When “the
LORD” gave Jonah a second opportunity to “go to Nineveh”,
he was more willing to obey than the first time. In chapter three and
verse three of this prophesy, Jonah arises and obeys “the LORD”
by going the “great city” of Nineveh. We read:
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.
The
verse begins, “So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh,
according to the word of the LORD.” The
writer began with the words, “So Jonah arose”
which means “Jonah stood up, rose up, confirmed, ratified,
established and imposed”, “and went”
or “walked, departed, proceeded, moved and went away”
“unto Nineveh” which was
“the abode of Ninus and the capital of the ancient kingdom of
Assyria”, “according to the word”
which means “the speech, speaking, utterance and implication” “of
the LORD” which refers to
“Yehovah or Jehovah who is the existing One and the proper name for
the one true God”. Jonah obeyed “the LORD”
going to Nineveh and doing as “the LORD” said.
The
verse continues, “Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city
of three days' journey. The
writer added, “Now Nineveh”
or “the abode of Ninus and the capital of the ancient kingdom of
Assyria” “was and exceeding great”
which means “large, ruling, judging and supreme” “city”
or “town” “of three days”
which means “taking three sunrises to sunsets” “journey”
or “walk, going, passage or distance”. The city of Nineveh was so
great and large in size that that it took “three days of walking”
to travel through it.
When
we meditate upon the words in this verse, we understand Jonah's
willingness to obey the LORD with his second chance. Even though the
city of Nineveh was large and filled with people, Jonah didn't allow
it to alter his path. Jesus Christ calls all people to “obey”
Him, and regardless of their former actions and resistance to follow
Him, He is willing to go to great lengths to warn of the dangers of
disobedience. May we be inclined to listen to Jesus, and when He
speaks, regardless of the size of the object ahead, let us be
obedient to Him in everything He charges us to do.
Next
time we see Jonah tell Nineveh they shall be “overthrown”
in “forty days”,
so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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