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Why did God save Nineveh?
Lou Newton
·
July 5, 2019
Former Steel Mill Crane Designer and Physics Teacher
Jonah 1 (NIV)
Jonah Flees From the Lord
1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”
3 But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.
..................................
Jonah Goes to Nineveh
3 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.
10 But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 11 And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh,in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”
God saved Nineveh because they believed God and then fasted to be able to hear from God. They repented of their evil ways and asked God to forgive them.
Jonah was one fantastic preacher to preach to the most evil city in the world and they believed God and repented on their evil ways.
1 John 1
8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.
The promises of God are eternal. They have always been true and always will be true. God will forgive anyone of any sin IF they confess their sin TO GOD and trust Him alone, to save them.
Some accuse Jonah was being angry at God for saving Nineveh because it was an enemy of Israel. But if one reads Jewish history they will see that God had sent Jonah to Jerusalem and preach against it. When they repented God did not destroy Jerusalem. But then some Jews wanted to kill the very prophet who warned them and caused them to repent and they were then saved. They claimed since God did not destroy Jerusalem then Jonah was a false prophet. This of course is ridiculous because Jonah’s message was from God and caused them to repent and be saved. But Jonah was almost killed for warning them to repent. So Jonah was angry because God did this to him again. That is why Jonah ran from God in the first place. He did not want to be accused of being a false prophet the second time.
Lou Newton
·
July 5, 2019
Former Steel Mill Crane Designer and Physics Teacher
Jonah 1 (NIV)
Jonah Flees From the Lord
1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”
3 But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.
..................................
Jonah Goes to Nineveh
3 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.
10 But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 11 And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh,in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”
God saved Nineveh because they believed God and then fasted to be able to hear from God. They repented of their evil ways and asked God to forgive them.
Jonah was one fantastic preacher to preach to the most evil city in the world and they believed God and repented on their evil ways.
1 John 1
8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.
The promises of God are eternal. They have always been true and always will be true. God will forgive anyone of any sin IF they confess their sin TO GOD and trust Him alone, to save them.
Some accuse Jonah was being angry at God for saving Nineveh because it was an enemy of Israel. But if one reads Jewish history they will see that God had sent Jonah to Jerusalem and preach against it. When they repented God did not destroy Jerusalem. But then some Jews wanted to kill the very prophet who warned them and caused them to repent and they were then saved. They claimed since God did not destroy Jerusalem then Jonah was a false prophet. This of course is ridiculous because Jonah’s message was from God and caused them to repent and be saved. But Jonah was almost killed for warning them to repent. So Jonah was angry because God did this to him again. That is why Jonah ran from God in the first place. He did not want to be accused of being a false prophet the second time.