In this lesson, children learn that God is patient and kind, and that He cares even for people we might not expect. Jonah 4 is best for children ages 5 to 11, and it takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach.
Big Idea
God is kind and patient, and He loves everyone, even people we think do not deserve it. We can trust His heart when we do not understand His ways.
Memory Verse
Jonah 4:2
He prayed to the LORD, and said, “Please, the LORD, wasn’t this what I said when I was still in my own country? Therefore I hurried to flee to Tarshish, for I knew that you are a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and you relent of doing harm.
(WEB)
Have the children hold both hands out, palms up, then slowly bring them together as if closing a book. Each time you say “gracious and merciful,” open your arms wide and then close them gently, to show how God welcomes us back.
The Story: Jonah 4 for Kids
Jonah was a prophet who did not want to see God show mercy. God had asked him to go to the big city of Nineveh and tell the people to turn away from their wrong ways. Jonah did not want to go, so he ran away on a boat the other direction. Later, God brought Jonah back, and this time Jonah went to Nineveh and told the people what God said.
The people of Nineveh listened. They stopped doing wrong and asked God to forgive them. When God saw their hearts change, He decided not to destroy the city. Jonah was very upset about this. He went outside the city, sat down, and grumbled to God. He said, “I knew You would be kind, so that is why I ran away!”
God gave Jonah a leafy vine to shade his head from the hot sun, and Jonah was happy about it. The next morning, God sent a little worm that chewed the vine until it dried up. Then God sent a hot wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah until he felt faint. Jonah said he wanted to die.
God asked Jonah a simple question: “Is it right for you to be angry about the vine?” Jonah said yes, he was angry. Then God explained why He cared so much about Nineveh. He said Jonah cared about a plant that he did not even make grow, and God cared about a great city full of people and animals.
The story ends with God’s question still hanging in the air. God wanted Jonah to understand that God’s love reaches far beyond what we expect. Jonah had learned something about God’s heart, and God was still teaching him.
Read It Together
Jonah 4:6-8
6 The LORD God prepared a vine, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to deliver him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the vine. 7 But God prepared a worm at dawn the next day, and it chewed on the vine, so that it withered. 8 When the sun arose, God prepared a sultry east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he fainted, and requested for himself that he might die, and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”
(WEB)
Show how God gave Jonah a shady plant, then took it away, and then sent a hot wind. Explain that God was teaching Jonah to see things the way God sees them, and that God uses everyday things to help us learn.
Jonah 4:10-11
10 The LORD said, “You have been concerned for the vine, for which you have not labored, neither made it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night. 11 Shouldn’t I be concerned for Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred twenty thousand persons who can’t discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much livestock?”
(WEB)
Point to God’s question about Nineveh and the animals. Help children see that God cares about every person and every creature, and that His concern is bigger than ours.
Talk About It
- How do you think Jonah felt when the people of Nineveh said they were sorry?
- Why did God want Jonah to feel sorry for the plant and the people?
- What is something God has given you that makes you happy, like the shady plant?
- Can you think of a time when someone was kind to a person you thought was mean?
- What does it feel like to know that God loves everyone, even people who make mistakes?
Activity Ideas
Draw a Shady Vine
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and a pencil. Ask each child to draw a big leafy vine over a small stick figure of Jonah sitting in the sun. Let them color the sky, the sun, and the vine. Then have them write or draw one way God takes care of them.
Shade and Sun Game
Mark one side of the room as the shady vine and the other side as the hot sun. Call out “Shade!” and the children run to the shady side, then “Sun!” and they move to the sunny side. Pause to say that God is always with us, whether we are in the shade or in the sun.
Take-Home Kindness Card
You will need index cards, a pencil, and a marker. Ask each child to write a small thank-you note to someone who has been kind to them this week. Encourage them to bring the card home and give it to that person, sharing how God’s kindness shows up in everyday life.
Teacher Notes
Jonah 4 shows that God’s mercy is wide enough to include people we might not expect, and that God is patient with His servants even when they struggle to understand His heart. Adults can see in Jonah a picture of our own tendency to want God’s justice without His grace. The chapter ends with a question rather than an answer, inviting us to trust God’s heart.
When teaching children, avoid suggesting that God is angry or that a plant or worm controls anything. Keep the focus on God’s kindness and love, and remember that the story is about God teaching Jonah, not about punishing him.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank You that You are kind and patient with us. Help us to care about other people the way You do, and help us trust You when we do not understand everything. We love You. Amen.
