3:1,2
The command from God comes a second time, and it hasn’t changed. If we argue with God we are not going to win the argument. However, that does not mean we should not argue with God, for God uses these situations to change us. There are many records in the Bible, especially the Old Testament, of people arguing with God. Moses, Abraham, Job, Jeremiah and David are perhaps the best examples. But we should do so knowing that it is we who will have to change, it is we who need to change, not God.
3:3-5
This time Jonah obeyed, and embarked on the most successful evangelistic mission of all time. It took him three days to go through the whole city, and he told them clearly that God intended to overthrow the city because of their wickedness. A forty day warning was given. The Ninevites believed God. Notice it says “believed God”, not “believed Jonah”. They took the message as being from God. So a fast and the wearing sackcloth was proclaimed, and all the people, from the greatest to the least, took part. There was a national repenting. The key point here is how different this response is from that of Israel. Many times God sent prophets to Israel or Judah warning of coming judgement, but instead of repenting they reacted by being stubborn. Yet, godless Nineveh responded immediately and fully.
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