Jonah 3:6
The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
This is a tough one. It involved being “clothed” in sackcloth and ashes. (A far cry from “Louis Vuitton” or whatever the fashionable wear is now!)
Jonah was dreading this. He knew of Nineveh’s true, utter, undisputed wickedness cruelty. And he also knew of God’s mercy for those who repent. In the off chance Nineveh would head God’s Word, Nineveh would be spared and their evil continue.
And that’s what happened.
What a disaster!
But this is precisely the point of God’s call for repentance – a turning from sin and back toward God and His ways.
So what does that have to do with clothing or sackcloth and ashes?
Being clothed in sackcloth and ashes was a sign of one’s sorrow and repentance. A sign that they were truly sorry for what they had done.
God didn’t spare the people of Nineveh because they changed their cloths and got a little dirty. He spared them because they changed their hearts and saw that they were very dirty.
The call is for us, too. We are called to repentance. True repentance. Soulful repentance. Deep repentance. Full repentance. Not an outward change of clothing or actions, but an inward transformation of the heart which produces from our very being a want and desire to change our actions.
If our repentance is done only for God and others to see, well, God sees through that; and He isn’t fooled. He wants to see that our sins, which break His heart have broken ours too. He wants to see that the actions He despises are despised by us too. He wants to see our hearts in sackcloth and ashes because we see the seriousness of our sins.
But He doesn’t leave us there! Where there is faith in Jesus there is forgiveness of our sins! Where there is confession sins there is mercy freely given! Where we were covered in ashes, He has traded us Light. Where we were drowning in sorrow and mourning, He has lifted us to peace and rejoicing. Where we wallowed in despair and hopelessness, He has stood us up in Life and hope.
Take to heart your sins, for they are serious.
Even more, take in His heart the forgiveness of all your sins through faith in Jesus, for it is certain and everlasting!
Scripture
- Jonah 3:6-10
