神给予第二次机会
约拿书三章1至10节
1耶和华的话二次临到约拿说：
2你起来！往尼尼微大城去，向其中的居民宣告我所吩咐你的话。
3约拿便照耶和华的话起来，往尼尼微去。这尼尼微是极大的城，有三日的路程。
4约拿进城走了一日，宣告说：再等四十日，尼尼微必倾覆了！
5尼尼微人信服神，便宣告禁食，从最大的到至小的都穿麻衣（或译：披上麻布）。
6这信息传到尼尼微王的耳中，他就下了宝座，脱下朝服，披上麻布，坐在灰中。
7他又使人遍告尼尼微通城，说：王和大臣有令，人不可尝甚么，牲畜、牛羊不可吃草，也不可喝水。
8人与牲畜都当披上麻布；人要切切求告神。各人回头离开所行的恶道，丢弃手中的强暴。
9或者神转意后悔，不发烈怒，使我们不致灭亡，也未可知。
10于是神察看他们的行为，见他们离开恶道，他就后悔，不把所说的灾祸降与他们了。
信息分享
神两次称尼尼微是个「大城」。它确是古代其中一个古老的大城，位置大约在今天伊朗以北地区。在它宽大的城墙上面建有1,500座楼台。它是当时亚述帝国的首都。
它也是一座信奉异教的罪恶之城。然而神却不愿意有一人灭亡。只要城中的居民愿意悔改，神仍然愿意怜恤他们。但倘若他们执意行恶，活在罪中，神的审判和愤怒便要向他们倾倒。
尼尼微人对约拿所宣讲信息的反应，实在令人惊讶。神的灵和祂的话在他们心中工作，使他们知罪。全城人都停下手上的工作，向神认罪悔改。该城大约有一百万人口，无一例外地都在神面前谦卑悔改。
神绝不姑息罪恶，却愿意宽恕罪人。就好像你踏着自行车逆风而行，你会感到无法前进；但当你转变方向，顺风而行，便会一路顺遂。当我们从罪恶中回转时，我们会忽然发觉神与我们同行，给我们随时的帮助。神等候的，正是罪人呼求赦免的祷告。
遗憾的是，尼尼微城人的悔改没有维持很久，便又重回罪中。神后来再差派那鸿去斥责他们。这次神的审判没有再迟延，该城在公元前612年被米甸人所灭。神的宽容是有极限的。
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.