Deuteronomy 28:45-68; Luke 11:23-36; Psalms 78:1-22; Proverbs 18:23-24
NT: “As the crowds were increasing, he began saying, “This generation is an evil generation. It demands a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation. The queen of the south will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and look — something greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at Jonah’s preaching, and look — something greater than Jonah is here. No one lights a lamp and puts it in the cellar or under a basket, but on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see its light. Your eye is the lamp of the body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is also full of light. But when it is bad, your body is also full of darkness. Take care, then, that the light in you is not darkness. If, therefore, your whole body is full of light, with no part of it in darkness, it will be entirely illuminated, as when a lamp shines its light on you.”” (Luke 11:29-36 CSB)
People are always looking for a sign from God, and it’s amazing what they will consider to be a sign. Usually, if they see something that confirms what they want to see, they will consider it to be a sign – and if an actual sign of God conflicts with what they want to see, they won’t attribute it to God and will consider it a fluke – or worse, a work of the Devil. God will perform miraculous acts, but it seems like He prefers to make signs out of people. Jonah was a living miracle and powerful sign of God. He died (was tossed to his death into tempest-tossed seas), was buried (swallowed by a great fish), and was raised to life (spit back up on shore after 3 days). So powerful of a sign was he, that he moved the godless gentile Ninevites to repent of their sinful ways and turn to God. Jesus was an even greater living miracle than Jonah, but He wasn’t the sign that the religious elite were looking for. Solomon was also a living miracle and sign of God. God blessed him with so much wisdom that even the gentile Queen of Sheba traveled great distances to sit at his feet and hear him speak. Jesus wasn’t just a man blessed with wisdom. He was the very Word of God made flesh – but His words weren’t the wisdom that the religious elite sought. God wants to make us signs of God as well. He wants our lives to be full of His blessing and glory so that others will be drawn to Him. It’s not enough for us to be intriguing on the outside. For us to be signs of God, we must be transformed from the inside out. Our blind eyes must be opened to see the truth and receive the truth inwardly. The good news is that Jesus came to bring sight to the blind. He will (if we allow Him) open our blind eyes to let the light in – so that our entire lives can radiate with the glory of God from the inside out. Then we, like Jonah and Solomon of old… and like Jesus, can be living signs of God that draw people to God. We can then shine on other blind people and bring them sight through the anointing of Jesus that rests on us through the Holy Spirit that resides in us.
Jamie Hicks 