For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: Jonah 3:1-10

1 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: 2 ‘Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.’

3 Jonah 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. 4 Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, ‘Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.’ 5 The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.

6 When 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. 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.

A. Find Out:

1. What did God tell Jonah to do? v.1,2
2. So what did he do? v.3,4
3. How did they respond? v.5,6
4. What was the extent of the king’s repentance? v.7-9
5. So what did God do? v.10

B. Think:

1. What did Jonah just have to do?
2. How effectual was his work?
3. So what was the outcome?

C. Comment:

   There is a sense, almost, that this chapter is too easy. Jonah comes and preaches, there is wholesale repentance, and the city is saved from destruction. Wonderful! But let’s think about it some more.

     God comes to Jonah in his bedraggled state and tells him to go and preach repentance to Nineveh. Jonah now goes. Why? Because he’s in no state to do anything else and he has promised (2:9) to be obedient. Nineveh was a major city as we’ve already observed so it will take three days to go through it. Jonah arrives at the outskirts and immediately starts preaching. The word spreads like wildfire and there is repentance (whether v.5 is a summary of what happened after the king sent out his edict, or whether it already started to happen is not made clear).

     But why the amazing response? It is speculation because we are not told, but we may suggest the following. First Jonah was such a terrible sight – probably bleached white by being inside the fish – so he’s going to be listened to. Second, usually the word comes to prepared, hungry hearts. Third, the Lord convicts the people. Jonah is only a small part of this. He is the small flame that kindles a great fire. The repentance is real and whole-hearted, just the sort the Lord looks for, so He does not bring the threatened judgement. Does God change His mind? Only when people change and real repentance is that change. Wonderful isn’t it! Nineveh is saved! Well Jonah has something to say about that; he’s still learning!

D. Application:

1. When God tells us to do something He’s in it already.
2. Fruitfulness comes from God taking our small activities.