Jonah 3:6-10--The People of Nineveh Repent

Jonah 3:6-10
English Standard Version

The People of Nineveh Repent
6 The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, 8 but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. 9 Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.”

10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.

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The message that Jonah proclaimed reached the ears the king.  Now you might expect the king to be upset and to be out for blood--wanting to kill the prophet that would dare to proclaim judgment against him and his people  After all, we've seen that kind of response from the kings of Israel and Judah, so why not expect it from the king of a wicked people.

However, that is not the response.  He took off his royal robes and put on sackcloth (a visible symbol of repentance and mourning over one's sins).  He also issued a proclamation that no man or domesticated animal was to eat or drink anything (a total fast) and all men and domesticated animals were to be covered in sackcloth.  They are all together to cry out to God that He might save them.

He proclaims that all men should turn away from their violence and other evil ways.  He hopes that perhaps God may change His mind and turn away from His fierce anger so that they will not perish (I think the king thinks of perishing in both the first death and second death contexts here).

The LORD hears the prayers of the king and the people of Nineveh and delays judgment (He does not say that they will never be judged, but He gives this generation that repents a reprieve).  The judgment will come, but not against these particular people  How do you think Jonah will respond?  We'll see that in the rest of this book.