True Repentance Series

As we begin looking toward our mission conference next month, I want to share some thoughts with you from the book of Jonah – a prophet who tried to escape from warning a savage nation to repent, because he actually wanted God to judge them!

So he boarded a ship heading the other way, but God sent a storm to intercept him. The mariners threw him overboard to save their lives, the storm miraculously ceased, and these Gentile sailors became Jonah’s first converts as they worshipped the God Who had spared their lives.

Meanwhile, God sent a great fish to swallow Jonah, and miraculously kept him alive for three days and nights during the world’s first submarine voyage until the fish spat him out. Centuries later, Jesus said that Jonah’s journey in the fish’s belly was a picture of Christ’s burial for three days and nights in the tomb.

Jonah finally began moving in the direction God had for him. He entered the city and began delivering his warning, Yet 40 days and Nineveh shall be overthrown!

And that’s where we left off last week.

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.

Heavenly Father, we ask for Your Spirit to search our hearts, to try our thoughts and expose any false way in us. Thank you for the Spirit that grieves our hearts over things that grieve Yours – that vexes our souls over sin.

We thank you for leaders who honor you and influence others for good. As we elect our leaders this fall, may there be a fresh stirring in our people’s hearts to lift up those who honor You – and may You expose those who hide their hearts – may You bring their evil to light.

And may the change we want to see You do in our land begin in us – in Jesus’ name, Amen!

A lot of people think that since verse 5 appears before verse 6, it must have happened before verse 6. But I don’t think so. Verse 6 begins by saying, For word came unto the king of Nineveh. That word for means “Because”. That is, what happened in verse 5 was “Because” word came unto the king. And verses 7 and 8 explain that the king was the one who decreed the fasting and wearing of sackcloth that verse 5 shows the people doing.

And if you’re wondering why a king, a civil ruler, would be issuing a religious decree for his people to repent, it’s because in ancient times, outside of Israel, there was no separation of state and religion. The king over the state was also the High Priest of the local religion. And so, you see this priest-king leading the revival.

So the people’s repentance in verse 5 is a response to the king’s actions in verses 6-9. That is, the king of Nineveh was leading from the front, not from behind.

I know that in modern democracies, politicians often check which way the wind is blowing, and then try to get out in front of it. But ancient warlords of aggressor nations didn’t get their thrones by acting like modern spineless politicians!

And this top-down city-wide revival illustrates how cultures are shaped from the top. Perhaps you’ve heard it said – “Everything rises and falls on leadership.”

A culture is good or bad according as its leaders are good or bad. Jesus said in Mattthew 10:24, the disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.

That’s why James says in James 3:1, be not many masters knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. A leader’s blunders merit greater condemnation because of the greater harm they cause. In Matthew 23:14, Jesus told the abusive leaders of his day, ye shall receive the greater condemnation.