UBF Daily Bread

GOD RELENTED

Passage: Jonah 3:1~10

Key verse: 10

Jonah Goes to Nineveh

3 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah^(A) a second time: ²“Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”

³Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it. ⁴Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming,^(B) “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” ⁵The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.^(C)

⁶When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust.^(D) ⁷This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh:

“By the decree of the king and his nobles:

Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink.^(E) ⁸But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call^(F) urgently on God. Let them give up^(G) their evil ways^(H) and their violence.^(I) ⁹Who knows?^(J) God may yet relent^(K) and with compassion turn^(L) from his fierce anger^(M) so that we will not perish.”

¹⁰When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented^(N) and did not bring on them the destruction^(O) he had threatened.^(P)

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Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

1. Jonah proclaims judgment on Nineveh (1-4)

This time Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and traveled to the large city of Nineveh: three days of witnessing evil and violence. He did not say, "Salvation comes from the LORD", but: "Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown." If God would hunt down a rebellious prophet, surely, he would not allow the wickedness of Nineveh to go unpunished!

2. Nineveh believes God's word and repents (5-10)

Although Jonah had no concern for those he preached to, they believed God, all of them fasting and repenting in sackcloth, from the greatest to the least. The king even issued a decree of city-wide repentance and calling out to God. When God saw how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he threatened. The Holy God chose mercy. His justice would be satisfied on the cross of Christ. Our message today in Jesus is the message of God who shows mercy to all who repent and believe.

Prayer: Father, thank you for your mercy!

One Word: trust in God's mercy