1 This is the Word of the LORD which came to Jonah the son of Amittai: 2“Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh and announce to her that I see how wicked they are.”
It is somewhat mysterious as to how the Word of the LORD makes His presence and will known to the prophets. It’s easier when He gives the prophet a vision. Does He just start talking to the prophet in a regular voice? How does he know it is the LORD who is speaking? How does he know it isn’t just his inner voice or even the voice of a demon? Well we get to read this in hindsight and the message to the prophets is consistent through the prophets.
Some Rabbis believe Jonah was the son of one of the widows Elijah or Elisha helped. He is believed to have his ministry in the 8th century BC. His ministry was probably during the early rise of the Assyrian empire. The name of the king of Ninevah is not mentioned.
So what does the LORD tell Jonah? “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh and announce to her that I see how wicked they are.” Now you should find this quite amazing. Israel and Judah were God’s chosen people. Assyria was an enemy to all its neighbors including Israel and Judah. Why would the LORD warn them they were about to be destroyed because of their sins. The LORD sees how wicked they are. We are not told what particular sins they are involved in. No doubt they worshiped false gods, idols. But along with idol worship Paul tells the following sins follow idolatry in Romans 1, sexual immorality, homosexuality, “wrongdoing, wickedness, greed, malice. They are full of envy, murder, quarreling, treachery, viciousness. They gossip and slander. 30They hate God. They are insulting, proud, boasting. They invent new evils. They disobey parents. 31They are foolish. They break their promises. They have no love or mercy.”
We can imagine they were engaging in such things. Now it is not amazing the LORD would destroy such a culture. It is amazning He would warn them. Then again, Noah preached righteousness before the flood. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob proclaimed the name of the LORD to the nations the Israelites would later conquer and wipe out, having been warned by the partriarchs to repent. He constantly sends the prophets to call the Israelites and Judah to repent of their sins.
This is truly the nature of the LORD to call people to repentance. As He tells Ezekiel, 23“Do I want the wicked to die? asks the Lord GOD. Don’t I want him to turn from his ways and live?” (ch. 18) The LORD reveals the same in 2 Pet. 3, “9The Lord isn’t slow to do what He promised, as some people think. He is patient with you and doesn’t want any to perish but wants them all to come to repentance.”
So too, the LORD Jesus Christ today has the Church going throughout the world calling people of every people, tribe, nation and tongue to repent of their sins and turn to Jesus Christ for salvation. The LORD Jesus doesn’t want anyone to perish but wants all people to repent and live. Thanks be to God, He has given us the Holy Spirit and faith that we would repent of our sins and believe in Him, receiving from Him eternal life. May we, the Church, continue to use our resources to proclaim the Gospel to a fallen world that they may join us in the kingdom of God.
Heavenly Father, it is not Your will that any perish but that all would repent and receive eternal life from Your Son Jesus Christ. Give us courage to support this mission and as we are able share the Good News of Jesus Christ with everyone we meet. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.