Revival Fires From Fish

“So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days’ journey. And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.” (Jon 3:3-4 AV)

It is often said the revival of Nineveh, numerically speaking, was the greatest single event revival to ever be recorded in the word of God.  At least to this point.  We learn there were 120,000 infants or toddlers by chapter four.  If that is the case, the population could have easily been north of 500,000.  We know the breadth of the city was such that it took three days to walk it.  If the average pace is five miles and hour and one walked for eight hours, that would mean the city and its surrounding suburbs was 120 miles in breadth.  Even if by three days journey the word of God meant Jonah would zig-zag all streets, we are still talking a significant city of size.  The word of God never says exactly how long Jonah walked or preached.   What we do know is that it only took one day of preaching for the revival to take hold in a city three times the size of the effort of Jonah.  Jonah only covered one-third of the city, yet the word of God out paced him.  The word of God spread faster than the ability of the evangelist.  This goes to show the power of the word of God is greater than man’s efforts or abilities.

One has to wonder how the ground was prepared for such a great event.  We know almost nothing of it except for the events of Jonah’s experiences in the first two chapters.  We know nothing of what might have happened prior to Jonah’s call to go there.  We don’t know if the LORD prepared the city by some tragedy or event like an earthquake, famine, or pestilence.  What we also don’t know is the conditions upon which Jonah might have arrived if he was willingly obedient to begin with.  What we do know is Jonah arrived at the gates of Nineveh by being regurgitated by a whale at the shores of Nineveh.  What we do know is if this event was observed, and it most likely was, word of it would have spread like wild-fire throughout the city.  Never before had man witnessed a whale regurgitating a man.  And, it would never be witnessed again.  In short, Jonah’s experience in the belly of the whale may just have provided the match that lit the fires of revival.

Which brings us to our point.  If we want revival, we have to be willing to be used in ways that may be a bit uncomfortable.  We are not stating we should run from the LORD in the hopes He will chasten us unto a revival.  Not at all.  But Jonah had a deep prayer meeting in that belly.  Not only did he repent of his prejudice and hatred for the Ninevites, but he recommitted himself to the calling which God placed upon Him, He prayed for faithfulness.  He prayer for forgiveness.  He prayed and vowed that he would be faithful because it is in that faithfulness God reveals His mercy.  We want revival.  But are we willing to pay any price to be an instrument to bring it about?  Jonah could have refused.  He could have become more defiant in the belly of the whale.  He could have made the argument that if he dies, then who would preach in Israel.  He could have made the argument that if he refuses to go, God would send someone more willing.  He didn’t.  He accepted His role in the revival and faithfully discharged his duties.  Jonah was the example of a God who will bring judgment on the disobedient.  The Ninevites were not going to truffle with a God who is able to prepare a fish to swallow the disobedient.