9. Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish." 10. When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.

Repentance is not a way of twisting God’s arm so that He must forgive us, as if when we say the right words and do the right actions, God must forgive us. No, but we can rely on His promise that when we repent, He forgives, but true repentance does not demand it. God saw the lostness of many in a great city. It was vast. There were multitudes of people in this area without hope because they were without faith in the one and only true God . There was no one witnessing the truth. The city was full of immorality, licentiousness, greed, pride, and whose lifestyle was to eat drink and be merry. They were idol worshippers and did not know any better.

When I watched the movie “The End of the Spear”, depicting the slaying of the missionaries in Ecuador a number of years ago, I became aware again of the love of God who desired to see a lost people group come to repentance and salvation, even if it cost the missionaries to lose their lives and it did. It cost Jesus His life to lay it down for our salvation. It cost those 5 missionaries their lives for the Waodoni people to be saved. It was an act of mercy instead of leaving them in darkness.

Because God is gracious and compassionate, we can belong to the body of Christ, the church. Because God is gracious and compassionate, we can repent of our evil ways and by His power to live a life characterized by His holiness. He will withhold His judgment when we turn to Him.   

The phrases “repented or relented” was a controversial one recently as proponents of open theism believe God changed His mind because He did not really know how the Ninevites would respond. Compare that with Numbers 23:19 “God is not a man, that He should lie, neither the son of man that He should repent. Hath He said and shall He not make it good?” There are other verses similarly in Genesis that show God “repented” that Saul was the king.”

I agree with Dr. Millard Erickson who said this was man’s way of explaining God’s actions when God’s ways are above man’s ways. The Bible uses human figurative terms to help us understand the only way that this can be interpreted in the context. God was planning to destroy Nineveh for their wickedness. That destruction was the result of their evil.

Nineveh was no longer the wicked nation that deserved judgment from God. The people were changed. So, the phrase helps us understand that God gave a warning. We too know that we are under condemnation, but when we repent, we experience the mercy of God who forgives our sins and cleanses us from all unrighteousness.

One writer put it, “It was the wicked, violent, unrighteous, proud and evil Nineveh which God promised to destroy. When they became humble and self-abasing that changed things. The wickedness was already done away with. God promises to destroy wickedness. Will you show how merciful God is and let Him provide forgiveness to you?”

Matthew 12:38-41 Jesus explained people were looking for signs. Jesus told them they would not have any sign but the sign of Jonah. People are always looking for signs. Some may say, “ Oh, If Jesus would just do a little miracle, or if He would speak to me like He spoke to Paul from heaven, then I would repent.”

Remember they didn’t have the Scriptures like we do today. We have the witness of Jonah, who finally obeyed God and preached His word. We have the witness of Nineveh, who repented of their sin and turned from their wickedness. We have the witness of God whose response was to forgive in mercy and show His love.

Interestingly, it is the person of Jonah that points us to Jesus, for Jonah is a demonstration of the power of resurrection. With the faithful proclamation of the Word of God comes belief, repentance and salvation from a compassionate and gracious God. He responded in mercy toward the worst of the sinners. It included all who need second chances. Is this your need today?

Dale