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Jonah is a special edition this month. While we are not reading the book of Jonah, we are introducing the story for children in Kids Korner. This is just to help the teacher's in their preparation for class.

Did you know...

• Jonah was the son of a man named Amittai.
• Jonah's name means "dove."
• No one knows if Jonah was a real person or if his life is just a story.
• People think the events took place during the reign of Jeroboam II (793-753BCE).
• He grew up in Gath Hepher, about 15 miles west of the Sea of Galilee in the territory of Zebulun (one of the twelve tribes of Israel).
• When God told Jonah to go to Nineveh to prophesy, he went in the exact opposite direction.
• Nineveh was a large city in Assyria. It had gorgeous palaces, great art, and an enormous library.
• No one knows exactly where Tarshish was, except that it was in the opposite direction of where Jonah was supposed to be going.
• Jonah soon found out that no one could run away from God.
• God caused a great storm to come up to stop the ship.
• The sailors cast lots to see who was the cause of their danger.
• When the lot fell to Jonah, he confessed his act.
• At that moment, he described God as the God of heaven who made the sea and the land.
• Then the sailors were really afraid and asked Jonah what they should do.
• He suggested that they throw him off the ship. Then the sea would become calm because the storm was his fault.
• At first the men tried to get back to land, but the storm picked up.
• The men then prayed to the Lord, hoping they weren't throwing an innocent man overboard.
• As soon as they did throw him off, though, the storm stopped.
• A big fish swallowed him up, and he stayed in the fish's belly for three days.
• While he was in the fish, Jonah prayed.
• The words of his prayer were very similar to the words of the Psalms.
• He prayed for deliverance.
• After three days, the fish spat him out onto dry land.
• The Lord told him again to go to Nineveh.
• This time, Jonah obeyed.
• He prophesied throughout the city, telling them in 40 days they would be destroyed because of their sins.
• His prophesying was so successful, the king and everyone in the city started to repent right away.
• They all began to fast and to wear sackcloth to show how sorry they were (even the livestock).
• God was so impressed that he forgave them, and the destruction never happened.
• Jonah was upset that the destruction he had prophesied did not come about.
• He prayed that God would end his life.
• Jonah went outside the city and sat down, waiting to see what would happen.
• The Lord caused a big vine to grow up, providing shade for him.
• The vine made Jonah very happy.
• But the very next day, God sent a worm that chewed through the vine.
• The vine withered and, the following day when the wind was hot, Jonah again wanted to die.
• The Lord asked him if he was upset about the vine.
• He said he was, and he repeated his wish to die.
• He was mad at God for not destroying the people of Nineveh, and he was mad at the plant for dying and taking away his shade.
• God chided Jonah for being upset about a plant that died, but not having any concern for a city of 120,000 people.
• The story ends with the Lord's question: Shouldn't I be concerned about them?
• Jonah is given no chance to answer.
• The question remains unanswered, but it reveals something about God's very character.
• God cares for all of His creation.

Craigie, Peter. "Twelve Prophets." The Daily Study Bible Series. Philadelphia, PA:      Westminster Press, 1984.

Achtemeier, Elizabeth. "Minor Prophets." New International Biblical Commentary.      Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1996.