Opening Activity

• Ask the child if they have to do jobs at home like Joseph did. Remind them of the previous story. Why did Joseph’s brothers hate him?
• In today’s story, Joseph was asked by his father to go and check on his brothers who were away from home looking after their sheep (Genesis 37: 12-17).

Bible Story

• The brothers saw Joseph coming. They hated him so much that they plotted to kill him. What would become of his dreams then? They were going to lie and tell their father that a wild animal had attacked him (Genesis 37: 18-20). Mention that the brothers thought they could hide their sins, and no one would ever find out. Christians believe that God knows about all of the wrong things we do.

•  Reuben, Joseph’s eldest brother, stopped them from doing this. Instead he told them to throw Joseph into a pit. He planned to come back later and rescue him (Genesis 37: 21-22).

• When Joseph arrived, they took off his colourful robe and threw him into the empty pit (Genesis 37: 23-24).

•  Not long after this, some men passed by. They were taking spices to Egypt to sell. One of the brothers, Judah, wanted to make some money. Instead of killing Joseph, he suggested that they sell him to these men. They sold Joseph for 20 pieces of silver. Joseph was taken to Egypt to work as a slave (Genesis 37: 25-28). What is a slave? How do you think Joseph was feeling now?

• The brothers tried to hide what they had done. They took Joseph’s colourful robe and dipped it in goat’s blood. They took it back to their father and asked him if it belonged to Joseph. Jacob recognised the coat. He thought a fierce animal had attacked Joseph and killed him. Jacob was very upset and could not be comforted (Genesis 37: 29-35).

• Meanwhile, Joseph was alive in Egypt. He had been sold to a man called Potiphar who was a captain in the King’s army (Genesis 37:36).

• Remind the child that even though things looked bad for Joseph, God was still in control.

Questions

1. What did Jacob ask Joseph to do at the beginning of today’s story?
2.  What did the brothers plan to do to Joseph?
3. Which brother told them not to kill Joseph but to throw him into a pit instead?
4. How much silver was Joseph sold for?
5. How did the brothers cover up their sin?
6. What did Jacob think had happened to Joseph?
7. Did God know what had happened to Joseph?
8. What do you think God has planned for Joseph next?