Then the people of Nineveh believed God (Jonah 3:5)
God commanded Jonah to go to Nineveh a second time and this time he went. In Jonah’s time, the city of Nineveh was the biggest city in the world and the capital of the evil Assyrian Empire. It was about the size and population of Honolulu, considering the part of Honolulu south of the H1 from Chinatown to Ala Moana.
Imagine walking down King Street, yelling “In forty days Honolulu will be demolished!” It’s kinda ridiculous to think about it. Yet, this is essentially what Jonah did; it took him three days to walk through the city. At the end of the three days, “the people believed God.” Incredibly, all the people believed God, starting with the people on the street and continuing to the king and his nobles.
This tells us a lot about God, and some things about Jonah. First, it was God’s plan to save Nineveh. It was certainly not Jonah’s plan; he worked hard to resist God’s calling. As Jonah was reluctant to go to Nineveh, it is doubtful that Jonah enthusiastically called the people to repentance. Rather, hoping that they wouldn’t repent, his message wasn’t compelling. Rather than showing God’s mercy, he was focused on God’s judgement.
However, God was able to use Jonah’s miserable message to call the people to repentance. All the people repented, not just some. God was able to use a reluctant messenger. Finally, God was able to fulfill his plans not through Jonah, but in spite of him. Note that Scripture does not say that “the people believed Jonah,” but rather that “the people believed God.”
God had a plan for the wicked Assyrian city of Nineveh. He chose a messenger to proclaim his plan. The messenger was unwilling to obey, yet, God’s plan was on the move. God’s will was greater than Jonah’s will, God’s plan for Nineveh was greater than Jonah’s plan, and in the end, God’s plan prevailed.
God has a plan for Oahu today, and he will accomplish his plan. When asked, will you cooperate with God’s plan or oppose it?