Jonah 3: How to NOT Get Swallowed by a Whale

Jonah 3:1, 3 "Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time. . . .So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD."

Last week we took a look at Jonah 1 and 2 to find out how to get swallowed by a whale, and then how to get out of the whale once we've gotten in its belly. But what if there was another way? Let's look at Jonah 3 this morning and find how we can respond in obedience to God's calling [and not get swallowed by a whale].

In Jonah 3, the word of the Lord comes to Jonah a "second time" (1). In essence, the story is restarting here. Jonah failed the first time, but the Lord is giving him a second chance. However, Jonah has learned his lesson from the belly of the whale, so this time he responds in obedience. Jonah goes to Nineveh to preach (4), and the people (even the king!) miraculously repent (5-9). God sees the Ninevites' repentance, and spares the city from destruction (10).

So what's the lesson to be learned here this morning? Answer: we must respond in obedience to the Lord's calling. Jonah may have not done this the first time, but he surely did the second time, which ultimately brought the repentance of an entire city. Note also the mercy of God in this story. God could have easily let Jonah drown in the sea, could he not? It wouldn't have been hard for God to raise up another, more obedient prophet to preach to the Ninevites, but God had a different plan. He wanted to put his mercy on display. Thus, the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time. After Jonah had failed, God gave him a second chance, and Jonah responded in obedience. We surely ought to do the same.

So, you've failed in life. Guess what! We all have. As the common saying goes, it's not about whether or not you fail, it's about what you do after you fail. In other words, you will fail, but the question is whether you will get back up, persevere, and call upon God for your strength, or just will give up. "For the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity" Proverbs 24:16. Perhaps you've failed, and don't know what to do. Let the story of Jonah comfort you. The Lord has mercy on his children, and gives them a second chance. Now, brother and sister in the faith! Don't fail again after you've learned your lesson! Respond to the Lord in obedience NOW no matter how many times you've fallen in the past! And glorify him through it all. Amen.