Theory question 104
God's Divine Love(a) Narrate Jonah's message to the Ninevites and their response to it. (b) State two lessons that could be drawn from this story.
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(a) The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: go to Nineveh and proclaim the message I tell you (Jonah 3:1-2).
Jonah went; Nineveh was a great city, three days' journey in breadth (Jonah 3:3).
He went a day's journey and cried, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" (Jonah 3:4).
The people believed God, proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least (Jonah 3:5).
The king rose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes (Jonah 3:6).
He decreed that man and beast should fast, be covered with sackcloth, cry mightily to God and turn from evil and violence (Jonah 3:7-8).
"Who knows, God may yet repent… so that we perish not" (Jonah 3:9).
God saw their works, how they turned from their evil way, and did not do the evil He had said (Jonah 3:10).
(b) Any two: God is merciful to all who repent; genuine repentance needs change of conduct; leaders should lead in repentance; God's love extends to other nations; obedience to God's call brings blessing to others.
Narrate Jonah 3, then two lessons.