Jonah 2
From Jonah's Smelly Journal
It was dark and there were weird gurgling noises. I didn't recognize anything. Was I dead?
I reached out and touched something gooey. Whatever I sat on moved with me like a squishy pillow.
Air flowed, moving in and out like something around me was breathing. Could it be that I was inside the great fish?
"Hello? Is anyone here?" My voice didn't travel far. The sounds muted shortly after I said them.
How did I get here? I sat up and tried to remember what happened to me. Oh, yes. I bought a ticket and boarded a ship for Tarshish. Shortly after leaving dock a great storm stirred the sea and threatened the ship. The crew threw me overboard to save their lives. I sank deep into the water until a great fish swallowed me.
I tried to remember being swallowed then decided I might be better off not knowing.
How long had I been in the great fish?
My stomach growled. I had no way to find food and wondered which would be worse, drowning or starving.
I thought about what God asked me to do a few days ago. I still didn't want to go to Ninevah, and definitely didn't want to tell the Ninevites how they could be spared from a great punishment. They were a cruel people and deserved the punishment.
Still, if God asked me to do something, I really ought to do it. Who was I to tell God what to do?
I was sorry for saying no to God and didn't know how to undo my bad choice. There didn't seem any way to survive now.
I leaned back and fell asleep.
When I awoke I hoped being swallowed by the great fish had been nothing more than a crazy dream. I opened my eyes and couldn't see very much. The darkness seemed a blessing. I didn't want to see what the inside of a fish looked like, too many half eaten creatures and guts. Ew.
I had nothing to do except think. Scriptures and the message God gave to me mostly filled my mind. After a while I decided I would ask God to help me get out of the fish. He is the Almighty. The one who created both the fish and me. Surely He could get me out.
I took one more nap to give my body time to heal from the injuries I received on the ship. Then I'd ask Him for help.
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1. What do you imagine the place looked like where Jonah slept?
2. What had happened to Jonah?
3. What was Jonah sorry about?
4. What did Jonah decide to do?
