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WOW October 1, 2025

Dr. Doug Bookman

Jonah 3 - The Delightful/ Mystery of Nineveh's Repentance

1. Some "mysterious" details of the biblical narrative

2. A curious narrative mystery: How did Jonah get to Nineveh?

3. A theological mystery: How genuine and efficacious was this repentance?

• The text is very straightforward, and

• The city's repentance stayed God's hand of judgment (3:10)

4a. The troubling mystery (to many): Why did Nineveh repent so quickly

• Cf. the very brief, "staccato" telling of 3:4-5

• Only 5 Hebrew words of preaching - somewhat ambiguous

• Including the king, the entire nation, and the livestock!

b. Important historical background: the very serious decline in the fortunes of the

Ninevites/Assyrians at this very time (cf. Jeroboam II of Israel, reigned 793-753BC)

c. The much-overlooked historical reality:

the universal (world-wide by reason of the way God shaped the continents),

univocal (the same message again and again across the centuries),

undeniable and inescapable (b/c worked out in real space/time history),

stunningly dramatic (especially against the puny and impotent gods worshipped by the nations),

TESTIMONY that Israel was (by reason of Yahweh's covenant faithfulness to His people)

to the

Infinite might,

goodness,

justice, and

faithfulness of her God, Yahweh

Cf. Rahab (Josh 2:8-12); the elders of Ekron (1 Sam 6:5-6); the wife of Haman (Est 6:12-13)

5a. The delightful mystery: What kind of God would accept that repentance?

The unspeakably delightful reality on display here: GOD IS A SUCKER FOR REPENTANCE!!

• Jonah 2:8 - this is the realization that turned Jonah's heart back to God from the belly of a fish!

• Gen 4:6 - the offer of forgiveness made to Cain

• 1 Kings 21:25-29 / / Ahab and 2 Chron 33:10-13 // Manasseh - the 2 most wicked kings of North and South repent, and that repentance is accepted by Yahweh

• Luke 22:39-43 the thief on the cross!

Jonah 4 – The Disquieting Matter of Jonah’s rage

A personal note:

1a. Some background:

b. The political/military dynamic: Assyria’s strategy of “building empire”

b. The spiritual/theological dynamic: cf. the imprecatory Psalms (eg. 137)

2. The lesson in brief: Ex 34:5-9