Jonah Character Study: Back-To-School

Jonah reminds me of a defiant teenage boy, thinking “Ain’t nobody got time to be going to Nineveh. They aren’t going to heed the warning from God anyways, so what’s the point?.”

Isn’t that just like us at times? The Lord gives us a task to complete, that we don’t necessarily want to do, and we make up excuses why we simply can’t do it, why it won’t work, and we run the opposite direction.

Jonah clearly thought he knew the hearts of the people of Nineveh better than the Almighty Father.

Back-To-School

Please join me for this fourth and final post in our back-to-school themed series and enjoy the FREE Bible study/journaling printables that are included with each post. This week we will be journaling and studying Jonah.

Character Study: Jonah

Jonah, from Gath-hepher, first appears in 2 Kings 14:25. He counseled King Jeroboam II of Israel and His name means dove.

Jonah’s story was about his disobedience to the Lord.

Fun Fact

• Jonah was the son of Amittai.

What Happened?

• Jonah was ordered by God to “go at once to Nineveh…” [ref. Jonah 1:1-2]
• Jonah did not obey the Lord, but instead ran away, sneaking onto a ship headed to Tarshish.
• Jonah was asked, by the sailors on the ship, to call upon his god to save them during a terrible storm.

NOTE: In biblical times, people often believed that hardships and horrible events were punishment for sin.

• Jonah stated his disobedience to the Lord is what caused the storm and told the others to throw him into the sea.
• Jonah was swallowed by a great fish.
• Jonah thanked the Lord for having saved him from drowning during the 3 days and nights he spent in the fish’s belly.
• When the fish spat Jonah out onto dry land, he was a day’s walk from Nineveh.   
• Jonah was to give a message from God that if the people of Nineveh didn’t change their ways the city would fall in 40 days.
• God’s lesson – Jonah 4:9-11    

Jonah’s Bible Study Printables

Each post in this Back-to-School series will include FREE printables, both creative ones and notes, to help you get started with your own study of Jonah.

• A yearbook page including the four Bible characters from this series.
• Jonah’s quick-look about me page
• A handdrawn contemporary portrait of Jonah that you can print or trace in your own Bible
  [My 21 year old daughter, Antonette, drew all the characters in this series. You can find her on IG @notthesameasyesterday]

Finishing Touch…

Now it’s your turn! Take the free Bible study printables and begin your own study of Jonah. There is a second notes page for you to add your own findings. Then add Jonah’s portrait to your Bible and include any notes you want to remember in the margins.

Note: If you have not yet read the first three posts, on Noah, Ruth, and Elisha, in our back-to school series, please head over there now. There are even more printables in each of those character studies.

COMPLETE BACK-TO-SCHOOL SERIES
Week 1: NOAH CREATIVE CHARACTER STUDY: BACK-TO-SCHOOL
Week 2: RUTH CREATIVE CHARACTER STUDY: BACK-TO-SCHOOL
Week 3: ELISHA CREATIVE CHARACTER STUDY: BACK-TO-SCHOOL
Week 4: JONAH CREATIVE CHARACTER STUDY: BACK-TO-SCHOOL

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