Jonah
Hear to the voice of God???
Jonah flees from God. (Jonah
1:1-7)
 After Elisha died, there was another prophet in Israel called Jonah. God said to Jonah, "Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it. I know how wicked its people are." The people of Nineveh were also the enemies of Israel. Jonah did not want to go to them so he tried to run away. He found a ship which was going to a far country. He paid his fare and the ship sailed away. Soon a great storm arose on the sea. The people in the ship were terrified. They said, "Let us cast lots to find out who is to blame for this." So they cast lots and decided that Jonah was to blame. |
Jonah and the Great Fish. (Jonah
1:8 - 2:10)  The sailors said
to Jonah, "What have you done?" He told them that he was running away
from God. So they said to him, "What shall we do to you, to make the sea
calm?" Jonah replied, "Throw me into the sea. I know that it is my fault
that this great storm has come upon us." The men did not want to kill
Jonah, but the storm grew worse, so they threw him overboard into the
sea. However, Jonah did not die. Look at the picture! A great fish
swallowed Jonah. He stayed alive in the belly of the fish for three days.
Then the fish vomited Jonah out onto the dry land. |
Jonah at Nineveh. (Jonah 3:1-10)
 God spoke to Jonah again. "Go to Nineveh and preach to them the message I tell you." So Jonah obeyed God and went to Nineveh. He warned the people saying, "In 40 days Nineveh will be destroyed." The king and all the people cried to God to save them. They turned from their evil ways, so God decided not to destroy them. Friends, we are all like Jonah and the people of Nineveh. We have all disobeyed God and done evil things. We deserve punishment. However God loves us. He sent Jesus to warn us, so that we might turn from evil. Jesus died to save us. He was in the grave for three days, just as Jonah was in the fish for three days. Then Jesus rose from death. Now He can give everlasting life to all who will turn away from sin and evil and follow His Way. |