Joseph Is Sold By His Brothers Genesis 37:3-36

Transcription

1 Lesson 028 Joseph Is Sold By His Brothers Genesis 37:3-36

2 MEMORY VERSE MATTHEW 5:11 "Blessed are you w hen they rev ile and persec ute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. WHAT YOU WILL NEED: Baby food jars, 1/4 cup of warm water for each jar, 6 teaspoons of salt for each jar, paint brushes, and black or dark red construction paper. A piece of embroidery or cross-stitch. As many 1 1/2 wooden blocks and sheets of tissue paper as the number of children in your class, a sheet of foam, stamp pads in various colors, and glue. ATTENTION GRABBER! Evaporating Paint You will need baby food jars, 1/4 cup of warm water for each jar, 6 teaspoons of salt for each jar, paint brushes, and black or dark red construction paper. Mix the water and salt in the jars and have the children paint pictures on the paper then let them dry. When the water evaporates, it will leave sparkly pictures. Point out to your class that sometimes we can not see the beauty in a situation until later, after the water has dried. In today s lesson, we are going to learn about Joseph who had to trust that the Lord was doing something good in his life even when it looked like things were pretty bad. God is working a wonderful plan for our lives, even when it does not seem like it.

3 LESSON TIME! Sometimes, circumstances in our lives may seem unbearable. At times we may wonder why we must suffer so greatly. Although we may not understand why certain things happen to us, we can be confident that our heavenly Father loves us and is working out His good plan in our lives. God is working a wonderful plan for our lives, even when it does not seem like it. If any one could question God about the circumstances he was facing, it would have been Joseph. Things were looking pretty bad, and then things got worse. G EN ES I S 37:3-4 N o w I s r ae l l o v e d J o s e p h m o r e t h an al l h i s c h i l d r e n, be c au s e h e w as t h e s o n o f h i s o l d age. Al s o h e m ad e h i m a t u n i c o f m an y c o l o r s. B u t w h e n h i s br o t h e r s s aw t h at t h e i r f at h e r l o v e d h i m m o r e t h an al l h i s br o t h e r s, t h e y h at e d h i m an d c o u l d n o t s p e ak p e ac e abl y t o h i m. Israel favored Joseph. He made him a tunic (coat) of many colors. In those days a coat with sleeves represented authority. This favoritism created jealousy and resentment among Israel s other children. The Bible teaches that we should not show any partiality towards others. As brothers and sisters in Jesus, we need to love one another the same. Favoring one person over another will lead to hurt feelings. Let s be careful to love one another without partiality; for Jesus loves us without partiality!

4 G EN ES I S 37:5-11 N o w J o s e p h d r e am e d a d r e am, an d h e t o l d i t t o h i s br o t h e r s ; an d t h e y h at e d h i m e v e n m o r e. S o h e s ai d t o t h e m, " Pl e as e h e ar t h i s d r e am w h i c h I h av e d r e am e d : " T h e r e w e w e r e, bi n d i n g s h e av e s i n t h e f i e l d. T h e n be h o l d, m y s h e af ar o s e an d al s o s t o o d u p r i gh t ; an d i n d e e d y o u r s h e av e s s t o o d al l ar o u n d an d bo w e d d o w n t o m y s h e af. " An d h i s br o t h e r s s ai d t o h i m, " S h al l y o u i n d e e d r e i gn o v e r u s? O r s h al l y o u i n d e e d h av e d o m i n i o n o v e r u s?" S o t h e y h at e d h i m e v e n m o r e f o r h i s d r e am s an d f o r h i s w o r d s. T h e n h e d r e am e d s t i l l an o t h e r d r e am an d t o l d i t t o h i s br o t h e r s, an d s ai d, " L o o k, I h av e d r e am e d an o t h e r d r e am. An d t h i s t i m e, t h e s u n, t h e m o o n, an d t h e e l e v e n s t ar s bo w e d d o w n t o m e. " S o h e t o l d i t t o h i s f at h e r an d h i s br o t h e r s ; an d h i s f at h e r r e bu k e d h i m an d s ai d t o h i m, " Wh at i s t h i s d r e am t h at y o u h av e d r e am e d? S h al l y o u r m o t h e r an d I an d y o u r br o t h e r s i n d e e d c o m e t o bo w d o w n t o t h e e ar t h be f o r e y o u?" An d h i s br o t h e r s e n v i e d h i m, bu t h i s f at h e r k e p t t h e m at t e r i n m i n d.

5 The Lord gave Joseph two dreams that revealed his future. Through these two dreams, God revealed that Joseph would one day rule over his family. There would come a day that Joseph s brothers would bow down to him. Such a thought was too much for Joseph brothers who already resented the favoritism Joseph received. While the dreams made Joseph s brothers angry, Israel pondered these dreams with the understanding that God's ways were not as man's ways, for he too had been called to lead as the younger. Joseph received assurance from God through the two dreams. God had a plan for his life. Later on Joseph would have to keep his eyes on the Lord through some very difficult circumstances. Trusting in God's Word, alone, gives us the strength, peace, and hope we need to hold fast in the midst of difficult times. We can rest, because we know He will work everything out for good in our lives (Romans 8:28). G EN ES I S 37:12-17 T h e n h i s br o t h e r s w e n t t o f e e d t h e i r f at h e r ' s f l o c k i n S h e c h e m. An d I s r ae l s ai d t o J o s e p h, " Ar e n o t y o u r br o t h e r s f e e d i n g t h e f l o c k i n S h e c h e m? C o m e, I w i l l s e n d y o u t o t h e m. " S o h e s ai d t o h i m, " H e r e I am. " T h e n h e s ai d t o h i m, " Pl e as e go an d s e e i f i t i s w e l l w i t h y o u r br o t h e r s an d w e l l w i t h t h e f l o c k s, an d br i n g bac k w o r d t o m e. " S o h e s e n t h i m o u t o f t h e Val l e y o f H e br o n, an d h e w e n t t o S h e c h e m.

6 N o w a c e r t ai n m an f o u n d h i m, an d t h e r e h e w as, w an d e r i n g i n t h e f i e l d. An d t h e m an as k e d h i m, s ay i n g, " Wh at ar e y o u s e e k i n g?" S o h e s ai d, " I am s e e k i n g m y br o t h e r s. Pl e as e t e l l m e w h e r e t h e y ar e f e e d i n g t h e i r f l o c k s. " An d t h e m an s ai d, " T h e y h av e d e p ar t e d f r o m h e r e, f o r I h e ar d t h e m s ay, ' L e t u s go t o D o t h an. ' " S o J o s e p h w e n t af t e r h i s br o t h e r s an d f o u n d t h e m i n D o t h an. Joseph displayed a willing and obedient heart to his father; for he faithfully followed his father's command to go to his brothers, knowing he would be taunted, mocked, and hated. Like Joseph, Jesus came as a willing and obedient servant to the Father, though he knew he would be rejected, mocked and hated. Joseph and Jesus are examples for us to be obedient in what we are asked to do, even when it is difficult. God is working a wonderful plan for our lives, even when it does not seem like it. G EN ES I S 37:18-22 N o w w h e n t h e y s aw h i m af ar o f f, e v e n be f o r e h e c am e n e ar t h e m, t h e y c o n s p i r e d agai n s t h i m t o k i l l h i m. T h e n t h e y s ai d t o o n e an o t h e r, " L o o k, t h i s d r e am e r i s c o m i n g! C o m e t h e r e f o r e, l e t u s n o w k i l l h i m an d c as t h i m i n t o s o m e p i t ; an d w e s h al l s ay, ' S o m e w i l d be as t h as d e v o u r e d h i m. ' We s h al l s e e w h at w i l l be c o m e o f h i s d r e am s!"

7 B u t R e u be n h e ar d i t, an d h e d e l i v e r e d h i m o u t o f t h e i r h an d s, an d s ai d, " L e t u s n o t k i l l h i m. " An d R e u be n s ai d t o t h e m, " S h e d n o bl o o d, bu t c as t h i m i n t o t h i s p i t w h i c h i s i n t h e w i l d e r n e s s, an d d o n o t l ay a h an d o n h i m " --t h at h e m i gh t d e l i v e r h i m o u t o f t h e i r h an d s, an d br i n g h i m bac k t o h i s f at h e r. Joseph s brothers became so consumed with hatred and envy that they plotted together to kill him. The wickedness they harbored in their hearts finally came out in full. Reuben planned to rescue Joseph; so he convinced them to not kill him, but rather to throw him into a pit. Hatred is a very strong emotion. As Christians we are not to hate anyone. Jesus compared the hatred that we can have in our hearts to murder (Matthew 5:21-22). In Ephesians 4:31, we are told, Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. As we will see in our story these brothers let their anger get the better of them. They ended up causing great pain for Joseph, Israel, and themselves. God is working a wonderful plan for our lives, even when it does not seem like it. G EN ES I S 37:23-28 S o i t c am e t o p as s, w h e n J o s e p h h ad c o m e t o h i s br o t h e r s, t h at t h e y s t r i p p e d J o s e p h o f h i s t u n i c, t h e t u n i c o f m an y c o l o r s t h at w as o n h i m. T h e n t h e y t o o k h i m an d c as t h i m i n t o a p i t. An d t h e p i t w as e m p t y ; t h e r e w as n o w at e r i n i t.

8 An d t h e y s at d o w n t o e at a m e al. T h e n t h e y l i f t e d t h e i r e y e s an d l o o k e d, an d t h e r e w as a c o m p an y o f I s h m ae l i t e s, c o m i n g f r o m G i l e ad w i t h t h e i r c am e l s, be ar i n g s p i c e s, bal m, an d m y r r h, o n t h e i r w ay t o c ar r y t h e m d o w n t o Egy p t. S o J u d ah s ai d t o h i s br o t h e r s, " Wh at p r o f i t i s t h e r e i f w e k i l l o u r br o t h e r an d c o n c e al h i s bl o o d? C o m e an d l e t u s s e l l h i m t o t h e I s h m ae l i t e s, an d l e t n o t o u r h an d be u p o n h i m, f o r h e i s o u r br o t h e r an d o u r f l e s h. " An d h i s br o t h e r s l i s t e n e d. T h e n M i d i an i t e t r ad e r s p as s e d by ; s o t h e br o t h e r s p u l l e d J o s e p h u p an d l i f t e d h i m o u t o f t h e p i t, an d s o l d h i m t o t h e I s h m ae l i t e s f o r t w e n t y s h e k e l s o f s i l v e r. An d t h e y t o o k J o s e p h t o Egy p t. Joseph s brothers had grown so hardhearted they did not even respond to his cries from the pit but planned to let him die the slow, tortuous death of starvation and dehydration. However, God spared his life, and he instead was sold as a slave into a strange, foreign country. Beauty from Chaos Bring a piece of embroidery or cross stitch. Show the children the back of the piece and ask them if they think it is beautiful. Then turn the piece around and show them the beautiful picture or pattern. Ask them to describe the difference of the front and the back. Explain that sometimes we only see the back of our lives, but God always sees the front, and it s something beautiful that He is creating. God is working a wonderful plan for our lives, even when it does not seem like it.

9 Through trials and difficult times, we can be preserved by faith in our Maker; for we know He will work all things out for our good. God knew Joseph needed to suffer for righteousness sake before becoming a leader just as God knows what is best in each of our lives. We can trust in Him no matter what the circumstances, because God is in control--he sees our lives as a tale that has been told. G EN ES I S 37:29-35 T h e n R e u be n r e t u r n e d t o t h e p i t, an d i n d e e d J o s e p h w as n o t i n t h e p i t ; an d h e t o r e h i s c l o t h e s. An d h e r e t u r n e d t o h i s br o t h e r s an d s ai d, " T h e l ad i s n o m o r e ; an d I, w h e r e s h al l I go?" S o t h e y t o o k J o s e p h ' s t u n i c, k i l l e d a k i d o f t h e go at s, an d d i p p e d t h e t u n i c i n t h e bl o o d. T h e n t h e y s e n t t h e t u n i c o f m an y c o l o r s, an d t h e y br o u gh t i t t o t h e i r f at h e r an d s ai d, " We h av e f o u n d t h i s. D o y o u k n o w w h e t h e r i t i s y o u r s o n ' s t u n i c o r n o t?" An d h e r e c o gn i z e d i t an d s ai d, " I t i s m y s o n ' s t u n i c. A w i l d be as t h as d e v o u r e d h i m. Wi t h o u t d o u bt J o s e p h i s t o r n t o p i e c e s. " T h e n J ac o b t o r e h i s c l o t h e s, p u t s ac k c l o t h o n h i s w ai s t, an d m o u r n e d f o r h i s s o n m an y d ay s. An d al l h i s s o n s an d al l h i s d au gh t e r s ar o s e t o c o m f o r t h i m ; bu t h e r e f u s e d t o be c o m f o r t e d, an d h e s ai d, " F o r I s h al l go d o w n i n t o t h e gr av e t o m y s o n i n m o u r n i n g. " T h u s h i s f at h e r w e p t f o r h i m.

10 Joseph s brothers lied to their father, showing him Joseph's tunic soaked in goat's blood. Here we see the same deceit Israel had used on his own father earlier in his life. His sons hatred and deceit caused unbearable pain for Israel. Yet, through it all, even Israel's pain was among the things that would work together for good. Note, the trap of lies and deceit: once a lie is told, another lie is often necessary to keep from getting caught, then another lie to cover the additional tracks of deception. Do you see the picture? What a mess! Eventually, our sin will be found out. Be warned! Often one sin leads to another. If and when we do sin, we need to pray, confessing it to the Lord immediately; then, in the case of a sin like deception, we must make it right with the person we have hurt. G EN ES I S 37:36 N o w t h e M i d i an i t e s h ad s o l d h i m i n Egy p t t o Po t i p h ar, an o f f i c e r o f Ph ar ao h an d c ap t ai n o f t h e gu ar d. Joseph had been sold as slave and would be starting a new phase in his life. There were probably many times Joseph thought that things were not fair or right in his life. Yet, through all the reviling and persecution, he would be blessed; for he was in the Lord's will, placed perfectly in His eternal plan. It is amazing that even when life seems out of control, God is still in control. In coming lessons, circumstances will get even worse for Joseph. Yet, God s promises remain true; everything will work for good according to His plan.

11 Being a Christian and embracing Jesus as Lord does not mean we will not encounter difficult circumstances. God has called each of His children to be "conformed to the image of His Son" (Romans 8:29). We will face trials in our lives just as Joseph did through which God will build character and work His eternal purposes. Because we are Christians and Jesus is our Lord, however, we can be confident that no matter what may happen, All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28). God is working a wonderful plan for our lives, even when it does not seem like it. Home-made Rubber Stamps You will need 1 1/2 wooden blocks, a sheet of fun foam, stamp pads in various colors, glue, and sheets of tissue paper. Let the kids use their imaginations to cut out shapes from the foam that will fit on the wooden blocks. Have them glue the foam to the blocks, stamp the blocks on the pads, and decorate the tissue paper into custom wrapping paper. Explain that little, funny looking pieces of foam, when assembled with wooden blocks to make stamps, can make a beautifully decorated and useful wrapping paper out of ordinary tissue paper. Sometimes, we do not see how our lives will be all put together, but God is working a wonderful plan for our lives, even when it does not seem like it. PRAYER Lead the children in a prayer of commitment to trust the Lord no matter the circumstances. If there are any children who have not yet responded to the Gospel, give them opportunity.