"Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:" 2 Peter 3:3
More than ever we are seeing scoffers, they are as in the days of Noah, "willingly ignorant."
"For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."Matthew 24:38-39
They weren't expecting anything, and the day came upon them, they simply expected life to go on as usual.
"And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."Genesis 6:5
"For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief." 1 Thessalonians 5:3-4
"The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven." Matthew 16:1
The Pharisees and Sadducees came, and "tempting," desired that he would show them a sign from heaven.
There's almost a rule seen in that statement all on its own. It doesn't even really have to be spoken. They wanted proof, even though they had Jesus right there in front of them. The Pharasees and Sadducees knew the passages about the coming savior, and yet they couldn't see Him, they didn't recognize Him, and even if they had, their own doubt had already clouded any chance of them seeing anything. There are so many passages where they came to Jesus looking for ways to accuse Him.
"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 lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?"Matthew 16:2
"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 16:4
Jonah went to Ninevah with a message that they must repent from their wickedness, and they repented.
This is the sign of Jonah that He is speaking of, the "sign," that they are willfully ignorant of is the call to repentance.
Here is a second witness to this.
Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.
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 12:38-41
Jesus proceeded forth from the Father and came into this world, walked and taught and the truth and the way, died on the cross and rose again the third day. His death, burial, and resurrection made a way by and through Him into the Holy of Holies. The message was repentance, as it always had been, and the people of Ninevah heard this call because we know that they took heed.
Yet there stood Jesus with the great teachers of that time, and they were tempting and testing Him. They wanted a sign, like the sign that Satan tried to draw out in Jesus when he said, "turn these stones into bread," (Matt 4:3) Jesus answered by saying, "It is written, man shall not live on bread alone but on every word that proceeds from God."
This is the reason "the men of Ninevah will rise in judgment with this generation and condemn it," because they heard the call to repentance and they turned from their ways. They saw the sign that God sent to them, Jonah and the call to repentance.
If they had not heeded this, no sign at all would have turned them.
As with the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, the rich man asked Abraham to let him warn his brothers of the place that awaited them.
The response:
"And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead."Luke 16:31
And this is true, Just as Jesus said:
"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."Matthew 12:40
And still, they would not believe. Not because God doesn't desire them to turn to Him, but because of the willful ignorance that is in them. The sign of Jonas has been in view since the moment Jesus rose from the dead.
The call is still going out:
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." Matthew 11:28-29
"While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation."Hebrews 3:15
September 16 -2017
