The healing of Nineveh

On social media and even in the news recently, some people have been asking, what would the prophets say to us today?

I'm not a prophet, but I think one message the prophets would give is the same as they have always given, crystallised in these words by Jesus: 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near' (Matt. 4:17).

Repentance is illustrated in the painting below, depicting the repentance of Nineveh:

The Repentance of Nineveh

After the prophet Jonah proclaims God's judgement on the violent city of Nineveh, the Ninevites immediately repent: they believe God, fast, mourn, turn from their evil and call on God. As a result, God spares them from destruction, healing their land (see Jonah 3).

We can see ourselves in various characters in the book of Jonah: some of us are like Jonah, urged by God to accept his concern even for those who do evil, longing for their repentance and salvation. Some of us are like the vine (Jonah 4:6), called by God to sacrificially give of ourselves that others may know God's mercy.

Most surprisingly, though, we are like the Ninevites, citizens of violent nations facing the coming judgement of God. 

Like the Ninevites, to us the prophetic call of repentance returns, giving us the chance to daily turn from our evil--not just the evil of others, but even my own--so that we may receive God's mercy and healing.

The kingdom of heaven is near, so let's become citizens of that greatest nation (Phil. 3:20).

I end this post with a song based on the book of Jonah, told from the perspective of the vine.