NINEVEH REPENTS (JONAH 3:5-10)

REFLECTION Nineveh repents is theme for today’s reflection. To repent means to feel or express sincere regret or remorse about one’s wrongdoing or sin. Usually, repentance is a personal affair but we see a unique dimension of repentance which is of a national nature lead by the King of Nineveh. It is important to note…

Jean-Paul Agidi

Feb 24, 2022

2–3 minutes

REFLECTION

Nineveh repents is theme for today’s reflection. To repent means to feel or express sincere regret or remorse about one’s wrongdoing or sin. Usually, repentance is a personal affair but we see a unique dimension of repentance which is of a national nature lead by the King of Nineveh.

It is important to note that leadership plays a key role in shaping the destiny of a nation. Imagine a situation where the King out of arrogance or pride rejects the Word of God through Prophet Jonah, He would have suffered the fate of Pharoah and the Egyptians when Pharoah rejected the Word of God through Moses. National repentance starts from the king but in modern democratic dispensation, it must begin from leaders of government. The members of arms of Government, in other words the Executive, Legislative and Judiciary must from time to time reflect on the nation’s relationship with God and lead the nation’s spiritual and moral revivals towards its development and prosperity.

The Preamble of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana reads: IN THE NAME OF THE ALMIGHTY GOD, We the People of Ghana, IN EXERCISE of our natural and inalienable right to establish a framework of government which shall secure for ourselves and posterity the blessings of liberty, equality of opportunity and prosperity…” There is a presumption that God exists even if Ghana is described as a secular nation. Our God- fearing leaders must listen to God like the King of Nineveh if they want the nation to be forgiven, revived and spared God’s judgment. We read that “The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he issued a proclamation and that was published through Nineveh… 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.” (Jonah 3:6-8). In other words natioanal repentance, spiritual and moral revivals begins from the leaders of the nation who are the stewards of the people. This is possible through humility and obedience to God’s Word by leaders of the nation. Shalom.

PRAYER

Merciful God, may Your Word transform the hearts of leaders of all nations in the World to lead their nations unto the path of righteousness. Amen.

Jean-Paul Agidi (Rev)