Daily Journey Through the Great Fast With the Early Churchনমুনা

Although God is quick and merciful to forgive us of our sins, we should not delay in our repentance. St. John Chrysostom says, “You who do not believe in eternal punishment, tell me who drowned with the flood - all the people of Noah's time did; Who burnt all the people in Sodom and Gomorrah? Who drowned all the Egyptians in the Red Sea including Pharaoh? Who killed the six hundred thousand Jews in the wilderness? Who ordered the earth to open its mouth and swallow Korah, Dathan and Abiram? Who killed seventy thousands in King David's time? Who killed eighty-five thousands of the Assyrians in one night? How do you answer that? Therefore NEVER take advantage of God's mercy.”

God's grace saves the obedient, the willing to be faithful and the repentant; but those who are not living in this manner will not be saved. During the Holy Great Lent it is important to examine what happens to those who are warned and admonished to turn from their evil ways. Seeking to establish their own importance and form of righteousness, the Ninevites continued in evil, although warned specifically of the atrocities of their evil ways of life. The Ninevites were wealthy and were strong, some might even consider them smart to have attained the riches they had accumulated but they definitely were not wise.

The Book of Nahum calls for the Ninevites to assume their repentant nature and specifically states that they did not. Instead, they preferred to embrace a radical yet modern character consistent with that of everyone else in the city. Riches and affability, the desire to fit in, with other Ninevites would bring doom and despair.

Ultimately, the prophet Nahum gives the city of Nineveh this epitaph, “Your injury has no healing, your wound is severe. All who hear news of you will clap their hands over you, for upon whom has not your wickedness passed continually” [Nahum 3:19].

Sadly, it took less than 150 years for Nineveh to return to idolatry, accompanied with violent and arrogant behaviors. Once again, the Lord God sends another prophet to Nineveh to preach and warn them of the city's certain doom and destruction. This time they were not receptive, not even a little. By not heeding the warning of the prophet Nahum sent by God, Nineveh fell to Babylon in total destruction. Nineveh was the capital city of Assyria thought to be incapable of falling.

Repentance and reconciliation are themes of the Holy Great Lent. The prophet Nahum plainly tells the Ninevites with certainty due to their great wickedness and deference to change or they will be destroyed. The prophet Nahum, unlike the prophet Jonah, did not speak to mercy and to repentance but rather adamantly declared the doom of Nineveh. God is not mocked, is not repetitive, and is not ambivalent.

God does not waiver. God is slow to anger, tries to forewarn to making the right choice, and is merciful to those who seek His mercy through repentance, but if someone turns away from God to serve his own desires, he engulfs judgment.

“God has promised forgiveness to your repentance, but He has not promised tomorrow to your procrastination.” [St. Augustine of Hippo, 4th century theologian]