The Nineveh Factor! part 2

Look at the writing of Jonah and the city of Nineveh in their historical setting. The book of Jonah is said to have been written about 760 B.C. which was just 38 years before Assyria conquered Israel’s Northern Kingdom. God instructed Jonah to carry His message of repentance to the city of Nineveh. God gave the Ninevites opportunity to determine their own destiny. Nineveh represented the seat of government for the Assyrian Empire which was Israel's most cruel and despised enemy. It is probable that Jonah was called to deliver God's message to Nineveh to purge Assyria before God used them to conquer Israel. Many who heard Jonah's message would still have been alive in 722 B.C. when Samaria, the capitol city of Israel, fell. The city of Nineveh was destroyed by the Medes and Babylonians between 625 and 612 B.C. Therefore, Nineveh's relevance to the ministry of Jonah and God's time table was during the 760 – 612 time frame (148 yrs.).

Why was the city of Nineveh so important to God at the time of Jonah's writing? It was part of the system of government for the Assyrian Empire. Therefore it was a portion of the governmental structure and the seat of government. The height of world power for Assyria was from 900 – 625 B.C. The area of Nineveh was used by Assyrian kings as their primary location to rule their territories. The Assyrians conquered many nations in the Middle East. Their method of control was to scatter the nations to different locations within their borders. God used the Assyrians to punish the Israelites for their sins and allowed them to force the northern tribes into exile.

What brought Israel to this point in their history? The Nation of Israel was known as the Northern Kingdom and consisted of the ten tribes excluding Judah and Benjamin. It remained for about 200 years until it was over thrown in 722 B.C. and assimilated into Assyrian Empire. Every king of Israel was evil which brought the impending judgment of God upon them. It could be said of each of Israel's kings, “And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin” 1 Kings 15:34.

The demise of the Northern Kingdom was secured in the fact that it was created in rebellion and its leaders continued to walk in rebellion until the end. Solomon's rein was concluded in disobedience and idolatry, 1 Kings 11. Solomon died in 931 B.C. Reoboam succeeded his father, Solomon. Jeroboam, although a valued leader under Solomon, consorted with the leadership of the ten tribes of Israel excluding Judah and Benjamin to create the Northern Kingdom.

It is important for the government of nations to know and submit to the leadership of God. History has taught us that those who don't will inevitably fail. King David tells us in Psalm 9:17, “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.” Although God used Assyria to discipline Israel, He also used Babylon to bring judgment on Assyria in their fall from world domination. We can see the cycle of world powers change to serve the will of God, the Ruler of the Universe. We can get a good picture of this from the image in Nebuchadnezzar's dream in Daniel 2.
Head of Gold – Kingdom of Babylon
Chest and Arms of Silver – Kingdom of the Medes and Persians
Belly and Thighs of Bronze – Kingdom of Greece
Legs of Iron – Roman Empire
Feet of Iron and Clay – Restored Roman Empire
Crushing Stone – Kingdom of Jesus Christ

When God allowed the Assyrians to conquer Israel and harass Judah, they did so with great cruelty. They built their power base by killing, enslaving, torture and by having a flagrant disregard for human life. They engaged in pagan worship, sorcery, witchcraft and treated conquered people with extreme contempt. The acts of the Assyrian people ultimately brought God's judgment upon their heads. Although God had used them to punish Israel for the sin of idolatry, he judged them for doing the same thing. God is no respecter of persons, be sure that sin will bring its reward. When Nineveh was destroyed in 625-612B.C., the Assyrian power base went into decline and they never again rose to power.