Lesson 5 (The Merciful God and the Angry Prophet)

Lesson 5

The Merciful God and the Angry Prophet

Jonah 4:1-6

1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.

2 And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.

3 Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.

4 Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry?

5 So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city.

6 And the LORD God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd.

Questions for ages 2-4 years

1. Was Jonah happy that the Ninevites had repented of their sins and had asked for God to forgive them?

2. Why did Jonah try to run away from God in the first place?

3. Why did Jonah tell God he should die?

4. What did God ask Jonah?

5. Why did Jonah sit on the east side of the city?

6. Who made a gourd grow up right where Jonah was sitting?

7. Did the gourd make Jonah happy?

Questions for ages 5+ years

1. Did Jonah want God to forgive the Ninevites the same way he was forgiven by God?

2. What was different about Jonah compared to the Ninevites that made him want forgiveness for himself but not for the Ninevites?

3. What did Jonah want to happen to the Ninevites?

4. Should Jonah have been happy to see the Ninevites repent? Why?

5. Did Jonah know that God would forgive the Ninevites?

6. Did Jonah think God would forgive them? How do we know?

7. Why did God have the gourd grow up right next to Jonah?

Additional True or False Questions

1. Jonah was very happy to see that the Ninevites believed the words that he spoke.

2. Jonah ran away from God because he hoped that he could prevent God from forgiving the Ninevites.

3. Jonah declared God to be full of grace and mercy, slow to become angry with the sins of man.

4. Jonah knew that since the Ninevites had repented that the city would not be overthrown.