THE SECOND MISSION Jonah is called again Jonah responds to Gods - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

THE SECOND MISSION • Jonah is called again • Jonah responds to God’s call • Nineveh’s change of heart • The decree & hope of the king • God’s response

JONAH IS CALLED AGAIN The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time, saying, ‘Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you. ’ So Jonah set out and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. (Jonah 3:1-3a)

SIMON BAR JONAH When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you. ’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs. ’ A second time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you. ’ Jesus said to him, ‘Tend my sheep. ’ He said to him the third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ And he said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you. ’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep. Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go. ’ (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, ‘Follow me. ’ (John 21:15-19)

JONAH IS CALLED AGAIN  God’s mercy is never locked onto past failures  Why did God repeat his instructions to Jonah?

THE TWO CALLS OF JONAH “Go at once to Nineveh, that great city, & cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before me” (1:2). “ Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, & proclaim to it the message that I tell you” (3:2).

JONAH RESPONDS TO GOD’S CALL Now Nineveh was an exceedingly large city, a days’ three walk across. Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s walk. And he cried out, ‘Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!’ (Jonah 3:3b-4)

NINEVEH

LAMASSU

JONAH’S MESSAGE  No ambiguity about the message – or is there?  The time element – 40 days  A time of trial leading to renewal

NINEVEH’S CHANGE OF HEART And the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth. When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. (Jonah 3:5-6)

THE NINEVITES’ RESPONSE The people of Nineveh will rise up at the judgement with this generation & condemn it, because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah, & see, something greater than Jonah is here! (Mt 12:41)

THE RESPONSE OF THE KING He rises from his throne; He removes his robe; He covers himself with sackcloth; He sits in ashes.

A HUMBLED & REPENTANT KING  Contrast to images of absolute power  Symbols of brutal military might

THE DECREE & HOPE OF THE KING Then he had a proclamation made in Nineveh: ‘By the decree of the king and his nobles: No human being or animal, no herd or flock, shall taste anything. They shall not feed, nor shall they drink water. Human beings and animals shall be covered with sackcloth, and they shall cry mightily to God. All shall turn from their evil ways and from the violence that is in their hands. Who knows? God may relent and change his mind; he may turn from his fierce anger, so that we do not perish. ’ (Jonah 3:7-9)

ECCLESIASTES 3:19-21 For the fate of humans & the fate of animals is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, & humans have no advantage over the animals; for all is vanity. All go to one place; all are from the dust, & all turn to dust again. Who knows whether the human spirit goes upwards & the spirit of animals goes downwards to the earth?

“WHO KNOWS?” ‘ Who knows? God may relent & change his mind; he may turn from his fierce anger, so that we do not perish. ’ (Jonah 3:9)

JOEL 2:12-14 Yet even now, says the LORD, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the LORD, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing. Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain-offering and a drink-offering for the LORD, your God?

GOD’S RESPONSE When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; & he did not do it. (Jonah 3:10)