Joseph is Faithful in Egypt

"The Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand." Gen. 39:3

Joseph was a slave in Egypt. A slave is a person who belongs to a master, just like his cows and horses do. He isn't paid for his work and he can't leave. A slave also can be sold to someone else. 

Poor Joseph. He used to live as a the son of a rich man. He wore a coat of many colors, he had many servants, and didn't have to obey anyone but his father. He used to live in a beautiful land, all hills and valleys, where he would take care of his father's animals. But now he was a salve in a strange land. People spoke a language he didn't understand. No one cared for him or was nice to him and he lived in a house in the city, far away from the hills he loved. 

Joseph had one comfort, and that was he knew God was with him. He prayed to God and did the work assigned to him. He did his work well, and everything he did was successful. His master came to trust him, because he knew Joseph would take care of everything as if it were his own. He was sure everything would be safe. 

But his master's wife told a lie about Joseph. She said he behaved badly, and he was put in prison for something he hadn't done. This sounds bad, but it was God's way of bringing something good to the land and to Joseph. Soon Joseph was loved and honored even in prison, and God helped everything he did succeed as before.  

Try this. The next time you have to do homework or chores at home, ask God to help you to make it succeed. Then try your best. He will help you and it will turn out well. Then try to deserve to be trusted. This is a good thing. If you remember that God always sees you, then do what's right even with no one is with you. This is the way to be trusted in all you say and do. If you only do good when someone is watching, you're not truly serving others. Live in a way that your parents will know

"Out of sight

Know all is right, 

One law for darkness

and for light."    

  

QUESTIONS

1. Whose son was Joseph?

2. How many brothers did Joseph have?

3. What had they done to him?

4. Why had Joseph's brothers sold him?

5. What is a slave?

6. How did Joseph behave as a slave?

7. Who comforted him ?

8. How did he take care of his master's things ?

9. Who told a lie against him?

10. What was done to him?

11. But who was with him still?

12. Did he always stay in prison ?

13. And what did people think of him, wherever he was?

14. What is the way to be like Joseph?

15. If you are trusted to carry a message, how should you do it?

16. Who always sees you?

17. Then, even if no one is nearby, how should you behave?     

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 ?