Dear Parents, We hope the following summary of the Sunday School lesson will help you in discussing the lesson with your children and in working through this booklet together. SCRIPTURE PASSAGE: Genesis 42 – 45:15
Joseph He Chose to Obey
BIBLE STORY SUMMARY: God allowed famine to come on the whole world, and Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt to buy food. Joseph tested them to see if they had changed. They had changed, and Judah even volunteered to give his life in place of Benjamin. Joseph revealed himself and God’s plan to his brothers. LESSON FOCUS: To understand that God is preparing me for the work of saving the lives of others. To choose to extend kindness to those who have hurt me, and allow God to use me to bring about good in their lives. WHAT WE LEARNED ABOUT GOD: God is in control of all situations, whether it seems like it or not. God works out His plans through people who are obedient to Him. LET’S TALK ABOUT WHAT WE’VE LEARNED: How do we know the brothers had changed from earlier years, when they had sold Joseph? Unlike when they sold Joseph and tricked their father into thinking Joseph had met a violent death, they were unwilling to have harm come to Benjamin. They dreaded bringing more grief to their father. When Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers, what was their reaction? They were terrified. For years they had carried the guilt of selling him into slavery and causing their father terrible grief. Now powerful, Joseph could retaliate and cause them great harm. What did Joseph tell them about how they had treated him when he was a boy? He forgave them and pleaded with them to stop being angry at themselves. As governor of Egypt, Joseph did not have to give his brothers grain. Why did Joseph choose to be kind to them? He recognized that God had prepared him for this work of saving lives. He understood that it was God who used their unkindness to bring about His plan.
Will you believe that God is preparing you for His work of rescuing others from death? Will you choose to act in kindness toward those who have hurt you and allow God to use you to bring about good in their lives?
God’s Plan to Save Lives
Joseph’s Brothers Come to Egypt This Week’s Memory Verse We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son.
See you on Sunday!
Copyright 2003 Berean Baptist Church 309 E. Co. Rd. 42 Burnsville, MN 55306 952-432-7168
Romans 8:28-29a
November 10, 2013
MONDAY – JOSEPH’S BROTHERS COME TO EGYPT
SATURDAY – THIS WEEK’S MEMORY VERSE
Do you remember the dreams God gave to Joseph when he was a young boy? (Genesis 37:5-9) Put an X by the dreams that Joseph had when he was at home with his brothers. _____ His 11 brothers’ bundles of grain bowed down to his bundle. _____ Joseph threw his brothers in prison for being mean to him. _____ The sun, moon, and 11 stars bowed down to Joseph.
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We know that in all things God works
for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.
(Now, we’ll look at the true story that is in Genesis 41:56 to 42:8.) After Joseph had been in Egypt for a long time, God’s warning to Pharaoh came true. Egypt had seven years of good crops, and their barns were filled with grain. Then the famine came to Egypt, and to all the world. Joseph had been put in charge of selling food to those who came to buy it. Joseph’s father and brothers in Canaan had nothing to eat, so Jacob sent ten of his sons to buy grain in Egypt. Read Genesis 42:6. What did Joseph’s brothers do when they came before Joseph?)
Today, let’s take a good look at the rest of the verse.
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For those God foreknew He also predestined
to be conformed to the likeness of His Son. Romans 8:28-29a
YIKES! Some of those words are really hard! Let’s find out what they mean. Read what the word means, then find it in the verse and draw a circle around it.
_________________________________ to him.
Read Genesis 42:8. Did Joseph know who these 10 men were? Did the brothers know who Joseph was?
Yes Yes
Maybe Maybe
No No
Think of two ways Joseph may have changed in the many years since they had sold him into slavery: ____________________________________ ____________________________________
to have known about something ahead of time. God knew all about you ahead of time. Predestined means God planned it ahead of time. Conformed means to change something to be the same as something else. It’s like putting clay into a mold—you change the shape of the clay, making it just like the mold. Likeness when someone looks or acts just like someone else. Now, we can think of Romans 8:29 like this: God knew ahead of time His plan to change you to act just like Jesus.
If you had been Joseph, how would you have felt when you saw your brothers?
Foreknew
Ask someone to read our memory verse with you. Ask them to say it out loud with you.
FRIDAY – JOSEPH FORGIVES HIS BROTHERS
TUESDAY – JOSEPH TESTS HIS BROTHERS
(Today, we’ll look at the true story in Genesis 45:1-15.) The brothers had changed! Joseph was filled with joy! Read Genesis 45:3. What did Joseph say to his brothers? “I am ________________________!” “Is my ____________________ still ________________?” Why couldn’t his brothers answer him? They didn’t hear him. They didn’t care. They were very scared!
Read Genesis 45:5. They were surprised – Joseph was full of love and forgiveness! He had two important things to tell them: Why?
___ ___ ___ To ___ ___ ___ ___ lives
Read Genesis 45: 8 to 11. What did Joseph tell his brothers? The famine will last another 5 years. Hurry home and get Dad to come and see me right away! I will make sure you have what you need. You will never be poor. Bring your flocks and your families to live in Egypt. All the above.
Yes
No
Joseph had another test to see if they were honest men. What was hidden in their sacks of grain? ______________________ If they were honest men they would: Give the silver to their father Jacob. Spend it on the way home. Give the silver back to Joseph when they came back with Benjamin. Jacob was very upset when his sons returned without Simeon. He still cried about Joseph, and now he thought Simeon was gone forever too. The famine grew worse and the family used up the grain they had bought. Jacob knew that if they were to get more food they must return to Egypt with Benjamin. So, he let Benjamin go with them.
Joseph forgave his brothers because he knew all these things were part of God’s plan. Can God use the hard and unfair things of life to bring about His good plan for you? Yes Ask God to help you follow His plan for you.
Read Genesis 42:21 to 26. Do you think Joseph’s brothers had changed? Joseph’s brothers felt sorry about what they had done to Joseph so long ago.
The brothers were so afraid! They had been so mean to Joseph when he was a boy, and now he was ruler of all Egypt. Would he get back at them? For all these years, Joseph’s brothers had lived with the awful feeling of guilt.
Who had really sent Joseph to Egypt?
(Today we are looking at God’s Word in Genesis 42:18 to 43:14.) Joseph hadn’t seen his brothers since he was a teenager, and now he was a man. Were his brothers as mean as they were before, or had they changed? Joseph planned a test: They must leave Simeon behind while they went home for Benjamin, the youngest brother, to bring him to Egypt.
Read Genesis 43:12. How much silver did Jacob tell his sons to bring this time? None
No
Just enough for some new grain
Double the amount
Thank God for His Word that tells us about Him and His love for us.
WEDNESDAY – BENJAMIN COMES TO EGYPT
THURSDAY – JOSEPH GIVES A SECOND TEST
(Today, we are looking at Genesis 43:15 to 34.) Again the brothers stood before Joseph, but this time all 11 brothers were there! Joseph had them over to his house for dinner. Read Genesis 43:18. How did Joseph’s brothers feel about going to his house? Glad
Afraid
Sad
Hungry
They thought they would be punished for the silver that was in their sacks. Read Genesis 43:26. What two things did the brothers do when Joseph arrived? _________________________________
_________________________________
Read Genesis 43:29 to 33. Joseph was so happy to see Benjamin that he cried. Can you think of a time when you felt so happy about something that you started crying instead of laughing? _________________________________________________________________ Joseph had been thinking about his brothers for many long years. Now they were grown men with wives and children of their own. The brothers were surprised! This man in Egypt sure knew a lot about them – he even seemed to know their ages. He had them sit in order from oldest to youngest! If Joseph had become bitter and angry at his brothers, how would meeting them have been different? Joseph would have been just as nice to them. Joseph would have been mean to his brothers. No change. Ask God to help you trust in His goodness for you.
(Today, we will look at what happens in Genesis 44.) Joseph was happy to see his brothers, but he wondered if their hearts had changed. He remembered how easily they had gotten rid of him. He knew they had lied to their father even when it meant that Jacob would be sad for many years. Joseph decided to test his brothers again. After dinner, Joseph had his servant fill their sacks with grain and put their money back into the sacks. Read Genesis 44:1 to 2. What else did the servant put into Benjamin’s sack? Joseph’s own S____________ C________ Read Genesis 44:11 to 13. Later, Joseph sent his servant after them. What did he find in Benjamin’s sack? The _______________ ___________ The punishment for stealing the silver cup was for the thief to go to jail. Would the brothers let Benjamin be taken back to Egypt to be put in jail? Would they let their father be hurt so much again? Read Genesis 44: 30 to 34. What reasons did Judah give Joseph for letting Benjamin go free? Let me be put in prison instead of Benjamin. If Benjamin isn’t with us, our father will be so sad that he will die! We’ll tell our father that wild animals ate Benjamin. I promised our father that I would bring Benjamin back safely. Our father is so old that it doesn’t matter if he is sad. Do you think Joseph’s brothers really cared about Benjamin?
Yes
No
How are you coming with learning this week’s part of the memory verse?