The word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.”
Jonah 3:1
It was not a foregone conclusion that Jonah would go to Nineveh when God called him a second time. Nothing had changed in Nineveh, so Jonah still had at least four objections to overcome:
1. Fear
The Assyrians were still known for terror and torture. Jonah still had to face his old fears.
2. Shame
Jonah had failed the Lord greatly. His sin had been exposed, and he must have wondered, “How can God use me?” Jonah had to get over his shame to obey God’s call.
3. Self-Interest
The Assyrian army was the greatest threat to God’s people, and Nineveh was one of the great Assyrian cities. Jonah feared that God would have compassion on Nineveh (4:2).
4. Unbelief
Can God really change a wicked city through one man speaking God’s Word? Nineveh had not changed, but by grace Jonah had, and when God’s Word came the second time, Jonah rose obediently and went to Nineveh (3:3).
What happened in Nineveh was an extraordinary work of God. The Ninevites believed God, and they declared a fast and put on sackcloth (3:5). Even the king sat in sackcloth in the dust (3:6) — an expression of humility and penitence before God.
The king issued a proclamation that everyone “call out mightily to God… [and] turn from his evil way… God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish” (3:8-9). By any standard, this is an amazing transformation.
Which of these four barriers to obedience are you struggling with now?
