BIG IDEA: God protects His people.
This free Bible lesson, Joseph’s Story, will teach preschool and elementary students about the story of Joseph and his coat of many colors, his ability to interpret dreams, how his brothers sold him into Egyptian slavery, and how he was able to use his gift from God to save the lives of many Israelites through the interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream about seven years of plenty and seven years of famine.
FOCUS BIBLE PASSAGE: Genesis 37, 39-47
All of the printable activities and digital slides needed for the lesson, as well as a full printable lesson plan for both elementary and preschool are available.
Below is the outline of the free elementary Bible lesson.
PREP & SUPPLIES
- printed & trimmed “Puzzle Relay” pictures (see below)
- printed “Genesis 50:20 Reflection” for each student
- pencils/pens/crayons
LESSON HOOK ACTIVITY
(SLIDE) Have you ever had a strange or confusing dream?
Allow students to share strange and confusing dreams that they have had.
Share one of your own if you choose to do so.
In our true story from The Bible today, we are going to learn about a special man in the same family as Abraham, and how he was able to use dreams to help a lot of people.
BIBLE LESSON
SLIDE) Over the past three weeks we have learned about a promise that God made to Abraham and his family. Can someone give us a summary about the lessons that we have learned about Abraham, his son Isaac, and his grandson Jacob? (allow responses but be sure to read the summary below)
[Abraham was chosen by God to be the father of many nations, which means he would have a large family of important descendants, including Jesus. God made a covenant promise with Abraham, and when Abraham and his wife Sarah were very old God gave them a baby boy whose name was Isaac. Abraham trusted God and was prepared to offer his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice to show his love to God. An angel appeared to Abraham to stop him from sacrificing Isaac, and God provided a ram to take the place of Isaac on the altar. Isaac is a “type”, or symbol, of Jesus. Isaac and his wife, Rebekah had twin boys named Jacob and Esau. Jacob deceived, or tricked, his brother and his father into receiving the rights of the first born son that Isaac thought belonged to Esau. However, Jacob was already blessed by God and didn’t have any reason to trick his father and his brother. Jacob became the father of the Twelve Tribes of Israel through his sons. Abraham’s family is blessed by God, which means that all the people in Abraham’s family have special favor with God. Because Jesus is part of Abraham’s family, all people who believe in Jesus receive the same promise that God gave to Abraham of special blessing through Jesus. When a person believes in Jesus and puts their trust in Him, they will receive salvation and new life in Him.]
God made a promise to Abraham that his family would be blessed. What do we know about God’s promises? (allow responses)
When God makes a promise, we can trust Him because He always keeps His promises.
Where can we read and learn about the promises that God has made to us? (The Bible)
Last week we learned about Abraham’s grandson who was named Jacob.
(SLIDE) Jacob had many sons. Today we are going to learn about Jacob’s son, Joseph. If Jacob was Abraham’s grandson, what relation is Joseph to Abraham? (great-grandson)
The Bible teaches us in the Book of Genesis about Abraham’s great-grandson, Joseph.
LEADER NOTE REGARDING THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL LIST: Pictured are the original 12 sons of Jacob. In some lists you will see that Levi is not included because the men of his tribe were the priests and they did not receive land as an inheritance. When Levi is not included, Joseph’s two sons Ephraim and Manasseh take the place of both Levi and Joseph to equal 12 tribes.
(SLIDE) Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, so Joseph wore a special coat that was given to him by his father. It is sometimes called “a coat of many colors”. Joseph’s coat was a symbol that his father wanted him to be the leader of the family. This was strange because this honor was normally given to the firstborn son, and Joseph was the youngest of Jacob’s sons at that time. (Genesis 37:3)
How do you think this made Joseph’s older brothers feel? (allow responses and discussion)
(SLIDE) Joseph’s brothers were jealous and did not like Joseph at all.
Joseph was a teenager when he had two dreams about his brothers, and even his parents, bowing down to him. (Genesis 37:5-11)
(SLIDE) Joseph’s brothers already didn’t like him, but now after hearing these dreams it made them dislike him even more. Joseph’s brothers made an evil plan to get rid of him.
(SLIDE) First, Joseph’s brothers threw him into an empty well. But then they decided to pull him up out of the well and sell him to some merchants (businessmen) who came by. They sold him to the merchants for eight ounces of silver. The merchants took him to Egypt and sold him to a man named Potiphar who worked for Pharaoh (the ruler of Egypt). (Genesis 37:12-36)
(SLIDE) While Joseph was in Egypt working as a slave for Potiphar, he was accused and put into prison for something he didn’t do. (Genesis 39:7-20)
(LEADER NOTE: Joseph was accused of trying to seduce Potiphar’s wife.)
While Joseph was in prison, two other men who had worked for Pharaoh were also put into prison.
(SLIDE) One of the men was the Pharaoh’s baker, and the other was the Pharaoh’s cupbearer. A cupbearer is someone whose job it was to serve drinks to the Pharaoh.
Both the baker and the cupbearer had a dream of their own on the same night. When they woke up, they were confused by their dreams.
(SLIDE) Joseph noticed that the men were upset, so when he asked them about it they told him they had dreams and they didn’t know what the dreams meant.
Joseph said to them: “Only God knows what dreams mean. Tell me your dreams.” [Genesis 40:8 NIrV]
(SLIDE) What does “interpret” mean? (allow responses)
(SLIDE) “Interpret” means to explain the meaning of something. God gave Joseph the ability to interpret, or explain the meaning, of dreams.
Joseph told the two men what their dreams meant. To the cupbearer, Joseph said that his dream meant that in three days the man would be released from prison and would have his job back. To the baker, Joseph said that his dream meant that in three days the man would be killed. (Genesis 40:12-19)
What do you think happened? (allow responses)
God was with Joseph, and Joseph’s ability to interpret dreams came directly from God.
In three days, the cupbearer was released from prison and given his job back and the baker was killed. (Genesis 40:20-22)
Joseph stayed in prison for two more years, until the time when Pharaoh had two dreams that disturbed and confused him. He called on many different people to try to give him the meaning of his dreams. (Genesis 41:1-8)
Joseph had the ability from God to interpret dreams. Who knew this about Joseph? (the cupbearer)
The cupbearer was back in his old job and knew that Pharaoh had a dream that he wanted to know the meaning of, so the cupbearer told Pharaoh about Joseph. (Genesis 41:9-13)
(SLIDE) When Pharaoh asked Joseph to interpret the dreams, Joseph said: “I can’t do it…but God will give Pharaoh the answer he wants.” [Genesis 41: 16 NIrV]
Joseph was sure to give the credit to God. He never pretended that he had a special power on his own.
Pharaoh told Joseph about the dreams that he had.
(SLIDE) Genesis 41:17-20 NIrV
[…I was standing on the bank of the Nile River. Seven cows came up out of the river. They were fat and looked healthy. They were eating the tall grass growing along the river. After them, seven other cows came up. They were bony and very ugly and thin. I had never seen such ugly cows in the whole land of Egypt. The thin, ugly cows ate up the seven fat cows that came up first.]
(SLIDE) Genesis 41:22-24 NIrV
[In my dream I also saw seven heads of grain. They were full and good. They were all growing on one stem. After them, seven other heads of grain came up. They were weak and thin and dried up by the east wind. The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads…]
(SLIDE) Pharaoh told Joseph about these two strange dreams he had. One was about seven healthy cows eating seven unhealthy cows, and the other was about seven full heads of grain swallowing up seven thin heads of grain.
Do you think Joseph was able to tell Pharaoh what the dreams meant? (allow responses)
Who gave the ability to Joseph to interpret dreams? (God)
Joseph told Pharaoh:
(SLIDE) Genesis 41:25 NIrV
[Both of Pharaoh’s dreams have the same meaning. God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do.]
(SLIDE) Genesis 41:26-27 NIrV
[The seven good cows are seven years. And the seven good heads of grain are seven years. Both dreams mean the same thing. The seven thin, ugly cows that came up later are seven years. So are the seven worthless heads of grain dried up by the east wind. They are seven years when there won’t be enough food.]
(SLIDE) Genesis 41:28-30 NIrV
[It’s just as I said to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what he’s about to do. Seven years with plenty of food are coming to the whole land of Egypt. But seven years when there won’t be enough food will follow them. Then everyone will forget about all the food Egypt had. Terrible hunger will destroy the land.]
The meaning of Pharaoh’s dreams were that God was about to send seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. A famine is when there is not enough food produced by the land to feed the people.
Joseph told Pharaoh that to get prepared, Pharaoh should put a man in charge of storing up one-fifth of all of the harvest during the seven years when there is plenty of food so that the people will have enough food during the seven years when there is famine.
(SLIDE) Pharaoh believed Joseph and decided to put Joseph in charge!
So here is Joseph, a Hebrew slave, now being put in charge of Egypt. He was second in command under Pharaoh during this time.
Joseph did his job storing up the extra food during the years that the land produced more than the people needed. (Genesis 41:47-49)
What do you think happened after the seven years of plenty? (allow responses)
God send seven years of famine. The land did not produce enough food to feed the people in Egypt and the other countries around Egypt.
Who was living in the land of Canaan at this time? (allow responses)
(SLIDE) Joseph’s family was living in the land of Canaan, north of Egypt. Did they know that Joseph was in charge of the food in Egypt? (allow responses)
No. Joseph’s father, Jacob, thought that Joseph was dead and his brothers thought that he was a slave or dead.
When Joseph’s family ran out of food, Jacob sent ten of Joseph’s brothers to Egypt to buy food. Jacob did not allow Joseph’s younger brother, Benjamin, to go along because he was afraid something bad might happen to him. (Genesis 42:1-5)
(SLIDE) When Joseph’s brothers arrived in Egypt, they came to him and bowed down to him. They did not recognize him because he was dressed in Egyptian clothing and his hair was different. It was also many years later, so he was older. (Genesis 42:8)
What do you remember about the dreams that Joseph had before his brothers sold him into slavery? (allow responses)
Joseph had dreams that his brothers would bow down to him. God had given Joseph the ability to interpret dreams, and Joseph had interpreted that dream many years before it actually happened.
Joseph accused his brothers of being spies. He told his brothers to go back to their land and bring back their youngest brother to prove that they were not spies.
Joseph’s brothers went back to the land of Canaan and returned back to Egypt with Benjamin, Joseph’s younger brother.
(LEADER NOTE: Many details about the brothers’ trips from Canaan to Egypt have been left out of this lesson. The primary Truth of this lesson is God’s protection over the Israelites through Joseph’s ability to interpret dreams.)
(SLIDE) After a while, Joseph finally revealed to his brothers that he was the brother they had sold into slavery. What Joseph told his brothers next explains to us part of God’s plan.
What would have happened to the people in Egypt and surrounding areas if Joseph had not been given the ability to interpret Pharaoh’s dream? (allow responses)
Many people would have died from starvation because they would not have known to get prepared for the seven years of famine.
After Joseph told his brother who he was, he said:
(SLIDE) Genesis 45:5-7 NIrV
[But don’t be upset. And don’t be angry with yourselves because you sold me here. God sent me ahead of you to save many lives. For two years now, there hasn’t been enough food in the land. And for the next five years, people won’t be plowing or gathering crops. But God sent me ahead of you to keep some of you alive on earth. He sent me here to save your lives by an act of mighty power.]
God put Joseph in a place of power in Egypt so the Israelites could be provided for.
(SLIDE) God protects His people. (Big Idea)
Genesis 45:16-18 says:
(SLIDE) Genesis 45:16-18 NIrV
[The news reached Pharaoh’s palace that Joseph’s brothers had come. Pharaoh and all his officials were pleased. Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Here’s what I want you to tell your brothers. Say to them, ‘Load your animals. Return to the land of Canaan. Bring your father and your families back to me. I’ll give you the best land in Egypt. You can enjoy all the good things in the land.’”]
Pharaoh gave Joseph’s family part of the land of Egypt and his brothers brought their father Jacob down to Egypt to live. The land in Egypt is NOT the Promised Land, but it was the land that the Israelites were going to live in for the next 400+ years.
The Israelites are God’s chosen people that He promised would be blessed with land and a large family. God always keeps His promises. Jesus was born into this chosen family as God had promised.
In Genesis 12:3 God told Abraham:
(SLIDE) Genesis 12:3 NIrV
[“…All nations on earth will be blessed because of you.”]
(SLIDE) Jesus is the reason that ALL NATIONS ON EARTH will be blessed.
(SLIDE) Romans 4:13 says:
[Abraham and his family received a promise. God promised that Abraham would receive the world. It would not come to him because he obeyed the law. It would come because of his faith, which made him right with God.]
This verse is talking about Jesus!
(SLIDE) Jesus is the promised blessing to all who believe in Him.
All people who believe in Jesus receive the same promise that God gave to Abraham of special blessing through Jesus.
Dear God,
Thank You for the true story of Joseph and the faith that he had in You. Thank You for using him to protect the people. Thank you for Jesus and the gift of salvation that He offers to us. Please help us to understand the lessons from The Bible.
We love you and we pray all of these things in Jesus’ sweet name, Amen.
LARGE GROUP ACTIVITY
We are going to remember a big Truth of today’s true story from the Bible with a relay game.
Can anyone tell me what a relay race is? (when teams line up and each person takes turns completing a task and “tagging” the next team member for their turn)
This game is called a “Puzzle Relay”. With your team, you are going to collect parts of a puzzle that tell us a Truth from today’s Bible story in relay style. Then you will all work together to put the puzzle together to learn the Truth from The Bible.
Allow students to form teams of 3-4 students and line up on one side of the room. On the opposite side of the room, place the “Puzzle Relay” pieces.
Leader’s Guide (the puzzle says “Jesus is the reason that ALL NATIONS ON EARTH will be blessed.”:
Why is Jesus the reason that all nations on earth will be blessed?
- In Genesis 12:3 God told Abraham that all nations will be blessed because of Abraham.
- Romans 4:13 (NIrV) says: “Abraham and his family received a promise. God promised that Abraham would receive the world. It would not come to him because he obeyed the law. It would come because of his faith, which made him right with God.”
- This verse is talking about Jesus.
- Jesus is the promised blessing to all who believe in Him.
- All people who believe in Jesus receive the same promise that God gave to Abraham of special blessing through Jesus.
SMALL GROUP ACTIVITY
Joseph was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers. He had every right to be upset and angry with them. But instead, he forgave his brothers and realized that God’s plan was being carried out through him.
There is a well-known verse at the end of the Book of Genesis that records Joseph’s words to his brothers. Today, you are going to discuss this verse and Joseph’s words to his brothers with your small groups and reflect on how his words apply to Jesus and how you can apply them to your own life.
HANDOUT: Each student should get a copy of “Genesis 50:20 Reflection”.
BREAK INTO SMALL GROUPS TO COMPLETE THE ACTIVITY.
Leader Guide:
- Joseph’s brothers were trying to hurt him and get rid of him, but God used their actions as part of His plan to save many Israelite lives. God gave Joseph the ability to interpret dreams so he was able to store up food for the seven years of famine and prevent his people from dying of starvation.
- Jesus was born into this chosen family many years later so that all people who believe in Him can receive the same blessing that God promised to Abraham.
- Possible answers:
- forgive others
- God works everything out for the good of people who love Him
- trust God’s plans
Discussion Prompts for Leaders:
- Who was Joseph? (Abraham’s great-grandson, Isaac’s grandson, Jacob’s son; next to youngest of the sons who became the Twelve Tribes of Israel)
- What special item did Jacob give to Joseph? (a coat of many colors)
- What did the coat of many colors symbolize? (that Jacob wanted Joseph to be head of the family)
- Why did Joseph’s brothers dislike him? (they were jealous because their father loved him more than he loved them)
- What was the meaning of the dream that Joseph had when he was a teenager? (that his brothers and parents would bow down to him)
- Did Joseph’s dream happen? When/how? (yes, later when Joseph was in charge of Egypt, his brothers bowed down to him)
- What did Joseph’s brothers do to get rid of him? (sold him into slavery)
- What was Joseph’s special ability given to Him by God? (interpreting dreams)
- What does it mean to “interpret”? (to explain the meaning of something or to make sense of something)
- How did Pharaoh learn that Joseph could interpret dreams? (the cupbearer who had been in prison with Joseph told him)
- What were the items in Pharaoh’s dreams that symbolized seven years? (seven cows and seven heads of grain)
- What did the seven healthy cows and seven full heads of grain symbolize? (seven years of plenty of food)
- What did the seven thin cows and seven weak heads of grain symbolize? (seven years of famine)
- What is a famine? (when there is not enough food produced by the land to feed the people)
- How did God protect His people through the ability He gave to Joseph? (He allowed Joseph to interpret Pharaoh’s dream to warn about the famine so he could store up extra food)
- How is this story connected to Jesus? (Jesus was born into Abraham’s/Joseph’s family many years later; God gave a special blessing to Abraham’s family)
- How are people who believe in Jesus blessed in the same way that Abraham’s family is blessed? (Romans 4:13 – Jesus is the promised blessing to all who believe in Him. All people who believe in Jesus receive the same promise that God gave to Abraham of special blessing through Jesus.)
- Does anyone have any questions about today’s lesson?
- Use any extra time to discuss the lesson and/or the memory verse.
CLOSING REFLECTION
We learned that Abraham’s great-grandson, Joseph, was given the ability to interpret dreams by God. While living in Egypt after his jealous brothers sold him into slavery, Joseph interpreted two of Pharaoh’s dreams which told of God’s plan of seven years of plenty and seven years of famine. Through this dream, the people knew to store up a fraction of the food produced during the seven years of plenty so they would be prepared for the seven years of famine. God’s chosen people, the Israelites, were protected through Joseph’s ability to interpret dreams.
Reflection Questions:
- How did God protect His people during the time of Joseph? (He allowed Joseph to interpret Pharaoh’s dream to warn about the famine so he could store up extra food.)
- How is this story connected to Jesus? (Jesus was born into Abraham’s/Joseph’s family many years later; God gave a special blessing to Abraham’s family)
- How are people who believe in Jesus blessed in the same way that Abraham’s family is blessed? (Romans 4:13 – Jesus is the promised blessing to all who believe in Him. All people who believe in Jesus receive the same promise that God gave to Abraham of special blessing through Jesus.)
- Does anyone have any questions about today’s lesson?
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