The Outcome Is the Lord’s
Here’s this week’s video overview of Jonah chapter 3.
Jonah 3:2-4
2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days' journey in breadth. 4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”
This (second) time, Jonah actually goes and does what the Lord has commanded.
At least, I think he does. Truthfully, it’s a strange series of events.
Nineveh is a three days’ journey across, but Jonah goes only one day into the city. Is he being faithful, or not? Does he quit too soon?
Jonah has just been in the belly of the beast three days, and here he enters the belly of a different kind of “beast”—the city of Nineveh. Should he have gone all the way through?
Then, when he delivers his message, it is really strange: he doesn’t explain what Nineveh has done, who it is who sent him, and if there is even a possibility for repentance for the city.
What we will see is that, despite these possible problems, Jonah ends up being remarkably successful in his mission.
What does this mean?
When God commands something, all we have to do is do it. Success depends on God.
