But in the end, he learned a valuable lesson about the Lord's mercy and forgiveness, which extends beyond Jonah and Israel to all people who repent and believe. The information is then expounded by scholars for better understanding. The story of being swallowed by a "great fish" is too far-fetched to be believable. To some, the story of Jonah finds a place in the Scriptures, not as a factual narrative but as a myth or allegory. Together we made the kit and shaped it into a whale shape. The fish swallowed up Jonah, not to devour him, but to protect him. Jonah's story is recorded in 2 Kings 14:25, thebook of Jonah, Matthew 12:39-41, 16:4, and Luke 11:29-32. acVszcAy"uUc*0r IV. The story of Jonah and the whale is a Sunday School favorite. As a mythological figure, she is most notable for bearing by Phorcys a host of monstrous children, collectively known as the Phorcydes. Nothing else is known about Jonah except this experience and that he was the son of a man named Amittai who was also a prophet who came from a place named Gathhepher. I found a small mistake at the end of the quote of the seamans story: James Bartley -1870-1909 A Modem Jonah. Should be modern Jonah. 1:1 - 2). Assyrians couldve seen this as a cooperative effort with their god or, given Jonahs dedication to the God who so terrified his sailing companions, proof of YHWHs Supremacy. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Explore. The citizens of Nineveh persecuted and tortured the people of Israel. In the belly of the fish, Jonah finally descends as far as possible and hits (literal) rock bottom the bottom of the sea. According to Matthew, Jonah is the only prophet that Jesus likened to Himself. With a fun and lively script that is perfect for young performers, Jonah - A Fishy Tail introduces a whole host of new characters, including a beautiful senorita, an irritating . Work together and do something for the record books! Some things that support this view include that the book mentions no specific author (nor do references elsewhere), the extreme age of the book (it is assumed it was written between 400-200 BC long after the events around 770 BC), and the fact that the book puts Jonah in a somewhat negative light. Jonah in this case being a potential prerequisite. Young James BartIey was in the first longboat to reach the side of the prey. Plus, a great fish/large whale would not normally have been found in the eastern Mediterranean. 3 "For You had cast me into the deep, Unlike other prophets whose occupation, families, and time period are described (the life story of Moses, for example, is told in great detail), Jonah is essentially a blank slate. It was an offshoot of the lands built up by Nimrod, who was known to be a mighty hunter. Not surprisingly perhaps, the biggest mothers on earth give birth to the biggest babies. First, they tried rowing to shore, but the waves got even higher. to the quiz link under the stated answer and then click "Report error" at the bottom of that page. Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden - Bible Story, The Ten Commandments - Bible Verses and Importance Today, Parable of the Prodigal Son - Bible Story, The Resurrection of Jesus - Bible Story and Prophecy. He spends three nights in the belly of the fish and with nowhere left to run, not even death, he finally repents. Jonah is considered the most effective of all prophets because he was able to persuade the entire population of Nineveh to turn back to God. Wanting to know who was the cause of their troubles, the crew of the ship cast lots. Paste Jonah onto a clothes peg or eraser or small piece of crushed aluminum foil (or anything to give Jonah some weight). Here is part of the prayer in Jonah 2. Long-living Creatures. And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?. Some species of whales are among the longest lived mammals. The terrified crew cast lots, determining that Jonah was responsible for the storm. The blue whale is the largest animal that ever lived and can grow to 90 or more feet and weigh as much as 24 elephants! It had "great" ( gadl) sizelarge enough to swallow a whole man. Jonah is used in the bible to show the sovereignty of God in that even though he had refused the calling that he had been given, God still used him as a channel to bring redemption to the people of Nineveh. (Excerpt from Matthew Henry's Commentary), 3 Indispensable Heart-Qualities for Joyful, Effective Ministry . Instead of drowning, Jonah was swallowed by a great fish, which God provided. When consequences resulted, he sought God for aid and relief. Remember that God wants you to be open and honest with him. "Jonah and the Whale Bible Story Study Guide." Jonah shows us that God's love is greater than our self-interest. God has made this very clear. Freeze the ice cube fish. One of the children is picked to be the whale and he/she stands in the middle of the floor. Jonah came from the village of Gath Hepher, which was located about three miles north of Nazareth in lower Galilee. A Broadway version of the story, this musical pairs drama with humor to provide a bit of cinematic insight into the story of Jonah, the reluctant prophet. Jonah is a well-known figure in the Old Testament, who is responsible for writing the 32nd Book most likely between 793 and 758 BC. But God sent a great wind out onto the sea, and the ship felt like it was going to be broken apart! You lay out an ambivalent response to this question at best, and unless I am misreading, seem in the end to agree with those who dont find the Book of Jonah factual. When Jonah influences the Nineveh people to repent, he is quite angry. Today, the village is known as Mash Had. To not believe it would be calling Jonah and Jesus liars. Both to Jonah (a struggling follower) and the Assyrians (an evil people). But God finds work for this leviathan, has prepared him, has numbered him (so the word is), has appointed him to be Jonahs receiver and deliverer. Arguments against reading Jonah as history: Jonah 3:9 is similar to Joel 2:14, suggesting that Jonah was a late work, written long after the lifetime of this historical prophet. God sent a great storm upon the ship and the men decided Jonah was to blame so they threw him overboard. God had compassion on them and did not destroy them. Joppa was a sea port along the coast of Judah, one of the areas belonging to the twelve tribes of Israel. Simply fill in the blanks. Then, God had the big fish throw up Jonah . Jonah tried to run away from God in the opposite direction of Nineveh and headed by boat to Tarshish. When asked to do something he found undesirable, he ran from it. 4, 2021, learnreligions.com/jonah-and-the-whale-700202. 8. Touch device users . Historically this was a short-lived event, unlikely to have shown up in the citys records. These children are the 'Jonahs'. I highly recommend this Bible as it provides much more contextual details than a standard study Bible and is refreshingly honest about various theories regarding the Bibles historicity. When people disobey, there will be consequences. Without warning there was a splintering crash which sent the longboat spinning into the air. Jonah and the Whale Bible Story Study Guide. 14:25). A command given to Jonah to preach at Nineveh (v. 1, v. 2). Some look to Jesus reference to Jonah in Matthew 12:39-41 to be an open and shut case that the book Jonah was historical. Jonah told them to throw him overboard. In some cases it grows to be 40 feet long. Jonahs spiritual and emotional immaturity is glaring through the end of Chapter 3 and all of Chapter 4 and the Lord must continue to teach him what compassion really means. Teach your child/children about the story of Jonah and the Whale with this fun and engaging unit study. Joppa was a sea port along the coast of Judah, one of the areas belonging to the twelve tribes of Israel. There are two sons who learn hard lessons about compassion and mercy in Luke 15. James Bartley never made another trip to the sea and settled down to shore life as a cobbler in his native city of Gloucester, England. Biblical story of Jonah and the Whale: Jonah being cast from the belly of the whale. The Biblical figure of Jonah and the Book that bears his name are some of the most interesting in human history. The oarsmen readied themselves to pull for their lives. In a longboat, the crew hastily fastened a line to the whale and the winch brought it to the ships side. * Whales cannot breathe underwater. Zavada, Jack. Print and assemble your own story of the Men of the Bible mini-book.. Viewer suggestion. About Jonah - A Fishy Tail This modern Jonah And The Whale musical adaptation has a balmy, summertime feel to it. It is one of 'Trei Asar' (The Twelve) prophets in the tanakh, and in Christian tradition as 'oi dodeka prophetai' or 'ton dodekapropheton' , Greek for "The twelve prophets." It is an important book to both religious traditions (Christianity and Jewish) because of its message of doom upon Israel's long-time enemy . document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); var z14vc2fm0wysuzy;(function(d, t) { The story of being swallowed by a great fish is too far-fetched to be believable. I wrote this Jonah post about 5 years ago, so Im having to jog my brain a little bit and re-read it. Jonah was in the giant fish three days. 3. Jonah believed that the city would be destroyed as he had been told but he had not envisioned that the people of the city would ask for forgiveness from God and he would grant it. Though he flees from the presence of the Lord, and seems to fall into his avenging hands, yet God has more work for him to do, and therefore has prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah (v. 17),a whale our Saviour calls it (Mt. But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. This fish was prepared, lay ready underwater close by the ship, that he might keep Jonah from sinking to the bottom, and save him alive, though he deserved to die. From Quiz: The Story of Jonah. All rights reserved. What God desires from people is obedience. Very inciteful. Particular notice is taken, in the history of creation, of Gods creating great whales (Gen. 1:21 ) and the leviathan in the waters made to play therein, Ps. (Jonah 2:9, NIV). Clearly, Jesus accepted this story as an accurate description of a real, historical event. They realized the power of God and offered a sacrifice to Him. Hi Jason, sorry for my long delay in responding. Having no means of raising it to the deck, the men took their flensing spades and peeled off the blubber as they slipped and slid along the immense back of this giant mammal. For three days Jonah sat in the belly of the fish. Jeroboam II was northern Israel's most powerful king . While in the belly of the big fish (whale), Jonah prayed to God for help, repented, and praised God. It is believed that he was the only prophet Jesus likened to himself. Answer: Joppa. Our response to questions like these are very important because the credibility of the entire Bible is at stake. On his tombstone in the churchyard at Gloucester is a brief account of his experience at sea and a footnote, which says: James Bartley -1870-1909 A Modern Jonah. Whales are the largest animals on Earth and they live in every ocean. While on the ship, a serious storm developed through the hands of God and the crew had to cast lots. They asked what they should do and he told him to toss him in the water. The whale thrashed about wildly, snapping at the men and the wreckage with its huge jaws as the water turned to a bloody froth before he sounded again. Jonah. http://www.atacrossroads.net/far-fetched-noahs-ark-enough-to-dismiss-jesus/ Jonah is known in the bible as the man who disobeyed God and refused to go to Nineveh as he did not think that the people in the city deserved forgiveness. Also, another point of connection with this activity is when the big fish spit Jonah up onto dry land. At first, we see that Jonah is scared and prideful, which causes him to run from God. of He walked through Nineveh proclaiming that in forty days the city would be destroyed. 1. Our aim is to share the Word and be true to it. 3 important lessons from the life of Jonah, the prophet who was swallowed by a whale. Let us stand still and see this salvation of the Lord, and admire his power, that he could thus save a drowning man, and his pity, that he would thus save one that was running from him and had offended him. There are a few historical aspects that might give you a new appreciation for what has been relegated to childrens fairy tales. The story ends with God expressing concern even about the wicked. FunTrivia is a collaborative community effort, where we are constantly updating questions to keep them accurate. ASV. Paste the top piece of the whale on a paper cup, then the bottom piece (see picture below). The book presents pagans as ready to repent and portrays the Israelite prophet as disobedient, angry, and vengeful. Pour water into a bowl. Click the arrow to listen to Jonah and the Whale Fun Facts. Jonah and the Whale Fun Facts. Typo fixed. It's not important whether it was a great fish or a whale that swallowed Jonah. Below are 15 fun facts about whales that illustrate how these creatures are a wonder of nature. He paid his fare and went into the bottom of the ship. God told Jonah to go to Nineveh "and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me" [Jonah 1:2]. Christ in the Prophets - Jonah. The story of Jonah is often likened to that of Jesus in that the experiences that Jonah went through from his trip to Nineveh to warning the people of the city, represent the kind of death, burial and resurrection that Jesus went through. The fish releases Jonah onto dry land, where he then travels 500 miles to Nineveh so that he can jumpstart a revival in the city. They come to the conclusion that Jonah is the issue with their journey. Buy on Amazon Kindle/E-book also available The Disciples of Ra! Gods sovereign control is showcased throughout the story. Within a month he was able to relate what had happened to him in his terrifying experience. 'height':'344', Greg Laurie, See Jonah Reap If you find Directions: First, make colored water by dropping a few drops of food coloring into a cup of water and stir well. 'userName':'johnnycirucci', The original Hebrew of Jonah 1:17 is dag gadl or fish, great but the Septuagint translation into Greek implied more of an unusual aspect to the creature; ktei megal from the root ketos. Interesting Facts About Jonah; Christ in All the Scriptures by A.M. Hodgkin. Jul 18, 2013 - Play the Jonah and the Whale youth group games with kids pre-school through teen. Jonah was quite content . By Johnny Cirucci Italics suspended! Johnny Cirucci has done it again. He was then spit out. Jonah: Navigating a Life Interrupted (Bible Study Book) Paperback January 1, 2010, The Prodigal Prophet: Jonah and the Mystery of God's Mercy Hardcover October 2, 2018, Jonah (Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible) Paperback December 5, 2017, Obadiah, Jonah and Micah (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries) Paperback October 19, 2009, 30 Inspirational Vinyl Quotes for Your Wall. Well, when I go to heaven, I'll ask Jonah." The teacher replies, "What if Jonah didn't go to heaven?" The girl says, "Then you can ask him." The point of the story is that God can provide a supernatural means of rescue when his people are in trouble. When God did so, Jonah was very grateful but he became angry the next day after God sent him a worm to eat with a plant. His fame also arose from the fact that he is the only prophet in the bible that made one prophecy and the same prophecy did not come true as God decided to spare the people of Nineveh after they repented. I think we can get the cart before the horse when doing evangelism, creating a lot of prerequisites to someone being able to believe in Jesus. Paste the top piece of the whale on a paper cup, then the bottom piece (see picture below). The captain called the ships doctor who made an incision in the tough flesh. For three days, Jonah dwelt in the creatures belly, until he repented. The men of Nineveh shall stand up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, a greater than Jonah is here (Matthew 12:38-41). The prophet Jonah was an unusual servant of the Lord. He did not want to go to the city of Nineveh and deliver the message that God had given him as he felt that the people were his enemies and if he went and swayed them to repent, then God would not carry out his threat. This very prophet is where modern English gets the expression 'a Jonah' from: it means the particular person who has brought bad luck, or a curse, into the group.