The Siege of Nineveh

When it comes to the terrors of human warfare, the sieging of great cities stands out among the most devastating.

For instance, the island city of Tyre stood as an impenetrable fortress amid the vastness of the Mediterranean Sea. And surrounded by the sea’s relentless waves, the city’s towering stone walls stood tall, an unspoken warning to any would-be aggressor.

For so for years, the city of Tyre had defied the ambitions of conquerors, standing strong behind its impregnable fortifications, as it’s defenders, descendents of the seafaring Phoenicians, trusted in their island’s strong defenses to ward off its attackers.

That is, until Alexander the Great set his eyes upon the great City. For in 332 BC, the armies of Alexander the great, the great Macedonian conquerer, advanced with a singular objective to siege and conquer the magnificent city of Tyre. But as the formidable Macedonian forces drew nearer, Tyre's defenders displayed an intriguing mix of curiosity and composure. And why? Because their city was, so they thought, impregnable!

As the days turned into months, the Siege of Tyre turned into a long and brutal struggle, as the city was cut off from external sources of food and supplies. During this time, Alexander's forces used their naval superiority to block the city's access to the sea, which prevented it from receiving provisions or support, from its shipping channels. However, as challenging as this was, it was not enough to defeat this great city.

And so, Alexander's engineers devised a risky but brilliant strategy to aid their siege efforts, as they built a massive bridge that connected the mainland to Tyre’s island fortress!

The construction of this massive causeway was nothing short of marvelous, because it was built as Tyre's defenders relentlessly hurled missiles and sent fire ships that were full of explosive right into Alexander's troops as they were attempting to build it!

Nevertheless, even with such destructive setbacks, the causeway gradually inched closer and closer towards the island, bringing with it the advance of Alexander's mighty army, who eventually breached Tyre's defenses, and overwhelmed the city's exhausted defenders.

When it comes to histories great and horrifying sieges, there is one thing that is clear and common with them. and it’s this: The greater the city, the greater the siege effort needed to take said city! You need superior numbers, superior firepower and a superior strategy if you’re going to siege and conquer it! And if you don’t have all of that, you aren’t going to succeed! unless of course, you have a superior God.

In Jonah chapter 4, we find the siege of a great city, And it’s not siege that is undertaken by a great human conquerer, or a great army, It’s a siege that is undertaken by a great God who "overturn” one of the greatest cities of that day through one prodigal prophet.

But, He doesn’t do it through traditional siege warfare tactics. No, instead he does it by sieging the numerous human hearts within the city, who surrender WITHOUT even one arrow being fired! It’s truly remarkable! and it’s truly remarkable because the story of Jonah is not about God sieging and destroying a great city - though He rightfully could have, It’s about God sieging and saving human hearts within the great city of Nineveh and it does with 3 unusual methods.

He does it through: God sieges human hearts through three things:

1. Simple obedience
2. Simple faith
3. Unsimple Mercy

1. Simple obedience

So far in the book of Jonah, we saw in chapter 1 how the Word of the Lord came to the prophet Jonah, calling him to go and preach against the city of Nineveh for their great evil. But, given that Jonah hated the Assyrians and wanted to see them destroyed, Instead, Jonah spiraled downward as he went down to Joppa, Down to the bottom of the boat Down into the ocean, And then down into the belly of a fish. And why? Because before God’s prodigal prophet could and would go and call Nineveh to repentance, God first had to bring Jonah to repentance, Which is exactly what we saw last week in Jonah chapter 2, with Jonah’s Psalm, where he marvelously declared: Jonah 2:9 (ESV) Salvation belongs to the Lord!”

And as we saw last week, Salvation belongs to the Lord and the Lord alone! For He is a God Who is MIGHTY TO SAVE! A God who is mighty in mercy, grace, and steadfast love! Which is what the book of Jonah is all about.

And so beginning in verse 1 of chapter 3, we read:

Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth.

Jonah 3:1-3 ESV

Now first off, notice in verse 2 how God described the brutal and barbaric city of Nineveh. He describes it as: “That GREAT CITY!” Which is remarkable, because it shows us how God thinks about fallen humanity, even when it’s at it’s worst! He doesn’t say, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that terrible and worthless city and tell them I’m coming for em!” No, He says: “Arise and go to Nineveh, that very important city to God!” Which is what it says quite literally says in the Hebrew. And it says that, because that’s what it is to God! - city that is greatly important to Him! Which is why Nineveh is described this way 3 times throughout the book of Jonah!

And as we said, this tells us something about the character of God. Because it tells us how God views human image bearers - regardless of how fallen they are. And make no mistake, there is definitely some application there!

Think about this me: Like Jonah, as Christians, we often forget that those we are called to reach with the saving message of Jesus are people whom God cares deeply for! But instead of seeing them as fellow image bearers of God, we view them as Jonah did - as worthless and vile sinners who don’t deserve God’s grace and mercy. And on one hand, this is absolutely true! But what’s not true, is that we (like Jonah) start to think that we deserve God’s mercy, love, and grace, and they don’t. But, the truth is, we don’t deserve God’s mercy and grace anymore than they do! Not even a little bit! and this is something Jonah continually fails to understand throughout this book, But even though Jonah is a slow learner (like all of are spiritually), GOD is relentlessly set on teaching him this one way or the other.

And so out of God’s relentless love for both Jonah and Nineveh, which for the record is NOT RECKLESS he works through a storm, a Divinely controlled casting of lots, and a casting of Jonah into the sea and into the belly of a fish, And all of this was teach Jonah about God’s mercy and grace And so in Jonah 3, we find Jonah starting to understand this, Not fully - but he’s getting there - even if it’s a slow process.

And once Jonah does begin to grasp this, his downward spiral reverses, and up he goes as the fish spits him out onto dry land. And once it does, the Word of the Lord comes to Jonah a second time, saying: Jonah 3:1-3 (ESV) Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord.

And this time, Jonah does arise and go he obeys the Word of the Lord, which is exactly what he should have done in the first place when the Word of the Lord came to him back in chapter 1 Because if he had, he wouldn’t have had go through all of the hardship he did! But that’s another sermon - so we’ll leave it at that!

So with the Lord’s discipline in the past, Jonah PROMPTLY sets out in verse 3 as God’s one-man army to siege the great city of Nineveh!

So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth.

Jonah 3:3 ESV

And great it was, for as verse 3 says: it was a city that was “3 days journey in breadth.” Or as some translations put it: “a city that took three ays to go through!”

That is ONE MASSIVE CITY! Especially for this day and age! No question about it, Nineveh was a great city. Being somewhere between 55 miles in circumference! And that was before Sennacherib expanded it’s borders another 3-7 miles! It was a huge city!

And so after Jonah is spit out onto dry land by, he sets out for this city that was located in modern day Iraq, Which was around five hundred miles away - give or take. or a month’s travel.

Now, before we move on here, I need to quickly point out 2 things from the first 2 verses:

Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.”

Jonah 3:1-2 ESV

First off, notice God’s insistence on using Jonah - the failed prophet! The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time... Is our God a God of second chances church? Yes! And then some! And does that have implications for what kind of people we should be towards people when they fail us? Yes it certainly does.

Now, instead of firing Jonah, God comes to him a second time and gives Jonah this important mission. Which from a human standpoint, doesn’t make any sense! As Keller put it: “Do you take an officer who has just been court-martialed and immediately give him the command in the most crucial battle of the war?” Of course not! And yet, God has a funny habit of doing just that! and as he goes on to point out, aside from Judas, which apostle had the worst track record during the passion week of Jesus’s death? It’s Peter! And yet, Peter the one that Jesus leaves in charge after He leaves! Which not only serves as a testimony to God’s mercy and grace, But as a reminder to all the rest of us Jonahs and Peters today!

Do you feel unqualified? Do you feel like your past mistakes are an obstacle to God using you? Think again! Because all throughout the Bible there is a very simple principle that jumps off the pages at almost every turn! And that simple principle is that those whom God calls, God QUALIFIES! Which means that your past DOES NOT MATTER! What matters? SIMPLE OBEDIENCE! That’s it!

Look at what God tells Jonah in verse 2 Jonah 3:2 (ESV) “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.”

Maybe you feel like Moses, and you feel like you’re aren’t strong with words. You get nervous, You get tongue-tied, And when the Word of the Lord comes to you, which it has the record, you start looking around for an Aaron who is better at speaking. You start to think that you don’t have the natural gifting to do what God has called you to do. And if that’s you - then you need to hear what Moses needed to hear, when God said to him.

Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?

Exodus 4:11 ESV

The great commission in Matthew 28 to go and make disciples of all the nations, isn’t just for the Prince of Preachers like Charles Spurgeon, it’s not just for pastors, deacons, or Sunday School teachers, IT’S FOR EVERY SINGLE CHRISTIAN It’s for YOU! And your mission doesn’t require you being some silver-tongued spiritual genius! Your mission is to SIMPLY to trust and OBEY Him as you faithfully bring HIS SIMPLE MESSAGE of Salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone to all those who will hear it!

When we walk with the Lord In the light of His Word, What a glory He sheds on our way; While we do His good will, He abides with us still, And with all who will trust and obey. Trust and obey, For there’s no other way To be happy in Jesus, But to trust and obey.

God so caling Jonah to Trust and Obey, The Word of the Lord comes to Jonah commanding him to: “Call out against it THE MESSAGE THAT I TELL YOU!” And if you don’t think that’s enough, LOOK AT JONAH’S simple message which God used in an incredibly powerful way!

Jonah 3:4-5 (ESV) Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” And the people of Nineveh believed God.

Do you see that? In the Hebrew, it’s just 5 simple words! That’s it! There’s no introduction with a catchy hook! There’s no thesis with 3 points And GASP! There’s not even slides on a projector for the people to follow along with or a nice cushy auditorium for the people to sit comfortably in! And yet, the people of Nineveh BELIEVED GOD!

Have you ever thought about how pathetically weak Jonah’s message is? All he says is: “In forty days Nineveh shall be overthrown!” That’s it! He can’t even bring himself to include the part about repentance and forgiveness that HE JUST LEARNED IN THE BELLY OF THE FISH! And look - I gotta tell you, as a preacher who labors to try and give helpful illustrations - this actually kind of bothers me a little, because Jonah wasn’t just sitting on a good illustration… he was sitting on a DIVINELY GIVEN ONE! And yet… what does God do with the simple message that Jonah gives? HE USES IT TO MIRACULOUSLY SIEGE AND PENETRATE THE UN-PENETRABLE HEART’S OF THE SINFUL NINEVITES

Church, NEVER FORGET that it’s NOT the power of oratory that brings the spiritually dead to life! it’s the power of God! For Salvation BELONGS TO THE LORD and the LORD ALONE! Yes, we should labor at being better witnesses, Yes, we should strive to do our best! But as we do - we must remember that NONE OF IT - and I mean NONE OF IT - rests upon whatever abilities I might have! For ALL OF IT rests upon the power of God to perform a supernatural heart transplant through, what the Apostle Paul called: “THE FOOLISHNESS OF PREACHING!” For apart from God and His supernatural work - all of it is foolish vanity that is for NAUGHT! Because if unless the Holy Spirit of God is working through the preaching of His people, even the words of the prince of preachers will be water off a ducks back!

And so we look not to ourselves, but to God, who works through our simple obedience to bring about simple faith.

God sieges human hearts through three things:

2. Simple faith

And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.

Jonah 3:5 ESV

After hearing Jonah’s message that in 40 days Nineveh would be OVERTHROWN, the Ninevites were overthrown weren’t they, Though not in the way that Jonah had hoped. Sorry, I know we keep referring to the Hebrew lately, but the word for overthrown literally means “overturn.” And interestingly enough, it also is used to mean “to turn around” or to “transform.” Which is EXACTLY what happened to the Ninevites, isn’t it? Because through the power of God’s Word coming to them, it penetrated their sinful hearts and transformed them into repentant hearts who turned to Yahweh in repentance. And so God’s Word was fulfilled, but not as Jonah had hoped - which we’ll look at next week in chapter 4.

The people believed God - which last time I checked is faith. And this wasn’t just an emotional experience, it led to a TURNING in thought and action! And when the news hit the King, he and his nobles issued a decree supporting the revival by issuing a proclamation to

and finally, to turn from their evil ways and violence!

From the greatest to the least of them! Which the King did as verse 6 describes in the form of what is called a chiasm.

OK, quickly here When it says they put on sackcloth - it means they put on uncomfortable clothes, which was usually made out of goats hair And coupled with this they fasted - which represented self-denial as they called out the Lord for mercy, And with the ashes all served to show their sincerity! Which also included the animals.

But, the biggest thing that showed their sincerity was how THEY CHANGED THEIR EVIL WAYS! Because here’s the thing. Sorrow without a change in behavior isn’t repentance! It’s JUST SORROW! Or, as the Bible calls it WORDLY SORROW! Which has ZERO chance of resulting in God’s mercy and grace being given! Instead, TRUE GODLY repentance CHANGES YOUR MIND, which changes your actions as you turn from your sin to God in obedience! AND THAT PRODUCES JOY! NOT REGRET!

For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.

2 Corinthians 7:10 ESV

As a pastor, I’ve only preached a handful of funerals, but even in that, I’m blown away by how much wordly sorrow I see at the end of the funeral. Because so far, EVERY SINGLE TIME I see it with non-churched people who were forced by family obligations to enter a church building and listen to a preacher,. And what happens every single time is after the sermon, where I present the gospel, unchurched people come up to me and say: “Boy… I tell ya preacher - that sure was a great message!” “God was really convicted me with it, and I’ve decided to commit myself the Lord and so I’ll see you next Sunday.” And at first, I would get really excited about this! But then the next Sunday would come and I would never see them again. And why not? Because worldly sorrow doesn’t produce CHANGE of behavior! ONLY GODLY SORROW DOES!

Sadly, we live in a day and age that thinks obedience = legalism. That the mentioning of God’s laws or necessity of a faith that produces works is contrary to the gospel message of Jesus Christ. And it’s not just funerals where I bump into this, it’s sadly a common occurrence, as people mis-identify the conviction they are experiencing with legalism. It’s not. because the truth is repentance requires a changing of the mind which RESULTS in a changing of behavior. And where their is no outward change their is no inward change! And for that, I will point us to the book of James. For though we are saved by faith alone, we are not saved by a faith that remains alone! FOR FAITH PRODUCES WORKS! And where their is no fruit, there is no root. and by God’s grace, the Ninevites understood this.

At this point, many the commentaries will debate this, saying: “Well did the Ninevites really repent of their polytheism and become monotheists who turned in saving faith to Yahweh God?” And to be honest, as I prepared to preach this book, I wondered it myself, until I came across Luke 11:32 where Jesus weighs in on the matter when He says:

The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.

Luke 11:32 ESV

I’m honestly not sure how that doesn’t settle the matter for everyone - but it does for me. Because the truth is, Yahweh is a God WHO DELIGHTS TO show mercy to sinners! He is slow to anger! Abounding in steadfast love! And when sinners show an ounce of faith, He showers them with mercy and grace!

God sieges human hearts through three things:

3. Unsimple Mercy

Verse 9 says:

Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.”

Jonah 3:9 ESV

And in verse 10, that’s exactly what Yahweh does!

When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.

Jonah 3:10 ESV

I like how one commentator put it: “When Nineveh repented, God relented.”

This is remarkable! It’s saying that unchanging God RELENTED of what He had planned to do - which was destroy the ENTIRE CITY! But does this mean God changed His mind? NO! This is what is called ANTHROPOMORPHIC language! Anthro-what? It means, it’s using human language to describe a NON-HUMAN GOD! and our non-human God is a God who DOESN’T CHANGE!

God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?

Numbers 23:19 ESV

The Bible is crystal clear here - God doesn’t change His mind! He doesn’t - EVER! I like how one preacher put it when he said: “We don't wake up in the morning and say: "Good morning God, how are you today?" And why not? Because He’s the same yesterday, today, and FOREVER!

And so yes God relented - but HE’S not the One Who CHANGES - the NINEVITES are the ones who CHANGED! And when sinners CHANGE GOD RELENTS of His FIERCE ANGER AND JUDGMENT and pours our MERCY and GRACE! And He’s promised to do that.

If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it.

Jeremiah 18:7-8 ESV

Do you see how merciful and gracious our God is? He is a God who mercifully says: Come ye sinners poor and needy Weak and wounded sick and sore Jesus ready stands to save you Full of pity love and power

We must never forget how gracious and merciful our God is! That His heart is FULL of compassion as He stands READY to relent of His fierce anger and wrath, and showers sinners with grace, love and life-changing power! And if Jonah’s example doesn’t prove that to you, If the sailors example doesn’t prove that to you, And if even wicked Nineveh’s example doesn’t prove that to you, Then let the CROSS OF JESUS prove that to you! For it isn’t our repentance that EARNS us God’s mercy and grace, it’s not! God is not OBLIGED TO GIVE US MERCY AND GRACE in exchange for our repentance! For as the King of Nineveh rightly said:

Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.”

Jonah 3:9 ESV

The fact is church: “Repentance doesn't EARN US ANYTHING” Or as Alister Beg puts it: “Repentance doesn't move us to the top of the class.” ONLY GOD’S MERCY AND GRACE DOES! Which He gives out, in accordance the pleasure of His will to all who will call upon His mighty name to save FOR SALVATION BELONGS TO THE LORD - and the LORD ALONE! Which is why the greatest miracle in the book of Jonah isn’t: the storm the casting of lots the fish the plant nor the worm NO It’s the MIRACLE OF SALVATION when the impenetrable hearts of sinners miraculously penetrated by the power of God’s MERCY and GRACE! Which include the fishermen, Jonah, And the nation of Nineveh, But it also includes also every single person who has turned in saving faith to the God Who saves.

And as those who have been saved, like Jonah, we’ve been commissioned to bring God’s message of salvation to the all the nations! To tell them that our God is a God of second chances Who delights to save SINNERS, not by works so that no one should boast, But by SHEER AMAZING GRACE!

And though God’s grace comes to us through FRELLY through SIMPLE FAITH We know that God’s mercy and grace were ANYTHING BUT SIMPLE! For they required the death of God’s Son upon the cross. Which was the most UN-SIMPLE thing of all. and yet, because of this, His mercy and grace comes to us by simple grace.

Do you have that life-changing grace in your life? Or have you rejected God’s mercy and grace like Jonah did in chapter 1 as you flee from God and refuse to be both saved and used by Him!

The Word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time. Nineveh was given 40 days. And while God is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, make no mistake, the Word of the Lord is calling out to you today, and it may be for the last time! You may not have 40 days, 4 weeks, 4 days, or even 4 hours! For what is your life, but a vapor that appears for a moment and then quickly vanishes! And so why today, hear the Word of the Lord, turn from your sin towards HIS GOSPEL and be saved. And when you have, obey the Word of the Lord and SURRENDER ALL you have for the sake of the gospel message of Jesus Christ.

Are you struggling to do that? Are you struggling to give Him your time, your money, and even your heart? Yes, HE demands it... but don’t you see He’s only demanding what you’re already going to lose one day soon anyways? So why not live for Him and build your life upon the unshakable foundation of the gospel message of Jesus Christ and see all that He does through you! And if you doubt that - LOOK at what He did with Jonah and the abysmal job Jonah did! As a Spirit-filled New Testament Christian, surely you can do better than that! So why not join in with His cause to siege human hearts with the Gospel message of Jesus Christ? Won’t you join Him as you give your life for the one who gave His for you? Wont you build your life upon His gospel message of salvation by grace?

If so, in a moment we are going to sing a new song, in which the lyrics are: There is one Gospel on which I stand for all eternity It is my story my Father's plan the Son has rescued me Oh what a Gospel oh what a peace my highest joy and my deepest need Now and forever He is my light I stand in the Gospel of Jesus Christ

If you truly mean those lyrics, I not only ask that you join in and sing them with us, But I’m also asking you to commit today to doing what Christ is asking you to do, Which is to stand upon the gospel message of Jesus Christ, to live for it and cling to it as you count all else as loss!

Prayer

This is the manuscript the sermon was preached from, so the recording may differ in places.