except the sign of Jonah. As Jonah became a sign for the people of Nineveh, so will the
Son of Man be a sign for this generation. The Queen of the South will rise up on Judgment
Day with the people of these times and accuse them, for she came from the ends of the
earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and here, there is greater than Solomon. The people
of Nineveh will rise up on Judgment Day with the people of these times and accuse them, for
Jonah’s preaching made them turn from their sins, and here, there is greater than Jonah.
Reflect
Jonah is one of the most fascinating and relatable characters in Scripture. God called him to
be a prophet and to proclaim a message of repentance to the people of Nineveh. But Jonah
didn’t like the Ninevites, so he didn’t want them to repent and be saved. So Jonah tried to
escape God’s call, boarding a ship going in the opposite direction. Following storms that
almost sank the ship, Jonah ends up tossed overboard, swallowed by a large fish, and spit
back on the shore to head out again.
Despite all of his efforts to avoid God’s call, Jonah did go to Nineveh. Not only did he preach
his message of repentance, his preaching was enormously successful. Even the king repented
and turned away from evil. Nineveh was saved.
The story of Jonah serves as a reminder that God loves us relentlessly. He will keep
calling us and drawing us near. He will never abandon or forget us. Even when we ignore
or reject God’s offers of love and mercy, he will continue to wait for us to turn to him.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2023