Exploring God's Word for Kids
Week 8 /  Lesson 2

​​1. Common Ground - Prepares Students to Learn God's Word on their level.
2. Read Word - Insert the Bible Story
3. Like Jesus - How Can I Be Like Jesus through this Story?
4. Questions - Review the Story and Ask Questions.
​5. Interactive Exercise

Joseph: Forgiveness
Common Ground

Joseph’s journey has been an exciting one! He’s gone from being favorite son of Jacob to being thrown in a pit by his brothers, and then sold into slavery. Potiphar put him in charge of everything in his entire household. Potiphar’s wife falsely accused Joseph of sinning, and he was thrown into prison. In prison, Joseph connected with two of Pharaoh’s employees, and two years later, Pharaoh’s chief cupbearer remembered Joseph when the king needed someone to interpret his dreams. Pharaoh promoted Joseph to second in command of all of Egypt. What a story! Did you ever wonder if Joseph would see his brothers again? In today’s story, we’ll find out. 

Read the Word
Genesis 42 (ERV)

Read Genesis 42:1-26 aloud from your Bible or read the Bible story below
Jacob and his family were in trouble. They did not have enough food to eat. No one
in the land of Canaan had enough food to eat. But Jacob learned that there was food in Egypt. So Jacob sent 10 of his ons to buys some grain. His son Benjamin stayed home.
Joseph had a powerful job in Egypt. He was in charge of who got food, so the brothers came to him and bowed down. Joseph knew who these men were, but they did not recognize him as their brother whom they sold into slavery years before Joseph remembered his dreams of his brothers bowing down to him. Joseph’s dreams were coming true.
Joseph said, “I think you are spies. You are here to spy on the land.”
But the brothers said, “No! We are not spies. We are brothers. There were 12 of us, but our youngest brother is at home with our father and another brother is dead”
Joseph put his brothers in prison for three days. Then he said, “Go home and bring your youngest brother back to me to prove that you are not spies. But one of you must stay here.”
The brothers went home with food for their families, and one of them stayed in Egypt. 

Like Jesus

Joseph had not seen his brothers for more than 20 years, but the Bible tells us that he recognized them immediately. They did not recognize him. They thought he was an Egyptian.  Joseph ultimately forgave his brothers. God made a way for us to be forgiven by sending Jesus. We have been forgiven of so much. God tells us that just as He has forgiven us, we are to forgive others. 

Questions

TRUE OR FALSE 
Jacob told his sons to go to Egypt to buy grain. (True—Gen. 42:2)
All eleven of Joseph’s brothers headed for Egypt. (False, Benjamin stayed behind—Gen. 42:4)
The brothers refused to bow to an Egyptian. (False, faces were towards the ground—Gen. 42:6)
Joseph did not recognize his brothers. (False, He recognized them immediately—Gen. 42:7)
Joseph accused the brothers of being spies. (True—Gen. 42:9)
The brothers said they were sons of many mothers. (False, sons of one man—Gen. 42:13) Joseph threw them in jail. (True—Gen. 42:17)
Joseph instructed them to bring their father. (False, to bring Benjamin—Gen. 42:20)
The brothers believed God was punishing them for selling Joseph. (True—Gen. 42:21)
Joseph’s servants put the silver back into their sacks. (True—42:25)

Interactice Exerpcise

Pray with you child and show them how to ask Jesus to forgive them like Joseph forgave his brothers.