Lesson 18: The Power of Forgiveness

Aims
*To be familiar with main points of the story
*To learn about forgiveness

Materials
Genesis 39-46
The Beginner’s Bible
Visual aids: pictures from the story
Materials for a story frieze – strips of card, glue, pictures from the story, scissors, paper clips
Paper cups and silver foil
Spot-the-difference worksheet
Key words: forgive, revenge

Lesson Outline
1. Review last week’s story
2. Tell the story
3. Questions
4. Activities – retell the story, story frieze, act out the story, spot-the difference, hide-and-seek
5. Review the aims
6. Prayer

1) Review last week’s story
Jacob’s favourite son was Joseph. When he gave him a coat of many colours, his brothers became jealous. Joseph had dreams in which his family bowed down to him. This made his brothers so angry that they sold him as a slave. They told their father he had been killed by a wild animal.

2) Story
Genesis 39-41
Pharaoh’s Dream
The traders took Joseph to Egypt. He was thrown into jail. But he had done nothing wrong.
Joseph trusted God to help him. He made friends with some of the prisoners.
One of them had been a wine taster for Pharaoh. Pharaoh was the leader of Egypt. The wine taster said, “Last night, I had a dream. I was picking grapes and squeezing them into Pharaohʼs cup. Then I put the cup into his hand. What does this mean, Joseph?”

Joseph answered, “You will be Pharaohʼs wine taster again. Once you are free, please donʼt forget about me. Help me get out of jail, too.”

A few days later, the wine tasterʼs dream came true. He got out of jail and became Pharaohʼs wine taster once again. But he forgot about Joseph. Later, Pharaoh had two strange dreams. In one dream, he saw seven heavy cows and seven skinny cows. The skinny cows ate up all the heavy cows. In another dream, Pharaoh saw seven healthy plants. Then he saw seven dried-up plants. The dried-up plants ate up all the healthy plants. Pharaoh was confused. Pharaohʼs wise men were confused, too. Then the wine taster remembered Joseph. He told Pharaoh that he could explain his dreams. With Godʼs help, Joseph told Pharaoh what his dream meant.

“For the next seven years, plenty of food will grow. For seven years after that, not enough food will grow, because there will be no rain.” Pharaoh said, “Joseph, you are a very wise man. I will make you ruler over Egypt.

Genesis 42-43
Joseph saves his family
For the ﬁrst seven years Joseph was in charge of gathering extra food for the people of Egypt. That way, when hardly any crops grew, there would still be plenty to eat. Then the seven bad years began, and the people in other countries had no food at all. Even Josephʼs family did not have enough to eat. So Josephʼs father sent his sons to Egypt to buy some food.

When the brothers arrived in Egypt, they went to Joseph and bowed down to him. They did not know he was their brother. But Joseph knew. Joseph sold them some food. Then the brothers left to go home. Sometime later they returned to buy more food. Just as Joseph had dreamed, they bowed down to him – again. Finally, Joseph told them, “I am your brother!” His brothers were afraid.

But Joseph told them not to be afraid. “God has made something good out of what happened. He had a special plan for me,” he said. They all hugged. Josephʼs brothers rushed home. They told their father what had happened. Jacob was so happy to hear that Joseph was alive. The whole family moved to Egypt.

3) Discussion
Questions about the story
1. Where did Joseph go?
2. What dream did the prisoner have?
3. What did Joseph say the dream meant?
4. What dreams did the king have?
5. What did Joseph say his dreams meant?
6. How did the king reward Joseph?
7. Why did Joseph’s brothers come to Egypt?
8. What did Joseph do when his brothers came for food?
9. Which of Joseph’s dreams came true?

How did God help Joseph?
*God gave him the ability to explain dreams.

What does the story teach us about forgiveness?

Joseph
was treated badly by his brothers. He could have taken revenge. Revenge means to get back at them. He could have put them in prison or made them into slaves, because that’s what they did to him. Instead he forgave them and he brought the family together again.

Joseph’s brothers were very sorry for what they did. Joseph was moved in his heart. If someone says sorry to you it is easier to forgive them Has someone done something mean to you? Were you sad or angry? Did you do something back? Lots of children do, but God’s wants to try to be nice to everyone, even those who are mean to us. God wants us to forgive others and love them like He loves us.

5) Activities
*Retell the story – Put the pictures in the correct order and retell the story in your own words
*Story Frieze – Stick strips of card together with tape and fold them into a concertina effect. Cut and paste pictures from the story onto the card, in the correct order. Write a title, “Joseph Forgives” on the front card. Use a paper clip to hold the strips together. Use it to retell the story. Take it home.

*Act out the story – act out the scene when the brothers visit Egypt
*Spot-the difference – find 10 differences between the pictures
*Hide-and-seek – Cover a paper cup with foil to look like the silver cup. Write your name on it. Someone hides them. How many can you find? Can you find your own

6) Review the lesson aims
*To be familiar with main points of the story
*To learn about forgiveness

7) Prayer
Let us learn from the story of Joseph. He showed us that God forgives us when we do wrong. Ask God to help us to forgive those who do wrong to us. Ask God to help us to say sorry when we do wrong to others.