MEMORY VERSES: Genesis 39:2 "And the LORD was with Joseph..."
BOOK TO REMEMBER: Esther Write "Esther" on slips of paper and pass out to the students at the end of class.
PRAYER: Thank God for watching over us no matter where we are and taking care of us and always loving us.
SPECIAL SONG: Joseph Had A Coat Of Many Colors (see song posted on April - Lesson - Joseph's Coat Of Many Colors on this blog)
VISUAL AID: TV Box (see February - Visual Aids #1 for ideas and instructions) and Map for Older Students.
LESSON POINTS:
- Do you remember who we were talking about last week? That's right! Joseph! What did his father, Jacob give to him? Yes! A beautiful coat of many colors! What happened to Joseph because of this beautiful coat? His brothers took his coat off of him and put him into a pit with no water! And then what happened? The Ishmaelites came by when Reuben wasn't there and the other brothers sold him for money and the caravan carried him off to Egypt many, many miles away. Joseph was only 17 years old. That's not very old! Let's see what happens to Joseph in this foreign land, Egypt, that was so very different from Joseph's homeland.
- When Joseph arrived in Egypt, he was sold into slavery to an Egyptian man named Potiphar who was captain of the guard and was very wealthy or rich. Potiphar had bought him from the Ishmaelites who had bought him from his brothers in Canaan. Joseph must have been sad, but the Bible doesn't talk about his sadness or anger, it talks about how well he does in Egypt! Let's turn our Bibles to Genesis 39:2, 3 to see who was with Joseph in Egypt. (Read verse.) Who was with Joseph in Egypt? That's right! God was with Joseph. Joseph stayed in Potiphar's house and Potiphar saw that the LORD was with Joseph. Everything that Joseph did for Potiphar, it turned out well. Potiphar liked to make money and have things go well for him, so he liked Joseph.
- As time went on, Potiphar made Joseph an overseer or someone who was responsible for everything Potiphar owned. The LORD blessed this Egyptian's house and all that he owned only because Joseph was in the house. Potiphar gave more and more jobs to Joseph and Joseph did so well that Potiphar trusted Joseph with absolutely everything. The Bible says that Potiphar didn't even know what he had except the bread that he would eat, he trusted Joseph that much. What a good boy Joseph was! So far away from his father and brothers, and still he obeyed God. We should do that, too! Joseph obeyed God and everyone like him, too.
- But there was a problem and it was Potiphar's wife. She liked Joseph a lot and wanted him to be her boyfriend. But she was married to whom? Potiphar! Joseph knew that this was a very wicked thing and told Potiphar's wife that she should be good, but she didn't listen. One day, when everyone was out of Potiphar's great, big house, Potiphar's wife did a dirty trick! She wanted for Joseph sit close beside her, but he didn't want to. When he said, "NO!" and ran away, Potiphar's wife's grabbed his garment, and he left it there. He ran right out of his piece of clothing trying to get away from her. Joseph's garment was in her hand. Do you know what she did then? She lied! She told Potiphar that Joseph had done terrible lies which were not true, but when Potiphar saw Joseph's garment in her hand, he believed his wife. Poor Joseph! He did the right thing, but no one believed him, but God!
- Potiphar was very angry and took Joseph and put him the prison where the king's prisoners were kept. It was not a good place. But the LORD was with Joseph in prison, too! God showed him mercy and gave him favor with the prison guard, so things got better for Joseph in prison. The prison guard put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners and Joseph did well. Even the prison guard trusted Joseph and didn't check on him. The LORD was with Joseph even in prison and made Joseph do well!
- Talk about how we should act like Joseph when we know that people are doing wrong things. (2 Tim. 2:22). We should NOT stay where bad things are happening! We should get out of there...run like Joseph ran!! Anything to get away from a bad situation!
- Discuss how God is with us always, especially those who love Him and obey him. He listens to their prayers and answers them. He watches over them in the day and the night. God loves good children.
- On a Bible map, show Canaan and Egypt. Estimate the distance. Discuss traveling on a camel as a slave.
Materials needed: A 12" x 18" sheet of construction paper folded in four sections, crayons, tape, black marker, pen, or crayon.
- Fold a 12" x 18" sheet of construction paper into four sections (fold in half, then in half again).
- Cut paper in half, length-wise. This will be two children's triangles. One child will only need one 6" x 18" paper.
- Let the children write "Joseph In The Pit" and "Genesis 37:24" in the top square.
- Write "Joseph In Potiphar's House" and "Genesis 39:4" in the second box.
- Write "Joseph In Prison" and "Genesis 39:20" in the third square.
- Write nothing at all in the last square.
- Color all pictures.
- Place tape across the top of the top square.
- Fold paper into a triangle.
- Press tape down in bottom square.
- Attach tape to sides of triangle.
- Students can tell story by turning the triangles over and over and over! Repetition works well!
