The Sign

Demand for a Sign

Tradition of the Faithful to require a sign

Moses asks God to provide a sign to help illustrate his message

Exodus 4:28–31 “Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord with which He had sent him, and all the signs that He had commanded him to do. Then Moses and Aaron went and assembled all the elders of the sons of Israel; and Aaron spoke all the words which the Lord had spoken to Moses. He then performed the signs in the sight of the people. So the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord was concerned about the sons of Israel and that He had seen their affliction, then they bowed low and worshiped.”

Exodus 4:8 ““If they will not believe you or heed the witness of the first sign, they may believe the witness of the last sign.”

Judges 6:36–40 “Then Gideon said to God, “If You will deliver Israel through me, as You have spoken, behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I will know that You will deliver Israel through me, as You have spoken.” And it was so. When he arose early the next morning and squeezed the fleece, he drained the dew from the fleece, a bowl full of water. Then Gideon said to God, “Do not let Your anger burn against me that I may speak once more; please let me make a test once more with the fleece, let it now be dry only on the fleece, and let there be dew on all the ground.” God did so that night; for it was dry only on the fleece, and dew was on all the ground.”

Sinful to Ask God for a Sign?

Putting God to the test?

Deuteronomy 6:16 ““You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested Him at Massah.”

Matthew 4:7 “Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ””

Approaching with Caution

Isaiah 7:10–16 “Then the Lord spoke again to Ahaz, saying, “Ask a sign for yourself from the Lord your God; make it deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, nor will I test the Lord!” Then he said, “Listen now, O house of David! Is it too slight a thing for you to try the patience of men, that you will try the patience of my God as well? “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel. “He will eat curds and honey at the time He knows enough to refuse evil and choose good. “For before the boy will know enough to refuse evil and choose good, the land whose two kings you dread will be forsaken.”

Reason for a sign?

Demand a Sign

Provide a sign

Jesus uses signs to (is consistent with the OT Character of God)

Authenticate His claims and Authority

Works of the Messiah -> “I AM the promised One”

Strengthen the faith of Believers

Promote steadfast Obedience

Run the Race

Endure Trails

Achieving Perfect Result (Sanctification)

Jonah

Sign of Jonah - The obvious faithfulness of the Lord

Irresistible Grace

Luke 11:30 ““For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation.”

Task: Prophecy against the Sinful Ways of the Ninevites (Go East)

Sin of Nineveh

Complete Wickedness

Violence

godlessness

Idolatry, witchcraft

Perversion, sexual sin, incest

Response: (Go West) To Tarshish

Jonah 1:17 “And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights.”

Jonah 3:4 “Then Jonah began to go through the city one day’s walk; and he cried out and said, “Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown.””

Five Hebrew words brings Nineveh to repentance

King: Who Knows, God may have enough mercy… even for us!

Jonah 4:11 ““Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?””

Sign of Jonah:

Obvious works of God can not be resisted, His forgiveness is productive

The Word of God will get to where it needs to be and do what it needs to do

Christophany or a “Type” of what is to come : Length of the sign

Matthew 12:41 ““The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.”

King Solomon

Sign of Solomon

King David Dies - Solomon becomes King -around 20 yrs old

Solomon asks God for Wisdom

To stand up to the task of leading God’s people

Solomon’s prayer

You have shown your Faithfulness to my Father, David

Faithfulness, Lovingkindness, Hesed

So that he can lead your people in

Righteousness and in Uprightness

1 Kings 3:9 ““So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?””

1 Kings 3:12–13 “behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you. “I have also given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there will not be any among the kings like you all your days.”

Word goes out - Solomon’s Wisdom, righteousness, and uprightness proceeds him

Kings send delegates from all around to seek the understanding of the Lord of Solomon

Queen of Sheba comes to see for herself - and brings questions to test him and God

Queen - I didn’t understand the half of it!

1 Kings 10:9 ““Blessed be the Lord your God who delighted in you to set you on the throne of Israel; because the Lord loved Israel forever, therefore He made you king, to do justice and righteousness.””

Sign of Solomon:

Works of the Lord are productive, and are obviously His

Who can resist the obvious workings of the Lord?

Matthew 12:42 ““The Queen of the South will rise up with this generation at the judgment and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.”

This Generation

v. 43-45

Returning to illusion of the binding of the strong man

In this Generation:

Christ has been working

Bringing glory back to the Lord

God is still faithful

The Holy Spirit is cleaning out the ugliness inside of us

But if we forsake the work of the Lord...

If we do not recognize the sign of the Lord...

It is not because He failed to provide a sign...