Awakening - Teaching Bible to Children: Joseph

Hello and Welcome!

Today I am sharing the first of 5 lessons about Joseph!

Love/Jealousy

Our lesson is found in the Bible book of Genesis! (Show book, chapter, and verse.)

Genesis is the first book in the Bible. It took place during the Patriarchal age when God talked to the father's of the family.

How many of you have Grandparents?

Have you ever heard of a Bible man named Abraham? He had a son named Isaac, a grandson named Jacob, and Jacob had 12 sons and one was named Joseph.

We will be learning more about Joseph in our lesson today.

Jacob's family was very large. In many ways they were just like families of today,

They worked, played, ate, slept, and they didn't always get along.

Jacob was a very blessed father, he not only had 12 sons but also 1 daughter named Dinah.

Jacob's children were the great grandchildren of Abraham.

Let's begin learning about Jacob and his 12 sons.

- The Mothers -

Jacob had 2 wives and his wives had 2 maids or servants.

Children by Leah: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, (and Dinah - Genesis 30:19-21).

Children by Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.

Children by Bilhah Rachel's servant: Dan and Naphtali

Children by Zilpah Leah's servant: Gad and Asher.

12 sons by 4 different mothers!

Genesis 35:23-26

Jacob loved Rachel the mother Joseph very much!

Genesis 29:18

(Rachel died after she had her son Benjamin who was Joseph's brother.)

Genesis 35:16-20

This family lived in the land of Canaan.

Genesis 37:1

Today, this land is also known as the Holy Land.

People from the United States have actually gone to visit this land.

Joseph was 17 years old and was in the pasture feeding the sheep with 4 of his brothers, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher, (the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah).

Joseph ran home and brought back a bad report about them to their father, Jacob.

(They must have been doing something that wasn't good or right for Joseph to tell on them,)

(The scripture does not say when Joseph was given his coat just that he had been given a coat from Jacob, so Joseph very well could have been in possession of his new coat before he had been in the pasture with his 4 brothers.)

Now Jacob/Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was the son of his old age. Jacob had made Joseph a many colored/highly decorated tunic/coat. *

(Show a multi colored/fancy robe.)

When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers; they hated him and could not speak to him on friendly terms.

Joseph's brothers were not happy and were jealous of him because

their father gave him a very special coat.

(Other words for jealous - resentful, spiteful, or envious.)

How many of you have ever had a dream?

Joseph had a dream and he wanted his brothers to hear about it.

He said, "Please listen to this dream I had."

"We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.

The brothers hated him and said, "Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?"

And they hated him all the more because of his dream and his words.

Then Joseph had another dream.

He said,

"This time the sun, moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me."

This dream made his brothers even more jealous of him!

Joseph also shared the dream with his father and he scolded Joseph and said,

"What is this dream you had?

Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?"

So Joseph's brothers were very jealous of Joseph and hated him,

but his father Jacob thought about what Joseph had said and what it might mean,

keeping the matter in mind.

Instead of being jealous and hating Joseph because he was honored and they were not, Joseph’s brothers should have been happy for Joseph, showing him love and acceptance.

It was not Joseph's fault he had been favored over his brothers, nor did he have anything to do with having the dreams, but his brothers still did not love him because of these things.

If Joseph’s brothers would have loved him,

what are some ways they could have shown that love?

They could have rejoiced with him!

The Bible says:

Romans 12:15 - Rejoice with them that do rejoice and weep with them that weep.

Philippians 4:8 - Finally brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right,

whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute/reputation, if there is any excellence and if anything is worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

Matthew 7:12a - In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you.

1 Corinthians 13:4 - (This chapter defines love and condemns being jealous.)

1 John 3:11 - For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

I’d like to believe that Jacob saw his son Joseph's good character and that is why Joseph was favored, but the Bible tells us he was favored because he was the son of Jacob old age.

As far as Joseph’s character goes, he was an honest young man!

As families let us try to love one another.