Jonah Chapter 3

 Chapter 3 finally finds Jonah doing the Lord's work! The chapter starts off with "Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.” Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh." This is where I feel the children's story ends. It's not exactly happily ever after, but Jonah after overcoming a struggle does what he should have from the beginning. This is where the adults need to start paying attention. Just because you decide to start doing what you are supposed to do, it doesn't mean it will be easy. Jonah goes throughout the city and warns everyone that in 40 days, Nineveh will be overthrown. And, of course, since he was doing the Lord's work everyone decided to listen and obey. Here is how it says that they reacted, starting in verse 5 of chapter 3. "The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh: 

  “By the decree of the king and his nobles: 

 Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink.  But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence.  Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.” 

How wonderful for Jonah, he was sent to deliver a message, and everyone listened, especially the king. That means that Jonah did exactly what he was supposed to do and because he delivered the message so well, people actually listened and turned back to God. Chapter 3 ends with God changing his mind. 

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. 

So, you would think that it would be all over now. Jonah would be happy, and he could go back to do doing whatever he was doing when the book started. But, somehow, that's not what happened.