ON THE VANGUARD

CAPABLE OF REPENTANCE
“Adonai is slow to anger, but great in power; and he does not leave the guilty unpunished. Adonai’s path is in the whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.”
Nahum 1:3

I would venture to say that we all know the story of Jonah. It was Jonah who, when asked by God to go to Nineveh, boarded a vessel heading the opposite direction. Instead of Nineveh, he went toward Tarshish. But Jonah soon learned that he could not run from God. A great storm met the boat during this journey and the men aboard began to fret, with the exception of Jonah who was asleep below. Stirred awake by the frightened crew, Jonah realized this dangerous storm was because of him, and he allowed himself to be thrown overboard where a great fish was standing by to gulp him up. For three days he remained in the fish’s belly. For three days he had time to think on the sin of his disobedience and seek repentance.
I almost think these three days of repentance served as a launching point for Jonah, for when he we spit on the beach by the fish later on, he began to do as God had ordered. For forty days, without fear or worry, Jonah preached that the people should repent of their ways, for Nineveh was a nasty city, and return to God. And having been in the fish, he knew a thing or two now about repenting and getting back in the center of God’s will. His message did not go unheard in Nineveh. As the people learned of God’s plan for the destruction of the city, they indeed repented and the city was saved. But as I mentioned, this is a story we probably all know.
Here is one we may not know as well, however, also concerning Nineveh. It is estimated that about 150 years later, Nineveh made the headlines again. From the time of Jonah’s message to repent, till now years later, the city once again got off-track. The people began once again to be detestable within the sight of God. Nahum 3 describes just to fraction of the filth that rested on the land years later. The city was steeped in lies (3:1), the streets were filled with heaps of bodies (3:3), and she whored herself to other nations (3:4). The place where once God had shown His mercy by relenting had over time become worse.
Because of these actions and a myriad of additional sins, God spoke through Nahum, saying, He does not leave the guilty unpunished. In essence, years prior the people had left their sin and came back to Him. Now, however, the people were too far gone. Their hearts were too hardened toward God that no one would listen this time around. And so God decreed, “’Though they be many and strong, they will be cut down, they will pass; and though I have made you suffer, I will make you suffer no more. Now I will break his yoke from your necks and snap the chains that bind you (1:12-13).’” God’s destruction on Nineveh was coming.
As I pondered over these two Nineveh’s, I could not help but wonder which one I live in now. Do I live in the Nineveh that still has a chance, or the one that is too far gone and hard hearted? In my daily walk, I encounter times of sin. Some I ignore, but others I struggle with. And because I am only human I sometimes give in to sin as well. But while I know God is there to forgive me, I never want to come to a point where I take God’s forgiveness for granted, or become hard hearted and set myself up for His wrath to be poured out upon me. I never want Romans 1:24 to be said of me, that God turned me over to the destruction of my sin. And I never want this to be said of you either. I am taking the time today, right now even, to call out to God in repentance before it is too late. While God is still willing to relent, I cry out. Will you also? God is slow to anger, but let us seek forgiveness while we are still capable to repent.