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. (Jonah 3:5)
When Jonah began to proclaim God’s plan to destroy Nineveh in forty days, the people of Nineveh took him seriously. They did not for one moment question whether he was telling the truth or not.
It is interesting to note that the Bible states that the people of Nineveh “believed God.” They immediately understood that Jonah was God’s prophet and that he was speaking the words of God. Jonah clearly had the Spirit of the Lord upon him, which is a testimony to his true repentance.
The Ninevites’ belief was coupled with action:
First, they “proclaimed a fast.” Fasting is often practiced for dietary purposes, but this was not that kind of fast. This was a religious fast. The purpose of this type of fasting is to deny the flesh a basic need, to suppress its will so that a person can be in total submission to God and His will. The Ninevites fasted to seek God’s forgiveness and mercy.
Second, they “put on sackcloth.” Sackcloth is exactly what it sounds like: a coarse, rough cloth used to make sacks. It was the traditional attire of those in deep grief or despair. The Ninevites chose to bear the discomfort of wearing such rough clothing to express to God their deep grief over their sin.
We see from verse 5 that everyone in Nineveh put on sackcloth and observed the fast. Verse 6 confirms this for us:
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. (3:6)
Jonah’s message not only touched the lives of the people of Nineveh, but it also reached the royal palace. The king was so moved by the Word of the Lord that even he removed his royal clothes to wear sackcloth as well. He even took his grief a step further by sitting in ashes.
He humbled himself before the Lord by removing himself from his royal throne to sit in the equivalent of dirt. In so doing, he acknowledged God as the true King and came to Him with a broken and contrite heart. However, he was concerned that his response would not be enough:
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: 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. (3:7-8)
The king knew that he alone could not make the necessary changes. Repentance and revival could begin with him, but they had to continue in the hearts of everyone in the kingdom. So, he proclaimed a city-wide fast and mourning, even on the part of the animals. They were to focus their attention solely on God to petition Him for forgiveness and mercy.
Not only were the people to fast, but they were also to wear sackcloth and even cover their animals with it as well. In so doing, they would express their sorrow and grief over their sin. Then they were all to cry out to God mightily while turning from their evil and violence.
True repentance is a complete change of mind; it is turning from one thing completely to another thing. In this case, the Ninevites showed true repentance; they were willingly turning away from their sin and unto the Lord.
Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? (3:9)
Their repentance was also in the hope that God would then repent, or change His mind, about destroying them. We see several instances in the Old Testament when God openly states that He repented over something. The first mention of this is in Genesis 6 when God speaks of His grief over the great sin of His creation. This repentance on God’s part drove Him to destroy the earth with a flood.
However, we do see other instances in the Old Testament when God repents of the punishment He inflicted or intended to inflict rebellious Israel. God’s repentance is not His admitting a wrong because God cannot sin; it simply shows that He changed His mind about what He would do.
One instance is recorded in Exodus 32 when Israel sins in creating and worshiping the golden calf. God wanted to destroy Israel and utterly wipe them from history, but Moses interceded for them. Verse 14 records that God changed His mind about destroying the Israelites.
Another account of God’s repentance is recorded in Judges 2:18 in speaking of how God dealt with Israel each time they turned from Him to idols. Their cycle was a constant falling into idolatry, God’s sending an enemy to conquer and oppress them, their crying out to God by reason of their oppression, then God’s raising up a judge to deliver them.
Verse 18 tells us that each time Israel cried out to Him for the forgiveness of their sin and for deliverance from their enemies God would repent of His judgment upon them. He would shorten their oppression and deliver them from their enemies.
Notice how in each of these times mentioned above. God changed His mind because of the prayers of people truly trusting in Him and leaning wholly upon Him. We see God’s constant desire to show mercy revealed in each of these circumstances. We see it again in His dealings with Nineveh:
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. (3:10)
Our God is compassionate and merciful. He rescued the sailors by calming the stormy sea (1:15). He saved Jonah from drowning by preparing a great fish to swallow him and vomit him out onto dry land safely (1:17, 2:10). Now, God spared Nineveh because the people repented. He forgave them for their wicked actions and repented of the destruction He said He would send.
For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. (Psalm 86:5)
If you, like the Ninevites, need to repent of your sins, please click here for an explanation of the “Bible Way to Heaven.” Please don’t put it off! Today is the day of salvation!