True Repentance

Jonah 3:5–10

Introduction

We return again to the book of Jonah, picking up after Jonah’s very short and very odd sermon to the Ninevites. Let’s get our bearings in the story so far.

Jonah, a prophet of the Lord, was commanded to go to Nineveh and proclaim God’s coming judgment. But Jonah knew the Lord to be merciful and compassionate — and he hated the Ninevites, Israel’s brutal enemies. So instead of going east toward Nineveh, he fled west toward Tarshish, running from the presence of the Lord.

God pursued him with a violent storm that left the sailors fearing for their lives. They prayed to their gods, urged Jonah to pray to his, and cast lots to discover who was responsible. The lot fell on Jonah. He calmly told them the only solution was to throw him into the sea. At first they refused, rowing hard to reach land, but the storm only grew worse. Finally, with a prayer asking the Lord not to hold them guilty, they cast Jonah overboard — and the storm immediately ceased. The sailors responded with awe, worship, and vows to the Lord.

Meanwhile, Jonah sank beneath the waves — but God appointed a great fish to swallow him. Inside the fish, Jonah cried out in repentance and desperation. After three days, the Lord commanded the fish to vomit him onto dry land. This time Jonah went to Nineveh, delivered his five-word Hebrew sermon, and waited to see what would happen next.

Jonah 3:5–10 (ESV)

5 And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.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.7 And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water,8 but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands.9 Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.”10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.

Reflection Question:

“How do you feel when someone you really dislike gets a second chance? Do you celebrate… or do you feel like they got off too easy?”

It’s hard to rejoice when mercy is shown to someone we’d rather see judged—until we remember we needed it too. That’s what repentance does: it levels the playing field. When you face your own sin honestly and turn to God, you realize you’re not better than the person you resent. You’ve both stood guilty before God, and you’ve both needed His mercy.

That’s exactly what happens in Nineveh. Their repentance put them on the same ground as Jonah—sinners in need of grace. The real test isn’t just turning from sin ourselves, but learning to rejoice when God extends that same mercy even to our enemies.

Big Idea:

True repentance turns from sin to God — and rejoices when His mercy is extended to others, even our enemies.

The passage we just read gives us one of the clearest pictures of repentance you’ll ever find. But instead of giving you a tidy definition, let’s watch it unfold. We’ll walk through what repentance looked like in Nineveh—and then hold that up as a mirror to what it should look like in our own lives.

Repentance Looks Like…

1. Grieving Over Sin (vv. 5–7)

Jonah has just traveled from the shore—where the fish spat him out—into the heart of Nineveh. He delivers what may be the shortest sermon in Scripture—five words in Hebrew: “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”

Picture the scene: the streets are crowded. Merchants shout to sell spices, fabrics, and fresh bread. The smell of roasting meat drifts from food stalls. Children laugh and dart between shoppers’ legs. Blacksmiths clank tools. Soldiers patrol with rhythmic footsteps, spears in hand.

Then a voice cuts through the noise: “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”

At first, maybe a few laugh it off: “Some stranger shouting bad news? Ignore him.” But the voice carries. People stop to listen. Markets quiet. Conversations break off. Ovens pause.

Word spreads like wildfire: “God is going to judge us.” Merchants pull down stalls. Mothers call children home. Sackcloth replaces robes. Ashes replace perfume. From the poorest to the most decorated soldier, heads hang low. Even in the palace, the king hears. He steps down, removes his royal robe, covers himself with sackcloth, and sits in ashes.

The city falls silent, weighed down with grief over sin.

Here's what we learn about repentance:

1. Repentance begins with belief in God

   • They “believed God” (v. 5). This is more than mental assent. They trusted that the God behind Jonah’s words is living, righteous, and active. They believed His judgment was real—and that He might extend mercy if they turned from sin. True repentance is motivated not only by fear of wrath but also by hope in God’s grace.

2. Repentance involves taking responsibility for sin

   • The Ninevites didn’t blame others. Their grief shows recognition: “We are guilty. We have done wrong.” The king models this by laying aside royal privilege, covering himself with sackcloth, and sitting in ashes.

3. Grief over sin is tangible and visible

   • Fasting focuses the heart. Sackcloth displays mourning publicly. Sitting in ashes signals humility. Their grief touched every level of society—from the least to the greatest, from servants to the king.

The Ninevites’ sorrow was Godly: it humbled, broke pride, and turned hearts toward God.

In 2 Corinthians 7:9-10, the Apostle Paul contrasts two kinds of grief:

• Worldly sorrow: regret that focuses on self, fear of consequences, or trying to escape punishment. It produces death.

• Godly sorrow: grief over sin itself, grief that acknowledges God’s holiness and our guilt. It produces repentance that leads to life.

Reflection Questions:

• When you sin, do you grieve because God is grieved—or just because you got caught?

• Do you take responsibility for your actions, or do you excuse, minimize, or blame others?

• Is your sorrow visible in your life, or only private and superficial?

True repentance begins with grief over sin that is rooted in belief in God and trust in His mercy. Like the Ninevites, our sorrow should be real, humble, and transformative—not just fear, regret, or self-pity.

2. Turning From Sin (v. 8a)

The news of repentance spreads through the city like wildfire. Even in the palace, the gravity of God’s Word is felt. The king rises from his throne, lays aside his royal robe, and sits in dust and ashes—a posture of complete humility.

He issues a decree to the city, naming sin clearly:

“Turn from your evil ways and from the violence in your hands.”

The king doesn’t sugarcoat it. He confronts the wrongs of the people head-on, calling them to abandon the patterns of cruelty, oppression, and injustice that have defined their lives.

Imagine the streets as the king’s words echo: merchants pause, soldiers halt, families gather, and the city is united in the call to leave sin behind. This isn’t mere ritual or outward show—it’s a collective turning of hearts and lives, a visible and decisive pivot away from evil toward God.

Verse 8 makes clear that repentance is not only about outward signs. The king commands that fasting, sackcloth, and prayer must be matched by turning from evil ways and violence in one’s hands. Outward mourning is meaningless without real transformation (cf. Isaiah 58:3–9). True repentance involves both grieving sin and turning from sin—a tangible change in life, relationships, and devotion to God.

The Ninevites didn’t just grieve—they turned from sin. Fasting, sackcloth, and prayer were meaningful because they were paired with tangible action: abandoning violence and evil ways. True repentance always produces change, internal and external.

John warns in 1 John 3:4–10 that those who “make a practice of sinning”—whether outwardly in behavior or inwardly in thought—do not truly know God. Internal rottenness, like secret thoughts of pride, bitterness, or lust, is just as serious as visible, outward sin. Outwardly “good” kids or church kids still need God’s mercy if their hearts are not fully surrendered. Likewise, those whose sin is obvious also need the same repentance.

Illustration:

Imagine repentance as a man walking in one direction who suddenly realizes that he is walking in the opposite direction from which he should be walking. He stops. He turns around. Then he begins walking in the new direction.

This vividly portrays repentance: it’s a deliberate and sustained effort to align one’s life with God’s will. True repentance requires intentional action and commitment to follow God’s path.

Reflection Questions:

• If people knew your thoughts, would they testify that you know God?

• Does your internal dialogue reflect someone who trusts, loves, and obeys Christ—or someone who hides from Him?

• Do your actions align with your heart, or is there a disconnect between what God sees and what others see?

Repentance is for everyone. Whether your sin is internal or external, God’s mercy is available—but it comes through grief over sin and a decisive turning from it, both in heart and life. Like the Ninevites, we must let sorrow for sin produce real, tangible change, so our lives testify to the God who forgives and transforms.

3. Turning to God (vv. 8–10)

The silence of Nineveh breaks—not with violence or protest, but with prayer. From the palace to the smallest shack, voices cry out to God, pleading for mercy. The king’s decree calls all to action: fast, wear sackcloth, and turn from their evil ways. Every citizen participates, acknowledging their sin and dependence on God.

Verse 9 captures the tension:

“Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.”

The Ninevites themselves are unsure of the outcome, yet they hope in God’s mercy.

Verse 10 delivers the climactic resolution: God saw their repentance—their grief, turning from sin, and turning to Him—and relented of the disaster He had promised. God’s mercy is revealed: the city is spared, not because of merit, but because He is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin (Ex. 34:6–7).

The climax of Jonah’s story in Nineveh is not merely the people’s repentance—it is how God responds. As the Ninevites turn from sin and cry out to Him, God’s heart is moved. Verse 10 tells us plainly:

“When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.”

• God’s mercy is relational, not mechanical. The Hebrew word used conveys that God’s heart is affected by human repentance, sometimes expressed as God “repenting” of the disaster He intended. This does not imply imperfection or capriciousness, but His responsiveness to genuine turning from sin.

• God delights in repentance. The Ninevites’ humbled cries reveal a God who is patient, merciful, and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love (Ex. 34:6–7). Their turning aligns with His desire for life, not destruction (cf. 2 Pet. 3:9; 1 Tim. 2:4).

• Ethical and theological implications: Martin observes:

“It was wicked, violent, unrighteous, atheistical, proud, and luxurious Nineveh which God had threatened to destroy. A city sitting in sackcloth and ashes, humbled to the depths of self-abasement, and appealing as lowly suppliants to his commiseration — a Nineveh like that — that Nineveh, he had never threatened. That Nineveh he visited not with ruin. He had never said he would.” (Martin, Jonah, 290)

This passage shows us that God is not indifferent to repentance. When we grieve over sin, turn from it, and turn toward Him, He responds with mercy, forgiveness, and life. His heart is moved toward restoration, not punishment, just as it was for the Ninevites.

Think back to the question we started with:

“How do you feel when someone you really dislike gets a second chance? Do you celebrate… or do you feel like they got off too easy?”

It’s hard to rejoice when mercy is shown to someone we’d rather see judged—until we remember we needed it too. That’s what repentance does: it levels the playing field. When you face your own sin honestly and turn to God, you realize you’re not better than the person you resent. You’ve both stood guilty before God, and you’ve both needed His mercy.

The story of Nineveh shows that repentance moves God’s heart. When the city humbled itselfs, turned from sin, and turned toward Him, God relented. He forgave them, spared them, and restored them.

Jesus connects this truth directly to the gospel in Luke 11:32. He points to the Ninevites as an example of genuine repentance: they heard one short sermon and responded in faith, while others—like the scribes and Pharisees—had seen and heard far more yet refused to repent. The point is clear: true repentance is a matter of the heart, not how much knowledge or opportunity you have. God’s mercy is available to anyone who turns to Him, regardless of who they are or what they’ve done.

Practical Takeaways:

1. Trust God’s response: When you confess sin and turn to Him, He responds with mercy and restoration.

2. Extend mercy to others: Experiencing God’s grace should make us quick to forgive and compassionate, even toward people we struggle to like or respect.

3. Remember your need: Repentance humbles us and reminds us that we’re no

better than anyone else before God. Mercy received calls us to mercy extended.

Repentance transforms not only our lives but our hearts toward others.

Conclusion

We’ve seen through Jonah that true repentance turns from sin to God and that God responds with mercy when we do. But why do we need to repent in the first place? Some of us struggle to see our sin or think we’re “good enough.” The Bible makes it clear: we all fall short of God’s perfect standard.

• Romans 3:23 – “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”Every one of us, whether we act out or hide our sin inside, fails to live up to God’s perfect holiness.

• Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”Sin has consequences—separation from God, spiritual death—but God offers a free gift: mercy and life through Jesus.

• 1 John 1:8–9 – “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”Repentance is our honest recognition of sin, and God promises to respond with forgiveness and purification.

The Gospel Connection

We need to repent because we are guilty before God. But here’s the good news: Jesus took that guilt on Himself. His death and resurrection mean that when we turn from sin and trust Him, God relents, forgives, and restores us, just as He did for the Ninevites. Mercy is available to anyone who humbles themselves before God.

Application

• Look honestly at your own life. What sins have you hidden, excused, or minimized?

• Turn from them. Confess them to God. Believe that His mercy through Christ is real, available, and sufficient.

• And when God shows mercy to others—especially those you struggle to like—remember: you needed it too. Repentance humbles you and allows you to rejoice in God’s grace for everyone.

Closing Thought

Repentance is not just sorrow for sin—it’s a turning toward God, trusting His mercy, and letting His forgiveness change how we live and how we treat others. The Ninevites model it. God demonstrates how He responds to repentance with mercy. And now, it’s our turn.