A DAY IN THE BELLY OF A BIG FISH
(The story of JONAH AND THE BIG FISH)
"MAN OVERBOARD!" The words rang in my ears as I my body being thrown over the side of the ship and landing in the cold, murky water. The freezing temperature of the water was a shock to my senses as it surrounded and engulfed me. I felt myself sink deeper and deeper, and as I opened my eyes, I saw only darkness. I felt numb all over. I was tempted to just give up and die, but my body seemed to work against my will and I soon found myself grasping at the water trying frantically to reach the surface. The struggle was short-lived and soon, I was sputtering and gasping for a breath of fresh air. I looked around and found the ship I had just been thrown from off in the distance. It and its passengers had continued on their way, with no looking back. There was no land in sight.
I felt alone, desperately alone and abandoned. "Oh, God, why have you left me to die?" Then, in the midst of my misery, I remembered why. I remembered that the reason God was punishing me was because I was disobeying Him and going against the directions that He had given me. But I didn’t care. I was still upset that God had told me to go to the city of Nineveh to preach to the people. Didn’t God understand that those people were evil and wicked? They would never listen to me. I didn’t want them to listen to the good news I had to give them anyway…they didn’t deserve God’s forgiveness and I was not going to offer it to them.
I was so wrapped up in my anger and bitterness that I didn’t even notice the huge fish that was headed straight toward me. It wasn’t until the ugly creature was poised, mouth open, ready to eat me for lunch that I turned and spied his gargantuan mouth opened above my head. By then it was too late. As frantically and desperately as I tried to out swim the beast, there was no escaping the Big Fish. I felt the large mouth surround me, and once again, all was dark. I felt myself being washed down a long tunnel-like chasm and into what I guessed to be the Fish’s stomach. There the water leveled off and I came to rest on a squishy surface that was slippery and gooey. I felt around me other fish and sea creatures and there was a strong acidy smell that filled the air. Now I knew I was in trouble.
My thoughts were drawn back to the cause of my dilemma…my sin of disobeying God. I thought back to that day when the word of the Lord came to me and commanded me to go to the city of Nineveh, and I remembered my anger at His request. Then I thought about the disappointment my Creator must have felt when I defiantly said "No!" and boarded the ship for Tarshish, a city in the opposite direction. I thought about the hurt I caused, and I felt much regret. I began to cry out to the Lord, "I am sorry Lord. I have sinned against you. I have gone against what you asked me to do, and I have been punished for it. Thank you for not destroying me altogether, but for allowing me another chance to ask for forgiveness. Please let me live so that I can obey what you have asked me to do."
It was hard to tell exactly how long I was in the belly of the Big Fish, but it felt like forever. I just sat in the darkness and continued to pray, asking God to give me another chance. I slept when I could and spent the rest of my time dodging incoming fish and water and tried to keep my mind off the overwhelming hunger I was feeling. I was just about to give up hope that I would ever see the light of day again when I began feeling a tremor all around me. The tremor changed into what seemed like an earthquake, and then there was a deafening roar and I felt an overwhelming surge of water pressure shoot me forward back through the tunnel I had passed through so long ago. Within seconds, I found myself out in the sunshine, flying through the air. Before long I landed on dry land, and looking around, I realized in amazement that God had answered my prayers. He had made the Big Fish spit me out onto land, and He had given me another chance. As fast as my legs could carry me, I ran to find dry clothes and food. I had learned my lesson. I was going to obey God from now on. I was going to Nineveh.
SOURCES:
My Own Knowledge of the Bible Story of Jonah
The Book of Jonah in the BIBLE
QUESTIONS:
- Where was Jonah going in the ship?
- Where had God commanded Jonah to go?
- What ate Jonah?
- If you were Jonah in the belly of that Big Fish, what would you have done to fill your time?
- What can we learn from this story? What is the moral of the story?
A DAY IN THE BELLY OF A BIG FISH
By Jennifer Howard
OUTLINE:
- Man Overboard
- Physical Struggle
- Emotional Battle
- Fish Food
- Struggle for Life
- Surrender as Dinner
- Repent and Repave
- Prayer for Help
- Patience for Results
- Provisions for a Journey
PROPS:
- Torn and Tattered Clothing
- Sandals
- Seaweed
ANSWERS TO COMPREHENSIVE QUESTIONS:
- Tarshish
- Nineveh
- Big Fish
- Answers may vary
- "Obedience is the Very Best Way"; Obey God the first time He asks you to do something
EXTENSION IDEAS:
*Have the students sing the song "Obedience is the Very Best Way"
*Have an art day to decorate a big refrigerator boxes like the inside of the Big Fish. Allow the students to sit inside their boxes. Turn out the lights so they can see how dark it may have been. Sing songs and pray to the Lord like Jonah might have done.