“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.” (Jon 3:5 AV)
I believe the Bible to be silent on this matter, but I could be mistaken; but what was it that precipitated the revival Jonah realized at Nineveh? What happened to prepare the people of this wicked city? Why did they believe the preaching of Jonah, and why were they moved with fear? The only evidence of any event that precipitated Jonah’s preaching was a salt-water whale vomiting Jonah on the shores of the Euphrates. What doesn’t make sense in my mind is the historical narrative of the relationship between the Ninevites and the ten northern tribes of Israel? From the early years of Israel in Palestine, Nomads from Nineveh would raid the eastern edge of Israel on a regular basis. They would pillage, rape, and murder the eastern tribes of God’s people. There was no fear of Jehovah in their eyes. Yet revival came. We may never know the particulars lest we try to manufacture them ourselves. One thing is for sure: God can and does bring revival to the darkest people at the darkest time and under the darkest of circumstances.
The adversary is trying to convince the body of Christ that massive revivals are no longer possible. He is convincing, to say the least. He will point to the carnal condition of the body of Christ as evidence. He is right. We are carnal. He will point to the destructive influence of science, so-called. He will point out that mankind has been brainwashed into believing there is no God. He controls the schools, the media, and the culture. All to convince mankind that there is no God and Jesus Christ is a myth. He is largely successful. Our adversary will make a big deal out of shrinking churches, the razing of sacred buildings, or the downward spiral and moral decay of humanity. He will increase confrontation to a new level. The efforts of evangelism are directly challenged by a hostile world. It seems as though all this is increasing while the influence of the gospel is waning. The enemy of the cross will point out that we are losing and not winning. So he asks, why bother? The body of Christ becomes discouraged because our baptismal waters have run dry. There seems to be more empty space than full. We are trying to raise funds to survive rather than to increase. All the trends are heading in the wrong direction. But that is exactly when revival comes. That is exactly why revival is needs. Revival doesn’t come to a body that is already alive. Revival comes to a body that is almost dead.
Jonah faced impossible odds. In fact, he expected the Ninevites to wholly reject the grace of God. We looked for and wished for the destruction of Israel’s enemies. He fully expected a Sodom and Gomorrah event. After all, until Jonah showed up in a pile of whale vomit, there wasn’t much respect for the God of Israel. It wasn’t until a preacher who had the gall to preach for three days up and down the streets of Nineveh before the Ninevites felt anything coming close to fear. One would think the sailors of the ship upon which Jonah traveled would have told the Ninevites of the events preceding Jonah’s appearance, but they were on the other side of Asia. News would not have traveled that far and that fast. What was it that made the Ninevites afraid of a God whom they never respected in the first place? We will never know. But one thing we know for sure. No matter how spiritually dark a place can be, God can bring revival. No matter how anti-Jehovah a people might be, God can bring revival. It doesn’t matter how much a people group disdains the culture of the preacher, God can bring revival. As we approach the coming dark days of the tribulation, let us never grow weary. God can bring revival no matter the situation.
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