The Story of Jonah God said to Jonah go to Nineveh and tell the people to change their ways and become better people. Now didn’t want to go. Nineveh was one of the largest cities at the time but it was an enemy of Israel. Jonah wanted to see God destroy the city.

Jonah decided not to do as God wanted Jonah decided not to do as God wanted. But because he thought God might be angry at him he ran away. (Why was this a silly thing to do?) He ran off to sea and boarded a ship. A fierce storm blew up

The sailors were worried they thought they would all die The sailors were worried they thought they would all die. Then they found out Jonah was trying to run away from God. They blamed Jonah for the storm. Jonah thought it might be his fault too so he told the sailors to throw him overboard. They did!

The sea calmed and the sailors were saved but Jonah was in danger of drowning. Even though he had run away from God he new God would never leave him so he prayed for help. Jonah was washed up on the shore. This time he decided he would go to Nineveh

In Nineveh he told the people that they were doing it all wrong and hurting each other and God. He said they must repent and change

They listened to Jonah and their king ordered everyone to wear sack cloth and fast and ask God for forgiveness God forgive the people but Jonah still wasn’t happy. He thought God should have destroyed the city

Jonah sat down under a tree to get some shade and began moaning at God Jonah sat down under a tree to get some shade and began moaning at God. During the night the tree died. In the morning Jonah saw the state of the tree and was really upset. God said Jonah if you care about this tree and are sad when it dies imagine how much I care about all the people in this city. I want them to live not die.

Finally Jonah understood that he was there to help people turn back to God not to tell them that God would destroy them