We all remember this story of Jonah. He was the one that was swallowed up by a great fish, spent three days and three nights in that fish's belly, whom later vomited out Jonah upon the dry land. We've probably read this story many times down through the year, and paid little or no attention to the expression three days and three nights.

In every language there are expressions that we call idiomatic. Idiomatic means that the meaning of a given expression is not predictable from the usual meaning. For example to eat crow doesn't mean to literally eat a crow. It's meaning refers to one who has been forced to admit that he or she is wrong. Another example is to kick the bucket. this does not literally mean to take a bucket and kick it. It's meaning refers to one who has died. When the Eagle fly's does not refer to the Eagle flying around in the sky. No! it means payday the day when we get paid from our jobs. I'm sure that each of you knows an expression that is idiomatic. But you do get the general idea of where I'm going with this.

Since languages do recognize idiomatic expression, why would anyone assume that the language of the Bible does not? The expression three-days and three nights, appear only three times in the scriptures. I Samuel 30:12 is the first; Jonah 1:17 is the second; and finally in Matthew 12:40. The expression three days and three nights could be a stumbling block in your Bible study unless you understand its meaning. Remember now, that the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus centers around three days and three nights.

He did tell us, as Jonah was three days and three nights in the in the whales belly, so shall the son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Now I'm not the smartest person in the world, and I really don't want to be either. You remember what I told you about smart folks. Their priorities are always focused on themselves with little or no consideration for others. How can those folks whom we voted into office, look themselves in the face, after voting themselves a $20,000 a year raise while telling those on social security and other fixed incomes, that there was no money in the budget to give them a cost of living raise.

Then when they were confronted about their decision, their response was, "It was a tough decision but someone had to make it". Well there are those who are religious scholars or smart religious folks. Smart folks whether religious or otherwise all have one common denominator their main focus is on themselves. Some of these religious scholars, support the idea that three days and three nights, means three twenty four-hour days.

The Bible does not support nor does it imply that it does. Three twenty four hour days would put a damper on the Biblical account of which day of the week it was that Jesus was crucified. Their argument, that if Jesus was crucified on Friday, died the ninth hour (3:00 PM) and then rose from the dead early on Sunday, how can He be three days and three nights in the grave? This would mean that the period of His internment was from Friday night to Saturday night before His resurrection on the dawn of Sunday. It would also mean that only one dawn to sunset day namely Saturday had passed.. How then do you get three days and three nights, when all you really have are two nights and one day?

True it is that a Friday crucifixion will not yield three full twenty four-hour days. But when you see some of these smart religious scholars, you tell them that even if Jesus was crucified on a Wednesday or a Thursday neither of these day could yield three twenty-four hour days and support and early Sunday morning resurrection. The only way that this theory could hold up is that Jesus would have to rise from the dead the exact hour that He died. And since He died the ninth hour, which is 3:00 in the afternoon, wouldn't He have to rise at the same time seventy-two hours later at 3:00 in the afternoon?

In the gospel of John 19:31 the Jewish leaders refer to day of the crucifixion as the day of preparation, which is the day before the Sabbath. The seventh day of the week Saturday is the day of the Sabbath. The day before the Sabbath has to be Friday. And for certain the resurrection was on the first day of the week and that day is Sunday. So the true meaning of three days and three nights refers to three days ago or the day before yesterday.

Sometime we attempt the impossible by trying to understand why God does or says things the way He does. But none of us will live long enough to understand why God does things the way He does; and no one is required to understand, but if we only believe we'll understand it better by and by.

In this story of Jonah is a message of regeneration, reconciliation, and redemption. Regeneration, reconciliation and redemption are another way of saying that God has given us another chance. If you do not have a personal relationship with Jesus, and don't know Him as the pardon of you sins you are headed down a path that will take you to place that you don't want to be, and once you get there you can't get out. And because of His unconditional love for everybody, unconditional meaning a second chance is available to all, and if you want it, nobody can keep you from it.

A second chance is something so many people wished they could get; especially when they can admit that they are the cause for the situation that they are in. The saying, you never miss your water until you well runs dry is a true saying. Maybe it's never happened to you, but some myself included have made some decisions, we wish we could call back.

On the other hand, there have been decisions made that we had no control of, that we wish we could change. Despite all odds, there have been some who have been granted a second chance and because of that, their lives have been made better. Here in the text God gives Jonah a second chance. He told Jonah that he was to go to Nineveh, and preach the Word to the Ninevites. To tell them that their wickedness was a stench in God's nostrils. And that if they did not repent, God was going to destroy them.

In Jonah's days Nineveh was the rising world power and the most important city in Assyria. And in a few years would become the Capital of the vast Assyrian Empire. Nineveh was powerful, but wicked. They were guilty of evil plots against God; exploitation of the helpless, cruelty in war, idolatry, and prostitution and witchcraft.

Jonah had no love for these Ninevites. He believed that if he preached there the people would repent and receive mercy and forgiveness. So because of Jonah's hatred for these people, the last thing he wanted was for them to receive God's mercy and forgiveness. So he rose up to flee from the presence of the Lord.

He found a ship in Joppa that was headed for Tarshish. He bought a ticket, went on board, climbed down into the dark hold of the ship to hide there from the presence of the Lord. And as that ship was sailing a sudden storm came over the sea, threatening to send that ship and all of its crew, including Jonah, to the bottom.

God wants us to obey His Word. When we fail to obey Him not only us but also everyone around us is in danger. Jonah knew that God had a job for him, but he didn't want to do it. So he decided to run, thinking that things would be alright. Instead of things being alright, they got worse, not only Jonah but also everybody on board that ship was in danger.

Like the Prodigal son, it wasn't until Jonah had come to himself, that God gave him a second chance. He was thrown overboard into the stormy deep. And about that time when he had given up all hope, a great fish swallowed up Jonah. He spent three days and three night in the belly of the fish, and from there Jonah prayed to the God who created heaven and the earth.

The prayer that Jonah prayed was of thanksgiving and not for deliverance. He was delivered in the most spectacular way and overwhelmed that he hadn't drowned, and when he had lost all hope, Jonah knew he could depend on God. And when he prayed no matter where he was, Jonah knew that God could hear him.

And so as I move on, we are in no position to bargain with God, but in the times of troubles, we should draw nigh unto Him. Jonah's story starts out with tragedy, and it would have been worse if God would have let him keep on running. But because of His grace and His mercy, God stopped Jonah, delivered him, and gave him a second chance.

Three elements are in place with regards to our deliverance; regeneration, reconciliation, and finally redemption. Regeneration is often refereed to as the new birth, with references pointing to the new man, and the new creature. The necessity of regeneration is that all are born in sin, and must be born again. Old things are then passed away and behold all things have become brand new. And if any man be in Christ he is a new creature.

Regeneration is where God implants the principles of new life in man, and the governing disposition of his soul is made holy. In other words he has new life.

Next is reconciliation.. It's necessity is to fix that which broke the relationship between God and man. It's aim is to change from enmity to friendship. To restore and reunite two persons who had allowed something to come between them. A sinner cannot be a friend of God because he walk contrary to His Word, ignoring and rejecting It. God is the One who reconciled us.

While we were sinners, His love provided eternal live for us through the death of Jesus. Then there is redemption. Its necessity is to purchase our sins with a price. Not with corruptible things as silver and gold; but by the precious blood of Christ, as a lamb without blemish and without spot. It represents Jesus being made sin for us; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. When God looks at us, He does not see us as we were, He see us as being bought with the blood of the crucified Christ.

We can now sing that song that the angels can't sing, redeemed, redeemed, my soul has been redeemed. Well now what ever happened to old man Jonah? After three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, he was vomited out onto dry land. God had given him a second chance.

Now go on to Nineveh, and tell those Ninevites, that I am the God who sits high and looks low. Tell them, that I am the God who can speak and men will lay down and die, and I can speak and men will live again. Tell them that I am the God who will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

Tell them that their wickedness has come up before me, and if they don't seek my face and turn from their wicked way, that judgment will roll down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream.

Jonah preached and Nineveh repented in sack cloth and ashes. Jonah was sent to Nineveh, but who will come for us. Noah will you go, Abraham will you go, Jacob will you go, Moses will you go, David will you go, And about that time One cried from under the alter, If you give me a body and 33 years I will go down and give man a second chance, His name is Jesus.