FPPF Children's Ministry
CHILDREN WRITE ABOUT JONAH
Anita Ilonze
Grade: 7th
The Book of Jonah
Chapter 1
God told Jonah a message: "Get up and tell the people of Nineveh that he has seen their wickedness and that they should stop."
But instead, Jonah went in the opposite direction to get away from the LORD. He went to Jobba on the seacoast, where he found a ship leaving to Tarshish. He bought a ticket so he could escape from the LORD.
But when they were sailing, God sent a big storm over the boat. And wind blowing against the sea. The sailors were very scared so they prayed to their separate gods for help and threw the cargo to lighten the ship. But Jonah was sound asleep down in the hold. The captain of the ship went down after him and said, "Get up and pray to your god! Maybe he will have mercy on us and spare our lives."
Then each member of the crew searched his or her minds to see which one had caused the storm. But everything had pointed to Jonah. "What have you done to bring the storm down upon us?" they demanded. "Who are you? What country are you from? What nation are you from?"
Jonah said to them, "I am a Hebrew, and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land."
Then he told them that he was running away from the LORD.
The sailors were frightened when they head this. "Oh, why did you do it?" the groaned. The storm was getting worse. The sailors asked, "What should we do to you to stop the storm?"
"Throw me into the sea," said Jonah, "and the sea will become calm. I know that this is all my fault."
Instead the sailors tried even harder to try and get away from the storm, but things got worse. The storm was too violent. Rowing just wasn't good enough. Then the sailors cried out to the LORD, Jonah's god, "Oh LORD, don't make us die for this man's death, because it isn't our fault. O LORD, you have sent this storm upon him for your own good reason."
Then the sailors picked Jonah up and threw him into the roaring sea. And the storm stopped at once! The sailors were surprised.
Then the LORD set a big fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights.
Chapter 2
Then Jonah prayed to the LORD from inside the fish. He said,
I cried out to you when I was in trouble, and you when I was in trouble, and you answered me. I cried to from the world of the dead and LORD, you heard me! You threw me into the ocean depths, and I sank down to the bottom. I was buried beneath the waves. Then I said, O LORD, you have driven me out of my presents. How will I every again see your holy Temple?
I sank beneath the waters, and death was very near. The waters closed in around me and seaweed wrapped around my head. I was locked out from the land of life and was imprisoned in the land of dead. But you have snatched me from the jaws of death! When I lost hope, I turned all thoughts to God. Those who worship other gods, turn their back on God's mercies. But I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise, and I will fulfill my vows. For my salvation comes from the LORD alone.
And the big fish vomited Jonah onto the shore.
Chapter 3
Then the LORD spoke to Jonah a second time: "Get up and tell the people of Nineveh that he has seen their wickedness and that they should stop."This time Jonah did as God told and went to Nineveh, a city so large it would take three days to see it all.
On the first day, Jonah shouted to the crowd: "Forty days from now we'll all be destroyed! The people of Nineveh believe God's message." The people fasted and wore sackcloth to show their sorrow.
When the king heard what Jonah was saying, he stepped down from his throne and took off his royal robes. He dressed in sackcloth also, and sat on a heap of ashes. Then the king sent his nobles a message: "No one, not even animals, are to eat any food. And everyone is to wear sackcloth and pray earnestly. And everyone is to turn their wicked ways and go against violence. God may have pity on us and hold back his anger and don't destroy us." When God saw that they had stopped their evil ways, he had mercy on them, and didn't destroy the city.
Chapter 4
The changes God made upset Jonah, and he became very angry. So Jonah said to God, "Didn't I say before I left that you would do this, LORD? That is why I ran away to Tarshish. I know that you are a gracious and forgiving God. I knew that you would cancel your plans of destroying these people. Just kill me, LORD! I'd rather be dead than alive, because nothing I predicted is going to happen."
Then the LORD said, "Do you have a good reason to be angry?"
But Jonah went to east of Nineveh. He sat in a shade. Then God made a plant grow over Jonah to give him good shade and so he will be comfortable. And Jonah was extremely happy about the plant.
So God made a worm at dawn the next day and divowered the plant. The next day, God made the sun beat on Jonah and Jonah begged with all his soul to die, "Death is better to me than life."
God said, "Do you have a reason to be angry at the plant?" Jonah said, "I have a good reason to be angry."
Then God said, "You did not make this plant. Why do you get angry for something you didn't make? It came overnight and perished overnight."
Then Jonah said, "Should I like the city of Nineveh that has over 120,000 people including animals?"
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Paula Ilonze
Grade: 3rd
Jonah
God told Jonah to tell the Nineveh people that they were gonna get killed because of their meanness. But Jonah got up and went the other direction because he knew that God would get soft and forgive them. So that's why he didn't go where God told him. Jonah went to the seacoast to catch a ship. He wanted to go to Tarshish. God made a powerful wind that made a storm come. The sailors were scared. The sailors prayed to their Gods. When that didn't help they threw out all their goods. But it still didn't help. And while they did all that stuff Jonah was long gone sleeping. The captain was surprised when he saw Jonah sleeping. How can you be sleeping at a time like this? Get up and pray to your God so this storm can stop. The crew found out that Jonah made the storm come. What did you do to make this storm happen? they asked. Who are you and who do you work for? Where are you from and what is your nation? I am Hebrew and worship God, who made the sea and land. He told them he was running away from God. The sailors were scared when they heard that. Why? they asked. What should we do to stop this storm? Throw me in the sea so the storm will go. I know that the storm is my fault. But the sailors didn't want to drown him and tried to row to shore. But the storm was too wild. Then they prayed to God to make them survive. Then they threw Jonah in the sea and the storm stopped. The sailors were amazed by God's greatness. Jonah got swallowed by a fish for 3 days and 3 nights. Jonah prayed to God from inside the fish. Then God made the fish spit out Jonah. Then God told Jonah again to go tell the Nineveh people that they were too mean and that they were gonna get killed. This time Jonah went and told the Nineveh people that they were gonna get killed. When he got there it took 3 days to see it all. Jonah yelled 40 days until this place gets destroyed! The people of Nineveh wore sackcloth to show their sorrow. They also didn't eat or drink. When the king of Nineveh heard Jonah he did the same. Everyone was to pray. God saw their sorrow and forgave them. Once again Jonah got angry. Jonah told God that he wanted to be dead since God got soft and forgave people. God asked Jonah why he was angry. Jonah went east and sat. God grew a plant that was shade to Jonah. Jonah was happy for the plant. The plant died the next day. Jonah got uncomfortable. God asked Jonah why he was angry about something that wasn't his.
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Christopher Ilonze Jr.
Grade: 4th
Jonah
God told Jonah a message to go tell the people of the city Nineveh. God thinks the people in the city Nineveh are being wicked. But Jonah refused to obey God. Jonah went to the seacoast in hope to get a ship to Tarshish so God won't find him. As the ship to Tarshish sailed cross the sea God sent a violent storm towards the ship. The sailors shouted to their Gods for help. They threw the cargo overboard to make the ship lighter. But it did no good. Jonah was sleeping through the whole thing! The captain went down stairs and yelled "HOW CAN YOU SLEEP AT A TIME LIKE THIS!?" The captain took him the to the top deck and told him to pray to his God. They cast each other to see who had offended God. When they found out Jonah made God angry they asked him what he did to make God mad. They also asked him where he's from, who he is, and what country he is from. Jonah said "I am a Hebrew." Heaven then told them that he was running away from God. "Why did you do it?" They asked him. They asked him how to stop the storm. He said to throw him overboard. They tried rowing harder, but it did nothing. So they threw him in the water. And the storm stopped! The sailors were awestruck by the Lord's awesome power, and vowed to be his servants. God made a great big fish to eat Jonah. Jonah was in the fish for three days and nights. So Jonah prayed to God in the fish's stomach. I cried to the Lord when I was in trouble and you heard me! You threw me into the sea. I sank to the bottom of the sea. You buried me under the waves. The Lord drove him from the Lord's presence. Jonah sank beneath waves, death was very close. Seaweed wrapped around my head. Life was a million miles away. But God snatched me from the death! All hope was lost but Jonah gave one more prayer. God told the fish to spit Jonah onto a beach. God ordered Jonah to go to the city Nineveh to give a message. So Jonah went to Nineveh. When Jonah entered the city, he said in forty days Nineveh will be destroyed. The people of the city wore sackcloth to show their sorrow. When the king heard this he also wore sackcloth and sat on ashes. The king said that man, beast, heard, or flock tastes nothing. Men and animal will not eat or drink. When God saw this he changed his mind. Jonah became angry. He told God to kill him. For death is better to him than life. Jonah went to the east to live and God grew a plant to make him shade. Jonah was very happy. But at dawn a worm ate the plant. When Jonah found his plant the next day he was angry. God asked Jonah, "Do you have a good reason to be angry about the plant?"
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(Come again. More children's articles coming)