Jonah 3 Part 1: God Again Tells Jonah to Go to Nineveh
Jonah 3:1-2
“Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and proclaim to it the proclamation which I am going to tell you.””
Jonah 3:1-2 NASB1995
After Jonah’s attempt to run and hide from God and his ensuing nautical adventures, God comes to him again and tells him to arise and go to Nineveh, the great city. This time, God does not tell Jonah what He wants him to do or say, but to wait for the proclamation that will come from Him. This time, Jonah is on-board with the directions from God and he sets out for Nineveh to await further instructions.
Here’s what commentary from Enduring Word says about God’s patience and love for his prophet:
Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time: This shows the amazing love of God to His wayward people. Though Jonah did everything he could to resist the first call of God, after Jonah repented God called him again – though God was under no obligation to do it. He did it out of mercy and grace.
“By paralleling here the book’s opening remarks, almost word for word, the author skillfully conveys the idea that Jonah is being offered a new beginning.” (T. Desmond Alexander)
“How many of us who have been called to deliver the word of Jehovah, would still be doing it, if it were not for this patient and perfecting grace of God? Surely not many! How have we failed Him, and broken down in our ministry; and often not on ground so high as that of Jonah’s failure.” (G. Campbell Morgan)
God was determined to do the work through Jonah, so He did not give up on the reluctant prophet. God is often just this committed to doing His work through a man. “Suppose that the problem had been given to us to solve – how shall this city be moved to repentance? How shall its vice be forsaken and the God of Israel worshipped by all its inhabitants from the highest to the lowest? If we had not been paralysed with despair, which is the most probable, we should, nevertheless, have sat down carefully to consider our plans. We should have parceled it out into missionary districts; we should have needed at least several hundreds, if not thousands, of able ministers; at once, expenses would have to be incurred, and we should have considered ourselves bound to contemplate the erection of innumerable structures in which the Word of God might be preached. Our machinery would necessarily become cumbrous; we should find that we, unless we had the full resources of an empire, could not even begin the work. But what saith the Lord concerning this? Putting aside the judgments of reason, and all the plans and schemes which flesh and blood so naturally do follow, he raises up one man. By a singular providence he qualifies that one man for his mission.” (Charles Spurgeon)
Preach to it the message that I tell you: Instead of telling Jonah to cry out against Nineveh, this time God simply tells Jonah to go there and wait for further instructions. God frequently works this way, and our flesh often finds it irritating that He does.
The story of Jonah demonstrates why many times God leads us one step at a time without telling us more. When God told Jonah what he would say in Nineveh, Jonah rejected the call. God often only tells us what we can handle at the time.
I think Charles Spurgeon nails it - We would despair if God told us to do this because of the magnitude of the task, busily creating missionary districts and hiring hundreds of preachers and expense accountants and pulpit builders. But God raises up a single man for this task. After Jonah’s path back to redemption, by acknowledging that God is his salvation, he is now ready to proceed and obey.
God may also give us incomplete instructions, telling us to go or do something, then to await further instructions. Guzik tells us that this can be irritating to our flesh, because we impatient humans want all the answers RIGHT NOW. Jonah was incapable of handling the original call, to go to Nineveh and tell them to repent. Now he gets the marching orders to go, but not the next step. That will come when he arrives at the huge city by the Tigris River.
My next devotional examines Jonah 3:3-4, Jonah preaches in Nineveh.
Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:
Dear Lord - Please guide me in my obedience to know that I don’t need an empire or marching army to do something if you believe I can do it with your guidance alone. You will provide what is needed at the right time and in the right place. Thank you for guiding us in every step and help me to answer the call. Amen!
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Commentary from Enduring Word by David Guzik is used with written permission.