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And he issued a proclamation, and it said, “In Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles: No person, animal, herd, or flock is to taste anything. They are not to eat, or drink water. But every person and animal must be covered with sackcloth; and people are to call on God vehemently, and they are to turn, each one from his evil way, and from the violence which is in their hands.
Can’t touch this (food)
After Jonah brings God’s message to the Assyrians, the people react so vehemently that the king takes notice. It’s DEFCON 1, and the reaction must be strong and swift.
The king declares every person and animal must fast from food or drink. How in the world would they stop animals from drinking or eating? Perhaps they weren’t successful (or maybe they simply stabled them all), but they were serious. It was that level of intention God was looking for. There are plenty of examples through biblical history when God’s warnings were not heeded. Assyria surprises.
The fast worked…. errr… fast
God relents pretty quickly. Keep in mind God judges the heart of every man. He sees all things in the secret places of our thoughts and desires. He is not a man that He should be fooled. So, we can take it on authority that the Ninenah repentance is legitimate.
Amazing what an impended death sentence will inspire people to do.
However, it is unclear who knew God relented and when they did. Later, in Chapter 4, we see
Then Jonah left the city and sat down east of it. There he made a shelter for himself and sat under it in the shade, until he could see what would happen in the city.
So, while Jonah seems to know beforehand that catastrophe has been delayed on Ninevah, he’s still uncertain enough to wait the 40 (or so) days to see what happens. It isn’t a fair leap to expect the rest of the Ninevah population to wait for those days to tick down in uncertain anxiety.
Bold actions beget bold responses
The entire kingdom of Nineveh went into fasting for some unknown but substantial amount of time. They needed God to relent and were willing to show Him the seriousness of what it meant to them.
In your struggles, show God the grand gestures. Increase tithing, increase prayer time, and incorporate fasting (from things you actually like to eat and drink). Sacrifice the things that you care about or the things you would try to use to solve your unsolvable problems.
Prove how serious you are. How do you do this? By showing God you trust Him. If you cannot fix your family, offer the situation in prayer. If your business is failing, fast over it. This does not mean this is your only response, but when you reach the end of yourself, show God how much you put your faith in Him.
Worldly reasoning will tell you that such things are wasteful and useless, but remember
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the sight of God.
Be encouraged that miracles only happen when the miraculous is required. It’s natural for your flesh to fight against such surrender. Take heed from the father in Mark 9.
Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief!”
Because
All things are possible for the one who believes.
Prayer
“Lord, You know my situation. You know the hurt. You’ve seen me flail and work and try. I don’t know what else I can do. I want to offer it to You, but I may not know how. Show me how to trust You more than ever before. Grace me with the faith worthy of your miraculous work. I believe in You. I believe You can fix this. Lord, help my unbelief to get there. Amen”
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