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주석[매튜 헨리] — 요나 3장 · 니느웨의 회개

요약
매튜 헨리 주석 · 섹션 3개 · 한국어 번역 있음(한국어 우선) · 본문 보기
아래 주석은 원문(및 번역문) 그대로입니다.

1~4절 카드 ↗

Jonah's Mission Renewed; The Prophet's Mission to Nineveh. . 1 And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying, 2 Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. 3 So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD . Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey. 4 And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. We have here a further evidence of the reconciliation between God and Jonah, and that it was a thorough reconciliation, though the controversy between them had run high. I. Jonah's commission is renewed and readily obeyed. 1. By this it appears that God was perfectly reconciled to Jonah, that he employed him again in his service; and the commission anew given him was an evidence of the remission of his former disobedience. Among men, it has been justly pleaded that the giving of a commission to a criminal convicted is equivalent to a pardon, so it was to Jonah. The word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time ( Jonah 3:1 ; Jonah 3:1 ); for, 1. Jonah must be tried, whether he do indeed repent of his former disobedience or no, and whether he have gotten the good designed him both by his strange punishment an by his strange deliverance. He had deserted his work and duty, and had been under arrest for it, had received a sentence of death within himself; but, upon his submission, God had released him, had given him his life, had given him his liberty; but it is upon his good behaviour that he is released, and he must again be put upon the trial whether he will follow the will of God or his own will. After he has been thrown into the sea, and thrown out of it again, God comes and asks him, "Jonah, wilt thou go to Nineveh now?" For when God judges he will overcome, he will gain his point; he will bring the disobedient stubborn child to his foot at last. Note, When God has afflicted us, and delivered us out of affliction, we must hear his voice, saying to us, Now return to the duties which before you neglected, and which by these providences you are called to. God now said, in effect, to Jonah, as Christ said to the impotent man, when he had healed him, "Now go and sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee ( John 5:14 ), a worse thing than lying three days and three nights in the whale's belly." God looks upon men, when he has afflicted them and has delivered them out of their affliction, to see whether they will mend of that fault, particularly, for which they were corrected; and therefore in that thing we are concerned to see to it that we receive not the grace of God in vain, neither in the correction nor in the deliverance, for both are designed to be means of grace. (2.) Jonah shall be trusted, in token of God's favour to him. God might justly have said concerning Jonah, as we should concerning one that had cheated us and dealt treacherously with us, that though we would not proceed to the rigour of the law against him, nor ruin him, yet we would never again repose a confidence in him; justly might the Spirit of prophecy, which Jonah had resisted and rebelled against, depart from him, with a resolution never to return to him any more. One would have expected that though his life was spared, yet he would be laid under a disability and incapacity ever to serve the government again in the character of a prophet. But, behold! the word of the Lord comes to him again, to show that when God forgives he forgets, and whom he forgives he gives a new heart and a new spirit to; he receives those into his family again, and restores them to their former estate, that had been prodigal children and disobedient servants. Note, God's making use of us is the best evidence of his being at peace with us. Hereby it will appear that our sins are pardoned, and we have the good-will of God towards us; does his good word come unto us, and do we experience his good work in us! if so, we have reason to admire the riches of free grace and to own our obligations to the Lord Jesus, who received gifts for men, yea, even for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell even among them, and employ them in his word, Psalms 68:18 . 2. By this it appears that Jonah was well reconciled to God, that he was not now, as he had been before, disobedient to the heavenly vision, did not flee from the presence of the Lord, as he had done. He neither endeavored to avoid hearing the command, nor did he decline obeying it; he made no objections, as he had done, that the journey was long, the errand invidious, the delivery of it perilous, and, if the threatened judgment did come, he should be reproached as a false prophet, and the impenitence of his own nation would be upbraided, which he had objected, Jonah 4:2 ; Jonah 4:2 . But now, without murmuring and disputing, Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord, Jonah 3:3 ; Jonah 3:3 . See here, (1.) The nature of repentance; it is the change of our mind and way, and a return to our work and duty, from which we had turned aside; it is doing that good which we had left undone. (2.) The benefit of affliction; it reduces those to their place that had deserted it. Jonah might truly say with David, " Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now have I kept thy word; and therefore, though it was dreadful, though it was painful to me, and for the present not joyous, but grievous, yet it was good, very good, for me, that I was afflicted. " (3.) See the power of divine grace working with affliction, for otherwise affliction of itself would rather drive men from God than bring them to him; but God by his grace can turn the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, and make those willing in the day of his power, freely willing to come under his yoke, whose neck had been as an iron sinew. (4.) See the duty of all those to whom the word of the Lord comes; they must in all points conform themselves to it, and yield a cheerful faithful obedience to the orders God gives them. Jonah arose, and did not sit still in sloth or sullenness; he went directly to Nineveh, though it was a great way off, and a place where, it is likely, he never was before; yet thither he took his journey, according to the word of the Lord. God's servants must go where he sends them, come when he calls them, and do what he bids them; whatever appears to be the word of the Lord we must conscientiously do according to it. II. Let us now see what was the command or commission given him, and what he did in prosecution of it. 1. He was sent as a herald at arms, in the name of the God of heaven, to proclaim war with Nineveh ( Jonah 3:2 ; Jonah 3:2 ): "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city," that metropolis, and preach unto it, preach against it, so the Chaldee. What is against us is preached to us, that we may hear it and take warning; and what is preached to us, if we do not give ear to it, and mix faith with it, will prove to be against us. Jonah is sent to Nineveh, which was at this time the chief city of the Gentile world, as an indication of God's gracious intentions in process of time to make the light of divine revelation to shine in those dark regions. God knew that if Sodom and Gomorrah, Tyre and Sidon, had had the means of grace, they would have repented, and yet he denied them those means, Matthew 11:21 ; Matthew 11:23 . He knew that if Nineveh had now the means of grace they would repent, and he gave them those means, sent Jonah, though not to preach repentance to them expressly (for we find not that he had that in his commission), yet to preach them to repentance, for that was the happy effect of what he had in commission. If God thus in dispensing his favours, in giving the means of grace to some places and not to others, and the spirit of grace to some persons and not to others, acts by prerogative and in a way of sovereignty, who may say unto him, What doest thou? May he not do what he will with his own? He is debtor to no man. Go, and preach (says God) the preaching that I bid thee. That is, (1.) "The preaching that I did bid thee when I first ordered thee to go thither ( Jonah 1:2 ; Jonah 1:2 ); go, and cry against it; denounce divine judgments against it; tell the men of Nineveh that their wickedness has come up to God, and God's vengeance is coming down upon them." This was the message Jonah was then very loth to deliver, and therefore flew off and went to Tarshish; but, when he is brought to it the second time, God does not at all alter the message, to gratify him, or make it the more passable with him; no, he must now preach the very same that he was then ordered to preach and would not. Note, The word of God is an unalterable thing, and will not be made to bend to the humours either of its preachers or of its hearers; it shall never comply with their humours and fancies, but they must comply with its truths and laws. See Jeremiah 15:19 . Let them return unto thee, but return not thou unto them. Or, (2.) "The preaching that I shall bid thee when thou comest thither." This was an encouragement to him in his undertaking, that God would go along with him, that the Spirit of prophecy should abide upon him, and be ready to him, when he was at Nineveh, to give him all the further instructions that were needed for him. This intimated that he should hear from him again, which would be his great support in this hazardous expedition; as, when God sent Abraham to offer up Isaac, he gave him a similar intimation, by telling him he must do it upon one of the mountains which he would afterwards direct him to. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord; he leads his people step by step, and so he expects they should follow him. Jonah must go with an implicit faith. Though he knows whither he goes, he shall not know, till he come thither, what message he must deliver, but, whatever it is, he must deliver it, be it pleasing or displeasing. Thus God will keep us in a continual dependence upon himself, and the directions of his word and providence. What he does, and what he will have us do, we know not now, but we shall know hereafter. Admirals, sometimes, when they are sent abroad, are not to open their commission till they have got so many leagues off at sea; so Jonah must go to Nineveh, and, when he comes there, shall be told what to say. III. He faithfully and boldly delivered his errand. When he came to Nineveh he found his diocese large; it was an exceedingly great city of three days' journey ( Jonah 3:3 ; Jonah 3:3 ); a city great to God, so the Hebrew phrase is, meaning no more than as we render it, exceedingly great; this honour that language does to the great God that great things derive their denomination from him. The greatness of Nineveh consisted chiefly in the extent of it; it was much larger than Babylon, such a city, says Diodorus Siculus, as no man ever after built. It was 150 furlongs long and 90 broad, and 480 in compass; the walls 100 feet high, and so thick that three chariots might go a-breast upon them; on them were 1500 towers, each of them 200 feet high. It is here said to be of three days' journey; for the compass of the walls, as some relate, was 480 furlongs, which, allowing eight furlongs to a mile, makes sixty miles, which may well be reckoned three days' journey for a footman, twenty miles a day. Or, walking slowly and gravely as Jonah must when he went about preaching, it would take him up at least three days to go through all the principal streets and lanes of the city, to proclaim his message, that all might have notice of it. When he came thither he lost no time; he did not come to look about him, but applied closely to his work; and, when he began to enter into the city, he did not retire into an inn, to refresh himself after his journey, but opened his commission immediately, according to his instructions, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. This, no doubt, he had particular warrant and direction to say; whether he enlarged upon this text, as is most probable, showing them the controversy God had with them, and how provoking their wickedness was, and what reason they had to expect destruction and give credit to this warning, or whether he only repeated those words again and again, is not certain, but this was the purport of his message. 1. He must tell them that this great city shall be overthrown; he meant, and they understood him, that it should be overthrown, not by war, but by some immediate stroke from heaven, either by an earthquake or by fire and brimstone as Sodom was. The wickedness of cities ripens them for destruction, and their wealth and greatness cannot protect them from destruction when the measure of their iniquity is full and the measure of their vengeance has come. Great cities are easily overthrown when the great God comes to reckon with them. 2. He must tell them that it shall shortly be overthrown, at the end of forty days. It has a reprieve granted. So long God will wait to see if, upon this alarm given, they will humble themselves and amend their doings, and so prevent the ruin threatened. See how slow God is to wrath; though Nineveh's wickedness cried for vengeance, yet it shall be spared for forty days, that it may have space to repent and meet God in the way of his judgments. But he will wait no longer; if in that time they turn not, they shall know that he has whet his sword, and made it ready. Forty days is a long time for a righteous God to defer his judgments, yet it is but a little time for an unrighteous people to repent and reform in, and so turn away the judgments coming. The fixing of the day thus, with all possible assurance, would help to convince them that it was a message from God, for no man durst be so positive in fixing a time, however he might prognosticate the thing itself; it would also startle them into preparation for it. It may justly awaken secure sinners by a sincere conversion to prevent their own ruin when they see they have but a little time to turn in. And should it not awaken us to get ready for death, to consider that the thing itself is certain, and the time fixed in the counsel of God, but that we are kept in the dark and uncertainty about it in order that we may be always ready? We cannot be so sure that we shall live forty days as Nineveh now was that it should stand forty days; nay, I think it is more probable that we shall die within thirty or forty days than we should live thirty or forty years; and so many years in the day of our security we are apt to promise ourselves. Fleres, si scires unum tua tempora mensem; Rides, cum non sit forsitan una dies. We should be alarmed if we were sure not to live a month, and yet we are careless, though we are not sure to live a day. return to ' Top of Page ' <a name="verses-5-10" class="com-number"

Pericope (part_of)

절 (explains)

bible-text/jon-3-1, bible-text/jon-3-2, bible-text/jon-3-3, bible-text/jon-3-4

Source

> 여호와의 말씀이 요나에게 두 번째로 임하여 이렇게 말씀하셨습니다. "일어나 저 큰 성읍 니느웨로 가서, 내가 네게 일러 주는 말씀을 그 성읍을 향해 외쳐라." 그래서 요나는 일어나 여호와의 말씀을 따라 니느웨로 갔습니다. 니느웨는 매우 큰 성읍이어서, 가로질러 가는 데 사흘 길이나 되었습니다. 요나가 그 성읍 안으로 하루 길을 들어가며 외쳐 말했습니다. "사십 일이 지나면 니느웨가 무너질 것이다!" (욘 3:1-4)

여기서 우리는 하나님과 요나 사이의 화해가 온전하게 이루어졌다는 증거를 본다. 비록 두 사람 사이의 갈등이 깊었을지라도, 그 화해는 완전했다.

**I. 요나의 사명이 새롭게 주어지고 그가 즉시 순종하다.**

**1. 하나님이 요나와 완전히 화해하셨다는 증거는, 하나님께서 그를 다시 자신의 사역에 쓰신다는 사실이다.** 새롭게 주어진 이 사명은 이전 불순종에 대한 사면의 증거이기도 하다. 사람들 사이에서도 범죄자에게 직책을 다시 맡기는 것은 사면과 동일한 효력을 갖는다고 정당하게 주장해 왔다. 요나의 경우에도 그러하다. 여호와의 말씀이 요나에게 두 번째로 임하였다(욘 3:1). 왜냐하면,

(1) 요나는 시험을 받아야 했다. 과연 그가 이전의 불순종을 진심으로 뉘우치는지, 그 이상한 형벌과 이상한 구원을 통해 얻고자 하셨던 유익을 얻었는지를 검증해야 했다. 요나는 자기 직무와 본분을 저버리고 체포되어 사형 선고를 받았었다. 그러나 그가 항복하자 하나님은 그를 놓아 주시고 생명을 돌려주셨다. 이제 그는 선행을 조건으로 석방된 것이며, 다시 한번 시험에 들게 된다. 하나님께서 뜻한 바를 이루실 때, 즉 끝내 목적을 달성하실 때, 고집스러운 자녀를 결국 발 아래에 꿇게 만드신다. 주목하라. 하나님이 우리를 징계하시고 또 그 징계에서 건지셨다면, 우리는 "이제 이전에 소홀히 한 본분으로 돌아오라"는 하나님의 음성을 들어야 한다. 하나님은 지금 요나에게, 그가 병자를 고치신 뒤에 하신 말씀처럼 사실상 이렇게 말씀하신다. "이제 가서 다시는 죄를 짓지 말라. 더 나쁜 일이 네게 닥치지 않도록 하라"(요 5:14). 고래 뱃속에서 삼 일 밤낮을 보내는 것보다 더 나쁜 일이 닥칠 수 있다. 하나님은 사람들이 징계를 받고 그 징계에서 건짐을 받은 후, 그 특별한 잘못에 있어 고침을 받는지 살피신다. 그러므로 그 점에서 우리는 징계 안에서도, 구원 안에서도 하나님의 은혜를 헛되이 받지 않도록 힘써야 한다. 두 가지 모두 은혜의 수단으로 의도된 것이기 때문이다.

(2) 요나는 신뢰를 회복받아야 했으니, 이것이 하나님의 그에 대한 호의의 표시다. 하나님은 당연히 이렇게 말씀하실 수도 있었다. "요나가 나를 속이고 배반했으니, 비록 그를 법대로 처단하지는 않겠지만 다시는 그를 신뢰하지 않겠다." 불순종하고 반역했던 예언의 영이 다시는 그에게 돌아오지 않겠다고 결심하는 것도 당연할 터였다. 아마도 사람들은, 그가 비록 목숨은 건졌지만 다시는 선지자로서 국가에 봉사하지 못하도록 자격을 박탈당할 것이라 예상했을 것이다. 그러나 보라! 여호와의 말씀이 그에게 다시 임하여, 하나님이 용서하실 때는 잊으신다는 것, 그리고 용서하신 자들에게는 새 마음과 새 영을 주신다는 것을 보여 준다. 탕자였고 순종치 않던 종이었던 자들을 다시 가정으로 맞아들이시고 이전의 지위를 회복시켜 주신다. 주목하라. 하나님이 우리를 쓰신다는 사실이, 하나님이 우리와 화평하신다는 가장 좋은 증거이다. 우리 죄가 사해졌다는 것, 하나님이 우리를 향한 선한 뜻을 가지고 계신다는 것은 이렇게 드러난다. 곧 그분의 선한 말씀이 우리에게 임하고, 그분의 선한 역사가 우리 안에서 경험될 때이다. 이런 일이 있다면 우리는 값없는 은혜의 풍성함을 찬탄하고, 반역자들을 위해서도 선물을 받으시고 그 거처에 거하시며 그들을 자기 사역에 쓰신 주 예수 그리스도께 빚진 자임을 고백해야 한다(시 68:18).

**2. 요나가 하나님과 화해했다는 증거는, 그가 이번에는 이전처럼 하늘의 비전에 불순종하지 않았다는 사실이다.** 그는 주의 낯을 피해 도망치지 않았다. 여정이 멀다느니, 사명이 위험하다느니, 심판의 예언이 성취되지 않으면 거짓 선지자로 불릴 것이라느니(욘 4:2), 이스라엘 민족의 완고함이 더 부각될 것이라느니 하는 핑계를 대지 않았다. 대신 요나는 불평도 다툼도 없이 일어나 여호와의 말씀을 따라 니느웨로 갔다(욘 3:3). 여기서 주목하라.

(1) 회개의 본질이 무엇인지를 볼 수 있다. 그것은 우리가 벗어났던 본분과 사역으로 돌아오는 마음과 길의 변화이다. 하지 않았던 선을 행하는 것이다.

(2) 징계의 유익도 볼 수 있다. 그 자리를 떠났던 사람을 제자리로 되돌려 놓는다. 요나는 다윗과 함께 이렇게 말할 수 있었다. "고난받기 전에는 내가 그릇 행하였더니, 이제는 주의 말씀을 지키나이다. 그러므로 내게 고난이 유익이 되었습니다"(시 119:67, 71).

(3) 하나님의 은혜가 징계와 함께 역사할 때의 능력을 볼 수 있다. 징계 자체는 사람을 하나님께로 이끌기보다 오히려 하나님께로부터 멀어지게 할 수 있다. 그러나 하나님은 자신의 은혜로 불순종한 자의 목을 쇠 심줄처럼 뻣뻣하게 만들었던 것을 녹이셔서, 그분의 멍에 아래 자원하여 순복하게 만드신다.

(4) 여호와의 말씀이 임한 모든 이의 의무를 볼 수 있다. 그들은 온전히 여호와의 말씀에 순종해야 한다. 요나가 그렇게 했다. 그는 여호와의 말씀을 따라 니느웨로 갔다. 하나님의 명령이 우리에게 무엇을 행하라 하든지, 그것이 아무리 어렵고 위험하며 불명예스러운 일처럼 보일지라도, 우리는 의문을 품지 말고 순종해야 한다. 에녹이 하나님과 동행한 것처럼, 우리도 모든 하나님의 계명에 있어 여호와와 함께 걸어야 한다.

**II. 선지자의 사명의 내용이 무엇인지를 살펴보자.** 그는 니느웨에 이르러 그 성읍을 향해 외쳤다.

**1. 그가 전한 성읍의 크기에 주목하라.** 니느웨는 사흘 길이나 되는 매우 큰 성읍이었다(욘 3:3). 성읍을 완전히 순회하는 데 사흘이 걸렸다는 뜻이거나, 그 성읍의 경계 안에 있는 모든 구역을 모두 방문하는 데 사흘이 걸렸다는 뜻으로 이해할 수 있다. 어쨌든 그것은 매우 큰 성읍이었으며, 이는 거기 거하는 사람들의 수가 대단히 많았음을 암시한다. 이 선지자는 한 성읍 안에서 그토록 많은 사람에게 다가가야 했다. 큰 성읍에는 보통 많은 죄악이 있다. 죄인들의 수가 크면 심판이 임할 때 그 손실도 클 것이지만, 그들이 회개할 때의 기쁨도 크다.

**2. 그가 전한 메시지의 간결함에 주목하라.** 요나가 그 성읍 안으로 하루 길을 들어가며 외쳐 말했다. "사십 일이 지나면 니느웨가 무너질 것이다!"(욘 3:4). 단 여덟 단어뿐이다(영어 원문 기준). 우리는 그가 사흘 내내 이 말을 여러 방면에서, 이 거리에서 저 거리에서 외쳤을 것이라고 추측할 수 있다. 그는 어쩌면 하나님의 법에 대한 자세한 설명과 권면을 곁들였을 수도 있다. 그러나 우리가 기록된 것에서 알 수 있는 것은 이 짧은 말뿐이다. "사십 일이 지나면 니느웨가 무너질 것이다." 주목하라.

(1) 회개에 대한 부름이나 회개하는 자에게 자비가 있으리라는 소망도 주어지지 않았다. 단지 임박한 파멸의 예고만 있었다. 그러나 니느웨 사람들은 회개하는 자에게 자비가 있으리라고 깨달았다. 그리고 이것이 그들의 회개를 이끌어 낸 것으로 보인다. 하나님의 진노를 전하는 경고에도 그 안에는 은혜가 내포되어 있으니, 경고를 주신다는 것 자체가 은혜이기 때문이다.

(2) 이 선지자의 설교는 매우 짧았다. 그러나 하나님의 영은 원하시는 대로 역사하신다. 짧은 설교가 때로는 긴 설교보다 더 큰 효과를 낳기도 한다. 설교자는 말씀을 심지만, 하나님이 자라게 하신다.

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원주석

1~10절 카드 ↗

J O N A H. CHAP. III. In this chapter we have, I. Jonah's mission renewed, and the command a second time given him to go preach at Nineveh, Jonah 3:1 ; Jonah 3:2 . II. Jonah's message to Nineveh faithfully delivered, by which its speedy overthrow was threatened, Jonah 3:3 ; Jonah 3:4 . III. The repentance, humiliation, and reformation of the Ninevites hereupon, Jonah 3:5-9 . IV. God's gracious revocation of the sentence passed upon them, and the preventing of the ruin threatened, Jonah 3:10 . return to ' Top of Page ' <a name="verses-1-4" class="com-number"

Pericope (part_of)

절 (explains)

Source

요나 3장은 두 단락으로 구성된다. 첫째, 요나의 사명이 새롭게 주어지고 그가 이를 즉시 순종하여 니느웨로 가는 장면(욘 3:1-4). 둘째, 니느웨 사람들이 요나의 선포를 듣고 회개하며, 하나님께서 그들에게 뜻을 돌이키신 놀라운 사건(욘 3:5-10). 이 장은 하나님의 은혜로운 회복과 선지자의 순종, 그리고 이방 도성의 전례 없는 회개라는 세 가지 기적을 담고 있다.

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원주석

5~10절 카드 ↗

Nineveh's Repentance. . 5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. 6 For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: 8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. 9 Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? 10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not. Here is I. A wonder of divine grace in the repentance and reformation of Nineveh, upon the warning given them of their destruction approaching. Verily I say unto you, we have not found so great an instance of it, no, not in Israel; and it will rise up in judgment against the men of the gospel-- generation, and condemn them; for the Ninevites repented at the preaching of Jonas, but behold, a greater than Jonas is here, Matthew 12:41 . Nay, it did condemn the impenitence and obstinacy of Israel at that time. God sent many prophets to Israel, and those well known among them to be mighty in word and deed; but to Nineveh he sent only one, and him a stranger, whose aspect was mean, we may suppose, and his bodily presence weak, especially after the fatigue of so long a journey; and yet they repented, but Israel repented not. Jonah preached but one sermon, and we do not find that he gave them any sign or wonder by the accomplishment of which his word might be confirmed; and yet they were wrought upon, while Israel continued obstinate, whose prophets chose out words wherewith to reason with them, and confirmed them by signs following. Jonah only threatened wrath and ruin; we do not find that he gave them any calls to repentance or directions how to repent, much less any encouragements to hope that they should find mercy if they did repent, much less any encouragements to hope that they should find mercy if they did repent, and yet they repented; but Israel persisted in impertinence, though the prophets sent to them drew them with cords of a man, and with bands of love, and assured them of great things which God would do for them if they did repent and reform. Now let us see what was the method of Nineveh's repentance, what were the steps and particular instances of it. 1. They believed God; they gave credit to the word which Jonah spoke to them in the name of God: they believed that though they had many that they called gods, yet there was but one living and true God, the sovereign Lord of all,--that to him they were accountable,--that they had sinned against him and had become obnoxious to his justice,--that this notice sent them of ruin approaching came from him, and consequently that the ruin itself would come from him at a time prefixed if it were not prevented by a timely repentance,--that he is a merciful God, and there might be some hopes of the turning away of the wrath threatened, if they did turn away from the sins for which it was threatened. Note, Those that come to God, that come back to him after they have revolted from him, must believe, must believe that he is, that he is reconcilable, that he will be theirs if they take the right course. And observe what great faith God can work by very small, weak, and unlikely means; he can bring even Ninevites by a few threatening words to be obedient to the faith. Some think the Ninevites heard, from the mariners or others, or from Jonah himself, of his being cast into the sea and delivered thence by miracle, and that this served for a confirmation of his mission, and brought them the more readily to believe God speaking by him. But of this we have no certainty. However, Christ's resurrection, typified by that of Jonah's, served for the confirmation of his gospel, and contributed abundantly to their great success who in his name preached repentance and remission of sins to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 2. They brought word to the king of Nineveh, who, some think, was at this time Sardanapalus, others Pul, king of Assyria. Jonah was not directed to go to him first, in respect to his royal dignity; crowned heads, when guilty heads, are before God upon a level with common heads, and therefore Jonah is not sent to the court, but to the streets of Nineveh, to make his proclamation. However, an account of his errand is brought to the king of Nineveh, not by way of information against Jonah, as a disturber of public peace, that he might be silenced and punished, which perhaps would have been done if he had cried thus in the streets of Jerusalem, who killed God's prophets and stoned those that were sent unto her. No; the account was brought him of it, not as of a crime, but as a message from heaven, by some that were concerned for the public welfare, and whose hearts trembled for it. Note, Those kings are happy who have such about them as will give them notice of the things that belong to the kingdom's peace, of the warnings both of the word and of the providence of God, and of the tokens of God's displeasure which they are under; and those people are happy who have such kings over them as will take notice of those things. 3. The king set them a good example of humiliation, Jonah 3:6 ; Jonah 3:6 . When he heard of the word of God sent to him he rose from his throne, as Eglon the king of Moab, who, when Ehud told him he had a message to him form God, rose up out of his seat. The king of Nineveh rose from his throne, not only in reverence to a word from God in general, but in fear of a word of wrath in particular, and in sorrow and shame for sin, by which he and his people had become obnoxious to his wrath. He rose from his royal throne, and laid aside his royal robe, the badge of his imperial dignity, as an acknowledgment that, having not used his power as he ought to have done for the restraining of violence and wrong, and the maintaining of right, he had forfeited his throne and robe to the justice of God, had rendered himself unworthy of the honour put upon him and the trust reposed in him as a king, and that it was just with God to take his kingdom from him. Even the king himself disdained not to put on the garb of a penitent, for he covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes, in token of his humiliation for sin and his dread of divine vengeance. It well becomes the greatest of men to abase themselves before the great God. 4. The people conformed to the example of the king, nay, it should seem, they led the way, for they first began to put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them, Jonah 3:5 ; Jonah 3:5 . The least of them, that had least to lose in the overthrow of the city, did not think themselves unconcerned in the alarm; and the greatest of them, that were accustomed to lie at ease and live in state, did not think it below them to put on the marks of humiliation. The wearing of sackcloth, especially to those who were used to fine linen, was a very uneasy thing, and they would not have done it if they had not had a deep sense of their sin and their danger by reason of sin, which hereby they designed to express. Note, Those that would not be ruined must be humbled, those that would not destroy their souls must afflict their souls; when God's judgments threaten us we are concerned to humble ourselves under his mighty hand; and though bodily exercise alone profits nothing, and man's spreading sackcloth and ashes under him, if that be all, is but a jest (it is the heart that God looks at, Isaiah 58:5 ), yet on solemn days of humiliation, when God in his providence calls to mourning and girding with sackcloth, we must by the outward expressions of inward sorrow glorify God with our bodies, at least by laying aside their ornaments. 5. A general fast was proclaimed and observed throughout that great city, Jonah 3:7-9 ; Jonah 3:7-9 . It was ordered by the decree of the king and his nobles; the whole legislative power concurred in appointing it, and the whole body of the people concurred in observing it, and in both these ways it became a national act, and it was necessary that it should be so when it was to prevent a national ruin. We have here the contents of this proclamation, and it is very observable. See here, (1.) What it is that is required by it. [1.] That the fast (properly so called) be very strictly observed. On the day appointed for this solemnity, let neither man or beast taste any thing; let them not take the least refreshment, no, no so much as drink water; let them not plead that they cannot fast so long without prejudice to their health, or that they cannot bear it; let them try for once. What if they do feel it an uneasiness, and feel from it for some time after? It is better to submit to that than be wanting in any act or instance of that repentance which is necessary to save a sinking city. Let them make themselves uneasy in body by putting on sackcloth, as well as by fasting, to show how uneasy they are in mind, through sorrow for sin and the fear of divine wrath. Even the beasts must do penance as well as man, because they have been made subject to vanity as instruments of man's sin, and that, either by their complaints or their silent pining for want of meat, they might stir up their owners, and those that attended them, to the expressions of sorrow and humiliation. Those cattle that were kept within doors must not be fed and watered as usual, because no meat must be stirring on that day. Things of that kind must be forgotten, and not minded. As when the psalmist was intent upon the praises of God he called upon the inferior creatures to join with him therein, so when the Ninevites were full of sorrow for sin, and dread of God's judgments, they would have the inferior creatures concur with them in the expressions of penitence. The beasts that used to be covered with rich and fine trappings, which were the pride of their masters, and theirs too, must now be covered with sackcloth; for the great men will (as becomes them) lay aside their equipage. [2.] With their fasting and mourning they must join prayer and supplication to God; for the fasting is designed to fit the body for the service of the soul in the duty of prayer, which is the main matter, and to which the other is but preparatory or subservient. Let them cry mightily to God; let even the brute creatures do it according to their capacity; let their cries and moans for want of food be graciously construed as cries to God, as the cries of the young ravens are ( Job 38:41 ), and of the young lions, Psalms 104:21 . But especially let the men, women, and children, cry to God; let them cry mightily for the pardon of the sins which cry against them. It was time to cry to God when there was but a step between them and ruin--high time to seek the Lord. In prayer we must cry mightily, with a fixedness of thought, firmness of faith, and fervour of pious and devout affections. By crying mightily we wrestle with God; we take hold of him; and we are concerned to do so when he is not only departing from us as a friend, but coming forth against us as an enemy. It therefore concerns us in prayer to stir up all that is within us. Yet this is not all; [3.] They must to their fasting and praying add reformation and amendment of life: Let them turn every one from his evil way, the evil way he has chosen, the evil way he is addicted to, and walks in, the evil way of his heart, and the evil way of his conversation, and particularly from the violence that is in their hands; let them restore what they had unjustly taken, and make reparation for what wrong they have done, and let them not any more oppress those they have power over nor defraud those they having dealings with; let the men in authority, at the court-end of the town, turn from the violence that is in their hands, and not decree unrighteous decrees, nor give wrong judgment upon appeals made to them. Let the men of business, at the trading-end of the town, turn from the violence in their hands, and use no unjust weights or measures, nor impose upon the ignorance or necessity of those they trade with. Note, It is not enough to fast for sin, but we must fast from sin, and, in order to the success of our prayers, must no more regard iniquity in our hearts, Psalms 66:18 . This is the only fast that God has chosen and will accept, Isaiah 58:6 ; Isaiah 58:9 . The work of a fast-day is not done with the day; no, then the hardest and most needful part of the work begins, which is to turn from sin, and to live a new life, and not return with the dog to his vomit. (2.) Upon what inducement this fast is proclaimed and religiously observed ( Jonah 3:9 ; Jonah 3:9 ). Who can tell if God will turn and repent? Observe, [1.] What it is that they hope for--that God will, upon their repenting and turning, change his way towards them and revoke his sentence against them, that he will turn from his fierce anger, which they own they deserve and yet humbly and earnestly deprecate, and that thus their ruin will be prevented, and they perish not. They cannot object against the equity of the judgment, they pretend not to set it aside by appealing to a higher court, but hope in God himself, that he will repent, and that his own mercy (to which they fly) shall rejoice against judgment. They believe that God is justly angry with them, that, their sin being very heinous, his anger is very fierce, and that, if he proceed against them, there is no remedy, but they die, they perish, they all perish, and are undone; for who knows the power of his anger? It is not therefore the threatened overthrow that they pray for the prevention of, but the anger of God that they pray for the turning away of. As when we pray for the favour of God we pray for all good, so when we pray against the wrath of God we pray against all evil. [2.] What degree of hope they had of it: Who can tell if God will turn to us? Jonah had not told them; they had not among them any other prophets to tell them, so that they could not be so confident of finding mercy upon their repentance as we may be, who have the promise and oath of God to depend upon, and especially the merit and mediation of Christ to trust to, for pardon upon repentance. Yet they had a a general notion of the goodness of God's nature, his mercy to man, and his being pleased with the repentance and conversion of sinners; and from this they raised some hopes that he would spare them; they dare not presume, but they will not despair. Note, Hope of mercy is the great encouragement to repentance and reformation; and though there be but some glimmerings of hope mixed with great fears arising from a sense of our own sinfulness, and unworthiness, and long abuse of divine patience, yet they may serve to quicken and engage our serious repentance and reformation. Let us boldly cast ourselves at the footstool of free grace, resolving that if we perish, we will perish there; yet who knows but God will look upon us with compassion? II. Here is a wonder of divine mercy in the sparing of these Ninevites upon their repentance ( Jonah 3:10 ; Jonah 3:10 ): God saw their works; he not only heard their good words, by which they professed repentance, but saw their good works, by which they brought forth fruits meet for repentance; he saw that they turned from their evil way, and that was the thing he looked for and required. If he had not seen that, their fasting and sackcloth would have been as nothing in his account. He saw there was among them a general conviction of their sins and a general resolution not to return to them, and that for some days they lived better, and there was a new face of things upon the city; and this he was well pleased with. Note, God takes notice of every instance of the reformation of sinners, even those instances that fall not under the cognizance and observation of the world. He sees who turn from their evil way and who do not, and meets those with favour that meet him in a sincere conversion. When they repent of the evil of sin committed by them he repents of the evil of judgment pronounced against them. Thus he spared Nineveh, and did not the evil which he said he would do against it. Here were no sacrifices offered to God, that we read of, to make atonement for sin, but the sacrifice of God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, such as the Ninevites now had, it what he will not despise; it is what he will give countenance to and put honour upon. return to ' Top of Page ' Jonah Jon 2 Jonah Jon Jonah Jon 4 Footnotes: Copyright Statement These files are public domain and are a derivative of an electronic edition that is available on the Christian Classics Ethereal Library Website. Bibliographical Information Henry, Matthew. "Complete Commentary on Jonah 3". 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0);}else{takesVerse=(parseInt(verse,10)>0);}if(takesVerse){translationSelector_menu('verse');}else{_ts_sendThemBack('reference-noverse');}}});}if(mode==='verse'){return _ts_el('div',{cls:'popupDiv-item clickable selector-chapter',data:{number:o},html:o,click:function(){_ts_removeOverlay();verse=parseInt(this.getAttribute('data-number'),10);_ts_sendThemBack('reference-verse');}});}if(mode==='language'){return _ts_el('div',{cls:'popupDiv-item clickable selector-languages',data:{'trans-lang':items[o].abbr},html:items[o].name,click:function(){_ts_removeOverlay();translang=this.getAttribute('data-trans-lang');translationSelector_menu('translation');}});}if(mode==='translation'){return _ts_el('div',{cls:'popupDiv-item clickable selector-translation',data:{'trans-abbr':items[o].trans},html:items[o].name,click:function(){_ts_removeOverlay();transabbr=this.getAttribute('data-trans-abbr');_ts_sendThemBack('translation');}});}} function _ts_sendThemBack(reason){var origPath=window.location.pathname;var parts=origPath.split('/');var noVerse=(reason==='reference-noverse');var inputIsPerVerse=_ts_isPerVerseUrl(origPath);if(parts[1]==='interlinear-study-bible'){parts=parts.slice(0,5);parts[3]=book_data[book].url;parts[4]=noVerse?(chapter+'.html'):(chapter+'-'+verse+'.html');}else if(parts[1]==='commentary'){parts=parts.slice(0,4);parts[2]=book_data[book].url;parts[3]=noVerse?(chapter+'.html'):(chapter+'-'+verse+'.html');}else if(parts[1]==='commentaries'){parts[2]=comlang;parts[3]=comabbr;if(inputIsPerVerse){parts=parts.slice(0,6);parts[4]=book_data[book].url;parts[5]=noVerse?(chapter+'.html'):(chapter+'-'+verse+'.html');}else{parts=parts.slice(0,5);parts[4]=book_data[book].url+'-'+chapter+'.html';}}else if(parts[1]==='bible'){parts=parts.slice(0,6);parts[2]=translang;parts[3]=transabbr;parts[4]=book_data[book].url;parts[5]=(verse duction ","Verses 1-4","Verses 5-10"]; function

Pericope (part_of)

절 (explains)

bible-text/jon-3-5, bible-text/jon-3-6, bible-text/jon-3-7, bible-text/jon-3-8, bible-text/jon-3-9, bible-text/jon-3-10

Source

> 니느웨 사람들이 하나님을 믿고, 금식을 선포하며, 가장 높은 사람부터 가장 낮은 사람까지 모두 베옷을 입었습니다. 이 소식이 니느웨 왕에게 이르자, 왕은 자기 보좌에서 일어나 왕복을 벗고 베옷을 두른 채 잿더미 위에 앉았습니다. 그리고 왕과 그의 신하들의 명령으로 니느웨 온 성에 이렇게 선포하여 알렸습니다. "사람이든 짐승이든, 소 떼든 양 떼든, 아무것도 먹지 말라. 풀을 뜯지도 말고 물도 마시지 말라. 사람도 짐승도 모두 베옷을 두르고 하나님께 힘껏 부르짖어라. 모두가 저마다 자기의 악한 길과 자기 손에 묻은 폭력에서 돌이켜라. 혹시 하나님께서 마음을 돌이키시고 뜻을 바꾸셔서, 그 맹렬한 진노를 거두신다면, 우리가 멸망하지 않을지 누가 알겠는가?" 하나님께서 그들이 한 일, 곧 그들이 자기들의 악한 길에서 돌이킨 것을 보시고, 그들에게 내리겠다고 말씀하셨던 재앙에 대해 뜻을 돌이키셔서 그 일을 행하지 않으셨습니다. (욘 3:5-10)

여기서 우리는 니느웨의 회개와 개혁 속에 나타난 하나님 은혜의 경이로움을 본다. 멸망이 임박했다는 경고를 받고 이토록 회개한 사례는 이스라엘에서도 찾아볼 수 없다. 실로 이 사례는 복음 시대 사람들의 완고함을 정죄하기 위해 심판 날에 일어날 것이다. 니느웨 사람들은 요나의 설교를 듣고 회개하였으나, 보라, 요나보다 더 크신 분이 여기 계신다(마 12:41). 나아가 이것은 당시 이스라엘의 완고함을 정죄하기도 한다. 하나님은 이스라엘에 많은 선지자를 보내셔서 말씀과 행함 모두에서 능력 있는 자들을 보내셨건만, 니느웨에는 단 한 명의 낯선 이방인만을 보내셨다. 그것도 아마도 외모는 초라하고, 오랜 여정의 피로로 몸도 쇠약했을 것이다. 그런데도 니느웨는 회개하였지만, 이스라엘은 회개하지 않았다. 요나는 단 한 번의 설교를 하였고, 그의 말을 확증할 어떤 표적이나 기사도 행한 것이 없었다. 그런데도 그들은 감화를 받았다. 반면 이스라엘은 완고함을 지속하였으니, 이스라엘의 선지자들은 정성껏 선택된 말로 그들을 설득하고 표적으로 말씀을 확증하였건만 그러했다. 요나는 오직 진노와 멸망만을 선포하였다. 회개에 대한 부름도, 회개하면 자비를 베풀겠다는 격려도 없었다. 그런데도 니느웨는 회개하였다. 그러나 이스라엘은 끝까지 완고함을 고집하였다. 이스라엘의 선지자들은 사람의 줄과 사랑의 띠로 그들을 이끌며(호 11:4), 회개하면 하나님이 크신 일을 행하실 것이라고 확신시켜 주었건만 그러했다.

이제 니느웨 회개의 방법, 즉 그 단계들과 구체적인 모습을 살펴보자.

**1. 니느웨 사람들이 하나님을 믿었다.** 그들은 요나가 하나님의 이름으로 전한 말씀을 믿었다. 그들은 자신들이 신이라 부르는 것들이 많이 있었지만, 오직 한 분 살아 계신 참 하나님, 곧 만물의 주권적 주님이 계신다는 것을 믿었다. 그분 앞에 자신들이 책임을 지는 자들임을 믿었다. 자신들이 그분께 죄를 범하여 그분의 공의 앞에 서야 할 처지임을 믿었다. 그들에게 보내진 이 파멸의 예고가 하나님께로부터 온 것이며, 따라서 그 파멸 자체도 정해진 때에 하나님께로부터 임할 것임을 믿었다. 단, 죄악에서 돌이켜 즉시 회개한다면 그 진노가 돌이켜질 수도 있다는 소망이 있음도 믿었다. 주목하라. 하나님께 나아오는 자들, 곧 하나님을 떠났다가 돌아오는 자들은 믿어야 한다. 하나님이 계신다는 것을, 하나님이 화해하실 수 있다는 것을, 그리고 올바른 길을 취하면 하나님이 그들의 하나님이 되실 것이라는 것을 믿어야 한다. 하나님은 때로는 아주 작고 연약하며 가능성 없어 보이는 수단을 통해서도 얼마나 크신 믿음을 역사하시는지를 보라. 몇 마디 경고의 말씀으로도 니느웨 사람들에게까지 믿음에 대한 순종을 이끌어 내실 수 있다.

어떤 이들은 니느웨 사람들이 선원들이나 다른 이들을 통해, 혹은 요나 자신을 통해, 그가 바다에 던져졌다가 기적으로 건짐을 받은 사실을 들었을 것이며, 그것이 그의 사명을 확증하여 더욱 쉽게 하나님의 말씀으로 믿게 되었을 것이라고 생각한다. 그러나 이에 대해서는 확실히 알 수 없다. 어쨌든 그리스도의 부활, 즉 요나의 그것이 예표한 그 부활은 그분의 복음 확증에 기여하였고, 그분의 이름으로 모든 민족에게 회개와 죄 용서를 선포한 자들의 큰 성공에 풍성히 이바지하였다.

**2. 이 소식이 니느웨 왕에게 전해졌다.** 어떤 이들은 이 왕이 당시의 살다나팔루스라고 하고, 어떤 이들은 앗시리아 왕 불이라고 한다. 요나는 왕에게 먼저 가라는 지시를 받지 않았다. 왕의 존엄성에 대한 예를 갖추지 않고, 죄인인 왕도 하나님 앞에서는 평민과 같은 수준에 있기 때문이다. 그러므로 요나는 조정이 아닌 니느웨 거리로 향하여 선포하였다. 그런데 선지자의 사명에 대한 소식이 왕에게 전해졌는데, 공공의 평화를 어지럽히는 자로 고발하려는 것이 아니라 하늘에서 온 메시지로서 전해졌다. 예루살렘에서 그런 일을 외쳤다면 아마도 침묵당하거나 처벌받았을 것인데—예루살렘은 하나님의 선지자들을 죽이고 그 보내신 자들을 돌로 쳤으니—니느웨에서는 그 내용이 범죄로서가 아닌 하늘의 메시지로 왕에게 전해졌다. 이는 공공의 복지를 염려하여 그것으로 마음이 떨렸던 이들에 의해서였다. 주목하라. 말씀의 경고와 섭리의 경고, 그리고 하나님의 진노의 표징들을 왕에게 알려 줄 이들을 곁에 두는 왕은 복이 있다. 또한 그런 일들을 귀담아 들을 왕을 가진 백성은 복이 있다.

**3. 왕이 먼저 겸비의 본을 보였다(욘 3:6).** 하나님께서 그에게 보내신 말씀을 듣자, 왕은 보좌에서 일어났다. 에흘론 모압 왕이 에훗에게 "하나님의 메시지가 있다"는 말을 듣고 자리에서 일어난 것처럼(삿 3:20). 니느웨 왕은 보좌에서 일어났으니, 일반적으로 하나님의 말씀에 대한 경의뿐만 아니라, 특히 진노의 말씀을 두려워하는 마음에서였다. 그는 왕복을 벗고 베옷을 걸쳤다. 베옷은 거칠고 불편한 옷으로, 깊은 슬픔의 표시였다. 그리고 잿더미 위에 앉았다. 이것은 왕좌에 앉는 것과 완전히 대조된다. 이처럼 왕은 모든 화려함을 벗어 던지고 죄인의 자리에, 그것도 가장 천한 죄인의 자리에 앉았다. 주목하라. 가장 높은 지위에 있는 자들도 하나님 앞에서 스스로를 낮추어야 한다. 위대함은 죄에서 사람을 면제시켜 주지 않는다. 그러므로 위대함은 겸비한 회개에서도 사람을 면제시켜 주지 않는다.

**4. 왕은 이 금식과 회개의 선포를 성읍 전체에 공표하였다(욘 3:7-8).** 이것은 제왕의 권위가 종교적 의무를 위해 선하게 사용된 경우이다. 왕이 모든 신하에게 이 의무를 권면하거나 촉구하는 것으로는 부족했다. 그는 선포하여 알렸다. 사람들이 죄를 지을 때는 서로 권면하여 함께 범하더니, 이제 회개할 때도 서로 권면하여 함께 회개하였다.

이 선포의 내용을 살펴보자.

(1) 모든 이에게 가장 엄격한 금식을 명하였다. 사람도 짐승도 먹지도 마시지도 말라고 하였으며, 특히 짐승에게 베옷을 입히는 것은 동물에 대한 진정한 관심보다는 슬픔의 깊이를 더 두드러지게 표현하는 데 그 목적이 있었다. 이스라엘에서도 이런 경우들이 있었다(욜 1:14; 2:16). 짐승들이 자신들이 왜 고통받는지를 알지 못하더라도, 그 광경은 여전히 하나님과 사람들에게 인상적이다. 주목하라. 회개에는 금욕이 따라야 한다. 마음이 진정으로 하나님을 향하여 슬플 때, 몸의 안락함은 자연스럽게 줄어든다.

(2) 하나님께 힘껏 부르짖도록 명하였다. 금식이 기도를 동반해야 함을 보라. 금식은 기도의 날개가 된다. 그들의 부르짖음은 힘차야 하고 간절해야 한다. 금식만으로는 충분하지 않으며, 금식과 기도, 이 두 가지가 함께해야 한다.

(3) 모두가 악한 길과 손의 폭력에서 돌이키도록 명하였다. 이것이 핵심이다. 회개의 외적 표시들은 이러한 진정한 개혁이 없이는 아무 유익이 없다. 금식도 기도도 진정한 돌이킴이 없다면 쓸모없다. "악에서 돌이켜라." 이것은 하나님에 대한 죄인데, 왕이 자신의 신하들에게 이 죄를 명시적으로 고백하며 돌이키도록 명한 것은 주목할 만하다. 그리고 "손에 묻은 폭력에서 돌이켜라." 이것은 이웃에 대한 죄이다. 회개는 온전해야 한다. 하나님에 대한 죄에서뿐 아니라 사람에 대한 죄에서도 돌이켜야 한다.

**5. 이 회개의 고백에서 나타난 겸손한 희망에 주목하라(욘 3:9).** "혹시 하나님께서 마음을 돌이키시고 뜻을 바꾸셔서, 그 맹렬한 진노를 거두신다면, 우리가 멸망하지 않을지 누가 알겠는가?" 여기서 우리는 다음을 볼 수 있다.

(1) 그들은 자신들이 자비를 받을 자격이 있다고 가정하지 않았다. "혹시"와 "누가 알겠는가"라는 말이 이를 보여 준다. 그들은 하나님의 주권을 인정하였다. 하나님이 그들의 회개에도 불구하고 심판을 거두지 않으실 수도 있다는 것을 알았다. 이처럼 우리도 하나님의 은혜를 받을 당연한 자격을 내세워서는 안 된다.

(2) 그러나 그들은 소망을 완전히 포기하지도 않았다. 자비의 가능성을 인정하였다. 하나님이 뜻을 돌이키실 수 있다는 것을 알았으니, 이는 그분이 자비로우시다는 것을 알았기 때문이다. 주목하라. 하나님의 자비에 대한 겸손한 소망이 회개의 가장 좋은 토대이다. 요엘 선지자도 이와 같이 말했다. "혹시 하나님이 마음을 돌이키시고 뜻을 바꾸시어 복을 남기실지, 누가 알겠습니까?"(욜 2:14).

**II. 니느웨의 회개에 대한 하나님의 자비로운 응답을 살펴보자(욘 3:10).** "하나님께서 그들이 한 일, 곧 그들이 자기들의 악한 길에서 돌이킨 것을 보시고, 그들에게 내리겠다고 말씀하셨던 재앙에 대해 뜻을 돌이키셔서 그 일을 행하지 않으셨습니다."

하나님은 그들의 금식과 베옷을 보신 것이 아니라, 그들의 행위, 즉 악한 길에서 돌이킨 것을 보셨다. 이것이 진정한 회개의 증거였다. 주목하라. 하나님은 외적인 의식이나 형식보다 마음과 삶의 진정한 변화를 보신다. 금식과 베옷도 표지가 될 수 있지만, 하나님이 진정 보시는 것은 삶의 변화다.

하나님께서 뜻을 돌이키셨다는 것은 하나님의 불변성에 모순되지 않는다. 하나님의 뜻 자체는 변하지 않는다. 그분의 작정은 영원하다. 그러나 그분의 예언적 선포는 조건적으로 주어지는 경우가 많다. 곧 예레미야서에서 보는 것처럼(렘 18:7-8), "내가 어느 민족이나 나라를 뽑으며 무너뜨리려 할 때에, 만일 그들이 자기 악에서 돌이키면, 내가 그들에게 내리려던 재앙을 내리지 않겠다." 하나님의 경고는 진정한 회개에 의해 자비로운 응답을 얻을 수 있다. 이것이 이 기사 전체의 큰 교훈이다.

주목하라. 첫째, 하나님은 죄인들이 멸망하는 것을 기뻐하지 않으신다. 진심으로 회개하는 자에게 기꺼이 자비를 베풀기를 기다리신다. 둘째, 회개는 진정으로 효과가 있다. 하나님은 회개하는 자에게 뜻을 돌이키신다. 이것이 우리를 회개로 이끌어야 한다. 셋째, 우리는 니느웨 사람들의 믿음과 회개를 본받아야 한다. 우리는 요나보다 더 크신 분의 말씀을 들었고, 그분의 복음은 회개와 자비에 대한 더욱 분명한 약속을 담고 있다. 그러므로 우리는 니느웨 사람들보다 더 신속하고 더 온전하게 회개하여야 한다.

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