Intermediate Level, Block 3—Good Land to Egypt
Week 29
Joseph—Dealing with His Brothers
Point to Emphasize: We need to be those who learn to accept how our parents deal with situations for our benefit.
Reference Reading: Genesis 42—45
Memory Verse: O Jehovah, You have searched me and known me. (Psalm 139:1)
Story Sample
We learned last week that Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt to get some food and they bowed down to him. Joseph recognized them but didn’t tell them right away who he was. On the other side, Joseph’s brothers did not recognize Joseph at all.
I’m sure that when they saw this man who was the ruler of the ONLY land that had food in all the earth, they never thought this was the brother they had sold. Since they did not recognize Joseph, out of his love, he decided to test and discipline them. Joseph was not cruel. Joseph was very sober in the ways he did all these things. In order for Joseph’s brothers to recognize him, they had to pass through a certain process. They went back and forth from Canaan to Egypt three times during a six-month span before Joseph revealed to his brothers who he was. This is the longest story in the book of Genesis!
Okay, here we go! When the ten brothers came to Joseph, Joseph wanted to disguise himself and accused them of being spies. The ten brothers told Joseph that they were not spies, but that they were twelve brothers of a man from Canaan. They told him that their youngest brother stayed home with his dad and that their other brother was no more.
To start testing them, Joseph decided to question them. He put them in different situations until they would admit what they had done wrong. So, he started by putting them in custody. After three days, he decided to keep Simeon and sent away the other nine brothers back to Canaan to bring to him their youngest brother. On their way back to Canaan, when they opened their sacks of food they found the silver they used to buy their food! Joseph had restored their money and gave them provision for their journey. This must have frightened them! Joseph showed them his love by giving back their money in their sacks. However, Joseph gave them limited food so that one day when it was all gone, they will be forced to return to Egypt with Benjamin. Joseph was so wise! But delaying to tell them who he was, also meant he couldn’t see his father Jacob right away, even though I’m sure he was longing to do so. What a patient, forgiving and loving person Joseph was!
Well, when his brothers came back with Benjamin, Joseph sent a servant to invite them to his residence to eat with him. They brought Simeon out of custody and Joseph seated them according to the sequence of their birth. All the brothers looked at one another in astonishment! He had food brought to them and Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of the others. Even with all these hints that Joseph was giving them, his brothers couldn’t recognize him!
Can you believe all these things? There is still one more test! When they were about to leave to Canaan, Joseph had his men fill all their sacks with food. But this time, he had them hide his silver cup in Benjamin’s sack. When they were about to leave, Joseph called them and accused them of stealing his cup. When they all opened their sacks and found that Joseph’s cup was in Benjamin’s sack, Joseph told them that he was keeping Benjamin with him. Then Judah told Joseph that their father would die if they don’t return with Benjamin because their father had already mourned the death of one of his sons. That’s when Joseph couldn’t hold it any longer. Joseph wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him. Joseph said to his brothers, “I AM JOSEPH! Is my father still alive?” His brothers could not answer him! They were SO troubled they were in front of Joseph!
I’ve had multiple occasions where I had done something wrong and I tried to hide it. My dad knew the truth all along. But instead of coming and telling me what I had done wrong, he would come to me and ask me questions. He would try to draw the answers from me until I would admit what I had done wrong. Now, I realize that his ways of dealing with me were the best! [Storyteller, insert a story you can share with the children of someone dealing with you in the best way for your benefit.]
As children, we all go through many experiences where we might feel like Joseph’s brothers. Maybe we did something wrong and we tried to cover it. We thought no one would find out! But, your dad knew all along what had happened and instead of just coming and telling you, he decided to test you. With this story we can be encouraged that the ones that God put over us know how to best care for us! Our parents and our serving ones know how to best deal with the situations to help us realize our mistakes. We need to learn to accept how they deal with the situations for our benefit!