Their Response Was Impressive

Jonah 3:10
When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.

God asked Jonah to go to Nineveh but he didn’t want to go. Jonah wanted the people of Nineveh to perish in their sins. Jonah tried running away from God’s assignment by traveling in the opposite direction to Tarshish. God caused a storm in the sea and Jonah asked his fellow travelers to throw him into the sea so that the storm ceases. Jonah was actually trying to kill himself which is a sin. Running away from God’s assignment is sin. Trying to kill himself is a sin. After being thrown into the sea, God caused a Whale to swallow Jonah.

Nothing is impossible with God. Whether Whales exist in that sea or not cannot limit God from creating a Whale instantly for that purpose. Nothing is impossible with God. Whether whales have a small throat and can’t swallow an adult man, God can make it possible. Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days. Nothing is impossible with God. Whether a man can exist in the belly of the sea for three days is only possible where God is involved. The Bible tells us that what is impossible with human beings is possible with God, Luke 18:27. Therefore the biblical narrative of Jonah must be read with a faith mind and not a skeptic mind that thinks that what is impossible with a man would remain impossible with God.

We, therefore, believe that Jonah’s story is not a parable but something that really happened. The basis is that nothing is impossible with God. To introduce doubt to Bible stories that one thinks do not make sense is not a hallmark of scholarship but a betrayal of emptiness in appreciating religious literature. It is not the business of any preacher or Bible teacher to demonstrate how educated they are by casting doubt on straightforward Bible narratives. If one believes that nothing is impossible with God they can properly appreciate any and every Bible story. Jonah’s story is true and it did happen as recorded.

Jonah stayed in the belly of the fish for three days. On the third day, Jonah cried to God for forgiveness and deliverance and God graciously heard him. God forgave Jonah and ordered the fish to deliver him to Nineveh. On getting to Nineveh Jonah preached grudgingly but the people were touched and the whole nation led by the king repented their sins. The Bible tells us in our text today that God saw their response and was impressed. Their response was impressive.

Scriptures reveal that God was watching out for their response to His message through Jonah. As Jonah preached, God watched each person to see how they respond. God keenly waited to see what the people and their king do. When they all repented, God was impressed and He forgave them and did not punish them as He had planned. God forgave them because of how they responded. Their response was impressive.

How is your response when you read God’s word? How is your response when you listen to God’s word? How is your response when you are corrected? How is your response? God is watching to see your response. God blesses us when our response is impressive. When we listen, confess, and repent, God blesses us. Their response was impressive.

Jonah did not preach a sweet message of how they will be blessed and how they will get jobs and money and peace. Jonah was an angry preacher. He condemned them. He promised them soon coming death because of their sins. They did not respond by questioning Jonah’s preaching skills. They did not respond by criticizing the sermon. They did not respond by chasing Jonah. They did not respond by gathering in groups and discussing the poor work that Jonah did. They did not ask if Jonah cited enough sources in his sermon. They did not ask if he was a false prophet, because the sins they were committing were obvious. They responded by repenting. Their response was impressive.

How do you respond to preachers? Do you suddenly become a professor of homiletics and start questioning the method and content? Do you turn the message from God into a script you have been given to mark and identify mistakes? Do you start demanding what you expected from the sermon instead of responding to what you have heard? The only way to avert a crisis is to properly respond to God’s word. Listen, confess, and repent. Their response was impressive.

Our response to each other can improve or destroy our relationships. How do you respond to your juniors and seniors at work? How do you respond to your customers? How do you respond to your spouse? How do you respond to your children? How do you respond to your parents? How do you respond to your relatives and friends? How do you respond to those who seem to be challenging you? An impressive response will make things better under all circumstances. An impressive response to God and to fellow human beings will avert any and every crisis. Their response was impressive.

Dear God, forgive my harsh criticism of God’s word that has diverted my attention from confession and repentance. Help me to focus on what You have said about me and what You expect of me. May my response to my fellow human beings and to what You say to me through preachers be impressive, in Jesus’ name, Amen!