The Babes of Nineveh

If you haven't read yesterday's post, Apocalypto, you might want read it before you read this post.

Of all the events in the Old Testament, I think the hardest to comprehend is when God either kills a child (as in David and Bathsheba's child through adultery) or orders that children be killed, as He did during the conquest of Canaan, and in the early years of the Jewish monarchy.

I brought the topic up yesterday, but I have some more thoughts, and a different Biblical example, to share. It has to do with Jonah, and the task he was given to preach repentance to the Assyrian city of Nineveh. Most of you are probably familiar with the part of Jonah's story that involves the belly of the great fish. But today, I want to talk about what happened after that unhappy-for-Jonah encounter.

The whole reason that Jonah ended up as almost-fish-food is because he didn't want to do what God expressly ordered him to do: Go and tell the city of Nineveh that God intended to destroy them for their great evil. You can hardly blame poor Jonah. The Ninevites, who were Assyrians, were legendary for their gross cruelty. They did things like skin prisoners alive, put out eyes, pull out tongues, disembowel children, and cut open pregnant women. (Excuse me while I gag in horror.) Oh, another favorite tactic was impaling people on sharp sticks through their, ehem, back parts, and letting them die slowly. All in all, a very gentle and pleasant ancient culture.

Despite Jonah's attempts to flee, he eventually does comply. He goes to the city, walks through it and cries out, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" (Jonah 3:4)

So do the Ninevites get ticked, lay hands on him and commit one of their famous atrocities? No, instead, and totally unexpectedly to Jonah, they actually repent. Even the king puts on sackcloth, sits in ashes and decrees a fast, in order that God might repent of destroying them.

And God does relent. He decides not to destroy Nineveh after all. Jonah, however, does not relent. He is furious. So furious, in fact, that he tells God to go ahead and kill him!

But I'm getting sidetracked here. The real point of this post is to be found in the very last verse of the book of Jonah.

(God responds to Jonah's anger)

Jonah 4:11

"And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left--and much livestock?'

Now that is interesting. Totally apart from their repentance, because, after all, how can an infant or very young child repent, particularly when they have not actively committed the atrocities their forefathers are famous for; God gives the great number of babies and children living in Nineveh as part of the reason He will have mercy instead of bring down destruction.

So what is the difference between those babes in Nineveh and those babes in Amalek? Thought provoking isn't it?

Both were born to wicked and cruel parents. Both were born to the enemies of Israel. Both came from cultures that worshiped pagan gods. Why spare one set of babes, and bring down wrath on another?

I have a neat little answer in my head, and it doesn't have anything to do with the repentance of the Ninevite parents by the way. But, really, I'm more curious to hear what your answers might be. Tell me what you think. I promise I won't bite. Or skin you alive.