Jonah 3:1-10

3:1 | The second word Jonah receives from the LORD is the same as the first in 1:1-2. This verse does not imply that those who reject Christ in this life will have a chance in the next (Heb. 9:27). Rather, it represents what happens in believers’ lives when they fail God. God loves His people, and He goes to the greatest of lengths to restore them to a place of usefulness and joy.

3:4 | Scripture often uses the number 40 for times of testing (Gen. 7:12; Num. 32:13; Matt. 4:2). The prophetic warning to the Ninevites was conditional and designed to motivate repentance. Though Jonah declared that the Ninevites had forty days to turn from their wickedness, the Ninevite people did not wait to test God’s mercy: they responded immediately.

3:5-10 | To be covered with sackcloth was a visible sign of repentance and acknowledgment of sin. The Ninevites believed God – they took Him at His word – and turned from their evil ways. Once again, the pagans were more responsive to God’s words than God’s own prophet.

3:10 | The phrase God relented means that He withheld His threatened judgment. His willingness to “change” in this regard is an aspect of His unchanging nature.