While the ship heads out to sea Jonah decides to take a nap. I knew that you are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger, abounding in kindness, repenting of punishment. They speculate that the whale's stomach acid bleached Jonah's hair, skin, and clothing a … God always forgives us and gives us more chances to believe in Him and to obey Him. In Nineveh, Jonah proclaimed that the city would be overthrown – and to his surprise, the people of Nineveh repented. He willfully and deliberately disobeyed God. With that, the book of Jonah ends! So, he got on a boat and went far away from Nineveh instead of going to Nineveh as God told him to. Jonah preached to Nineveh and warned them to repent before the city is destroyed in 40 days. The Bible tells us that when Jonah preached to the people of Nineveh, they all believed in God and started doing the right things. And should I not be concerned over the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot know their right hand from their left, not to mention all the animals? As he had mercy on the evil people of Nineveh, he is merciful to us. In the Basilica, Jonah is depicted in the west buttress of the south entrance, as well as in a pewabic ceiling panel in the west apse of the Crypt Church. Jonah 4:2-4 describes: He prayed to the Lord, “O Lord, is this not what I said while I was still in my own country? But Jonah still didn’t like the people of Nineveh. We need to obey God. While in the belly of the big fish (whale), Jonah prayed to God for help, repented, and praised God. To what people or groups are you sometimes tempted to see yourself as superior: other races or nationalities, … So, he boards a ship headed to Joppa. Read Jonah 1-4 with your students or read the following story as a summary. Anyone who does something without the teacher having said, “Teacher says” has to pretend that they’ve been swallowed by a fish and taken to Nineveh at the other side of the room. Do you think it was good for Jonah to go far away from Nineveh when God told him to go to Nineveh? This post is the second installment in the Basilica’s Biblical Figures series, which highlights the stories of the individuals throughout the Scriptures who are portrayed in “America’s Catholic Church.” While some of them inspire us with their unwavering faithfulness, others serve as sober reminders of the consequences of sin. When God told Jonah to go to Nineveh, Jonah turned and went in the opposite direction. Every once in a while, do something and give the instruction without saying “Teacher says” first. Check out his story in 2 Kings 22!Welcome to the Crossroads’ Kids’ Club channel! However, Jonah decides he will go in a different direction than God directed. In the end, God won and Jonah went to Nineveh to preach. Help us to be like You and love even the people that we don’t like. Jonah was very happy with the plant. We are not to view ourselves as better than those who are different from us – instead, we are to see others as God sees them: sinners in need of a Savior, just like us. One might expect Jonah to be happy that Nineveh turned from its wickedness, but he was angry when he learned that God was not going to destroy Nineveh. Jonah got onto a boat that was going in the opposite direction of Nineveh! View the previous biblical figures post on Ruth and Naomi. (No. During the time of the Old Testament, the Bible didn’t exist like it does today. Needed: Bibles, towel or blanket, action figure or doll or stuffed animal, trashcan or bucket or box. For three days, Jonah was trapped in the belly of the fish, where he prayed to the Lord. By this time Jonah had learned that some men who worshipped idols were kind in their hearts, and were dear to the Lord. Do you think the people of Nineveh will listen to Jonah and start believing in God? Tell them that they better start believing in Me and doing the right things I want them to do or else I’m going to send fire down from Heaven to destroy their city and burn them up.”. God is not happy when people do bad things Nineveh, the city to which Jonah was sent by God, was the capital of Assyria. But he didn’t always support the things God supported. Jonah wanted God to kill the people of Nineveh, but God wanted to forgive them. Notice all through this story that, although Jonah was God's servant, he was always thinking about himself. Would God … Remind students about how Jonah disobeyed God and had to be thrown into the sea to make the storm stop. Josiah was a faithful king who followed God's word no matter what. Jonah’s name means “dove”; and his commission, as recorded in the book of Jonah, was to convey a message from God to the Assyrian capital of Nineveh.The book of Jonah gives no indication of his prophetic activity in the land of Israel. (No.). Even though he still didn’t like the people of Nineveh, Jonah went and preached to them and warned them to start believing in God and doing the right things or else God would destroy them. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The story of Jonah is one with unusual characters: an unwilling witness, a giant fish, and an evil nation. Jonah tried to run away from God, learned a terrifying lesson, did his duty, then still had the nerve to complain to the Creator of the Universe. Jonah’s story is about someone being rescued by God. Do you think it was nice for Jonah to want the people of Nineveh to die? As Christians, God has shown us incredible grace and mercy in the death and resurrection of his Son, Jesus. Every week, thousands of churches use our Bible lessons, craft ideas, printable resources, and coloring pages to teach kids the Christian faith. So now, Lord, please take my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.” But the Lord asked, “Are you right to be angry?”. Have each group decide on and act out a scene in which someone can be nice to a person who’s been mean to them. Maybe he used Jonah because Jonah needed God’… Watch our overview video on the book of Jonah, which breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. Encounter Christ and His Mother through Sacred Liturgy, Sacrament, and Devotion at Mary’s Shrine. The last student in the game becomes the new leader. God was giving Jonah a second chance to listen to Him. They prayed to God and asked Him not to destroy them. The best part is that the people of Nineveh listened to him and changed their lives! Students try to launch their action figure (Jonah) into the trashcan (fish’s mouth) using only their blanket (waves of the sea). They thought they were going to drown. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. For three days Jonah sat in the belly of the fish. Some scholars believe the Ninevites paid attention to Jonah because of his bizarre appearance. Jonah (Letter USA) pdf. The story has a long interpretive history and has become well known through popular children's stories. 430 Oak St. Sellersburg, IN 47172, © 2021 Ministry-To-Children.com | Read our, Lesson: Elisha is Merciful to His Enemies, Sunday School Lesson (Luke 14:25-35) Counting the Cost. And that’s the story of Jonah. God has objectives we may not like. God’s Covenant with Abraham mentioned that through Abraham’s descendants God would bless the nations, but no Israelite is ever commanded to go to the nations and tell them about God. Imagine what would have happened if Jonah would have just listened to God from the very beginning. Tell them that they better start believing in Me and doing the right things I want them to do or else I’m going to send fire down from Heaven to destroy their city and burn them up.”. 400 Michigan Avenue, Northeast Washington, D.C. 20017. Jonah now became … God was happy that the people started believing in Him and so He did not destroy them. Everyone, blow as hard as you can to show what the wind was like. Jonah listened to God this time and went to Nineveh. What would seem to outside observers to be only another hardship for Jonah to endure was, in fact, God’s provision to save the life of His prophet. When he confessed that he was running from the Lord, they tossed him overboard. Yet Jonah was unwilling to show that same mercy to the people of Nineveh. The point of the story is that God can provide a supernatural means of rescue when his people are in trouble. Every kids church ministry deserves the very best resources for teaching God’s Word, even when they don’t have the financial resources. The Book of Jonah is a book of the Nevi'im ("Prophets") in the Hebrew Bible. In reality, we are both Jonah and Nineveh. Yes, the Ninevites were saved, but the story also shows that God did not give up on Jonah. And that’s the story of Jonah. Jonah, of all people, gets mad that God would show kindness to these people. (No. Jonah is identified as a prophet and servant of God during the reign of King Jeroboam II of Israel (2 Kings 14:24-25)—between 792 and 753 B.C. Ancient records from Assyria boast of this kind of … The Lord saved him from drowning, he protected him as he preached to those in Nineveh, and he grew a plant for him so he wouldn’t die of heatstroke. Though Jonah couldn’t see it, throughout each step of his journey, he was a willing recipient of God’s small mercies. God sent a big fish, some call it a whale, to swallow Jonah and to save him from drowning. The fish then spat him onto the land, and Jonah traveled to Nineveh as God had commanded. Then, God saved him by sending a fish to swallow him. Basilica Insider: The Art of Mary Stratton in America’s Catholic Church, Celebrating the Anniversary of the Incarnation Dome. God commanded Jonah to go to Ninevah and preach to them about their sinfulness and call them to repentance. Welcome to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, America’s Catholic Church. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord. Most importantly, Jonah’s imperfect example of three days spent in the belly of the fish foreshadows the perfect sacrifice that was to come. Jonah Runs from the Lord. Jonah’s preaching was, in the end, a great success. The story of Jonah is simple. The story of Jonah also displays God’s sovereignty. When the plant died and Jonah became angry, God revealed how hard Jonah’s heart was. Jonah wanted God to send fire down from Heaven to destroy their city and burn them up. That means no permission is needed as long as you credit this Ministry-To-Children.com in the final work. Jonah then marched east of the city and sat and waited for it to be destroyed. Jonah’s story would have turned their worldview upside down as they saw his righteousness be surpassed by the pagan sailors. Through Jonah’s journey with God, we can discover a bigger story- the story of God’s love and mercy for the whole world! ), God said, “Jonah, you should not be mad. Copyright © 2007-2020 Ministry-to-Children. ), Jonah disobeyed God, so God sent a very bad storm to attack Jonah’s boat. They outline the people’s sins, the consequences of those sins, and the proper … This is the only time in the OT where Israel is commanded to actively pursue the Gentiles. Once again, instead of giving Jonah what he deserves, God instead gives him an object lesson about his grace, mercy, and sovereignty. Through Jonah’s journey with God, we can discover a bigger story- the story of God’s love and mercy for the whole world! Most of these book were written to the people of Israel and Judah, but Jonah, Obadiah, and Nahum are more concerned with surrounding nations. But it is a story of God’s mercy, and God’s ability to use anyone for his glory. A massive storm came upon the ship, causing the crew to cast lots to discover who was to blame, and the lot fell on Jonah. Nineveh was part of Assyria, a violent pagan nation, known for torturing its enemies. Stay up-to-date on what’s happening at the Basilica throughout the year. But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. Game: Listening to God The Prophet Jonah seems almost comical in his relationship with God, except for one thing: The souls of over 100,000 people were at stake. Jonah was a prophet, basically, a guy that spoke on God’s behalf to others. Seeing how they turned from their evil ways, God relented from his judgement. When God had a message for the people, He spoke through the prophets. The Basilica is a pilgrimage church and the nation’s preeminent Marian shrine. Although Jonah was an unwilling preacher, he could not thwart God’s plan. Jonah was adamantly opposed to proclaiming God’s word to the Ninevites. I care about the people of Nineveh and their animals. Discover the rich history of America’s Catholic Church — A Century in the Making. After some time, the whale vomits him out, and Jonah does what God wants him to do. 1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” 3 But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish ().He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. Key Points: God calls people to repent. The people on the boat throw Jonah into the sea to stop it. Aren’t you glad God always gives us a second chance too? Lesson Guide – Jonah . All of them have lessons to teach us about Christian living. These messengers are called prophets. International Standard Version The LORD God prepared a vine plant, and it grew over Jonah to shade his head and provide relief from his misery. Now, I’m happy that they believe in Me and I don’t have to destroy them.”. Psalm 145:8 says: The Lord is gracious and merciful, That’s why we never charge for our curriculum or even ask for donations. When Jonah responded again in anger, the Lord reprimanded him: But God said to Jonah, “Do you have a right to be angry over the gourd plant?” Jonah answered, “I have a right to be angry—angry enough to die.” Then the Lord said, “You are concerned over the gourd plant which cost you no effort and which you did not grow; it came up in one night and in one night it perished. God is King of Kings and Lord of Lords (1 Samuel 8-10) Lesson #19 in What is God Like? God always wants to forgive people instead of punishing them, and if people will believe in God and start doing the right things that He wants them to do, then God will forgive them. It tells of a Hebrew prophet named Jonah son of Amittai who is sent by God to prophesy the destruction of Nineveh but tries to escape the divine mission. God always wants to forgive people instead of punishing them, and if people will believe in God and start doing the right things that He wants them to do, then God will forgive them. He doesn’t do what God wants him to do, sailing away in a different direction. Jonah only wanted God’s mercy for Israel, not its enemies. I didn’t want to destroy them. That’s the same thing God told Jonah to do before, isn’t it? But Jonah did want the people of Nineveh to die, and he didn’t want to preach to them. That’s why I sent you to preach to them. You can freely license our resources under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International. So, let’s start from the beginning. The Basilica is open 365 days a year and hosts nearly one million visitors annually. The city is known for its wickedness and had a reputation for being cruel that is hard for us to fathom. The LORD God made a plant grow up beside Jonah to give him shade and make him more comfortable. The people believed Jonah, turned from their wickedness, and God had mercy on them. And I have too…many times. But it is a story of God’s mercy, and God’s ability to use anyone for his glory. Instead of allowing Jonah to drown, the Lord in his mercy caused a giant fish to swallow him. A strong Christian education program in the OT where Israel is commanded to actively pursue the Gentiles we! Make the storm and he knew that it was good for Jonah to destroyed... 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