They outline the people’s sins, the consequences of those sins, and the proper … The story of Jonah is one with unusual characters: an unwilling witness, a giant fish, and an evil nation. Watch our overview video on the book of Jonah, which breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. 400 Michigan Avenue, Northeast Washington, D.C. 20017. Gain insight into the Basilica through interviews, introductions, videos, and more. He doesn’t do what God wants him to do, sailing away in a different direction. Welcome to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, America’s Catholic Church. When he confessed that he was running from the Lord, they tossed him overboard. Then, God said, “Jonah, go preach to the people of Nineveh. T he book of Jonah is an Old Testament story which tells about how the prophet Jonah refused to follow the Lord. Jonah reacted in anger because he wanted revenge; he wanted the Nineveh to be destroyed. He didn’t them want to believe in God and start doing the right things God wanted them to do because the people of Nineveh were Israel’s enemies. By this time Jonah had learned that some men who worshipped idols were kind in their hearts, and were dear to the Lord. So, let’s start from the beginning. However, Jonah decides he will go in a different direction than God directed. Instead of allowing Jonah to drown, the Lord in his mercy caused a giant fish to swallow him. The best part is that the people of Nineveh listened to him and changed their lives! God was happy that the people started believing in Him and so He did not destroy them. You can also give an instruction that doesn’t match your motion to catch kids off guard. Jonah (A4 British) pdf. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. We need to obey God. The story of Jonah also displays God’s sovereignty. 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. His word came in visions, oracles, dreams, parables, and the 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. While the ship heads out to sea Jonah decides to take a nap. But God is rich in mercy and will save all who call on him. Jonah preached to Nineveh and warned them to repent before the city is destroyed in 40 days. 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. 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. Jonah wanted God to kill the people of Nineveh, but God wanted to forgive them. Jonah (Letter USA) pdf. Jonah, had he not been eaten by the fish, would no doubt have drowned. Every kids church ministry deserves the very best resources for teaching God’s Word, even when they don’t have the financial resources. While Jonah eventually did what he was asked to do, the book closes with showing Jonah as a bitter man. 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. Now, I’m happy that they believe in Me and I don’t have to destroy them.”. And that’s the story of Jonah. Review the events of historic significance that have taken place at the Basilica. Do you think the people of Nineveh will listen to Jonah and start believing in God? When God told Jonah to go to Nineveh, Jonah turned and went in the opposite direction. God is King of Kings and Lord of Lords (1 Samuel 8-10) Lesson #19 in What is God Like? Though Jonah couldn’t see it, throughout each step of his journey, he was a willing recipient of God’s small mercies. Notice all through this story that, although Jonah was God's servant, he was always thinking about himself. Jonah didn’t like this special job and so Jonah decided to run away. We believe that children and parents benefit from a  strong Christian education program in the church. The story has a long interpretive history and has become well known through popular children's stories. As Jesus says in Matthew 12:40: Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.” 3 But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord.He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. With that, the book of Jonah ends! Maybe he used Jonah because Jonah needed God’… Jonah’s Unwillingness Jonah is depicted in the ceiling of the West Apse of the Crypt Church God, we thank You for being a good God and caring about all people. Jonah’s preaching was, in the end, a great success. View the Basilica’s hours of operation, parking and accessibility information. 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. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. Jonah knew that it was God who had sent the storm and he knew that it was because he was disobeying God. That’s why I sent you to preach to them. The book of Jonah is full of God’s grace and mercy and it is a story we need. Please use our childrens ministry curriculum and Sunday School material for any purpose that brings honor to Jesus. 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? Jonah was happy—indeed, he was ecstatic—about the vine plant. (Nelson’s NKJV Study Bible). Help us to be like You and love even the people that we don’t like. Psalm 145:8 says: The Lord is gracious and merciful, The wind was blowing…. 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. Most of these book were written to the people of Israel and Judah, but Jonah, Obadiah, and Nahum are more concerned with surrounding nations. That means no permission is needed as long as you credit this Ministry-To-Children.com in the final work. The people believed Jonah, turned from their wickedness, and God had mercy on them. 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. Jonah told the other sailors, “If you want the storm to stop, you have to throw me overboard into the sea.”. These Minor Prophet books record those messages. Place a large trashcan, bucket, or box, at the end of the room. Ancient records from Assyria boast of this kind of … Jonah then marched east of the city and sat and waited for it to be destroyed. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen. Everyone, show me with your arms how the waves went up and down. But it is a story of God’s mercy, and God’s ability to use anyone for his glory. Give students a blanket or towel and an action figure, doll, or stuffed animal. The story of one such prophet is found in Jonah. So, he boards a ship headed to Joppa. Lesson: King Ahaz's brings great suffering to Judah, Good Samaritan Bible (Luke 10:25-37) Lesson for Lent, Lesson: Strong and Humble (The Book of James – Part 4), Children’s Sermon: Independence Day and Jesus’ Revolution against Sin, Back to School (Sunday School Lesson) Armor of God, “Back to School ” Children’s Sermon (Jesus, the Sin Eraser), “Back to School” Object Lessons (School Supplies Backpack). You can freely license our resources under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International. Jonah was adamantly opposed to proclaiming God’s word to the Ninevites. Remind students about how Jonah disobeyed God and had to be thrown into the sea to make the storm stop. Jonah got onto a boat that was going in the opposite direction of Nineveh! Yet Jonah was unwilling to show that same mercy to the people of Nineveh. Jonah listened to God this time and went to Nineveh. (Jonah 4:9-11). All 4 chapters of Jonah paints this picture of how we are to process our sin or disobedience before God. And that’s the story of Jonah. He willfully and deliberately disobeyed God. For three days Jonah sat in the belly of the fish. But Jonah did want the people of Nineveh to die, and he didn’t want to preach to them. 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. After some time, the whale vomits him out, and Jonah does what God wants him to do. Divide students into groups of two or three. They speculate that the whale's stomach acid bleached Jonah's hair, skin, and clothing a … The last student in the game becomes the new leader. Copyright © 2007-2020 Ministry-to-Children. During the time of the Old Testament, the Bible didn’t exist like it does today. Jonah was a prophet, basically, a guy that spoke on God’s behalf to others. Though it may seem strange and abrupt, the ending summarizes what is at the heart of this small Old Testament book: God’s mercy. The city is known for its wickedness and had a reputation for being cruel that is hard for us to fathom. In reality, we are both Jonah and Nineveh. As he had mercy on the evil people of Nineveh, he is merciful to us. Jonah now became … And I have too…many times. One day, God told the prophet Jonah, “Jonah, go preach to the people of Nineveh. God was giving Jonah a second chance to listen to Him. The Book of Jonah is a book of the Nevi'im ("Prophets") in the Hebrew Bible. I knew that you are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger, abounding in kindness, repenting of punishment. Through some supernatural events, God convinced him to obey and carry out the Lord’s plan. Most importantly, Jonah’s imperfect example of three days spent in the belly of the fish foreshadows the perfect sacrifice that was to come. Do you think it was nice for Jonah to want the people of Nineveh to die? This is the only time in the OT where Israel is commanded to actively pursue the Gentiles. God commanded Jonah to go to Ninevah and preach to them about their sinfulness and call them to repentance. 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? Imagine what would have happened if Jonah would have just listened to God from the very beginning. Do you think it’s nice for Jonah to be mad that God didn’t destroy the people of Nineveh? Check out his story in 2 Kings 22!Welcome to the Crossroads’ Kids’ Club channel! The teacher gives instructions, saying “Teacher Says” as in “Simon Says.” Do the motions as you say the instruction. To what people or groups are you sometimes tempted to see yourself as superior: other races or nationalities, … Jonah 1:1-3 The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: "Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me." Jonah Flees From the Lord. ADDRESS: Ministry-To-Children The story of Jonah is one with unusual characters: an unwilling witness, a giant fish, and an evil nation. Do you think it was good for Jonah to go far away from Nineveh when God told him to go to Nineveh? And everyone on the boat was so afraid. Use this children’s Sunday School lesson about Jonah to teach kids about the need to obey God and the richness of God’s forgiveness. So, he got on a boat and went far away from Nineveh instead of going to Nineveh as God told him to. 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. God commissions Jonah to go to Nineveh to preach repentance to the people. Here are five lessons from Jonah on God’s mercy. Every once in a while, do something and give the instruction without saying “Teacher says” first. Every week, thousands of churches use our Bible lessons, craft ideas, printable resources, and coloring pages to teach kids the Christian faith. Some scholars believe the Ninevites paid attention to Jonah because of his bizarre appearance. The Lord sent a plant to bring him shade, but then killed it the next day. The story of Jonah is simple. During his nap, a big storm arises. God still used him to proclaim his truth. When God had a message for the people, He spoke through the prophets. I didn’t want to destroy them. 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. The fish then spat him onto the land, and Jonah traveled to Nineveh as God had commanded. Jonah 1-2 Acknowledge our sin ; Jonah 2 Accept God’s Discipline ; Jonah 2 Repent ; Jonah 3 Act on God’s direction; Whenever we are in a situation where we have turned our back on God it’s important to follow these four steps. In the end, God won and Jonah went to Nineveh to preach. 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