Swallowed by a Fish!

[Song] “Sing them over again to me, wonderful words of life.  Let me more of their beauty see, wonderful words of life.”

Hello, my name is Miss Barb!  Welcome to Lifeline English, the podcast that helps you know God and know English.

You can read the written script for today’s lesson online at lifelineenglish.com.

Today I want to teach you teach you three words.

The first word is punish.  To punish means to make someone suffer because they did something wrong.  Criminals like thieves and drug dealers are punished by being put in prison.  Very bad crimes like rape and murder may be punished by death.

The next word is spit.  To spit means to force something out of your mouth.  We spit out watermelon seeds when we eat watermelon.  After you brush your teeth, you spit out the toothpaste.



The last word is swallow.  Swallow is the opposite of spit.  To swallow means to move something from your mouth into your stomach.  You should chew your food before you swallow.  But do not swallow your chewing gum!

In our last story, Jonah told the sailors to throw him into the sea.  He told them that the storm would stop if they threw him into the sea.  Today’s story is called, “Swallowed by a fish!”

When I ask you a question, I will leave a space.  You can answer my question.  Then I will say the answer.  You can compare your answers with my answers.

The sailors cried to God, “Please don’t let us die.”
Did God cry to the sailors?  No, the sailors cried to God.
Did the sailors want to die?  No, the sailors did not want to die.

“Please don’t punish us for killing this man.”
Who might punish the sailors?  God might punish the sailors.
Why might God punish them?  God might punish them for killing Jonah.

“God, You did what You wanted to do.”
Did God do what He wanted to do?  Yes, He did.  God always does what He wants to do.
Is anyone stronger than God?  No, no one is stronger than God.
Can anyone force God to do something He does not want?  No.  No one can force God to do anything.

They threw Jonah into the sea.
Who threw Jonah into the sea?  The sailors threw Jonah into the sea.
Why did the sailors throw Jonah into the sea?  Jonah was running away from God.  God sent the storm to punish Jonah.  The sailors hoped that God would stop the storm when they threw Jonah into the sea.
Why didn’t Jonah throw himself into the sea?  Jonah was afraid.  Jonah did not want to kill himself.  He wanted the sailors to kill him
. 
The sea became calm!
Did the storm stop?  Yes, the storm stopped.  The sea became calm.
Who calmed the sea?  God calmed the sea.
Why did God calm the sea?  God calmed the sea because they threw Jonah into the sea.

The sailors feared God greatly.
Did Jonah fear God?  No, Jonah did not fear God.  Jonah disobeyed God.
Who feared God?  The sailors feared God.
How much did they fear God?  They feared God greatly.  That means they feared God very much.
Why did they fear God?  They feared God because He controlled the storm and the sea.

They made promises to God.
To whom did the sailors make promises?  The sailors made promises to God.
Did the sailors make promises to their gods?  No, they did not make promises to their gods.  Their gods did not help them.
Did they make promises to God during the storm?  No, they made promises to God after He stopped the storm.  They believed that He was the true God.

God sent a big fish.
Who sent the fish?  God sent the fish.
Can God send fish?  Yes, God can send fish.
How large was the fish?  The fish was big.

The fish swallowed Jonah.What did Jonah swallow?  Jonah didn’t swallow anything.  The fish swallowed Jonah!
Did the fish kill Jonah?  No, the fish swallowed Jonah. 
Why did God send the fish?  God sent the fish to save Jonah. 

Jonah was in the stomach of the fish for 3 days and 3 nights.
Where was Jonah?  Jonah was in the stomach of the fish.
How long was Jonah there?  Jonah was there for 3 days and 3 nights.
Was Jonah in the fish of the stomach?  No, Jonah was in the stomach of the fish! :)

Then Jonah prayed to God.
What did Jonah do? Jonah prayed.
To whom did Jonah pray? Jonah prayed to God.

God spoke to the fish. 
Did Jonah speak to the fish?  No, God spoke to the fish. 
When did God speak? God spoke after Jonah prayed.

The fish spit Jonah up onto the dry land.
Did Jonah spit?  No, the fish spit.
Who did the fish spit?  The fish spit Jonah.
Where did the fish spit Jonah?  The fish spit Jonah up onto the dry land.
When did the fish spit Jonah up?  The fish spit Jonah up when God spoke to the fish, after 3 days and 3 nights.

Let’s listen to the whole story together.

The sailors cried to God, “Please don’t let us die. Please don’t punish us for killing this man. God, You did what You wanted to do.”
They threw Jonah into the sea. The sea became calm! The sailors feared God greatly. They made promises to God.
God sent a big fish. The fish swallowed Jonah.  Jonah was in the stomach of the fish for 3 days and 3 nights.
Then Jonah prayed to God. God spoke to the fish. The fish spit Jonah up onto the dry land.

The story is written in past tense, because it happened in the past.  But how would it sound if we told the story while it was happening, in the present tense?  Listen to the differences in the verbs:

The sailors cry to God, “Please don’t let us die. Please don’t punish us for killing this man. God, You did what You wanted to do.”
They throw Jonah into the sea. The sea becomes calm! The sailors fear God greatly. They make promises to God.
God sends a big fish. The fish swallows Jonah.  Jonah is in the stomach of the fish for 3 days and 3 nights.
Then Jonah prays to God. God speaks to the fish. The fish spits Jonah up onto the dry land.

Do you have any questions?  You can write me.  Go to our website, lifelineenglish.com.

Will Jonah go to Nineveh now?  We’ll find out in the next story!

Until next time, may God help you know Him and know English.  Good bye!

[Song] “Jesus only savior, sanctify forever, beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life.  Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life.”