Blessings without Repentance? Part 3

Blessings without Repentance? Part 3
Thursday, March 12, 2026 by Dr. James W. Walraven

Categories: Contemporary issues / God’s sovereignty / Hope in Christ / Scripture discussion / Spiritual deception / The church / Thought for Today / Truth telling

Nineveh. One of the most encouraging examples of repentance is found in the book of Jonah: the repentance of Nineveh.

Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian empire. In ancient history, it would be difficult to find a more arrogant and sadistic nation than Assyria. They delighted in evil. That delight is even recorded in Scripture. The end of Nahum 3:19 (ESV) states: “For upon whom has not come your unceasing evil?” Historical records tell us that when they destroyed a city, they’d flay the dead from that city, especially their dead nobles, and paper their skin over their own city’s walls. Talk about arrogant and cruel!

But, as the book of Jonah records, at least for a time, they did repent. Through Jonah’s message, God made it clear that if Nineveh didn’t repent, they would be immediately destroyed. Due to their long history of practicing evil, Jonah tried to run from God’s assignment. For understandable human reasons, he wanted to see God destroy Nineveh, and got angry when God showed that city mercy (see Jonah 4).

What did Nineveh’s repentance look like? Did only a few repent, while most continued on in their evil ways? No. Their repentance was total, from the least of them to the greatest.

Jonah 3:5–9 (NAU): “Then the people of Nineveh believed in God; and they called a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them. When the word reached the king of Nineveh, he arose from his throne, laid aside his robe from him, covered himself with sackcloth and sat on the ashes. He issued a proclamation and it said, ‘In Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let man, beast, herd, or flock taste a thing. Do not let them eat or drink water. But both man and beast must be covered with sackcloth; and let men call on God earnestly that each may turn from his wicked way and from the violence which is in his hands. Who knows, God may turn and relent and withdraw His burning anger so that we will not perish.’”

Since Nineveh repented, God did not destroy them, much to Jonah’s dismay. Their destruction would come later, after the nation had turned back to their evil ways (see the book of Nahum).

Are we willing to repent as Nineveh did? Presently, is any country willing to do that? To avert God’s judgment, that is what is required: a full, complete, total repentance. Sadly, while some in our country are seeking God, turning from their sin and evil practices, others are doubling down on them, reveling in them, declaring that they absolutely will not abandon their evil ways (that is, evil as defined by God, not humans).

For example, consider God’s care for widows, orphans, and children in general. Jesus even states that it would be better for someone to put a millstone around his neck and be drowned in the sea than to cause a little one who believes in Him to sin (see Matthew 18:6). Do you really think God will not judge our nation for the way so many push the “non-binary” agenda onto “little ones”? Are we not seeing their hatred of good and love of evil continuing to increase?

Our repentance needs to be total. But, where does that repentance start? One can make a strong biblical case that repentance starts within the church.

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