God Had a Plan for Joseph
Genesis 37; Jeremiah 1:5
Our story comes from the book, or part, of the Bible called Genesis. Genesis means "the beginning."
The Bible tells us of a young man named Joseph. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he and his brothers were shepherds. But Joseph made his brothers angry because he told their father, Jacob, about something bad they did.
Jacob loved his son Joseph, who was born in his old age. Jacob gave Joseph a special gift: a colorful coat with long sleeves. When his brothers saw that their father showed more love to Joseph than to all his other sons, the brothers hated Joseph and would not speak to him kindly.
Joseph had a dream which he told to his brothers; and they hated him still more. Joseph said to them, "I dreamed that, as we were binding sheaves in the field, my sheaf rose up and remained standing, while your sheaves came around and bowed down to my sheaf." His brothers said to him, "Will you really be king over us? Will you indeed rule over us?" So they hated Joseph still more because of his dreams and his words.
Then Joseph had another dream and told it to his brothers. He said, "I had another dream, and it seemed that the sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed down to me." But when he told the dream to his father Jacob and his brothers, his father scolded him, saying "What is this dream that you have dreamed? Will I and your mother and your brothers bow down before you?" Therefore his brothers were jealous of him; but his father remembered the dream.
Joseph's brothers took their father's sheep to Shechem, Jacob said to Joseph, "Go, see whether all goes well with your brothers and with the flock, and report back to me."
So Jacob sent Joseph out, and a certain man found him, as he was wandering in the field, and the man asked him, "What are you looking for?" He said, "I am looking for my brothers; tell me, I beg of you, where they are pasturing the flock."
The man said, "They have gone away, for I heard them say, 'Let us go to Dothan.'" So Joseph went after his brothers and found them in Dothan.
When they saw him in the distance, before he came to them, they planned together to kill him. And they said one to another, "See, here comes that great dreamer! Come, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits, and we will say, 'A fierce beast has devoured him.' Then we shall see what will become of his dreams!"
But Judah saved Joseph's life by saying, "Let us not take his life." Reuben also said to them, "Do not shed blood; throw him into this pit, here in the wilderness; but do not harm him." Reuben said this to save Joseph so that he could bring him back to his father. So when Joseph came to his brothers, they took off his long coat with sleeves and threw him into the pit. But the pit was empty, there being no water in it.
Then they sat down to eat and, when they looked up, they saw a band of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead; and their camels were loaded with spices, gum, and ladanum on their way to carry it down to Egypt. And Judah said to his brothers, "What do we gain if we kill our brother and hide him? Let's sell him to Ishmaelites, and not harm him, for he is our brother." So his brothers listened to Judah. They pulled Joseph out of the bit and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And so the Ishmaelites took Joseph to Egypt.
His brothers took Joseph's long coat, put blood on it, and brought it to their father. They said, "We found this; see whether it is your son's coat or not." Jacob recognized it and said, "It is my son's coat! A wild beast has devoured him! Joseph surely is torn in pieces." Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth about his waist, and mourned for his son many days. All his sons and his daughters tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted, saying, "I shall go down to the grave mourning for my son."
Meanwhile, the Ishmaelites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard. Even though this was a very hard time for Joseph, he trusted that God had a plan and He wasn’t finished yet. God has a plan for us, too.
Joseph trusted God’s plan for him, even when things were difficult. We can do that, too. Gather your family and make a list of things that make them sad. Then pray and ask God to help you trust His plan when you are sad.
Thank God for teaching you and your family that you can trust God's plan, even when you are sad. Ask God to help your family trust Him when they are sad.
Say the memory verse and do the following motions with your child.
You'll Need: Several rolls of different colored crepe paper
Select an adult family member who is willing to be wrapped up in the crepe paper. Let each family member take a turn wrapping the adult with some of the crepe paper. Tell each family member to walk around the adult two times as they wrap him/her. Switch the color after the first three or four wrappings. Repeat until the adult is fully wrapped and every family member has had a turn.
As you wrap the adult, remind you child that in the Bible story, Jacob gave his son Joseph a beautiful coat.
After you finish wrapping, remind your child that Joseph received a very special gift, but that it made his brothers angry and they did something very bad: They sent Joseph away. But God knew where Joseph was going because God had a plan for Joseph. Remind your child that God has a plan for them, too.
You'll Need: Bible, butcher paper, letter stamps, washable ink pad, washable markers, colored dot stickers
Our story comes from the book, or part, of the Bible called Genesis. Genesis means "the beginning."
The Bible tells us of a young man named Joseph. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he and his brothers were shepherds. But Joseph made his brothers angry because he told their father, Jacob, about something bad they did.
Jacob loved his son Joseph, who was born in his old age. Jacob gave Joseph a special gift: a colorful coat with long sleeves. When his brothers saw that their father showed more love to Joseph than to all his other sons, the brothers hated Joseph and would not speak to him kindly.
Joseph had a dream which he told to his brothers; and they hated him still more. Joseph said to them, "I dreamed that, as we were binding sheaves in the field, my sheaf rose up and remained standing, while your sheaves came around and bowed down to my sheaf." His brothers said to him, "Will you really be king over us? Will you indeed rule over us?" So they hated Joseph still more because of his dreams and his words.
Then Joseph had another dream and told it to his brothers. He said, "I had another dream, and it seemed that the sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed down to me." But when he told the dream to his father Jacob and his brothers, his father scolded him, saying "What is this dream that you have dreamed? Will I and your mother and your brothers bow down before you?" Therefore his brothers were jealous of him; but his father remembered the dream.
Joseph's brothers took their father's sheep to Shechem, Jacob said to Joseph, "Go, see whether all goes well with your brothers and with the flock, and report back to me."
So Jacob sent Joseph out, and a certain man found him, as he was wandering in the field, and the man asked him, "What are you looking for?" He said, "I am looking for my brothers; tell me, I beg of you, where they are pasturing the flock."
The man said, "They have gone away, for I heard them say, 'Let us go to Dothan.'" So Joseph went after his brothers and found them in Dothan.
When they saw him in the distance, before he came to them, they planned together to kill him. And they said one to another, "See, here comes that great dreamer! Come, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits, and we will say, 'A fierce beast has devoured him.' Then we shall see what will become of his dreams!"
But Judah saved Joseph's life by saying, "Let us not take his life." Reuben also said to them, "Do not shed blood; throw him into this pit, here in the wilderness; but do not harm him." Reuben said this to save Joseph so that he could bring him back to his father. So when Joseph came to his brothers, they took off his long coat with sleeves and threw him into the pit. But the pit was empty, there being no water in it.
Then they sat down to eat and, when they looked up, they saw a band of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead; and their camels were loaded with spices, gum, and ladanum on their way to carry it down to Egypt. And Judah said to his brothers, "What do we gain if we kill our brother and hide him? Let's sell him to Ishmaelites, and not harm him, for he is our brother." So his brothers listened to Judah. They pulled Joseph out of the bit and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And so the Ishmaelites took Joseph to Egypt.
His brothers took Joseph's long coat, put blood on it, and brought it to their father. They said, "We found this; see whether it is your son's coat or not." Jacob recognized it and said, "It is my son's coat! A wild beast has devoured him! Joseph surely is torn in pieces." Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth about his waist, and mourned for his son many days. All his sons and his daughters tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted, saying, "I shall go down to the grave mourning for my son."
Meanwhile, the Ishmaelites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard. Even though this was a very hard time for Joseph, he trusted that God had a plan and He wasn’t finished yet. God has a plan for us, too.
Bible Paraphrase: “The plans of the LORD stand firm forever.” (“But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.” Psalm 33:11 NIV)
Text Truth: God has a plan for me.
Family Devotional
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” – Jeremiah 1:5
Thank God for teaching you and your family that you can trust God's plan, even when you are sad. Ask God to help your family trust Him when they are sad.
Activities You Can Do at Home
Teach the Memory Verse
Say the memory verse and do the following motions with your child.
The plans (hold up fingers 1, 2, 3)
of the LORD (both hands point up)
stand firm forever (stomp feet with hands on hips).
Psalm 33:11, NIV (Hold out hands like a book.)
That’s a Wrap!
You'll Need: Several rolls of different colored crepe paper
Select an adult family member who is willing to be wrapped up in the crepe paper. Let each family member take a turn wrapping the adult with some of the crepe paper. Tell each family member to walk around the adult two times as they wrap him/her. Switch the color after the first three or four wrappings. Repeat until the adult is fully wrapped and every family member has had a turn.
As you wrap the adult, remind you child that in the Bible story, Jacob gave his son Joseph a beautiful coat.
After you finish wrapping, remind your child that Joseph received a very special gift, but that it made his brothers angry and they did something very bad: They sent Joseph away. But God knew where Joseph was going because God had a plan for Joseph. Remind your child that God has a plan for them, too.
Spell Bible Words
You'll Need: Bible, butcher paper, letter stamps, washable ink pad, washable markers, colored dot stickers
- On a large paper, write several words such as Bible, God, right, love, be kind.
- Invite your child to use letter stamps to spell one or two of the words.
- While your child stamps letters and decorates their papers, open the Bible to Psalm 33.11. Way with your child the Bible phrase, "The plans of the LORD stand firm forever."
- Lead the children to repeat the Bible phrase.
- Help your child find the Books of Genesis, Jeremiah and Psalms.
- Remark that at each place in the Bible, we learn that God has a plan for us.
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Story illustrations are the copyright of Sweet Publishing and licensed by FreeBibleimages (http://freebibleimages.org) for free download under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Share-alike 3.0 unported licence.
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