Forty-Day Warning | Jonah 3:3–5

“This time Jonah obeyed the Lord’s command and went to Nineveh, a city so large that it took three days to see it all. On the day Jonah entered the city, he shouted to the crowds: ‘Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!’ The people of Nineveh believed God’s message, and from the greatest to the least, they declared a fast and put on burlap to show their sorrow.” (Jonah 3:3–5 NLT)

This month we’re celebrating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America. The story of our nation is a classic rags-to-riches tale. The upstart 13 colonies won their independence from England and grew into a global superpower.

As we celebrate the past quarter-millennium, we must not take our nation’s future for granted. It would be hubris to assume that the United States will celebrate its 500th anniversary—or even its 251st. God has shed His grace on our nation, but He has made no promises about our longevity. The farther we stray from the Lord, His Word, and His will, the bleaker our long-term prospects look.

Once upon a time, the city of Nineveh must have seemed too big and too powerful to fail. Yet Jonah’s God-given warning threatened its very existence. Jonah 3:3–5 explains it this way: “This time Jonah obeyed the Lord’s command and went to Nineveh, a city so large that it took three days to see it all. On the day Jonah entered the city, he shouted to the crowds: ‘Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!’ The people of Nineveh believed God’s message, and from the greatest to the least, they declared a fast and put on burlap to show their sorrow” (NLT).

What would happen if our country were given a forty-day warning? Would we recognize the urgency and turn to God? The story of Nineveh in the book of Jonah offers a template to follow.

When the king of Nineveh heard Jonah’s prophetic words, he stepped down from his throne, took off his royal robes, dressed himself in burlap, and sat on a heap of ashes. In other words, he humbled himself before the Lord. The people of Nineveh prayed earnestly, repenting of their wickedness and asking God to forgive them and show them mercy.

When God saw their response to Jonah’s warning, how they turned from their evil ways, He withheld His judgment and destruction. What a stunning turnaround. The entire city turned to God en masse as one of the greatest revivals in human history unfolded. Their change of heart shows us that no one is beyond the reach of God.

That principle applies not only on a national level but on a personal level as well. Think of the people in your life who seem far from God. Start praying for a Nineveh-like revival in their lives. Do it for forty days—and then for another forty days, if necessary.

Do the work of revival and trust the results to God.

Reflection question: What would doing the work of revival look like in your life?

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