For Young People

A Man of Humility and Courage

JONAH​—PART 1

Instructions: Do this exercise in quiet surroundings. As you read the scriptures, imagine that you are part of the event. Visualize the scene. Hear the voices. Feel the emotions of the characters. Let the account come to life.

1 ANALYZE THE SCENE.​—READ JONAH 1:1-17; 2:10–3:5.

How do you imagine the sounds and sights of the storm?

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What type of emotion do you sense in the voices of Jonah and the ship’s crew?

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Describe what may have been Jonah’s thoughts when he was sinking in the ocean and after he was swallowed by the big fish. (Read Jonah 2:1-9.)

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2 DIG DEEPER.

What type of people lived in Nineveh, and why might Jonah initially have been hesitant about approaching them? (Nahum 3:1)

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In what way do you think Nineveh was “a city great to God”? (Jonah 3:3; 2 Peter 3:9)

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What does Jonah’s frankness in talking about both his error and his God reveal about him? (Reread Jonah 1:9, 10.)

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How might Jonah have learned what occurred aboard the ship after he was thrown overboard? (Reread Jonah 1:15, 16.)

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3 APPLY WHAT YOU LEARNED. WRITE DOWN WHAT YOU LEARNED ABOUT . . .

Fear.

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Humility.

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Courage.

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Jehovah’s view of people, even those who may seem wicked to us.

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4 WHAT ASPECT OF THIS ACCOUNT IS MOST MEANINGFUL TO YOU, AND WHY?

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For further research, see The Watchtower, January 1, 2009, pages 25-28.

IF YOU DON’T HAVE A BIBLE, READ IT ONLINE AT www.watchtower.org