🐳 The Story of Jonah and the Whale | Bible Stories for Kids #getmoreviews #biblestoriesforkids

Note to self, a giant seashell doesn't sound anything like a trumpet. At least it got us thinking about the sea. Perfect then, because today we're sailing back, way back to Jonah. Who was he again? Jonah was a prophet who was sent on a mission from God. This story has everything. Evil people, the voice of God, ocean storms, life lessons, and a gigantic, enormous whale! I'm glad I brought my snorkel. Hold your breath, Leo. We're diving into the story of Jonah and the whale. One night, the voice of God came to his prophet. His name was Jonah. Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim against it. Proclaim against it? What does that mean? It means that God was not happy with the people in the city of Nineveh, and he was sending Jonah to tell them to behave. Oh man, I hate when my mom tells me to behave. But I've heard of Nineveh, I hear the traffic is terrible there. It wasn't just the traffic, Leo. Nineveh was a wicked place. The people of Nineveh were mean to each other. They stole, they lied, they cheated, they stole candy from babies. No, not the candy! Monsters! Nineveh? That's like jumping into a shark tank wearing a bathing suit made of fish. I can't go to Nineveh. They would kill me. Yikes, I'd be scared to go to Nineveh to proclaim against them too. Doing the things that God commands takes a lot of courage, Leo. And it looks like Jonah wasn't very courageous at this moment. Look, he's running away. Is Jonah trying to escape from God? Maybe that Where's Waldo guy can teach him how to hide. That's not how this works, Leo. That's not how any of this works. Look, Jonah is buying a ticket on a boat. Maybe he's going to Nineveh after all. Tickets to Nineveh here. Tickets to Tarshish here. Tarshish, please, and hurry. Hey, Hannah, is Tarshish on the way to Nineveh? No, Leo. It's the opposite direction. Jonah is trying to flee from God. I've tried that with chores. It never works. Mom always finds out. Can a boat hide you away from God? Maybe if he turns off the map finder. We'll see, Leo. So Jonah got on the boat. And everything was fine. Until it wasn't. Uh-oh. I have a feeling God won the Where's Jonah game. God sent a huge storm. The boat was rocking. The waves were crashing. The crew was screaming. And Jonah? Totally snoozing. Like snoring through a hurricane. That's what the Bible says. Jonah was fast asleep while the sailors panicked. That sounds like my friend Jeremy. He actually slept through a tornado hitting his house. You were right. Jonah snores like a hippopotamus. Throw everything overboard. We're gonna sink. No, not the snacks. They tried everything. Finally, they played an old game called casting lots to find out who was causing the trouble. They woke Jonah up. Spoiler alert. It's that guy. It's me. I'm running away from God. Throw me into the sea. Then the storm will stop. They didn't want to. But they did it. And the moment Jonah hit the water. Whoa. I guess that mystery was solved. Can he get back on board? Uh, I don't think so. That was just the beginning of Jonah's troubles. God sent a giant whale to swallow Jonah. He was in the belly of the whale for three days and three nights. Swallowed by a whale. Bummer. And a three-day time out. I got one of those when I dyed my dad's hair purple while he was asleep. Not fun. So Jonah prayed to God. Out of the depths, I cried. Salvation belongs to the Lord. God heard Jonah's prayer. And commanded the whale to vomit him out of its mouth. Vomit? Yuck. Well, I guess that's better than going out the back exit instead. Focus, Leo. I guess Jonah is on the express to Nineveh now. Nothing like three days sleeping in fish guts to change your mind. I will proclaim his message. I sure hope Jonah had time for a shower. That fish cologne must have been stinky. The sweet smell of God's mercy, Leo. True. On to Nineveh. Jonah arrived in Nineveh and began to warn the people just as God commanded. Forty days more and Nineveh shall be overthrown. We have sinned. Let us repent. People and beasts alike, fast. Wear sackcloth. Turn from violence. God saw they turned from evil and spared the city. Fasting? Not even snacks? Eat a snack and God might attack. Goodbye, snacks. I'll sure miss you. Focus, Leo. Moment of grace here. Sorry, Hannah. You know how much snacks distract me. The people repented and God spared Nineveh. But Jonah was angry. He didn't think God should have forgiven them. Didn't God make a tall plant to shade Jonah from the hot sun? Yes. But then God sent a worm to eat the plant that night. So Jonah was in the hot sun again. He was miserable. It is better for me to die than to live. That sounds a little dramatic. You are concerned over the gourd plant which cost you no effort and which you did not grow. It came up in one night and in one night it perished. And should I not be concerned over the great city of Nineveh in which there are more than 120,000 persons who cannot know their right hand from their left, not to mention all the animals? Whoa, that's a heavy lesson. God showed Jonah how silly it was for him to be upset over a plant he lost after one day. Imagine how God would feel if he lost a city with all those people and animals. Wow, great explanation, Leo. Jonah had no reason to be angry. He should instead be thankful for God's mercy and love towards his own creation. Jonah's journey proves God's mercy is greater than our mistakes. And sadly, fasting from snacks is a way to show repentance for your sins. A small price to pay for God's forgiveness and salvation, Leo. I know, I know. Just happy I don't have to live in fish guts for three days. Oh, Leo, what am I going to do with you? Hi, friends. Leo lost his baby shark poster. Can you remember where it was in the video and let him know? It's his favorite poster.