Jonah chapter 1 verse 17. To begin, I'm just
going to read one verse. And the reason for this
is, depending on your translation, you actually
may have Jonah 1 -17 lumped in with chapter 2,
because the Hebrew text gives it to us this way,
that 1 -17 is actually 2 -1. the Hebrew Bible.
So we're just going to focus on this one verse
today, but we'll draw in other scripture as we
go. And what you'll see here is something that
we all know about the book of Jonah. It's kind
of the moment that people have been waiting for.
For if you were to describe other books of the
Bible, you would certainly have to cover the
highlights that people have heard before. If
you're covering Exodus, you would talk about
the plagues. and the people of Israel getting
out of there. If you're talking about Daniel,
no doubt you'd probably draw in the lion's den.
Well, when you come to Jonah, you got to mention
the big old fish, don't you? And so let's hear
this from Jonah 1 .17. And the Lord appointed
a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was
in the belly of the fish. Three days and three
nights. This is God's holy word. Let's pray Father
we do once again come before you and thank you
for the book of Jonah I asked Lord that you would
open up our hearts and our minds to hear from
you and to see your incredible Mercy these things
we ask in Christ's name. Amen The book of Jonah
as we have seen, is a book of unexpected twists
and turns, isn't it? You remember how the story
begins. It's unexpected that a prophet of God
would be told not to just prophesy out against
a foreign nation, but that a prophet of God would
be told to go to that foreign nation, a nation
that was known as cruel. and idolaters, a place
of violence, right? He was told to go to Nineveh.
That's a little unexpected. It's also perhaps
unexpected that the same prophet would say no
to that call, turn right around and go the opposite
direction and flee from the presence of God.
It's unexpected that the prophet of God would
be the one who asked to be told to pray. The
sailors on board the ship are praying. They're
crying out to other gods. And finally, Captain
comes to Jonah and says, hey, get up. Call upon
your God. So Jonah, the prophet of God, is instructed
to pray for these reasons and for many more.
The book of Jonah is a bit unexpected, isn't
it? Well, here's another twist. That as those
sailors pick the prophet up and throw him into
the sea, Yahweh is not done with Jonah, is he?
He's not done with him. I mentioned a couple
of weeks ago that children's Bible that I have
that's got the picture of Jonah in it. Jonah
is depicted as sinking deep down into the water.
He's got seaweed all wrapped around him, right?
Jonah is, he's got a big old fish in the background.
That's the picture that I can remember from my
childhood. And because, maybe because it's so
gross to think about being inside the belly of
a fish, I always thought that the fish was the
punishment for Jonah. Perhaps you think that
as well. And indeed, I think there is an element
of truth there. But this great fish, is actually
a picture of God's mercy, isn't it? Because without
the fish, where is Jonah? He's on the bottom
of the sea, isn't he? And so what does the Lord
do here in verse 17? The Lord appoints this great
fish, doesn't he? This word appointed can be
translated in different ways. Your Bible may
have the word sent. It may have the word prepared.
It may have the word provided, all of this to
convey that the Lord is behind the action, this
divinely appointed fish. And this is not the
only place where we see this word appointed.
If you flip over to Micah, or not Micah, we're
still in Jonah. Jonah chapter four. Look in Jonah
4 6 through 8 because you see this same word
repeated in three consecutive verses Jonah 4
6 through 8 now the Lord did what? Appointed
a plant and made it come up over Jonah that it
might be shade over his head to save him from
his Discomfort so Jonah was exceedingly glad
because of the plant But when dawn came up the
next day what to God appoint it says he appointed
a worm that attacked the plant so that it withered
verse 8 when the Sun rose God appointed what
a Scorching East wind and the Sun beat down on
the head of Jonah so that he was faint you see
all of this action is attributed to the Lord
isn't it and so this is not a case of A great
fish being in the right place at the right time.
No, the Lord has him right there. This is not
left up to chance, is it? Matter of fact, I think
R .C. Sproul used to say, chance is nothing.
Chance is nothing whatsoever, but God's sovereignty
is everything. And so the Lord appoints this
fish. Now, what was the fish? Well, you can see
it there. The fish was to swallow up Jonah. Now
let me say something about this fish. Sinclair
Ferguson once said, this must be the most criticized
fish that ever swam the Mediterranean. Because
people doubt this story, don't you? Maybe you
even come to this story and you're like, Hey,
what's really going on here? Friends, we should
not doubt this story. This is not a fictitious
story. This is a historical story. But people
dismiss it because they just can't possibly believe
this. But if we dismiss this story, if we dismiss
this episode, what would we do? with the other
supernatural spiritual stories that we find all
throughout scripture. What would we do with Elisha?
Do you remember when Elisha raises the boy who
is dead? I don't hear anybody explaining that
away, maybe because they don't know the story.
What about Balaam's donkey? Do you remember when
God speaks through the donkey has this donkey
speak? Does anybody explain that away? What about
Jonah's friends in the fiery furnace, right?
And they come out of that furnace unsinged. Do
we explain away that story? We'd better not.
Because if we start doing that, if we start going
down that road, what do we do when we get to
the virgin birth? What do we do when we get to
Jesus' miracles? What do we do with the resurrection
of Jesus and his ascension in his return? Friends
the miraculous thing about miracles is they are
miraculous Let us not forget what we are reading
We are reading a book breathed out by the Holy
Spirit God has given us his trustworthy word
And God's ways are higher than our ways. God
is the creator. He's the omniscient one, the
omnipresent one, the omnipotent one. And so we
would be wise to receive this book, this episode
that is written as a narrative. We would be wise
to receive it as such. Now, some pastors and
some theologians and scholars and teachers like
to point out that there are other episodes of
people being swallowed by gigantic fish or whales
or sharks or whatever it might be. The problem
there is that for every instance of someone saying
that, there's somebody saying, no, that didn't
happen. But just because we cannot validate those
examples does not mean we invalidate this one.
For this one is true to its core. I'm going to
show you why. in just a couple of minutes. I
don't want to spend too much time on this fish,
but I do think we should take note of how the
fish is described. Look there in verse 17. The
Lord appoints what kind of fish. In the ESV we
see it's a great fish. This is in keeping with
the rest of the book of Jonah. We see the word
for great used several times. The city of Nineveh
was described as a great city. The storm that
the Lord brings up is a great storm. The fear
of the sailors is described as a great fear.
And so here, once again, we see this word for
greatness, friends. This might not be an ordinary
fish. Matter of fact, the word that is used for
fish here is a general word for fish. And our
designations for what makes a fish might be different
from what Jonah and others said about fish. So
this could be a whale. This could be a shark.
Depending on how you read, this could be a gigantic
sea monster. I think it's probably best to just
go with fish here. But this is a great fish.
meaning it could be referring to its incredible
size. Now, as I said, I grew up thinking the
fish was Jonah's punishment, and as I said, that
might be partly true for the act of swallowing
within the Old Testament especially, though some
of the New Testament often implies divine judgment.
But I think there might be a way that we might
explain it a little better than punishment. I
think the fish here is used for the purpose of
correcting. Because God does not immediately
deliver Jonah to shore. Jonah doesn't hop on
the back of the fish and surf all the way to
the shore, does he? He's in there for three days
and three nights. And so this is a means of correction,
which we will see, Lord willing, next time as
we examine Jonah's prayer. But certainly we must
also say this, the fish is a vehicle. through
which God shows his mercy. And so the fish has
a dual purpose, doesn't it? I like how one commentator
says this, the great fish that Yahweh graciously
provided for Jonah's transportation is parallel
to the ship that Jonah paid for out of his own
pocket. The ship carried Jonah close to the grave.
while the fish carry Jonah back to dry land and
life. And friends, this is this dual purpose.
I think it's in keeping with the rest of scripture
because doesn't God sometimes take his people
through the difficult things to accomplish his
purposes. God takes his people through the slavery
to to get them out of it. God takes his people
through the wilderness to get them to the promised
land. God takes them through the exile to bring
them home. God corrects his people. Do you know
what that's like? Have you ever found yourself
in a season of correction, a season of growth
in Christ? The Lord does this at times and we
might not understand it in the moment. We may
have to look back on it and see what the Lord
was doing, but the Lord is shaping us. after
the image of his son. And so I think this is
what God is doing with Jonah as well. He is correcting
him. Jonah is learning something about himself
and about the mercy of God inside the belly of
this fish. This also tells us here that God is
not being vindictive, is he? God is not up in
the heavenly places messing with Jonah. No, God
divinely appoints the fish for correction and
for our salvation for Jonah and in doing so directs
Jonah back to his mission. We might even say
the Lord is giving Jonah a taste of the medicine
that awaits Nineveh if the people of Nineveh
don't repent and so we'll see next time that
Jonah is humbled here. He had some learning to
do about the mercy and the power of God. And
so he's in the belly of the fish for three days
and three nights. Does this three -day motif
sound familiar to you at all? We should see heads
nodding here, shouldn't we? For naturally we
are to think of Jesus here. But that's not the
only case. The three -day motif is not limited
to just Jonah and Jesus. Let me give you a few
other examples. Do you remember perhaps Genesis
chapter 22? Do you remember Abraham and Isaac?
Of course you do, and the sacrifice, the near
sacrifice of Isaac. For a while Abraham and Isaac
are journeying with other people, but then the
text says the two of them go off alone for three
days. There. Isaac is nearly sacrificed, isn't
he? But the Lord does provide that ramp. And
so Isaac escapes death. What about Exodus 15?
The Israelites, after they get out of Egypt,
and they're in the wilderness, and they are wandering,
and they go for three days without water, and
then the Lord provides for them. What about 2
Kings chapter 20? Hezekiah, King Hezekiah nearly
dies. but he prays the Lord hears him and heals
him and on the third day on the third day Hezekiah
is back in the temple what about Hosea chapter
6 Hosea being a contemporary of Jonah chapter
6 1 through 2 it says come let us return to the
Lord for he has torn us that he may heal us he
has struck us down and he will bind us up After
two days, he will revive us on the third day.
He will raise us up that we may live before him.
There are so many episodes and instances of this
third day motif. There's one that's even greater
than the third day. You remember Jesus raising
Lazarus. Lazarus was raised on the fourth day.
Why? Because the scripture really wants us to
know and Jesus wanted the people to know at the
time that Lazarus was really dead wasn't he?
He was not merely sleeping as a matter of fact
one commentator says here in ancient Near Eastern
culture a Person was not officially declared
dead until the third day And so with that in
mind Let's turn Let's go to Matthew chapter 12.
Go to Matthew chapter 12. You could also see
this in Matthew chapter 16 and the parallel account
in Luke chapter 11. Matthew 12, beginning in
verse 38. This is important, so please listen
for this reading of God's word for you. Then
some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him,
him being Jesus, saying, Teacher, we wish to
see a sign from you. But he answered them. An
evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign,
but no sign will be given to it except the sign
of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three
days and three nights in the heart of the earth,
or so, 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. The men of Nineveh
will rise up at the judgment with this generation
and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching
of Jonah. And behold, something greater than
Jonah is here. What is Jesus doing here and sharing
this? with these Jewish leaders. Jesus is pointing
us towards Jonah in saying the story of Jonah
previews the death and the resurrection of our
Savior. It's true then that Jesus is authenticating
the story of Jonah. Jesus wouldn't use a fictitious
story to talk about the reality of his death
and his resurrection. You can see from that text
what's happening there. The Jewish leaders demand
a sign of Jesus, don't they? Which is an incredible
thing to say considering this is what Jesus has
been doing the whole time. Do we not see Jesus'
miracles throughout the Gospels? But they say
essentially, prove yourself, Jesus. Look at how
Jesus responds. He says an evil and adulterous
generation seeks this kind of sign. Can you imagine
how the scribes and the Pharisees would have
felt hearing that they are lumped in with an
evil and adulterous generation? And imagine how
they would have felt when Jesus says that the
people of Nineveh would rise up to condemn them.
Why? Because we know this and we're gonna see
this as we keep going through Jonah. that the
entire city of Nineveh repents, don't they? Imagine
how this would sound to these Jewish religious
leaders to hear about cruel Nineveh. How cruel
Nineveh would condemn these pious Jewish leaders.
How could Jesus give praise to the Gentiles of
Nineveh? And then lastly, the thing that Jesus
says, hey, there is one greater than Jonah. You
see, there's lots of connections here between
Jesus and Jonah. I think we can even go deeper
than what I have said. Let's ask ourselves, how
accurate is the sign of Jonah? Well, firstly,
before we go any deeper, let us make sure we
do not associate Jonah's rebellion with Jesus
in any way. For as Jonah ran from the call of
God, Jesus ran to it, right? But I do think that
there are further associations between Jonah
and Jesus. And so just three points here. Don't
worry, I'm not just getting started on my sermon.
But three points, three points of connection
here. The extent of the sign of Jonah, the instrument
of the sign of Jonah, and the accomplishment
of the sign of Jonah. Jonah, as we have said,
was fleeing from God. He was fleeing from what
God was calling him. And we mention how it seems
the text is showing us again and again the downward
descent of Jonah. For Jonah went down to Joppa.
Jonah went down into the belly of the ship as
it were. And Jonah here, he's at the fullness
of his descent. Some people would say that Jonah
dies in the belly of the fish. I'm not sure I'm
willing to say that, but we'll see more of this
next time. But at the very least, we could say
Jonah is in effect buried alive. But the extent
of the sign here is that Jesus really did die,
didn't he? He really did die. He was really buried.
He was really put in the tomb. and the soldiers
were placed outside of the tomb because if Jesus
is raised, then everything he said would be true.
And we know that Jesus really was raised, friends,
that Jesus died for you and for me. That's the
extent of the sign. What about the instrument
of the sign? Well, for Jonah, the instrument
is this fish. But as I said, this fish seems
to have a dual purpose. the purpose of correcting
and the purpose of mercy. It's the same way with
Jesus, isn't it? It's the same way with Jesus
in the cross. The cross was a terrible instrument
of punishment and of wrath, but it's also the
instrument of our salvation. Our sins were imputed
to Jesus on the cross and the full weight of
the wrath of God came Upon him such that Jesus
cried out my God my God. Why have you forsaken
me? It was an instrument of wrath, wasn't it?
But we also have a cross on the wall behind me.
We sing the hymn the old rugged cross Why do
we cling to the old rugged cross because it's
not just an instrument of wrath The cross is
an instrument of salvation like the fish was
appointed for Jonah. So the cross was appointed
for Christ and for all of those who would believe
in him. Paul wrote this and said, Christ redeemed
us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse
for us, for it is written, cursed is everyone
who is hanged on a tree. Referring back to Deuteronomy.
I like how one of the church fathers put it.
Kirill of Jerusalem said Jonah was cast into
the belly of a great fish. but Christ of his
own will descended to the abode of the invisible
fish of death. He went down of his own will to
make death disgorge those it had swallowed up
according to scripture. I shall deliver them
from the power of the nether world and I shall
redeem them from death. That is what Jesus does
for us. He redeems us from what we deserve. And
so lastly, let's talk about the accomplishment
of the sign. What does the cross accomplish for
us? What does the life and the death of Jesus
accomplish for us? Well, you remember I mentioned
last Sunday that as Jonah is thrown overboard,
this is like a sacrifice of Jesus or of Jonah,
right? Who is saved in that instance? We know
immediately the sea became still and it became
calm. And so the sailors were saved. So it is
with Jesus. Listen to this quote from Rick Phillips.
Just as Jonah's death in the deep removed the
storm from the sailors above, so Jesus' cross
removes the wrath of God from our sins. Jesus'
death was substitutionary. By it, he accomplished
salvation for all who would trust in him. Friends,
I want you to know this. God always had a plan
to save you He always had a plan to save the
elect But his justice had to be satisfied because
he is a just God and so Jesus faced the wrath
for us Jesus faced all of it. So today if you
are in Christ You are safe in him. You are safe.
You are protected from the wrath of God But today
if you hear my voice If you have heard the scripture
and if you have not repented and if you have
not trusted in Jesus, you are facing the wrath
yourself. You are doing what Jonah was doing.
You are attempting to run from the presence of
God. It's been said, no one goes to hell against
their own wishes. Jonah. He thought that he wanted
to run from God until he got to this place. where
he was experiencing death apart from God. He
got what he wished, but when he got it, it turns
out this is not what he wanted. Friends, don't
write Jonah off as a book of fiction, and do
not write off the very word of God as fiction.
The book of Jonah points you to the one who died,
to the one who was raised for rebellious sinful
people. The book of Jonah is for all of us Jonas
out there. But God is merciful to all who repent
and believe. When we were running from God, God
sent his son to deliver us. Friends today, don't
be like the Pharisees. Don't be like the scribes.
Jesus has done us one better than give us a sign.
He has given us himself. Let's pray.