Joseph Identifies Himself to His Brothers

"God did send me before you to preserve life." Genesis 45:5

All the brothers were scared when they found that Benjamin had the silver cup in his sack. They didn't know how it got there, but they knew if Benjamin had to stay behind their father's heart would break.

They returned to Egypt and Judah stood before him. He told him about their father and how he would die if Benjamin didn't return. Judah then offered himself in Benjamin's place.

Joseph was moved at Judah's offer of sacrifice for Benjamin. He sent everyone away and told the brothers who he was - that he was their brother Joseph who had been sold into slavery long ago. He hugged them all and cried for joy. He asked about his father, then told them not to be upset at what had happened before. God had worked it all out for good and allowed Joseph to be the way their lives were saved because he was over the grain stores in Egypt. 

"Go home, brothers," he said," and tell our father that I am alive and a I am a great and powerful man. Then bring him to me, along with your families, and come live with me here and I will take care of you." 

Joseph forgave his brothers and forgot all of the hurt they had done to him. He loved them with all his heart. When the brothers returned home their father couldn't believe the news. Finally, he did, and he said, "Joseph, my son, is still alive! I will see him before I die."

The family returned to Egypt and Joseph ran to meet them. He hugged his father and kissed him, and there was joy for Jacob because it was like Joseph had returned from the dead.

Jacob lived the rest of his life in Egypt and was happy with his son Joseph. God changed his name to Israel and his sons and their sons after them were then always called the Children of Israel. 

QUESTIONS

1. Who was Benjamin?

2. What was found in Benjamin's sack?

3. Who put it there?

4. What was going to be done to Benjamin?

5. Who spoke for him?

6. What did Judah ask?

7. Who did the lord of the land turn out to be ?

8. How did Joseph come to Egypt?

9. Why didn't his brothers recognize him sooner?

10. How did he treat them?

11. Whom did he send for?

12. What did Jacob say?

13. Where did Jacob go to live?

14. Why was it very kind in Joseph to help his brothers?

15. Did he give back to them the harm they had done to him?

16. How could we do like Joseph?

Joseph's Brothers Return

"God Almighty give you mercy before the man." Genesis 43:14

Joseph's brothers had to return to Egypt to buy more corn. Joseph had told them to bring Benjamin, their youngest brother, with them. But their father, Jacob, was sad and upset now that he knew what they'd done to Joseph. He wouldn't let Benjamin go. But Judah promised to take care of him, and Jacob trusted Judah. 

When Joseph saw his younger brother, he was so full of emotion he couldn't stop his tears. He had to leave his duties and he cried for a long time in his room. But still he tested his brothers He wanted to see if they envied Benjamin, his father's favorite son, the way they'd envied him. He had his servant hide his cup in Benjamin's sack of corn. Then the servant went after them, pretending they'd stolen the valuable cup. 

The brothers told the servant to search the sacks. The cup wouldn't be found. But when they took the sacks down and opened them, the cup was in Benjamin's sack! 

The brothers were shocked and surprised. The servant said Benjamin must return with him to be punished. But their hearts had changed since they'd plotted to kill Joseph so many years ago. Instead they were sad and upset at the thought of losing their brother. 

QUESTIONS

1. What had Joseph's brothers done to him?

2. What trouble did you hear last Sunday he was in ?

3. But how did he behave?

4. And what had he come to be?

5. What had he stored up?

6. Who came to buy corn?

7. How many brothers came?

8. Which did not come?

9. Why didn't Benjamin come?

10. Did the brothers know Joseph?

11. What did he tell them to do?

12. When he saw Benjamin, where did he go?

13. What did Joseph tell his steward to do?

14. What did Joseph want to see?

15. How did the brothers behave this time?     

Joseph Interprets Pharaoh's Dream

"We are verily guilty concerning our brother." Genesis 42:21

Joseph was finally released from prison because he was able to interpret the king's dream. God gave Joseph the wisdom to tell the king of Egypt that his dreams meant there would be seven years of a fine harvest. After the first seven years, there would be seven years with no harvest. 

The king made Joseph a great lord and set him to work. Joseph was to buy and store all of the corn that was over and above what people wanted during the seven years of plenty. Then there would be corn during the years with no harvest. 

When the bad years began, Joseph sold the corn to all who wanted it. The famine wasn't just in Egypt. It reached all the countries around and soon Joseph saw ten of his own brothers, those who had sold him into slavery, coming to him to buy corn. He recognized them, but they didn't know him because he'd grown up and was dressed like an Egyptian. He wanted to know what had happened to his father and his younger brother, Benjamin. He started to ask his brothers questions. 

They told him who they were - they were all one man's sons, one brother had been lost, and the other was home with their father. Joseph wouldn't believe them and said one brother must stay in Egypt while the rest went back to fetch the youngest brother. They felt fear and thought about what they'd done to their brother Joseph. They said to each other, "We are verily guilty concerning our brother."

Joseph heard them and couldn't believe what he'd heard. But he kept his plan. He made Simeon stay in Egypt to make sure the others would return and sent them home for Benjamin. He didn't keep any of the money they'd paid for the corn and had servants put it back in their sacks. 

They found the money on the way home and were afraid. But when they reached home their father was more afraid. He thought Simeon was now dead and Benjamin was going to be next. He told them he couldn't send Benjamin with them because if something happened to his youngest son, "then shall ye bring down my grey hairs with sorrow to the grave."     

QUESTIONS

1. Where was Joseph?

2. Why was he in prison?

3. What did God make him able to tell the king?

4. How many years was there to be much corn ?

5. What was to be done with the corn?

6. Who managed the buying of it?

7. When was the corn wanted?

8. Who came to buy corn?

9. Who did not come?

10. Why did not Joseph's brothers know him?

11. What did he make believe to think?

12. Whom did he tell them to fetch?

13. What did he give back to them?

14. What did their father say about Benjamin's going?

15. Why was he afraid to trust them with Benjamin?

16. What is the way to be believed?     

Joseph Interprets Dreams in Prison

"Do not interpretations belong to God?" Genesis 40:8

Joseph had been sold by his cruel brothers and had become a slave in Egypt. A lie was told about him and he was put into prison. But Joseph did his best and did what he was told and God blessed him. The prison's keeper found out Joseph was different from the others. He gave Joseph responsibilities within the prison, such as feeding the prisoners and bringing them water. Joseph was able to speak to the prisoners and shared kind words with them. 

One day two new prisoners came in. One was the chief of all of Pharaoh's bakers and the other was his cup bearer. He carried Pharaoh's wine. Something had happened and they were suspected of doing something wrong, so they'd been sent to prison. One morning Joseph saw them looking sadder than usual. He asked what was the matter and they said they'd each had a dream. No one knew what it had meant. The Egyptians thought that dreams would bring a message and there were men in Egypt who said they could understand them. These dreams did have a meaning and God allowed Joseph to understand them. 

The cup bearer had dreamt he saw a vine with three bunches of grapes. He was squeezing the juice into the king's cup as he used to do. Joseph said this meant in three days the cup bearer would be working for the king again. Joseph asked him to tell the king about him when he was free. 

The baker dreamed that he had three baskets full of pastries and breads, but birds flew down and ate all the food. Joseph told him this meant he was going to die and birds would eat his body. And this is what happened. 

Pharaoh looked into what had happened and found out the truth. The baker was then killed and the cup bearer returned to his duties. But he was ungrateful and forgot all about Joseph and his promise to tell Pharaoh about him. 

QUESTIONS

1. Who was Joseph?

2. Where was he?

3. How did he get to Egypt ?

4. Where had he been put ?

5. Had he done anything wrong ?

6. Who trusted him ?

7. What did he do in the prison ?

8. Who came into the prison ?

9. What was the cup-bearer's dream?

10. What was the baker's dream ?

11. What did Joseph say the cup-bearer's dream meant?

12. What did the baker's dream mean?

13. What happened ?

14. What had Joseph asked of the cup-bearer?

15. Did he remember ?    

Joseph Goes to Egypt

"His brethren envied him." Genesis 37:11

You know how Jacob left home and God promised to take care of him. God led Jacob to his uncle and Jacob lived with him for a long time. He took care of his uncle's animals and one day had a large flock of his own. Jacob came back to his home in Canaan after many years. He had twelve sons, and his favorite son was Joseph. Jacob loved him very much, and gave him a special coat to wear. This coat was made with many colors, and was usually given to the son who was to be his father's heir. His brothers were jealous. They hated Joseph and envied him. 

When Joseph was seventeen years old, his father Jacob asked him to go to the fields where his brothers were watching the sheep. He wanted to know what they were doing. Joseph didn't tell his father that his brothers were mean to him, so he obeyed his father and went to the fields. His brothers saw him coming and they thought of a plan. They planned to kill Joseph when he reached them. 

But Reuben, the oldest brother, tried to stop them. The others wouldn't listen to Reuben, so he offered another plan. He suggested they put Joseph into a dry well nearby. The others agreed, and when Joseph reached them they put him in the well. They meant to let him die there. 

Reuben planned to come back later and take Joseph out of the well, but another brother named Judah, who didn't want Joseph to die, saw a group traveling nearby. They were merchants on a journey and were filled with all kinds of items and animals. They were going to Egypt to sell their items. Judah persuaded the brothers to let the travelers buy Joseph and they offered him as a slave. 

They took Joseph out of the well and offered him to the merchants. The merchants were impressed, so they paid the price the brothers asked and carried him to Egypt, away from his father and all he'd ever known. 

The brothers kept his colored coat and killed a young goat. They used the goat's blood to stain the coat, then carried it to their father. They told their father a wild animal had killed Joseph. Jacob cried over the loss of his son. The brothers pretended to comfort him and they all stayed quiet and didn't tell the truth about what happened. 

QUESTIONS

1. Whose son was Jacob?

2. How many sons had Jacob?

3. What did he set them to do ?

4. Which son did he love best?

5. What did he give Joseph ?

6. Where did he send Joseph?

7. What did the brothers want to do ?

8. Who wished to save him?

9. So what did Reuben persuade them to do?

10. What did Reuben mean to do?

11. But who came by?

12. What did the brothers do with Joseph?

13. Who persuaded them to sell him ?

14. What are people called who are bought and sold?

15. What was done with his coat?

16. What did Jacob think had happened ?