“And when the people were gathered thick together, He began to say,
‘This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of Man be to this generation.
The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.
The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.’ ” Luke 11:29-32
Jonah
Words Of Jesus; Son Of God, God The Son – 072620
“The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired Him that He would shew them a sign from heaven. He answered and said unto them,
‘When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?
A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas.’
And He left them, and departed.” Matthew 16:1-4
The Lions of Nineveh
“Where is the dwelling of the lions, and the feedingplace of the young lions, where the lion, the old lion, walked, and the lion’s whelp, and none made them afraid?” Nahum 2:11 (KJB)
Nineveh was the city to which God called Jonah to go about 100 years previous to Nahum’s prophecy. God sending Jonah, though a reluctant prophet, was God in His grace and mercy reaching out to a lost and condemned people.
Nineveh was a fierce people. At the time of Jonah God numbers the city with 120 thousand souls too young to know their left from their right hand (Jonah 4:11). That would be young children, babies. Yet, the whole city from the least to the greatest of the people repented and turned to the LORD due to Jonah’s preaching (Jonah 3:5).
Now a hundred years later they have returned to their old ways, against the LORD, and against the people of GOD.
Who are these “Lions of Nineveh?” The lion is a feared creature of the field, and the jungle. The roar of the old male is a fearful thing to hear to its prey, yet we have these “lions” in fear. Why? Because the LORD is about to show up in His wrath against the whole city. The lions are the king, the other rulers, and the young ones coming up in leadership.
The most fearful thing that people of all places, countries, cities, and provinces is that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God (Hebrews 10:31). It is by God’s grace we can fall into the hands of the loving Creator, God, Savior, and King Jesus Christ. He took the curse that was ours, dying on the cross, was buried, and He rose again; and He forever lives and reigns.
Call on His name, and He will deliver you from the bondage of sin and shame.
Missing The Sign
“The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired Him that He would shew them a sign from heaven. He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times? A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.” Matthew 16:1-4
The Sign of all signs was standing in front of them. The Sign was the One whom they was challenging, confronting; and so rudely. These were men who should have known – the Pharisees and Sadducees; men of the Bible, the Law and the Prophets, and they could quote it. That only proves that being able to quote the Bible does not guarantee you a spot in heaven.
These were men who had seen Jesus do many mighty things. He had made the lame to walk, opened the eyes of the blind, and raised a dead girl to life; just to name a few. Yet they wanted a sign from heaven.
Would they have believed if He had given them one? NO! Jesus knew that. They would not believe even though one would rise from the dead (Luke 16:31).
What about you? What will it take to convince you that Jesus Himself is the Sign sent from God; that He is the gift of God for eternal life? The sign is that He went to the cross to die for the sins of the world, made atonement for us; He was buried, and He arose from that grave, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father.
Do not Miss The Sign.
Christmas Day One Hundred Two
What do I want for Christmas today?
When it is possible, I want to be more compassionate to people no matter what their life’s plight, no matter their economic level, health, race, or religion; I want to be compassionate to all people; I want to be compassionate enough to share the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ with them.
Remembering Jonah.
Seeing the Sign of the Son
“An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: for as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, ‘I will return into my house from whence I came out;’ and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.” ~Jesus (Matthew 12:38-45)
Through the Bible in a Year – Evening 011313
Scheduled for the evening message of January 13, 2013; however, we did not have services due to sickness in the congregation.
The Greater of Jonah, and Solomon
Matthew 6 – 12
1. The Giver of a Greater Commandment (6 – 7);
2. The One who calms Storms, and Heals (8);
3. He is the One who Forgives Sin, and sends Laborers to the Harvest (9);
4. He Calls His Disciples to be Empowered for the Task at Hand (10);
5. The One who Shares our Load, and the Burden is Light (11);
6. He Speaks of a New Day of Rest (12).
-Tim A. Blankenship
A Sign From Heaven
There are signs which give direction as we drive our cars. There are signs which advertise a product, service, or a political candidate, etc. I know that is not the type sign the Scriptures speak of, or that Jesus, and/or the religious leaders of His day were speaking of.
The Pharisees and Sadducees were testing Jesus, and they were blind to who Jesus was. He whom the Scriptures spoke of was standing in their midst and they missed the greatest sign of all times. Why should, or why would another be given them?
In the account of Matthew we read,
“The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven. He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times? A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.” Matthew 16:1-4 (KJV)
It is so sad that the ones who were supposed to be guardians of the law of God, and were supposed be so familiar with it could have the Sign standing, ministering in their day, preaching the Word, healing the sick, making the lame to walk, casting out demons, raising the dead; and they missed it completely. The ones who could discern the weather patterns, couldn’t discern “the signs of the times”.
What benefit is there in knowing weather patterns, or the weather for the day? Does it serve any eternal purpose? I can understand needing to know for those who spend their time working in the outdoors, but does it really make a difference in the way we live life? Probably, but for these religious leaders, scholars, they had a responsibility to the people to discern the times, more than the weather.
No sign would be given them. One sign, which I don’t think they really understood, Jesus said they would receive. That sign would be the sign of the prophet Jonah.
The sign of the prophet Jonah was three days and nights in the belly of the whale (Matthew 12:39-41), and in Luke 11 Jesus said,
“This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.” Luke 11:29-30 (KJV)
Thus, Jesus was a sign to His generation, but many rejected Him, even after He was raised to life from the grave.
We today have a risen Lord and Savior who ever lives and is our intercessor before our Father. We have the written, Holy Spirit inspired, God breathed Scriptures which confirm the truth and evidence of our God and Savior Jesus Christ, His power, wisdom, holiness, righteousness, glory, and worth. He is worthy of our worship, our praise, and devotion.
Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God was crucified, buried, and raised bodily from the grave that He might be our eternal God and Savior. That is all the sign I need. Thank you Jesus.
-Tim A. Blankenship
A Greater King
A Greater King
“The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.” Matthew 12:42 (KJV).
We have already gave mention to this verse in the commentary on the preceding verses. It is the third mention of a “greater than”. Jesus is the One who is greater than the temple (v. 6) = the greatest Priest. He is the One who is greater than Jonah (v. 41) = the greatest Prophet. Now we see that He is the One who is greater than Solomon.
What is the significance of Solomon? He was the third king of the nation of Israel. He was the wisest man who ever lived other than the One of whom we speak in this study. He was the wealthiest of all the kings of Israel, and was a king of peace. Under Solomon’s reign was Israel’s greatest days. There was peace all around. When Jesus reigns from His throne in Jerusalem He will then be, and already is, the wisest of all men. His kingdom will be wealthier than it has ever been, He is already the wealthiest of all kings. It will be Israel’s greatest days. There will be peace in every nation. He is in fact the King of kings.
The Queen of Sheba had heard many things concerning Solomon, was on her own search for wisdom so went to Solomon to find out for herself. Here is what the Word of God tells us; “The queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s fame, so she came to test Solomon with difficult questions at Jerusalem with a very large retinue, with camels bearing spices, gold in abundance, and precious stones. She came to Solomon and spoke with him about everything that was on her mind. So Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too difficult for Solomon to explain to her. When the queen of Sheba observed Solomon’s wisdom, the palace he had built, the food at his table, his servants’ residence, his attendants’ service and their attire, his cupbearers and their attire, and the burnt offerings he offered at the Lord’s temple, it took her breath away. She said to the king, ‘The report I heard in my own country about your words and about your wisdom is true. But I didn’t believe their reports until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, I was not even told half of your great wisdom! You far exceed the report I heard. How happy are your men. How happy are these servants of yours, who always stand in your presence hearing your wisdom. May the Lord your God be praised! He delighted in you and put you on his throne as king for the Lord your God. Because Your God loved Israel enough to establish them forever, He has set you over them as king to carry out justice and righteousness.’ Then she gave the king four and a half tons of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. There never were such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. In addition, Hiram’s servants and Solomon’s servants who brought gold from Ophir also brought algum wood and precious stones. The king made the algum wood into walkways for the Lord’s temple and for the king’s palace and into harps and lyres for the singers. Never before had anything like them been seen in the land of Judah. King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba her every desire, whatever she asked—far more than she had brought the king. Then she, along with her servants, returned to her own country.” 2 Chronicles 9:1-12 (HCSB) This is the testimony of one who witnessed the greatness and wisdom of Solomon. There are millions more who have experienced and will experience the greatness and wisdom of Jesus Christ.
Wisdom and understanding for ruling the people was what Solomon petitioned the Lord for in his prayer, and because to this the Lord granted to Him not only the greatest wisdom and understanding, but also power and wealth. There are many scholars and others who seem to think that the queen of Sheba and Solomon had sexual relations. There is really no evidence of such from Scripture, or that she took YaHWeH as her personal God. She only recognized God as the national God of Israel (1 Kings 10:1-10)
The scribes and Pharisees whom Jesus is addressing certainly have none of Solomon’s wisdom and understanding. It is almost certain that had the Lord Jesus been appearing before Solomon he would have known who stood there in his presence. Though the queen of Sheba may not have truly believed in God, her belief was that Solomon’s God had given him great wisdom and riches, and by what she had seen and witnessed stands as a judgment against the generation which condemned and rejected and continues to reject Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ the greatest Priest; the greatest Prophet; and the greatest King. He is the fulfillment of all Scripture – Prophet, Priest, and King.
God had used Solomon to get the attention of a foreign queen and she saw the greatness of God. The generation to whom Jesus spoke had One greater than Solomon, and they were rejecting Him. In our generation of 2008 Jesus Christ still lives, His message of grace through faith is still proclaimed; and there are those on the foolish side who desire to change it; keep out the cross, to never discuss the sinfulness of mankind; but instead make claims of the greatness of mankind, and our achievements, our technology, our wisdom. The people of Nineveh to who Noah preached, and the queen of Sheba still speak against the wisdom of this age, and declare to us Jesus Christ is Lord. Hear Him.
-Tim A. Blankenship
Jesus, The Greater
The Greater
“Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.” Matthew 12:38 (KJV).
“But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.” Matthew 12:39-41 (KJV)
What more could Jesus give as a sign? He had fulfilled every prophecy concerning himself. He had done many mighty deeds in their presence which should have no doubt in their minds, except for the cause of the blindness of their hearts. He has met all the Old Testament criteria of the prophets who fortold His coming to die for the sins of the people.
According to the prophet Isaiah (7:14) and in Matthew 1:23 Jesus was born of a virgin. According to the prophet Micah (5:2) and Matthew 2:6 He was born in Bethlehem. He was called out of Egypt according to Matthew 2:15 and the prophet Hosea 11:1. Innocent babies died for Him shortly after His birth according to Matthew 2:18, and Jeremiah 31:15. This is only a few samples of prophecies which Jesus Himself fulfilled. These religious leaders, full of themselves were so blind that they could not see the truth.
In their willfull ignorance they asked for a sign. “If You want us to believe you, then, you have to meet our demands”. In truth, no sign would have satisfied them. They would not believe even though He rose up from the grave. The challenge was actually an open challenge to the power and authority of God.
Note: Three times in this chapter of Matthew Jesus uses the words, “…One greater than the temple…” (v. 6); “…a greater than Jonah is here…”(v. 41), and “…a greater than Solomon is here…”(v. 42). The One Priest who is greater than all priests; the One Prophet who is greatest of all prophets; and the One King who is greater than all kings – even greater than Solomon is here. Seeking signs when you see the obvious comes of wickedness, and their hearts are wicked. Similarly, seeking for God’s guidance concerning His unknown will when we are not doing His known will. These people were laying claim to knowing the Scriptures and missed the obvious through willful ignorance; and a possible fear that their whole way of life and ministry was at stake.
The only sign given that should have opened their blind eyes was the sign of Jonah. Jonah having been cast into the sea due to His rebellious flight was swallowed by a large fish, which was prepared by God, for the prophet to get him where he was supposed to be. By the power and miraculous working of God Jonah survived the belly of the fish, and was vomited back out on land. For three days and three nights in the fishes belly he was dead to the world. I am sure the sailors who threw him overboard thought him dead. The sign Jesus refers to of course would be His own resurrection. The Pharisees seem to miss the point, since He is not yet dead. Even when they later do hear news of His resurrection they bribe the guards, saving their lives, and then propagate the story of the body of Jesus being stolen by the disciples.
Nineveh received no sign from Jonah, yet they repented. The prophet, cold heartedly, I might add; went through the city of Nineveh proclaiming, “40 days and this city will be destroyed; forty days and this city and its inhabitants will be destroyed…”, and the people repented. Jesus says that those who repented at the preaching of Jonah will rise up and “condemn” those who had the sign of the resurrection and did not believe.
Christians today need no sign of or from the Lord Jesus. We have His bodily resurrection, the promise of His soon return, and the world is growing worse and worse just as He said it would. He is the greatest Priest, Prophet and He is the King of Kings.
-by Tim A. Blankenship
The Fire and Hammer 