Julia Shipley is a committed Christian worshipping and serving in her local church. She has a heart for the young children and the youth believing the word of God is the final authority. For information regarding Sunday school lessons and other Bible stories visit http://www.quick-christian-resources.com
Suppose when you came into Sunday school nothing had been planned and nothing prepared for you. No lesson was prepared, no songs picked out. Your teacher had not done anything that she would normally do. Do you think you would have a good time? It would all be mixed up, wouldn't it? It is a good thing to have a plan. Do you think God has any plans? Do you think He ever prepares ahead of time so that his plans can be carried out? This short story is about one of God's plans and how a man tried to keep it from coming to pass.
Five hundred miles away from the land of Israel was the country of Assyria. Back then it was the greatest and strongest nation on earth. Their armies had conquered many cities and nations. They were wicked and cruel. The capital city of Assyria was Nineveh. It was a large city, ninety miles walking around the walls. There were more than a million people living in it. Great walls were built, so wide you could get three chariots side by side. It was a beautiful city with great buildings and trees. But it was a wicked city.
The children of Israel were afraid of the Assyrian armies, lest they should come and attack them. This was a nation that knew nothing of the living God and His love. Their city was full of idols and heathen temples. They especially worshipped Dagon, a fish God. They believed that he had come up out of the sea and founded their nation.
Jonah was the first prophet of the northern kingdom after Elisha. He had studied the scrolls on which the Word of God was written. He knew that God had said his nation would be carried away as captives unless they turned from their idols, (Deuteronomy 28:49,50). One day God spoke to him and told him to go to Nineveh and warn the people there that they must turn from their wickedness or God would destroy their city. Jonah did not want to obey. He did not want to go to a Gentile city, and he did not want them to hear God's Word and repent. If they were destroyed, they could not come and attack his people. Even though Jonah was a prophet, he did not wan to follow the plan God had prepared.
So Jonah decided to disobey God by running away from Him and the task he had been given to do. He thought that he could hide from God and that He would not find him.
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