ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 Tokonaki Tisema 16, 2023

The Shortest Sermon

Ko e Malanga Nounou Tahaa

JONAH 3:4

[JONAH] CALLED OUT, "YET FORTY DAYS, AND NINEVEH SHALL BE OVERTHROWN!"

SIONA 3:4

Pea kamata ‘e Siona ‘ene hū ki he kolo ko e vā‘ihala ‘o e ‘aho ‘e taha, mo ‘ene kalanga ‘o pehē, Toe fāngofulu‘i ‘aho, pea kuo fulihi ‘a Ninive!

Five Hebrew words-that's how long Jonah's sermon was. But he did get right to the point: "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be hafak." Hafak is the verb frequently used to describe the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19:25; Deut. 29:23; Lam. 4:6). Should Nineveh not repent, the same punishment awaited this Assyrian city. But of course they did turn from their evil way (3:10). Fascinatingly, when they repented, another aspect of hafak applied, because while it means "overturn," this verb can also mean "turn, change, transform." The psalmist cries, "You have hafak ['turned'] for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness" (30:11). So God did for Nineveh! As the Lord had threatened to hafak ("overturn") the city, when they put on sackcloth in repentance, he hafak ("turned") their mourning into dancing.

The last thing this xenophobic missionary wanted was for his audience to repent-yet they did, big-time. Even the cows wore sackcloth (3:8)! Jonah's story vividly reminds us that it's the Spirit's job to give repentance and work faith - not the preacher's. No one can repent, no one come to God, no one can believe, "No one can say, 'Jesus is Lord,' except in the Holy Spirit" (1 Cor. 12:3). He turns hearts to him.

All praise to you, Holy Spirit, for calling us by the Gospel to faith in Christ Jesus.