What does God's command to "proclaim to it the message" teach us today? The Call Begins With God • “Arise! Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message that I give you.” (Jonah 3:2) • God, not Jonah, initiates the mission. • The same divine initiative underlies every modern call to share the gospel (Matthew 28:19–20). Rise and Go: Instant Obedience • “Arise” implies leaving comfort and routine. • Delayed obedience is disobedience (cf. Psalm 119:60). • God still expects believers to move when He speaks, whether across the street or across the globe. Proclaim, Don’t Negotiate • “Proclaim” (Hebrew qārāʾ) means to cry out publicly and clearly. • We are messengers, not editors (2 Timothy 4:2). • The tone is earnest, not argumentative—truth delivered with love (Ephesians 4:15). The Message Belongs to God • “The message that I give you” rules out personal invention. • Scripture is complete, sufficient, and inerrant; our job is to pass it on unchanged (2 Peter 1:20–21). • God’s Word carries His authority; ours carries none (Isaiah 55:11). Universal Reach • Nineveh was pagan, violent, and distant—yet God cared. • No culture, generation, or neighborhood is beyond the scope of the gospel (Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8). • Sharing Christ with “unlikely” people mirrors Jonah’s assignment. Bold Speech, Humble Heart • Jonah had to stand before a hostile city; courage is required (Acts 4:29). • The messenger never forgets his own need for grace (1 Corinthians 15:10). • Boldness and humility travel together when the message is God-centered, not self-centered. Fruit Comes From God • Jonah obeyed; God stirred Nineveh’s repentance (Jonah 3:5). • Our responsibility: faithfulness in proclamation. • God’s responsibility: results (1 Corinthians 3:6–7). Living Jonah 3:2 Today • Get up—cultivate availability. • Go—step into the spheres God opens. • Proclaim—speak His Word plainly. • Trust—leave the outcome to Him (Romans 10:14–15). |
    |