Thursday, October 2 – Jonah 3:7-10

The king’s decree in verses 7-9 shows the pervasiveness of personal and systemic sin that was in Nineveh. The city as a whole was to go into mourning and fasting, and the individuals who made up the city were to turn from their evil ways as well. The city as a whole was corrupt, and the citizens were corrupt as well. The Ninevites turn from their evil ways in the hopes that God will relent from destroying the city. They do not know if God will change his mind, but their survival is at stake, so they are going to try.

And what we see in verse 10 is such a perfect summary of who God is. God was going to destroy Nineveh for their evil deeds, but God saw that they had changed, so he gave them a second chance. God did not want to destroy Nineveh. God wanted them to live. God would have destroyed Nineveh because of their corruption and wickedness, but he preferred that Nineveh and its people remain alive.

This is who God is for you and me as well. He doesn’t want us to be destroyed because of our sin and wickedness, but he will punish us and allow us to face the consequences of our mistakes. However, if we repent of our sin, like Jonah and Nineveh did, God will rescue us and give us new life. That is the good news. When we turn away from our sin and walk toward God, God’s love and grace will do the rest.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jonah%203%3A7-10&version=NASB