Jonah: A God of Second Chances and Forgiveness[Bible Study]

Photo by: Christianjournals.org

Jonah 3:1-2

Have you ever been arguing and fighting with your wife or husband, close friend or family member and eventually reach a point where you just want to start over? Do you ever reach a point where you wish you could take back everything that has been said or done by simply pressing a reset button? A good reset, second chance and forgiveness are hard to pass up when they are offered to us.

Let’s face it, we all mess up from time to time. Sometimes we do something wrong at work, wrong a friend or wrong someone within our own household. As bad as this feels, it sure does feel great to get a second chance and move on from your errors. This is exactly what happens to Jonah starting in chapter 3. God comes to him a second time and allows him to push the reset button, and try again. 

Jonah 3:1-2

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.

Notice that it points out that God is coming to Jonah a second time. What a blessing it would be to have been chosen by God for a task even the first time! But even after Jonah messes up, disobeys God and nearly loses his life for it, God still shows him incredible mercy and not only forgives him, but still desires to use him. Our God truly is a God of second chances. God forgives and moves on. He is perfect and Holy and has every reason to judge us, and yet He continues to show us mercy and give us chances to hit that reset button and try again. However, almost comically, we tend to be slow to forgive and often hold people’s wrongdoings over their heads. In reality, we should be more like God in these situations. We should try and give people mercy like God does because it shows to God that we understand and appreciate just how good He has been to us. 

Matthew 18:21-35

21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?

22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

Bad news for people who really have a hard time forgiving! Jesus is saying “hey, forgiving 7 times is a good start, but be prepared to forgive 7 times that”. Now is the idea here to sit and tally up every single time a person wrongs you in one day? Is the idea to be waiting until they have exceeded the amount of forgiveness you owe them so that you can come down on them hard? No. The idea here is having a forgiving heart. Now pay close attention to this lesson Jeus gives on forgiveness. 

23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.

24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.

25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.

26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.

This servant owed his king money, and was super close to him and his family being sold to pay off that debt. However, the servant begged for forgiveness and the kind graciously granted him forgiveness.

28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.

29 And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.

Notice this servant was owed less money than he owed the king. Just like he begged the king for mercy, now he was being begged for mercy. However, he does not show his fellow servant the same mercy that he had just been shown. He gladly received forgiveness but was not so glad to give forgiveness. 

31 So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.

32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:

33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?

34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.

35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

When the king found out that the servant he forgave failed to forgive others, he punished him greatly. Jesus goes on to say “likewise” or “in the same way” that God the Father will be angry with us and punish us when we refuse to forgive our brothers and sisters in Christ. 

Forgiveness and second chances are important to our God. That’s how this current state of humanity started anyway. Adam and Eve were perfect in the garden, until they sinned and left all of us with a sin nature. But God has provided a way to be reconciled to Him. Now, through Christ we have a second chance! If you are saved, you have a fresh new slate, you have been forgiven of all your wrong doing and never have to worry about going to hell for your sins. Now, although a believer is saved from hell and all their past sins, what if they still continue to mess up? What about the sins they still commit and will commit till the day they die? Although these mistakes can never send a believer to hell (see “3 Reasons Why I Believe Once Saved Always Saved IS Biblical”) the mistakes we make daily can still cause a rift in our relationship with God. But do we have a reset available to us? Yes we do! 

Philippians 3:13-14 

13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Our God is a God of second chances. When He forgives He does not sit and hold our past mistakes over our heads. And since God forgives and moves on, we should move on as well. We should never sit and dwell on the things we have done wrong in the past, we should look forward to the things that await us and keep pressing on to be like Jesus Crhist. 

Just like Jonah had an amazing second chance in front of him when he was called upon again by God for his special mission, we constantly have chances to hit the reset button and try again when we fail God. When we fail to be who God wants us to be, He forgives us. Praise God for second chances!

If you are not sure that you are going to heaven, please get this settled today by clicking here: How to Go to Heaven.

If you found this helpful or interesting, please share this with a friend. Lets help people grow in Christ!