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18. Joseph

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Materials Needed

  • large bowl of chocolate or caramel instant pudding (milk)
  • one large zip-lock bag or a large clear plastic bag with a twist tie
  • 8 1/2” X 11” piece of white paper
  • a small bowl and spoon for each person

Setting The Stage

In Genesis 37 and 39 - 45, we see how Joseph learned the three principles of patience, trusting God and forgiveness. As you tell this story you will want to emphasize when Joseph learned these principles and that we need to do the same.

Project

Ahead of time make the pudding following the directions on the box. Fill the plastic bag with three tablespoons of pudding and tightly secure the opening. Put the rest of the pudding in small bowls for each person to eat while the story is being told. Place the bag on the sheet of paper and smooth the pudding. The pudding should cover the entire surface. When you run your finger across the top of the bag, a white line should remain there. If this does not happen add or take away some of the pudding until you have the desired effect. Draw with your finger the designated picture on top of the bag as you tell the corresponding part of the story.
  • Joseph had eleven brothers. His dad liked him so much he gave Joseph a coat of many colors to show everyone that Joseph was his favorite son. This made the brothers very angry. To top it off, Joseph told his brothers twice that he had a dream where the brother bowed down to him as if he were a king or something. The brothers were so upset they decided to sell Joseph. Joseph became a slave in a far away land called Egypt.

  • Joseph worked hard and his owner liked him very much until one day the owner’s wife said that Joseph had done something he really didn’t do. Even though the wife was lying Joseph’s owner had Joseph thrown into jail.

  • While Joseph was in jail two men who worked for the Pharaoh (the Pharaoh was another name for a king) were also thrown into jail. While they were there they had dreams, and with God’s help Joseph told them what their dreams meant. When one of the men returned to the Pharaoh to continue to work for him, Joseph asked the man to remember him because Joseph was hoping to get out of jail. A long time passed and Joseph never heard anything or got any help getting out of jail. This would have been very hard on Joseph. During this time Joseph not only learned patience but also how to trust God. Joseph knew God had a plan for his life and that God had not forgotten him in jail.

  • Eventually Pharaoh started to have some dreams that really upset him. Pharaoh wanted to know what they meant. They were dreams about cows and baskets of bread with birds eating the bread. No one could tell the Pharaoh what the dreams meant until the man who had been freed from jail remembered Joseph.

  • Joseph told the Pharaoh what the dreams meant. Joseph even told the Pharaoh what to do so that in years to come they would still have a lot of food. The Pharaoh was so happy he made Joseph his right-hand man. Joseph was now like a prince.

  • Meanwhile in another land Joseph’s brothers had run out of food. They decided to go to Egypt and see if they could get some food. When they got there they were brought to Joseph. Joseph recognized his brothers right away, but the brothers didn’t recognize Joseph because they expected him to be a slave, not a prince. The brothers bowed down before Joseph (just as they did in the dream Joseph had a long time ago). Then the brothers asked for some food. Now the brothers had been very mean to Joseph, but Joseph decided to forgive them. That would have been a very hard thing to do, but it was the best thing to do. Joseph did forgive and they became a family again. They all lived in Egypt together.

Song

“Trust and Obey”

(use original tune or create own tune).

Trust and obey for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey.

Prayer

Ask God to help you be like Joseph so you too can learn to be patient, to trust God and to forgive.

Related Topics: Children's Training Resources, Parent Resources, Christian Education, Christian Home, Devotionals

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