Jeroboam II recovered the territories of Israel between Lebo-hamath and the Dead Sea, just as the Lord, the God of Israel, had promised through Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath-hepher. [2 Kings 14:25 (NLT)]
Since Nineveh was famous as the religious center for the worship of Ishtar (Astarte), the goddess of fertility, we might wonder why this pagan city repented after hearing Jonah’s prophecy? Jonah was an Israelite not an Assyrian—he believed in Jehovah and the people of Nineveh were pagans. Some speculate that the Ninevites had learned of Jonah’s miraculous delivery from the fish but Nineveh was about 500 miles from the sea and, since the fish delivered Jonah onto the beach, that seems highly unlikely! Was Jonah such an eloquent speaker that the heathen people of Nineveh would respond to him when, more often than not, the people of Judah and Israel ignored the words of warning they heard from the prophets who were their own countrymen? What caused the king and 120,000 of his subjects to make such an immediate turnaround?
Perhaps a little history lesson explains Nineveh’s response. We know from 2 Kings 14 that Jonah prophesized during the reign of Jeroboam II (793 – 753 BC). While Jeroboam II did “evil in the Lord’s sight,” he was the most notable and longest reigning king of the northern kingdom. For Israel, this was a time of prosperity, power, and military success. Scripture tells us that it was Jonah who prophesized the king’s victory in battles that restored the borders of the northern kingdom to what they were during Solomon’s time. With Jonah’s proven track record of fulfilled prophecies, perhaps his reputation preceded him.
Moreover, in the realm of international politics, while Israel was on the upswing, Assyria was in decline. Having fragmented into various governor-ruled states, there had been a series of rebellions and attempts to usurp the crown. Preoccupied with internal security, the nation also was threatened by the kingdom of Uratu to the north and powerful Israel to the south. When Jonah proclaimed the city’s destruction, he wasn’t talking about an earthquake. The word he used was haphak which meant overthrown or conquered. Considering the political climate at the time, being conquered seemed a likely possibility to Nineveh and its king. Known for their excessive brutality, few armies were as hated as the Assyrians. Perhaps, when facing the possibility of being conquered, the Ninevites repented in the hope they’d escape such merciless treatment at the hands of their conquerors. Putting the story of Jonah’s prophecy into historical context helps us understand Nineveh’s response to the reluctant prophet and why they believed God’s message. Upon learning that their city would be overthrown within forty days, they proclaimed a fast, donned sackcloth as a symbol of their contriteness and remorse, and repented of their wicked ways. In the story of Jonah, we see God’s mercy extended to Gentiles and a concealed prophecy that was fulfilled by Jesus.
Without even seeing the miracle of Jonah’s “resurrection” from the fish, 120,000 Ninevites were saved but, when someone “greater than Jonah” resurrected, His own countrymen refused to listen and believe—even after seeing the empty tomb! Comparing Jesus to Jonah, however, is a bit like comparing the sun to a match or the entire universe to a tiny pebble. We’ve been warned, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” [Matthew 4:17] What is our response?
The story is told of a Sunday school teacher who was teaching her class about the Ten Commandments. “What is the commandment about parents?” she asked. “Honor thy father and mother,” was the quick reply. “Is there a commandment about brothers and sisters?” the teacher queried. One little boy shouted, “Thou shalt not kill!” While we know we’re not supposed to kill them, how should we treat them?
Nowadays, we tend to think of “religion” as the institutionalized system of religious principles, beliefs, ceremonies, and practices to which we’re committed. The religion of which James spoke, however, isn’t limited to things like denomination or synod, liturgy, traditions, rituals, or special observances. Religion, as used by James, is the belief in, service to, and worship of God and encompasses our entire being. The ERV’s translation as “worship,” the NIRV’s as “beliefs and way of life,” the NTE’s and CEB’s of “devotion,” and even the Passion’s translation as “true spirituality” better capture James’ meaning. He is telling us that real religion is our way of life—the way we express our devotion to God hour after hour, day after day, in all that we think, speak, and do.
When learning to walk, a toddler takes a lot of falls and is likely to get some bumps and bruises along the way. Yet, if we ever want the little guys to walk (let alone run or jump), we need to let them fall once in a while. That’s the only way they’ll ever learn how to how pick themselves up again. Blunders and mistakes are how children learn—they’ll spill milk before they can drink from a cup, scribble outside the lines (and on the table) with their first crayons, have several pairs of wet pants before they’re completely potty-trained, and put their shoes on the wrong feet several times before they know left from right! A few mishaps are all part of growing up.
A friend asked if I thought a popular evangelist was a “false teacher.” Like many popular preachers, the man’s message is appealing: love, joy, praise, prosperity and plenty of positive thinking. His words are as pleasant as a mockingbird’s song but, upon closer inspection, he seems to be as dangerous as Paul’s “vicious wolves.” Parts of his message are unsupported by Biblical truth while other essential truths are missing. Jesus certainly didn’t win a popularity contest in the 1st century and I’m a bit suspicious of those preachers who seem more concerned with entertainment, popularity, wealth, and fame than gospel truth.
Devotions of the Heart 