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 PASSAGES: Genesis 35:9-29, 37:1-11
Joseph The One Who Chose to Obey
BIBLE STORY SUMMARY: God had a future plan for Joseph which He revealed to him in dreams, but suffering was also a part of God’s plan for him. Joseph chose to believe that God would bring about His purposes for his life. LESSON FOCUS: God loves me and has a plan for my life, and I must choose to obey Him and accept His plan. Suffering and hard things are a part of God’s plan for me, and they are necessary for me to grow and to be ready to serve Him. WHAT I LEARN ABOUT GOD: God has plans for me, He loves me, and He is willing for me to suffer to bring about those plans. LET’S TALK ABOUT WHAT WE’VE LEARNED: Who were Joseph’s father, grandfather, and great-grandfather? (Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham.) How many sons did Jacob have? (12) What was the special gift Joseph got from his father? (He received a special coat. Jacob gave to coat to Joseph because he was his father’s favorite.) How did his brothers feel about this? (They resented him.) Joseph had two dreams. What were they about? (In the first dream Joseph’s bundle of grain stood up straight while his brothers’ bundles gathered around Joseph’s and bowed down to it. In the second dream the sun, moon, and eleven stars all bowed down to Joseph.) What did the dreams mean? (God was telling Joseph that someday he would rule and reign over his family.) How did Joseph’s brothers react to hearing about these dreams? (They hated him even more. They were very jealous and very angry.) How did Joseph act towards his angry brothers? (He chose to obey God and he did not try to get even with his brothers even though they were hurtful towards him.)
Will you believe that God is using the hard things in your life to bring about His good and perfect plan for your life? Will you obey God in all things each day even when life seems difficult?
See you on Sunday!
Copyright 2003 Berean Baptist Church 309 E. Co. Rd. 42 Burnsville, MN 55306 952-432-7168
God Always Has a Perfect Plan for My Life
Joseph’s Dreams and the Hatred of His Brothers This Week’s Memory Verse: “I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord. Jeremiah 29:11-14a October 13, 2013
Monday – Joseph’s Family Read: Genesis 35:9-15 and 35:16-26 Can you remember the names of Joseph’s father, grandfather, and great-grandfather?
J ___ I ___ A ___
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Joseph was Abraham’s great-grandson! Do you remember the promise that God gave to Abraham? Read it again in Genesis 17:4-8. What things were the same in the promises that God gave to Jacob and to Abraham? I will make nations of you Nothing bad will ever happen to you Kings will come from you I will give this land to you and your descendants I will be your God
Joseph’s father knew something great and wonderful about God. He knew the Lord as El Shaddai. Do you remember what that name means?
G ___
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A ___
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How many sons did Jacob have? 2 6 9
12
15
Who was Joseph’s mother? ______________________
Saturday – This Week’s Drawing The drawing below shows Joseph sleeping. Draw a picture about one of his dreams.
Friday – Choosing to Obey
Tuesday – Rachel Dies
Read: Jeremiah 29:11-13, 1 Samuel 15:22, and Daniel 3:16-18
Read: Genesis 35:16-21
Joseph’s brothers were no longer be kind to him. What do you think Joseph wanted to do? get even with them ignore them show kindness to them Later verses tell us that Joseph was kind and ready to forgive. Joseph chose to obey as God desired, because he believed God had a plan for him. Another person from the Bible, Daniel, had friends who were obedient to God. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were obedient and refused to
i ___
w
___
___ ___ ___ of
___
g ___
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the
___ ___ . (Daniel 3:16-18)
Joseph knew that God had a plan, just as God told His people in Jeremiah 29:11. When we seek Him
o ___
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h ___
w ___
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a ___
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___ ___ ___ we will find Him.
Samuel told King Saul that to ___ ___ ___ ___ is better than to sacrifice. (1 Samuel 15:22) Write down one thing you will choose to do this week to be obedient to God. ___________________________________________________
Rachel was one of Jacob’s wives, one that he loved very much. When she was having her second baby, she needed help, but they didn’t have hospitals and doctors like they do today. She only lived just long enough to see Joseph’s little brother and give him a name. What name did she give him?
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This name means son of my sorrow. What did Jacob change his son’s name to?
B ___
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After Joseph’s mother died she was buried near a small town. What was the name of the small town?
B ___
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Do you know who would be born there about many years later? (Matthew 2:1) ___________________ Do you think it was hard for Joseph to grow up without his mother? yes no
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Write down three words that would describe how Joseph must have felt about his mother dying.
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Wednesday – Joseph’s Special Coat Read: Genesis 37:1-4
Thursday – Joseph’s Dreams Read: Genesis 37:5-11
Joseph helped his brothers do chores. One of those chores was watching over the sheep. It took a lot of work so he and his brothers did it together. When he saw them do something wrong, he couldn’t help but tell his father about it. How old was he? 6 13 17 21 Do you think they would be mad at him for telling their father they were doing a bad job? yes no not sure
When Joseph had a dream he knew that it had special meaning. God often spoke to people in their dreams. God was teaching Joseph something special about himself and his brothers. The messages in Joseph’s dreams were very clear. What was the first dream about? ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ What was the second dream about? ___________________________________________________
What did Joseph’s father give him to show how much he loved him? ______________ How did his brothers react to this coat? They were very happy They hated him They could not speak a kind word to him
How would you feel and what would you do if this happened to you? ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________ Joseph’s dreams were about him ruling and reigning over his family. When he told these dreams to his brothers, how did they act toward Joseph?
they ignored him they hated him they were glad for him they didn’t even care they were jealous of him
How would you feel if your brother or sister told you that someday they were going to rule over you? ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________