Jonah: God’s Determination - Pastor Bronson Duke

New Life Church - Downtown Little Rock

God is determined to accomplish his purposes through us so that his Justice and mercy will cover the earth like a flood. Still, despite hearing about the mercy characteristics of God, there are many of us who don’t know this God. We flee wrath but we never worship under mercy. It is his pure and true justice as a loving father that leads us back to him and allows him to bring us fully into his restoration, healing, and new life.

“When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened.”

Jonah 3:10 (NLT)

“At first glance this message seems to be only one of gloom and doom. The Ninevites certainly understand “overturned” to mean “destroyed.” Everyone in the text understands, however, that this word of destruction contains the possibility of Yahweh’s mercy if they repent. This word concept is crucial to understanding this chapter. The double meaning of “overturned” is not lost on Jonah. He knows that Yahweh’s message implies that the people may repent and God will forgive. Such a possibility is exactly why Jonah initially fled to Tarshish. The Ninevites also seem to understand this when they immediately repent and hear about the hope of forgiveness from the king.”
James Bruckner | NIV Commentary

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