Unfair GraceSýnishorn

Today we are going to focus on the King of Nineveh where we learn about spiritual masculinity and how we must lead our lives and families. We saw that in verse 6, he was not just a king who ordered others to get right, but he himself, when he heard the word, got up and repented. He was a man of action. Insecure men hold on to their privilege, their positions, and their power. They ensure they have it at all costs and keep it by fear and aggression. They don’t give worship; they keep worship for themselves. The king here did the exact opposite of that. He redirected worship to God. He took responsibility. He owned up to his city. He used his position of power to influence others to get right with God as well. He led in humility. He repented first and then used his position to plead for God’s mercy.

It's amazing to see how a Gentile believer started to ask God to relent and show mercy, concepts that would not have been so familiar to Gentiles. He pondered the fierce anger of God (wrath), people perishing, and God’s mercy. He became vulnerable to God, submitting himself, and recognizing God’s authority. Similarly, in just the preceding chapter, we saw that same trait in Jonah as from the belly of the fish he cried out to God for mercy, and in both chapters (verse 10), God relented! He showed mercy! God saw their actions and He relented.

An important reminder for us is that God has placed many of us in very influential places. Are we using our positions of power to lead insecure, self-serving lives or are we using our leadership to redirect worship to God? Are we leading by example, with humility, with actions, with our words?

For the men reading this, this is a call for you to raise up and be the Godly men that God has called us to be! Take action, and lead by example!