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The word of the LORD came to Jonah, God's prophet, with an intended purpose. Jonah was to "arise, [and] go to Nineveh" so that he might “call out against her"(1:1) with God's warning - "Yet, forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" (3:4)

Interestingly, God chose to speak to the Gentile city of Nineveh through a Jewish messenger. He chose not to deliver his message by descending onto a nearby mountain with fire, smoke, and thunder as He did in Mount Sinai for the Israelites after the exodus from Egypt. He chose not to write the message on a wall with the finger of a hand which appeared out of thin air as He did to speak to Belshazzar, the king of Babylon (Dan 5:5). Instead, God chose to show mercy to Nineveh by speaking to a prophet and sending him with the task and responsibility to faithfully carry and deliver it.

God Most Often Speaks through Messengers

God's use of messengers to deliver His Word points us to the ultimate messenger of God, Jesus Christ. He dwelled happily in the joyful presence of the Father, but in humility He left His throne in order that He might give us the Father's word. He came and spoke to us that we might see and believe in Him. Now that He no longer dwells with us in Human flesh, He commissions all believers to take the word we have heard to all peoples of every nation (Mt 28:19-20).

Take the Message to the World.

Just as God showed Nineveh mercy by speaking to Jonah and then sending him to share the message, so now God intends to show mercy to the nations by sending His disciples. If You received God's Word and you possess God's Word , He intends for you to serve those near and far from you by going into the world and speaking.

As believers then all our interactions with God's Word have two primary ends. First, we come to hear his Word so that with Him we might commune. We love God so we long to sit with Him and learn of Him and fellowship with Him. We come to the Word to see and enjoy God. In addition, we come to the Word so that we might possess something to share. We turn our ears to the LORD not only to privately enjoy Him but also that we might with accuracy proclaim His worth and glory to others.