神給予第二次機會
約拿書三章1至10節
1耶和華的話二次臨到約拿說：
2你起來！往尼尼微大城去，向其中的居民宣告我所吩咐你的話。
3約拿便照耶和華的話起來，往尼尼微去。這尼尼微是極大的城，有三日的路程。
4約拿進城走了一日，宣告說：再等四十日，尼尼微必傾覆了！
5尼尼微人信服神，便宣告禁食，從最大的到至小的都穿麻衣（或譯：披上麻布）。
6這信息傳到尼尼微王的耳中，他就下了寶座，脫下朝服，披上麻布，坐在灰中。
7他又使人遍告尼尼微通城，說：王和大臣有令，人不可嘗甚麼，牲畜、牛羊不可吃草，也不可喝水。
8人與牲畜都當披上麻布；人要切切求告神。各人回頭離開所行的惡道，丟棄手中的強暴。
9或者神轉意後悔，不發烈怒，使我們不致滅亡，也未可知。
10於是神察看他們的行為，見他們離開惡道，他就後悔，不把所說的災禍降與他們了。
信息分享
神兩次稱尼尼微是個「大城」。它確是古代其中一個古老的大城，位置大約在今天伊朗以北地區。在它寬大的城牆上面建有1,500座樓臺。它是當時亞述帝國的首都。
它也是一座信奉異教的罪惡之城。然而神卻不願意有一人滅亡。只要城中的居民願意悔改，神仍然願意憐恤他們。但倘若他們執意行惡，活在罪中，神的審判和憤怒便要向他們傾倒。
尼尼微人對約拿所宣講信息的反應，實在令人驚訝。神的靈和祂的話在他們心中工作，使他們知罪。全城人都停下手上的工作，向神認罪悔改。該城大約有一百萬人口，無一例外地都在神面前謙卑悔改。
神絕不姑息罪惡，卻願意寬恕罪人。就好像你踏著自行車逆風而行，你會感到無法前進；但當你轉變方向，順風而行，便會一路順遂。當我們從罪惡中回轉時，我們會忽然發覺神與我們同行，給我們隨時的幫助。神等候的，正是罪人呼求赦免的禱告。
遺憾的是，尼尼微城人的悔改沒有維持很久，便又重回罪中。神後來再差派那鴻去斥責他們。這次神的審判沒有再遲延，該城在公元前612年被米甸人所滅。神的寬容是有極限的。
THE GOD OF THE SECOND CHANCE
Jonah 3:1-10
1 Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying,
2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.”
3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three-day journey in extent.
4 And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day’s walk. Then he cried out and said, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”
5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them.
6 Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes.
7 And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying,
Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water.
8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands.
9 Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish?
10 Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.
Message
Twice God called Ninevah a 'great city'. It was one of the oldest cities of the ancient world. Its location would be in northern Iraq. 1,500 towers were on its enormous walls. It was the capital of the Assyrian Empire.
It was also a sinful city, a heathen city. But God is not willing that any should perish. God's attitude to Ninevah was one of mercy and compassion if they would only repent. God was concerned lest they go on in their sin and wickedness and He would have to pour out judgment on them.
Their response to the preaching of Jonah was amazing. The Spirit of God and the Word of God were doing their convicting work. The king led the way in repentance. The whole city stopped work and turned to God. There could have been a million people in that city, but the whole of the population turned to God in humble repentance.
God never changes His attitude toward sin but He does change His attitude toward the sinner. It can be compared to riding a bike against the wind - it is literally against you in every way. Then if you turn around and go with the wind, everything will be in your favour. When we turn from our sin, we suddenly discover that God is on our side and wants to help in every moment of need. The cry of the sinner for forgiveness is the prayer God waits for.
Unfortunately Ninevah's repentance did not last. Later God sent Nahum to cry against it again. This time God could not withhold judgment and the city was destroyed by the Medes at about 612 BC. God's patience had run out.