Lent and The Sign of Jonah
Luke 11:29 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
In our Old Testament story of Jonah, God sent Jonah to the wicked city of Nineveh and when he got there, the Lord would give him the words to say to the Ninevites. Most of us know the story about Jonah and the whale but I want to concentrate on what happened when Jonah finally obeyed and got to Nineveh.
Is this the Lord Jesus' message to all of us today? The Hebrew word translated here as "overthrown" is haphak {haw-fak'}. This word has multiple meanings but basically it means to turn about or over, implying to change, be converted, to return.
Lent is a sacred Christian period of penance and reflection. It is a yearly event and lasts for 40 days.
Back to the story in the book of Jonah.
6 When word of it reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, stripped himself of his robe, covered himself with mourning clothes, and sat in ashes. 7 Then he announced, “In Nineveh, by decree of the king and his officials: Neither human nor animal, cattle nor flock, will taste anything! No grazing and no drinking water! 8 Let humans and animals alike put on mourning clothes, and let them call upon God forcefully! And let all persons stop their evil behavior and the violence that’s under their control!” 9 He thought, Who knows? God may see this and turn from his wrath, so that we might not perish.[a]
10 God saw what they were doing—that they had ceased their evil behavior. So God stopped planning to destroy them, and he didn’t do it.
The people of Nineveh believed God and repented. Will we?
Yeshua Jesus said that He is coming soon.
7 “Look! I’m coming soon. Favored is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy contained in this scroll.”
Luke 11:29 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
The Sign of Jonah
29 As the crowds were increasing, He (Yeshua Jesus) began to say, “This generation is a wicked generation; it seeks for a [a]sign, and yet no [b]sign will be given to it but the [c]sign of Jonah.
The original Greek word translated "generation" is genea {ghen-eh-ah'}. This Greek word can be translated to age so we could read it this way, "This age is a wicked age........"
Also, the Greek word translated "sign" also means a supernatural miracle, a token, or a wonder {a feeling of surprise mingled with admiration}.
In our Old Testament story of Jonah, God sent Jonah to the wicked city of Nineveh and when he got there, the Lord would give him the words to say to the Ninevites. Most of us know the story about Jonah and the whale but I want to concentrate on what happened when Jonah finally obeyed and got to Nineveh.
Jonah 3:1-4 Common English Bible (CEB)
Nineveh hears God’s word
3 The Lord’s word came to Jonah a second time: 2 “Get up and go to Nineveh, that great city, and declare against it the proclamation that I am commanding you.” 3 And Jonah got up and went to Nineveh, according to the Lord’s word. (Now Nineveh was indeed an enormous city, a three days’ walk across.)
4 Jonah started into the city, walking one day, and he cried out, “Just forty days more and Nineveh will be overthrown!”Is this the Lord Jesus' message to all of us today? The Hebrew word translated here as "overthrown" is haphak {haw-fak'}. This word has multiple meanings but basically it means to turn about or over, implying to change, be converted, to return.
Lent is a sacred Christian period of penance and reflection. It is a yearly event and lasts for 40 days.
Back to the story in the book of Jonah.
Jonah 3:5-10 Common English Bible (CEB)
5 And the people of Nineveh believed God. They proclaimed a fast and put on mourning clothes, from the greatest of them to the least significant.6 When word of it reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, stripped himself of his robe, covered himself with mourning clothes, and sat in ashes. 7 Then he announced, “In Nineveh, by decree of the king and his officials: Neither human nor animal, cattle nor flock, will taste anything! No grazing and no drinking water! 8 Let humans and animals alike put on mourning clothes, and let them call upon God forcefully! And let all persons stop their evil behavior and the violence that’s under their control!” 9 He thought, Who knows? God may see this and turn from his wrath, so that we might not perish.[a]
10 God saw what they were doing—that they had ceased their evil behavior. So God stopped planning to destroy them, and he didn’t do it.
The people of Nineveh believed God and repented. Will we?
Yeshua Jesus said that He is coming soon.
Revelation 22:6-7 Common English Bible (CEB)
Jesus is coming soon
6 Then he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.7 “Look! I’m coming soon. Favored is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy contained in this scroll.”
1 Thessalonians 5:1-3 Common English Bible (CEB)
The Lord’s coming
5 We don’t need to write to you about the timing and dates, brothers and sisters. 2 You know very well that the day of the Lord is going to come like a thief in the night. 3 When they are saying, “There is peace and security,” at that time sudden destruction will attack them, like labor pains start with a pregnant woman, and they definitely won’t escape.
