Jonah

Part III

"Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown!"

When these words reached the ears of the king of Nineveh, he shuddered. Were these the propaganda of an enemy? A foretelling of an army marching to level his city? No, he was told by his associates, they were the words of a foreigner, a man claiming to be a prophet of a deity he calls the Lord God. This man, this foreigner, has been walking through the streets of Nineveh, delivering his message in bellows to all who could hear him. He said much, said the king's soldiers to their king, but much of his message they had forgotten. Except for the single line he repeated over and over.

"'Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.'"

"Bring me that prophet," the king of Nineveh commanded his soldiers. He was of course worried and enraged. What right did a foreigner have, echoing such threats to the people? It will create turmoil and fear among the populace, spring uprisings and riots. And the people will turn on him, their king, for raining such misfortune on them as they await, or flee from this terror.

After what seemed like an eternity, the king's soldiers returned with the prophet and the king scrutinized the man. The prophet was plainly dressed, no insignia or adornments to indicate loyalty to another, perhaps rival city or nation. But that would defeat the purpose of being a spy, if that is what the foreigner truly was.

"Who are you?" the king of Nineveh demanded to know, "and what is this message you utter to my people?"

The foreigner looked up at the king and replied, "My name is Jonah. I am a prophet of the Lord. I share the message he entrusted me to share with the great city of Nineveh."

"What is the purpose of your message, prophet?" the king questioned.

"It is a message from the Lord, the God of the earth and the skies, of all that lives and breathes," the prophet spoke. His tone held such authority that left the king of Nineveh and his court stunned. "Hear me, king of Nineveh and all under his rule! The sight of your wickedness has been an eyesore to the Lord for too long. Hence, in forty days, He has declared He will overthrow this great city and wipe away its sinful stain from the earth. He will wash away your idol worship and adultery, your greed and covetousness. No longer will you be a blemish in the eyes of the Lord, for in forty days He will erase this city to nothing."

The king sat dumbfounded on his throne, he and his court crippled with fear at the prophet's words. So much so they did not notice or act when the prophet took his leave, returning to the streets of Nineveh to continue sharing the message of the Lord. The king on the other hand slumped in his throne, suddenly feeling small in the overwhelming presence of their looming doom. He was well aware of the lawlessness that lived in Nineveh; he even ruled by it. But it never occurred to him to change it. Why change it when it brought him many riches, women and pleasure? But now, filled with fear of the Lord the prophet spoke of, no pleasure he could imagine could conquer it. They all felt like no more than petty pleasures.

"My lord," a trembling noble in the king's court muttered, "What do you propose we do in the face of this prophecy?"

"Repent," the king felt the word fall out of his mouth. The associate and all in the king's court were taken aback."

"However, do we do that?" another noble asked.

"By decree," the king responded, rising from his throne and rending his royal garments. "Proclaim to all within Nineveh that no beast nor man must taste food or drink water. Proclaim by the authority of me and this house of nobles that all must wear sackcloth and cry out the Lord in repentance. Proclaim that all acts that shed blood, that cheat and pilfer and give praise to stone or silver or gold must immediately cease and be never repeated, and that they must all instead turn to the Lord." The court watched incredulously as the king, removed from his royal garments and now adorn with ash and sackcloth, retreated to his chambers as he muttered, "Hopefully the Lord may repent from his anger and spare us our deserved demise."

The decree was made and within minutes the proclamation had spread throughout the city of Nineveh. The people, once filled with wickedness, once full of fear of the prophecy, took to the king's words and repented. No beast; sheep, calf or fowl tasted food, and no man, woman or child drank water. Instead they cried out to the Lord, begging for mercy and promising to turn new leaves in his name.

And forty days came, and the Lord cast his eyes over to Nineveh. He heard their pleas and saw their works, and in his mercy he withdrew his retribution. The city of Nineveh, seeing this, shouted praises to the Lord and continued to live under his commandments.

The prophet, having left Nineveh, forty days ago, had taken up a spot on one of the hills that overlooked the great city, awaiting the fortieth day. When that day came, and he saw the repentance of Nineveh and the Lord's mercy over them, he grit his teeth in anger.

"This is why I tried to run to Tarshish," he scorned. "Always the merciful God. You might as well take my life for this waste of time."

The Lord, of course, heard him.