Not Nineveh! #3

 Read Jonah 3

Background: Having run away from God's call to go preach at Nineveh, Jonah was swallowed by the great fish.  There he finally called out to God and vowed to serve Him, resulting in God having fish spit him out onto dry land. Physically, it looked like Jonah was "heading in the right direction."  In this chapter, Jonah went into the city preaching, and within a day revival broke out, word spreading everywhere, including the palace of the king.  It was a preacher's dream come true.  The king publicly repented and called on all his people to do so.

Key verses: 7 This 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. 8 But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. 9 Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.”
10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.

Thoughts: The King called for a fast, along with demonstrating repentance with sackcloth and ashes, accompanied by prayers and a change of lifestyle.  This was what God was looking for, so he did not bring the destruction of judgment He intended to.  All they needed to do was to hear God's message and they changed.  That was the message Jonah needed to hear, and His own people needed to follow themselves.