Nineveh Repents

Daily Devotional: Read Jonah 3:6–9

When you think about kings or national leaders throughout history, you probably think of strength and power. After all, that’s how they came to be leaders. So it might be hard to imagine any world leader “cover[ing] himself with sackcloth” and sitting “down in the dust” (v. 6)—both markers of repentance. Yet that’s exactly what the king of Nineveh did in Jonah 3.

What’s more, the king went beyond personal repentance and called on all his people to “give up their evil ways and their violence” in the hopes that “God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish” (vv. 8–9).

Jonah’s short sermon had cut to the heart of the king of Nineveh! And the king didn’t just command all the people to turn from their wickedness; the king commanded that even “the animals be covered with sackcloth” (v. 8)! The situation was deadly serious, but the author of Jonah gave us a bit of comedic relief with this picture of animals across Nineveh covered in sackcloth.

All of this, and the king is not even sure God would relent. You can hear the desperation in his voice when he states, “Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish” (v. 9). Though the king doesn’t know that God will relent, the readers have an inkling that He will be based on how He responded to the sailors in chapter 1 (see 1:6–16). In addition, Jonah certainly knows that the Lord will show compassion. Despite the king’s lack of knowledge of God’s compassionate ways, he and his nation have repented and thrown themselves upon God’s mercy. Just like the sailors in chapter 1, here in chapter 3 pagans demonstrate trust in God more clearly than the prophet Jonah.

Go Deeper

Are there times when you’ve thrown yourself on God’s mercy, unsure of how He would respond? How did He respond?

Pray with Us

Father God, thank You for the humbling example of the king of Nineveh in today’s reading who threw himself on Your mercy. Jesus, help us overcome our pride and stubbornness and seek You for forgiveness and restoration.

Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence.

Jonah 3:8–9