v. 3b)
  Jonah 3:3b – Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days’ journey.
  
  

• A Message (v. 4)
  Jonah 3:4 – 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.

  Genesis 19:24-25 – Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven; 25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.
  
  

Nineveh’s (v. 5-10)

Jonah 3:5-10 – 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. 6 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. 7 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: 8 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. 9 Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? 10 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.

• Their (v. 5a)
  Jonah 3:5 – So the people of Nineveh believed God…

  “Although Nineveh was not overturned, it did experience a turn around.” – Desmond Alexander

  Romans 5:1 – Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
  
  

• Their (v. 5b-8a)
  Jonah 3:5b-8b – … and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. 6 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. 7 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: 8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God:

  “If repentance is anything, it is not business as usual. When repentance comes, something has to change, and something has to be different. In their case, the people of Nineveh took off their normal clothes and put on sackcloth – a thick coarse cloth, normally made from goat’s hair. Wearing it displayed the rejection of earthly comforts and pleasures.” – David Guzik

  Matthew 19:26 – But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

  Isaiah 55:11 – So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

  “Universal commitment results in unbelievable changes!” – John Goetsch
  
  

• Their (v. 8b)
  Jonah 3:8 – …yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.

  Proverbs 28:13 – He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

  “In the Christian life, repentance does not describe what you must do to turn to God; it describes the very process of turning to God. When we truly turn to Him, we turn away from the things that displease Him.” – David Guzik
  
  

• God’s (v. 9-10)
  Jonah 3:9-10 – Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? 10 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.

  I John 1:9 – If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

  1 Peter 5:5 – For God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

  Jeremiah 18:8 – If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.

  Joel 2:13 – And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

  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…
  

Conclusion: