_And the Word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying._ THE RESTORED COMMISSION Here we learn what God is to those who truly repent. God may even restore all that has been forfeited. For those who have done grievous wrong, it is encouraging to think that there is honour, and glory, and... [ Continue Reading ]
_So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the Word of the Lord._ OBEDIENT AT LAST (FOR CHILDREN) Introduce by description of Jonah’s conduct and history. Dwell on his call, flight, peril, humiliation, prayer, restoration, and second call. Also on-- (1) The city. (2) The preacher. (3)... [ Continue Reading ]
_Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown._ THE KNELL OF NINEVEH Sardanapalus puts off his jewelled array, and puts on mourning, and the whole city goes down on its knees, and street cries to street, and temple to temple. A black covering is thrown over the horses, and the sheep, and the ca... [ Continue Reading ]
_So the people of Nineveh believed God._ BELIEF INSPIRED BY FEAR How came the Ninevites to believe God, as no hope of salvation was given them? For there can be no faith without an acquaintance with the paternal kindness of God; whoever regards God as angry with, him must necessarily despair. Since... [ Continue Reading ]
_But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God._ THE SIN AND REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH We have in these words part of the means which the king of Nineveh and his nobles judged necessary for averting the calamities which threatened their city. Fasting and prayer were only s... [ Continue Reading ]
_Who can tell if God will turn?_ PEACE HAS BEEN PROCLAIMED During the Civil War in America some soldiers of the Southern Army deserted, and found themselves caught in a wood between their own regiment and the Northern lines. To go forward or backward equally meant death. So here they hid and starv... [ Continue Reading ]
_And God repented of the evil that He had said that He would do unto them, _ GOD REPENTING There are certain passages of holy Scripture which assert in the strongest way that God cannot repent, and that He never does. There are certain other passages which assert, just as strongly, and with as lit... [ Continue Reading ]