The Pulpit Commentary — Jonah — Section 76

life for my ~ake shltll find it." Acknowledge the reality of Divine protection nnd ■trength-sense of p<'ace and proof of it, for, after all, fidelity to God is the true policy, "Them that honour me, I will honour" (1 Sam. ii. 30),-W, G. B. Vars. 5-9.-The f'epentance of Nineveh. "So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them," etc. Here is Jonah in Nineveh alone against the world. Oh, the moral grandeur of the sight !-resting on God alone-" according to his faith it was to him" -marvellous success of his preaching, through Divine power working in him nnd ,hrough him. Observe the contrast to Noah and to Lot. He is like John the Baptist -a torch, setting all on fire. We notice the effects of his crying the cry which God bade him. I. TnE PEOPLE OF NrnEVE~ _BEL~VED <J:on. (Ver. 5.) Appare';ltly "the people" were first impressed-deep rchg1ous nnpress1ons commonly begin with them, and rise from them to the upper class-" the common people heard Jesus gladly." 'l'here are many hindrances among men of wealth and station t.o religious impression, but Provi- dence gives compensations-" the poor have the gospel preached unto them." They believed God. They saw in Jonah only a messenger-the messenger of God, who made the earth and the sea. Probably they had heard his history, for" Jonah was a i;ign to the Ninevites." Before one, in whose person there had been given such tokena of the Divine power, both t-0 punish and to save, they stood in awe. "The busy crowd is by-and-by arrested ; a solemn awe steals over the minds of the people, they press around the preacher to know who and whence he is, and why he utters such an ominous cry in their streets; and hearing as they now do, that, so far from lightly denouncing this doom against them, be had already, at the hazard of his life, shrunk from executing the charge co=itted to him, that he bad been cast out for hie wilful resistance into the mighty deep, and miraculously restored only that he might be sent forth anew to utter the cry they now heard of approaching destruction-learning all this concerning Jonah and his burden, how solemn and perilous must their situation have appeared in their eyes!" (Kitto). He whom they now heard proclaiming his warning was the messenger of that God who had roused the storm and cast him overboard; who had prepared the great fish to swallow biUJ, keep him alive within its huge body, and then vomit him on the dry land ; and who had sent him back to deliver hie message, " Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be destroyed." The whole community were actuated by a common feeling. "Word came to the king." All ranks and classes were moved by the message of the strange preacher; all realized that the anger of God and the coming destruction of the city were awful calamities; as of the Pharisees at John's baptism, the question might have been asked, "Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? " When God makes his voice heard, he bows the hearts of the people like the heart of one man. II. PnoCLillATION OF A FAST. An external token of distress is deemed fitting- heathen fasts extended to animals as well as men. "It was a cue tom among the ancient h•,athen to withhold food from their cattle as well as from themselves in times of mourn- ing and humiliation; in some instances they cut off the hair of their beasts as well u their own" (Kitto). Attitude of the king, great and noble (ver. 6)-all hie pride and vain-glory laid aside-he humbles himself openly before God-contrast this with spirit of Senuacherib afterwards (2 Kings xviii., xix.)-kings never so great as when they pay honour to him by whom kings reign-the King of Nineveh rose above all shame and vanity, saw only the dread reality, and acted accordingly. Kings are in their noblest attitude when leading their people to honour God. III. PBAYEB DEMAXDED. "Let them cry mightily unto God." All their own gods are to be set aside-this God only is to be recognized. No one seems to have said a word for the .ABsyrian gods-" Our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he bath pleased" (Ps. cxv. 3). Prayer is often derided by the worl<l-in time of prees- i.D.g danger the praying people are the wise, the patriotic, the true people. Real prayer ill 1,0 barren form-" let them cry mightily to God "-throw their whole souls into the exercise-pray as for dear life. The true idea of prayer is beseeching God's mercy- btseecl,ing it as the one only rcsonrce-what alone can save from misery and ruin. IV. Mo11A.L REF0llMA'l'ION DE.IIUNDED. "Let them tum every one from his evil ,(lll, III, 1-10.] TUE nooK OF JONAH.