Jonah’s Anger at God’s Mercy – Bible lesson for teens

The book of Jonah does not end in the way we might expect. In chapter 4, an often-overlooked part, Jonah struggles with his own feelings, upset about God’s mercy to Nineveh. This chapter challenges us to think about our own reactions to God’s compassion and forgiveness.

BIBLE READING: Jonah 4

KEY VERSE: “So should I not care about the great city of Nineveh, which has more than 120,000 people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well?” – Jonah 4:11.

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BIBLE STUDY NOTES FOR TEENS

BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY:

Jonah, a prophet, gets a message from God to go to Nineveh, a huge and well-known city famous for being sinful. God tells Jonah to warn them that He’s going to destroy the city because of their evil ways.

At first, Jonah really doesn’t want to go. But after some incredible things happen, like getting swallowed by a giant fish, Jonah listens to God and heads to Nineveh.

When he finally gets there and preaches the message, something amazing happens. The whole city listens and changes its ways. From the greatest to the least, they all show they’re sorry by wearing sackcloth and sitting in ashes.

God’s grace is truly incredible. Despite Nineveh’s many problems and wrongdoings, God was willing to forgive them.

But then Jonah takes a twist in chapter 4. Jonah isn’t happy at all, even though he just played a big part in saving an entire city. He’s actually mad about God being so merciful. He just can’t understand why God would forgive the city. 

Jonah 4 challenges how we think about forgiveness and who deserves it. It’s a reminder that God’s love and forgiveness are way bigger and more generous than ours.

KEY POINTS:

1. GOD’S BOUNDLESS COMPASSION – JONAH 4:1-4

2.  GOD’S DESIRE FOR REPENTANCE – JONAH 4:10-11

3. SEEKING GOD’S PERSPECTIVE – JONAH 4:10-11

4. DEALING WITH OUR EMOTIONS TOWARDS GOD – JONAH 4:1-4

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YOUTH GAMES AND ACTIVITIES – Jonah’s Anger at God’s Mercy

QUICK TO REPENT RELAY

Materials needed: Sacks or large shirts, a starting line, and a turnaround point.

Instructions:

1. Divide the group into teams.
2. At the signal, the first player from each team puts on a burlap sack or large shirt, symbolizing sackcloth, and races to the turnaround point and back.
3. Upon returning, they pass the ‘sackcloth’ to the next teammate.
4. The first team to have all members complete the course wins.
5. Discuss how the people of Nineveh quickly repented and relate this to the importance of being quick to turn to God when we make mistakes.

SHELTER BUILDING CHALLENGE

Materials needed: Various items around the room (chairs, blankets, pillows, etc.).

Instructions:

1. Divide participants into small groups.
2. Each group uses the available items to build a shelter.
3. Set a time limit for the building phase.
4. After time’s up, each group explains how their shelter represents protection or comfort.
5. Discuss how God provided a vine to shelter Jonah, and how God provides for us in our times of need.

MESSAGE DELIVERY OBSTACLE COURSE

Materials needed: Obstacle course setup (cones, ropes, chairs), a ‘message’ prop (like a envelope or a book).

Instructions:

1. Set up an obstacle course representing the journey to Nineveh.
2. Participants take turns carrying the ‘message’ through the course.
3. Time each participant or make it a relay for teams.

Discuss the challenges Jonah faced in delivering God’s message (internal and external) and how sometimes following God’s call requires perseverance through obstacles.

Example Worksheets in the lesson pack

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