Today’s post is from the book of Jonah. Here’s a brief summary:
Jonah was a reluctant prophet who was unwilling in every way to accomplish the mission God gave him…which was to go to Assyria (a great, but very evil nation), and call the people to repentance. The problem was that Jonah hated the Assyrians because they were Israel’s greatest enemy. Jonah knew of God’s forgiveness, and he knew God would have mercy and bless them if they would turn from their sins and worship Him. But Jonah didn’t want mercy for the Assyrians; he wanted vengeance and destruction! So he chose to run away from God rather than obey Him. The book of Jonah tells the story of this prophet’s flight and how God stopped him and turned him around.
The Bible tells us that Jonah was swallowed by a great fish. He was inside the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
If we fast forward to the New Testament…
“One day some teachers of religious law and Pharisees came to Jesus and said, ‘Teacher, we want you to show us a miraculous sign to prove your authority.’
But Jesus replied, “Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign; but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.’ Matthew 12:38-40
When the religious leaders demanded that Jesus give them a sign to prove His authority, Jesus said the only sign they would receive was the sign of Jonah. They would see Jesus swallowed by death and delivered after three days.
Jesus was making it very clear to the religious leaders of the day that their stubbornness to believe in Him would be judged. The people of Ninevah (Assyria’s capital) responded to God’s word spoken by Jonah, but the religious leaders refused to believe God’s Word spoken by His very own Son. Often people of our generation demand a sign from God, but the only sign they will receive is the sign of Jonah – the death and resurrection of Christ.
(New Living Translation Commentary)
I encourage you to read this story for yourself. The book of Jonah is near the end of the Old Testament. More on Jonah tomorrow…