Delve into the story of Jonah using Bibliodrama.
Characters:
- Jonah
- Sailor(s)
- Captain
- Nineveh Royal
Bibliodrama 1 - Jonah 1:1-2
Jonah - You have been given this really important job by God.
- What is the job?
- How do you feel about doing what God asks of you?
- I hear you are thinking of not doing what God asks. What do you think the consequence of that choice might be?
Bibliodrama 2- Jonah 1:3
Jonah
- You made a decision. What is that decision?
- How are you feeling about it? Good idea? Bad idea? Why?
- What do you think might happen next?
(4) But the LORD cast a mighty wind upon the sea, and such a great tempest came upon the sea that the ship was in danger of breaking up. (5) In their fright, the sailors cried out, each to his own god; and they flung the ship’s cargo overboard to make it lighter for them. Jonah, meanwhile, had gone down into the hold of the vessel where he lay down and fell asleep. (6) The captain went over to him and cried out, “How can you be sleeping so soundly! Up, call upon your god! Perhaps the god will be kind to us and we will not perish.”
Bibliodrama 3 - Jonah 1:4-6
Sailors - it says you cried out, each to his own god. What did you say?
Captain - you sound angry. What are you afraid of?
(7) The men said to one another, “Let us cast lots and find out on whose account this misfortune has come upon us.” They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. (8) They said to him, “Tell us, you who have brought this misfortune upon us, what is your business? Where have you come from? What is your country, and of what people are you?” (9) “I am a Hebrew,” he replied. “I worship the LORD, the God of Heaven, who made both sea and land.” (10) The men were greatly terrified, and they asked him, “What have you done?” And when the men learned that he was fleeing from the service of the LORD—for so he told them— (11) they said to him, “What must we do to you to make the sea calm around us?” For the sea was growing more and more stormy.
Bibliodrama 4 - Jonah 1:7-11
Jonah: Sailors are terrified and asked you, "what have you done?" What would you tell them?
Sailors: What do you think of what Jonah tells you?
Bibliodrama 5 Jonah 1:12-16
Sailors - Jonah told you to throw him overboard. What will you do? What happened to make you listen to him and throw him overboard?
- The seas become calm after you throw Jonah into the water. How do you feel about this now? Why are you making a sacrifice to the Lord? What are you promising?
(1) The LORD provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah; and Jonah remained in the fish’s belly three days and three nights. (2) Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the belly of the fish.
Bibliodrama 6 - 2:1-2
Jonah: This is the equivalent of a "Time Out". What you you thinking? What are you learning?
(יא) וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהֹוָ֖ה לַדָּ֑ג וַיָּקֵ֥א אֶת־יוֹנָ֖ה אֶל־הַיַּבָּשָֽׁה׃ {ס}
In my trouble I called to the LORD,
And He answered me;
From the belly of Sheol I cried out,
And You heard my voice. (4) You cast me into the depths,
Into the heart of the sea,
The floods engulfed me;
All Your breakers and billows
Swept over me. (5) I thought I was driven away
Out of Your sight:
Would I ever gaze again
Upon Your holy Temple? (6) The waters closed in over me,
The deep engulfed me.
Weeds twined around my head. (7) I sank to the base of the mountains;
The bars of the earth closed upon me forever.
Yet You brought my life up from the pit,
O LORD my God! (8) When my life was ebbing away,
I called the LORD to mind;
And my prayer came before You,
Into Your holy Temple. (9) They who cling to empty folly
Forsake their own welfare, (10) But I, with loud thanksgiving,
Will sacrifice to You;
What I have vowed I will perform.
Deliverance is the LORD’s!
(11) The LORD commanded the fish, and it spewed Jonah out upon dry land.
Bibliodrama 7 Jonah 2:3-11
You have now been spit out. How are you feeling now? What are you thinking?
Nineveh was an enormously large city-a a three days’ walk across. (4) Jonah started out and made his way into the city the distance of one day’s walk, and proclaimed: “Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” (5) The people of Nineveh believed God. They proclaimed a fast, and great and small alike put on sackcloth. (6) When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his robe, put on sackcloth, and sat in ashes. (7) And he had the word cried through Nineveh: “By decree of the king and his nobles: No man or beast—of flock or herd—shall taste anything! They shall not graze, and they shall not drink water! (8) They shall be covered with sackcloth—man and beast—and shall cry mightily to God. Let everyone turn back from his evil ways and from the injustice of which he is guilty. (9) Who knows but that God may turn and relent? He may turn back from His wrath, so that we do not perish.” (10) God saw what they did, how they were turning back from their evil ways. And God renounced the punishment He had planned to bring upon them, and did not carry it out.
Bibliodrama 8 Jonah 3
Jonah - what did you just do? why? How do you feel? what are you thinking?
Royalty - With what happened? What were you thinking when you heard Jonah's warning? How did you feel? When the city was saved, how did you feel? what were you thinking?
(1) This displeased Jonah greatly, and he was grieved.
Question to the group?
Why do you think Jonah is grieved?
(ד) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהֹוָ֔ה הַהֵיטֵ֖ב חָ֥רָה לָֽךְ׃
Bibliodrama 8 Jonah 4:2-4
Jonah - why are you so upset? What does this tell you about Jonah?
Bibliodrama 9 Jonah 4:5-11
Jonah - What did you just do? why? What do you think about what God says to you? How do you feel? what are you thinking?
Questions to the group:
- What happened?
- What did we learn from this story?
- Why do you think we read this book on Yom Kippur?