Read It
Jonah 1:4-16
4 Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. 5 All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship.
But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. 6 The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish.”
7 Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.” They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. 8 So they asked him, “Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?”
9 He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” 10 This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so.)
11 The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?” 12 “Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.”
13 Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. 14 Then they cried out to the Lord, “O LORD, please, do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, O LORD, have done as you pleased.” 15 Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. 16 At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him.
Discuss It
What happened to the sea? What were the first things the sailors tried to do? What did the captain ask Jonah to do when they woke him up? What does it mean to cast lots? Who did the lot fall on?
How did Jonah answer the sailors questions?
What did Jonah ask the sailors to do to him to get the sea to calm down?
Did the sailors throw him off the boat right away? What happened to the storm?
What happened when they threw Jonah into the sea?
What did the sailors do after the sea grew calm?
Act it Out
Create a boat out of a large cardboard box or pull some chairs together to pretend you are on a boat. Assign each person in your family a part in the story (narrator, Jonah, sailors). Play an ocean storm sound effect in the background and act out the story. Have the storm sound effect stop when Jonah is thrown out of the boat. Talk together about how powerful the Lord is, that even the wind and waves obey Him.
Worship Tunes
Focusing on the words, rejoice together that God is the one who has held the oceans in His hands. Come let us adore Him.
Praying through the Catechism
Pray together praising God for being the one true God who made all things. He made them for His glory. Even the sea and storm in the story of Jonah were used for God's glory.
Question #3
Q: Why did God make you and all things?
A: For His own glory.
Question #6
Q: Is there more than one true God?
A: No. There is only on true God.