Jonah 1:17 And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Matthew 12:40 For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
Luke 11:30 For as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation.
Matthew 16:4 An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” So he left them and departed.
The people of Nineveh did not know that Jonah had been reluctant to warn them. They did not know he had been swallowed by a great fish of the sea and spit back out. They did not know any of this but when the word of God was spoken through Jonah they believed God. Here is a large city that is being called out by God for its sin and evil. What is uncommon is their response to being called out, they repented. Maybe this is not uncommon though. Maybe what we see in our time is that sin is not called out. Tolerance, neglect, and complacency have overtaken the pulpits of our nation. When is the last time you have heard a message preached on sin and the need for repentance? Messages seem to be more in line with what you can get from Jesus Christ; (ie. health, prosperity, peace, joy, courage, hope, etc…) and all of this is true but the lack of calling out personal and national sin first and foremost is leading us into separation from God. Thinking we can live without the need for repentance is choosing to live in ignorance. It is easy to preach all the comforts and promises associated with being a follower of Jesus Christ and leave out the need for repentance. Repent from what you may ask. SIN. If sin is not called out and if God’s Word is not thirsted and hungered for then what is it that will mature us in our walk with Him. What will make us aware of the sins in our thoughts and our sins in acts? The greatest tragedy in the church today is the lack of individual choice to be in God’s Word with the thought of honoring and glorifying Him, and wanting, desiring, seeking, and trusting the Holy Spirit to search our hearts and minds and change us from the inside becoming more and more aware of our sin and more and more aware of God’s grace, mercy, and love through Jesus Christ.
