Seize the Moment – Day 857

 

Jonah’s Cameo Appearance!

2 Kings 14

 

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, July 22.

 

Who has made a cameo appearance in some of your favorite movies? Maybe it was when Alfred Hitchcock revealed himself on the screen of his classic works, or more recently when Stan Lee would surprise us throughout the Marvel movies. My favorite cameos are the ones that reveal the creative force behind the work, such as the author or director.

 

In 2 Kings 14:25, as Jeroboam II was being introduced as the new king of Israel, there is a cameo appearance of a famous prophet,
 
“[Jeroboam] restored the border of Israel from the entrance of Hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, which He spoke through His servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was of Gath-hepher.”
 
This is the only Old Testament reference to Jonah outside of his own book.

 

After Elijah and Elisha, the significant prophets had their ministries recorded in separate prophetic books. While that must have been an honor, it has the unintended consequence of pulling them out of their historical context. While it is easy to know where Elijah and Elisha fit in the timeline of Israel’s history, most people don’t know when Jonah prophesied, they just know he got swallowed by a large fish after taking a boat to the wrong city. That’s why Jonah’s cameo appearance is so important; it puts flesh and blood on a Bible character whose story, from his own book, has grown in reputation to mythical proportions.

 

Jonah was a real person during a specific time of Israel’s history! Amazingly, Jonah made a cameo in the New Testament when Jesus referenced, “the sign of Jonah” (Matthew 12:39-40; 16:4; Luke 11:29-32).

 

Seize the moment and look for God’s cameos in your life because He is actively at work for His glory and your good in today’s world.

God bless you!
 
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YOUTUBE:

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