Useful Bible Studies > Jonah Commentary > chapter 3
For the next 40 days, life in Nineveh was very different from how it had been previously. The declaration of God’s judgment against the city, had changed completely the people’s attitudes and behaviour. Formerly, the people had cared only about their own pleasure, benefit and success. Now, none of them tried to gain power or wealth by cruelty. They put away their beautiful and impressive clothes; they would only wear the poorest clothes. They refused food so far as they were able.
During this time, Jonah had an opportunity to teach the people. We are sure that they had many questions about God and about his standards for their lives. God had not told Jonah to teach the people his laws for Israel. So probably Jonah taught the people about the simpler laws that God had given to Noah for all people (Genesis 9:4-7). They must stop their murders and their cruelty. They must establish a proper system of law to punish criminals. They must respect God.
At some time during the 40 days, the king of Nineveh made a special law. He declared that, for a certain period of time, Nineveh’s people and its animals must obey even stricter rules. Perhaps these rules were for one particular day near the end of the 40 day period. It would be impossible to live by such strict rules for much longer than that.
By the king’s special rule, the people in Nineveh had to refuse both food and water. They must not give food to their farm animals; they could not even give water to their animals. The people must wear only rough, poor cloth and they must put some of that cloth on their animals too. The purpose of all this was to show God that Nineveh’s inhabitants were truly sorry for their wicked behaviour.
Next part: People and animals cry out to God (Jonah 3:8)
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