We use cookies to collect general visitor statistics but not personal information. Privacy policy

Jonah

Jonah wants God to destroy Nineveh.
Story also available on our translated websites: Polish, Hindi
1
Jeroboam was a wicked King of Israel.<br/>He did evil in God’s eyes. – Slide 1
2
But God looked down on Israel. <br/>He saw their suffering and heard their cries. – Slide 2
3
God knew their land had been stolen so He sent His prophet Jonah to say: – Slide 3
4
‘God is giving Israel mercy this day!’ – Slide 4
5
‘The land that was stolen will belong to you once more. <br/>Indeed, your land will be restored!’ – Slide 5
6
So God gave Israel mercy because of their plight, <br/>even though their king did evil in His sight. – Slide 6
7
Sometime later God spoke to Jonah, ‘I am sending you to Nineveh to say: <br/>I have seen their wicked ways and from their evil deeds they must turn away!’ – Slide 7
8
But Jonah did not follow God’s command. <br/>He decided to run away from God who made the sea and land. – Slide 8
9
He did not go to Nineveh as God had planned. – Slide 9
10
So Jonah ran down, down, down to the seaport to take a trip. – Slide 10
11
He bought a ticket to Tarshish, which was the opposite way, and boarded the ship. – Slide 11
12
God sent a great wind that stirred up the sea. <br/>The big waves knocked the ship so violently! – Slide 12
13
Trembling and soaked, the sailors were afraid. <br/>They cried out to their pagan gods for help but the storm still raged. – Slide 13
14
Jonah was down, down, down in the ship fast asleep. <br/>The sailors woke him up and demanded, – Slide 14
15
‘How can you sleep? Quick, pray to your God and maybe the storm will cease!’ – Slide 15
16
The sailors cast lots to see who caused the wind to rock the ship so violently. <br/>The lot fell on Jonah. – Slide 16
17
They asked him, ‘What people do you belong to, and how can this be?’ <br/>‘What have you done to your God that makes the wind rock the ship so violently?’ – Slide 17
18
Jonah responded, ‘I am a Hebrew and I worship the One True God who made the sea and land. <br/>I have disobeyed God and I am running away from His special command.’ – Slide 18
19
‘If you want to calm the wind, you must throw me overboard into the sea. <br/>Only then will you all be safe and the great wind will cease.’ – Slide 19
20
Terrified, the sailors cried, ‘One True God, have mercy on us for throwing this man overboard!’ <br/>They tossed Jonah overboard. – Slide 20
21
The wind died down and peace was restored! <br/>The sailors then lifted their hands and worshiped the One True God of the sea and land. – Slide 21
22
Jonah sank down, down, down into the raging sea, what a sight!  <br/>A great fish swallowed him and dived down, down, down below. – Slide 22
23
Jonah was trapped inside the great fish for three days and three nights. <br/>He prayed to God while wrapped in seaweed from head to toe. – Slide 23
24
‘I am in the belly of this fish at the bottom of the sea, but I know that the One True God will answer and rescue me. <br/>Show me mercy and I will do as You commanded me!’ – Slide 24
25
The great fish soared up, up, up, to the dry land. <br/>The great fish vomited Jonah out of his mouth and onto the sand. – Slide 25
26
Again, God spoke to Jonah, ‘Go to Nineveh and say that I have seen their wicked ways and from their evil deeds they must turn away!’ <br/>This time, Jonah obeyed. – Slide 26
27
Jonah arrived in the great city of Nineveh after three days. <br/>He delivered this message. ‘Repent or Nineveh will be destroyed in forty days!’ – Slide 27
28
When the people heard Jonah’s message, they were full of fear. <br/>They immediately repented, wore sackcloth and fasted. – Slide 28
29
Jonah’s message reached the king’s ears. <br/>He came down, down, down off his throne, wore sackcloth, and sat in a pile of ashes. – Slide 29
30
‘All of the people and animals will be covered in sackcloth! This is my command! <br/>‘All the people and animals must fast from drinking or eating food!’ – Slide 30
31
Everyone pray to the One True God who made the sea and land! <br/>Maybe God will have mercy on us if we do what is good! – Slide 31
32
God watched the people turn from their wicked ways. <br/>He had mercy on them that day. – Slide 32
33
When Jonah saw that God had mercy on the people of Nineveh, he became very, very mad. <br/>He told God, ‘I know that You show mercy to those who repent. ‘That is why I didn’t want to go to Nineveh, I wanted the people to stay bad.’ – Slide 33
34
‘I didn’t want the people to be covered in sackcloth and fast from drink and food. <br/>‘I didn’t want them to turn from their wicked ways and do what was good.’ – Slide 34
35
‘I was hoping they would be punished.  <br/>‘Now, I just want to die! I am finished!’ – Slide 35
36
God replied, ‘Have you any right to be mad?’ <br/>Jonah did not answer, he had no pity. – Slide 36
37
Instead, he climbed up, up, up on a hill out of the city.  <br/>He was hoping that God would change His mind and get mad. – Slide 37
38
He built a little shelter and watched the city. <br/>God was disappointed in Jonah’s attitude and this made Him very sad. – Slide 38
39
God made a vine grow to cover Jonah’s head. <br/>The vine gave Jonah shade and this made him glad. – Slide 39
40
He sat watching the people of Nineveh, wishing they were dead. <br/>He hoped they would stop repenting and make God mad. – Slide 40
41
God made a worm to chew up the vine the next morning. <br/>The vine withered and died without warning. – Slide 41
42
The sun blazed on Jonah’s head, he was tired and beat. <br/>He grew faint from the heat. – Slide 42
43
Jonah shouted, ‘It would be better for me to die than to feel so bad!’ God replied, ‘Do you have a right to be angry that the vine withered and died?’ – Slide 43
44
Jonah said, ‘Yes! I am angry enough to die!’ <br/>This made God very sad. – Slide 44
45
God said, ‘For a vine that you didn’t plant that died in one day you have so much pity.’ – Slide 45
46
‘Nineveh has more than 120,000 people who don’t know their right hand from their left!  ‘Should I not care for this great city?’ – Slide 46
47
And that is how Jonah’s story ends, a question hung in the air. <br/>It is a question we should ask ourselves, ‘If our enemies can be rescued, given a chance for mercy …’ – Slide 47
48
‘…and not despair, should we be like the One True God and give mercy, compassion, and care?' – Slide 48
49
Slide 49