Second Chances And Signs! Sin, Supplication And Salvation! Series

Jonah 3:1-10 KJV And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying, 2 Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. 3 So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey. 4 And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. 5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. 6 For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: 8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. 9 Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? 10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 KJV

1. HE KEEPS ON GIVING US CHANCES!

Jonah gets a second chance to obey Yahweh and do his duty! God is long suffering and willing to preserve, not willing that any should perish. He’s the God of second chances and third and so on!

Over and over again because of His mercy and patience we are given another chance to do the right thing, to walk the right path, to align ourselves to His will. When storms descend on you and circumstances rise up with gaping jaws to swallow you then you should first ask yourself if you are in His will.

When the winds are contrary

And the waves become scary

And everyone's pointing at you asking why

When conditions are critical

And the solution seems terminal

And it seem as though it's your time to die

It's time to remember

Yahweh's got your number

And stands ready to give you another try!

For He's the God of the second chance

And your life He wants to enhance

To remold the shapeless blob you've become

And redirect you to a new outcome

As you yield to His will

He'll say Peace, be still

And He'll help you to overcome!

The wicked need to be warned! Maybe the Ninevites were not aware that they were doing wrong. Maybe their concept of right and wrong was skewed in relation to the Righteousness of God. They had to be warned that they would die if they did not repent.

Jonah's message was simple and single "Yet 40 days and Nineveh shall be destroyed" No talk of repentance, No offering of hope. Just a bare warning of impending doom! Is it that Jonah it appears, still did not want to give the Ninevites a promise of hope lest it gives them a chance to repent?

2. HIS SIGNS ARE PLAIN IF WE CARE TO SEE!

Luke 11:29-32 KJV And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. 30 For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation. 31 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.

Jonah's ministry was fully endorsed by Jesus.

Jonah was endorsed as a prophet

Jonah was endorsed as a sign to the Ninevites

Jonah was endorsed as having a successful mission.

How was Jonah a sign to the Ninevites?

Why did they repent en masse at Jonah's preaching? What made him so effective?