Nineveh and Washington D.C.

The ancient city of Nineveh and Washington D.C. are not dissimilar. Nineveh was powerful, prestigious and evil. The same is true for Washington. Nineveh had no regard for the Living God of Scripture. The same is true for Washington. Nineveh was called to repentance by the Word of God. The same is true for Washington.

You might be asking where is the modern day Jonah calling for the city to repent or face destruction. The answer is that there is a voice in Washington more potent than Jonah’s. There are thousands and thousands of Bibles throughout the city and millions more throughout the land. Every leader in the city has access to one. Many even went to Sunday School!

God’s word is abundantly more available to those in Washington than to the leaders of Nineveh. The Bible has been long revered in Washington, but now it is an object of scorn. When the King of Nineveh heard the call to repent from a ragged prophet he immediately called on his vast city to bow before the voice of God.

The King of Nineveh needed no polling data or focus groups. He knew his evil city was toast. He offered no compromises to Jonah. He wasn’t concerned about offending other gods and religions. He knew there is only one God who matters. Listen to his response to Jonah:

“By the decree of the king and his nobles:
Do not let any man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink.  But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence.  Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.” Jonah 3:6-9

Only a similar response by our nation will avert the judgement of God.

I have no idea when God will chose to overthrow an unrepentant America, whether it will be 40 minutes, 40 days, 40 months or 40 years. What I do know is that apart from turning to Christ in faith and repentance, our country will not survive.

Cynicism and anger are not the answer. Political change is not the answer. As in Jonah’s day, repentance is the only answer. The call for repentance must begin with you and me. We are not helpless before a group of compromising, confused, bungling, politically correct elected officials. We serve the same God as Jonah did. The call for repentance must begin with us.

God has commanded you, like Jonah, to call those around you to repentance. Let us not be reluctant to rescue our dark country. God’s reason for tomorrow is that people will come to know him. Let’s make God’s reason for tomorrow be our mission for today.

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