In Jonah's story, the power of God to save Jonah from the sea is obvious to us. But the power of God to save Nineveh is often missed.
Those people were exceedingly wicked and violent. They started wars, and plundered and murdered entire nations.
But God delivered Nineveh from divine judgment by a powerful working in their hearts, to hear Jonah's warnings, to believe them, and then to call upon God for mercy.
It was an astounding example of conversion by God's power, that these bloodthirsty people believed the word from the Lord and called upon Him!
What other nation had ever heard God's word, believed it, and repented and called out for mercy? Even Israel wouldn't believe God's word and repent!
In Nineveh's case, God used His mighty power to make Jonah preach to Nineveh. Jonah preached to the people, the people heard God's word from Jonah, the people believed what God had said, and the people cried out for mercy to God. Even their king was involved in this national repentance.
But not everyone to whom God's word is preached will believe. As Isaiah lamented, "who has believed our report?"
As believers, we all know the beauty and power of what Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 53: God's Lamb, punished in our place, for our sins laid upon Him by God Himself. It proclaims Christ's perfection, love and determination to save His people from their sins by His propitiatory sacrifice to God.
And yet, Israel refused to believe it! They have for the most part rejected Christ as their savior, even while He hung on the cross, and was fulfilling God's gospel promises right before their very eyes!
In fact, it takes a miracle from God for people to believe the Gospel! |
