THE CHURCH IN NEW YORK CITY

CHILDREN’S MEETING LESSON

DATE: March 5, 2017

SUBJECT: GOD’S CALLING IN THE OLD TESTAMENT: God Called Joseph (4 of 5)

SCRIPTURE: Genesis 42:1—45:15; 50:14-21; Proverbs 15:3; Ecclesiastes 12:14; Mark 4:22

AIM: To see that as God’s called ones 1) if we hide our sins we will be under guilt and fear but if we confess our sins, we will obtain mercy and forgiveness and 2) we must learn to forgive others as God has forgiven us.

MEMORY VERSES TO CHOOSE FROM: Psa. 32:5 (I acknowledged my sin to You, And I did not cover my iniquity. I said, I will confess my transgressions to Jehovah. Then You forgave the iniquity of my sin.); 1 John 1:9 (If weconfess our sins, He isfaithful andrighteous to forgive us oursins andcleanse us from allunrighteousness.); Psalms 69:5 (O God, You know my foolishness, And my sins of guilt are not hidden from You.); Col. 3:13 (Bearing one another andforgivingone another, if anyone should have a complaint against anyone; even as theLord forgave you, so also should you forgive.)

SONG SUGGESTIONS:53 (God is Light); 54 (He Cannot Fail); 32 (Trust in the Lord); 180 (If We Confess our Sins); 183(When God Forgives He Forgets); 6733 (Trust in the Lord); 6724 Matthew Songs (2); 18 (Then Peter Came and Said to Him); 3730 (Joseph #1); 3731 (Joseph #2)

CRAFT IDEAS: Cut fabric in the shape of a sack, and fill with some grain and a “silver” cup made of gray construction paper.

APPROACH: (1) Have you ever had a hard time forgiving someone after they did or said something bad (impolite, mean, cruel, rude, dishonest) to you? (2) Have you ever felt bad (guilty, shameful, upset, sorrowful) about something you did or said to someone else? Did you apologize or do something to show you were sorry?

BACKGROUND: It had been a very long time since Joseph last saw his family. He must have missed his father Jacob and his little brother Benjamin a lot. Joseph was only about 17 years old when he was sold into slavery (Gen. 37:2) and 30 years old when he became a governor before Pharaoh (Gen. 41:46). Then as God had revealed in Pharaoh’s dreams, 7 years of abundance passed, and then 2 out of the 7 years of severe famine. So in total, this added up to about 22 years since Joseph had last seen his family. This is a long time to not see your family! In the meantime, God was with Joseph and he was now second-in-command, just under Pharaoh.

CONTENT: Today’s story took place during the second year of the seven-year famine. The severe famine was not just in Egypt but everywhere (Gen. 41:57), so people from other places had to come to Egypt to buy food or else they would starve to death. The severe famine also affected Jacob’s family back in the land of Canaan. They were quickly running out of food to eat for their large family. The family included not only Jacob and his sons, but there were also daughters, and the sons’ wives, and many grandchildren among others in the household. When Jacob found out that there was food in Egypt, he sent his ten older sons to go there to buy grain for the family so that they could survive. But he kept the youngest son Benjamin home so that nothing would happen to him. Remember, only Joseph and Benjamin were born of Jacob’s beloved wife Rachel before she died. Since Jacob already lost Joseph, he did not want to lose Benjamin too.

The brothers come before Joseph, but do not recognize him. When the brothers reached Egypt to buy grain, who was in charge of all the food? It was Joseph! But so many years had passed--over 20 years--that the brothers did not recognize Joseph. He must have looked different since he was at least 20 years older now. As they bowed down to Joseph, he recognized his brothers, but he disguised himself and they didn’t recognize him. He spoke harshly to them and asked where they had come from. They told him that they had come from the land of Canaan to buy grain. At this point, Joseph remembered the dreams he had about his brothers when he was seventeen years old. In his dreams, they had bowed down to him, and now it was really happening!

Joseph tests his brothers. Joseph tested them and accused them multiple times of being spies. “You are spies and you have come to see the nakedness of the land.” (Gen. 42:9) They denied being spies, and responded, “No, my lord; rather your servants have come to buy grain for food. We are all sons of one man. We are honest men; your servants have never been spies.” (Gen. 42:11) Joseph accused them again of being spies, but his brothers continued, “We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and at this moment the youngest is with our father today, and one is no more.” (Gen. 42:13) Then Joseph told them that to prove that they were indeed brothers and not spies—one of them had to go back to Canaan to fetch the youngest brother. This must have been a very difficult thing to agree to, since the brothers knew that Jacob kept Benjamin behind so that nothing bad would happen to him. While the brothers were deciding what to do, Joseph put them all in custody.

While the brothers were in custody for three days, they felt very guilty for what they had done to their younger brother Joseph about twenty-two years ago. They said to one another, “We are indeed guilty concerning our brother, because we saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us, yet we would not listen; therefore this distress has come to us.” (Gen. 42:21) They remembered that Joseph had pleaded desperately while they plotted evil against him, yet they ignored his pleas, throwing him into a pit and then selling him into slavery. Now, they felt these bad things were happening to them because of their guilt. Reuben, the oldest brother and the one that had tried to stop them from harming Joseph, said to the other brothers, “Did I not speak to you, saying, Do not sin against the child? But you would not listen. So now also his blood is required.” (Gen. 42:22). All this time Joseph was listening and understood what they were saying! Imagine, they were talking about Joseph and he was right there listening to what they were saying. But they did not know that Joseph understood them, because Joseph was speaking the Egyptian language and was using a translator to speak to his brothers. So they thought they were talking secretly amongst themselves, but Joseph understood everything. Listening to their repentance and guilt, he turned away from them and wept. But he did not want them to see him weeping. He later returned to them and spoke to them, and took Simeon from among them and bound him before their eyes. Simeon would be kept in custody until the other brothers brought back Benjamin to prove they were not spies.

Though Joseph was harsh with them, he also took care of his brothers. Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain and give them provisions for their journey back. He also had the money that they had brought with them secretly put back in their sacks. Later, on their way back, one of them opened his sack to feed his donkey, and discovered that the silver money was in the mouth of his sack! The brothers were very afraid. Their heart stopped, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?” (Gen. 42:28) They must have been very afraid they would get into big trouble since they had all this grain, but their money was still with them!

The brothers return to Canaan. When they got back to Canaan, they told Jacob all that had happened. Jacob was extremely sorrowful and bereaved. Not only had he lost his precious son Joseph, now another son Simeon was gone! And the brothers told him they had to bring Benjamin! Jacob did not want to let Benjamin go. Reuben even pledged to his father that he could put to death Reuben’s two sons if he did not bring Benjamin back home safely, but Jacob still refused to let Benjamin go. “My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left.” (Gen. 42:38a) If anything should happen to Benjamin, Jacob said he would surely die in sorrow.

Jacob sends his sons for a second trip to Egypt. But eventually, Jacob and his family completely ran out of grain. They had no choice. Jacob told his sons to make a second trip to Egypt to get more food. Judah reminded his father that if they went back to Egypt, the man in power (Joseph) told them they would have to bring Benjamin with them. “If you are willing to send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you grain for food; But if you are not willing to send him, we will not go down; for the man said to us, You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.” (Gen. 42:4-5) Jacob was upset that the brothers had told the man in charge about the youngest brother Benjamin, but the brothers said they could not help it because the man had inquired very carefully about their family. Judah then pledged himself as a surety, a guarantee, for his brother and said he would bear the blame forever if he did not return safely with Benjamin. Jacob finally agreed to send Benjamin and had gifts prepared to bring to Joseph. He also told his sons to bring back double the amount of silver that was found in their sacks—maybe it was put there by mistake.

Joseph sees his brothers and Benjamin again. The brothers took the present and double the silver, as their father had advised, and went back down to Egypt with Benjamin. When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, Joseph must have had a lot of emotions and feeling. This was his younger brother that he had not seen in over twenty years! Though it was difficult, he held back his emotions. He told his steward to have a meal prepared for the visitors. The brothers were afraid that Joseph was angry about the silver found in their sacks and thought he intended to capture them as slaves when they were in his house. They spoke to Joseph’s steward at the door of the house and tried to explain what had happened with the silver. The steward told them to be at peace and not to be afraid—God had given them the silver in their sacks. The steward then brought Simeon out to them and brought them into Joseph’s house, where he took care of them and gave their donkeys food. When Joseph came in, they gave him the present they had brought and they bowed down to him. Joseph asked how they had been and how their father was doing. When he confirmed that it was Benjamin they had brought, Joseph could no longer restrain his tears so he ran out to find a place to weep. After weeping, he washed his face and came out again and controlled himself. He told his servants to serve the meal. Because they were seated according to their ages, the brothers looked at each other; they were astonished. It might be easy to tell with younger children who is the oldest and who is the youngest in the family. But these were all grown men, so they must have been shocked that they were seated in order. But they still did not know that it was their brother Joseph in charge. Joseph had his servants bring food to all the brothers but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much.

Joseph’s silver cup found in Benjamin’s sack.Sometime after the meal, Joseph told his steward to fill the brothers’ sacks with food and to put their silver back in their sacks. Joseph also told him to put his special silver cup into Benjamin’s sack! When they were returning back to their home the next morning, Joseph gave his steward instructions to overtake his brothers and accuse them of stealing. When the steward overtook them, he asked them why they had repaid evil for good by taking Joseph's cup. They strongly denied it and were so sure none of them had taken anything that they made a serious promise: Whoever had the cup would die and they would become Joseph’s slaves. After searching all their sacks, the steward found the cup in Benjamin's sack! The brothers were so distressed that they tore their clothes and they all returned back to the city with Benjamin. Joseph commanded them to leave Benjamin in Egypt to be his slave since it was in his sack that they found the cup. He told the rest of them to go home in peace. But the brothers did not do that.

Judah’s repentance and offering to be a slave in place of Benjamin.Judah was especially afraid because he had promised his father that he would bring Benjamin back to him. Judah began to desperately plead with Joseph, explaining that they absolutely had to return Benjamin to his father since their father had already lost another beloved son. “When he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die; and your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father in sorrow to Sheol.” (Gen. 44:31) Judah also said he would bear the blame if Benjamin did not return to his father, and wanted the man in charge to take him instead of Benjamin. “Now therefore, please let your servant remain as a slave to my lord instead of the boy, and let the boy go up with his brothers. For how shall I go up to my father if the boy is not with me? I fear to see the evil that would come on my father.” (Gen. 44:34)

Joseph reveals himself to his brothers. After Judah’s plea from his heart, and his offer to be a slave in place of Benjamin, Joseph could no longer control himself and hold back tears. He told everyone else to leave, then he wept aloud and made himself known to his brothers. He wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” (Gen. 45:3) The brothers could not believe it. They were so shocked that they could not answer him. They were so troubled at his presence. Joseph was warm to his brothers and said, “Please come closer to me.” (Gen. 45:4) The brothers came closer, and Joseph said, “I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.” (Gen. 45:4-5) Joseph was not angry or vengeful toward his brothers. He actually forgave them! Joseph explained to his brothers how it was really God who allowed him to pass through so many things to preserve lives. He told his brothers that they should hurry back to Jacob to tell him he was still alive and ruler of Egypt and to bring his household down to Goshen so Joseph could take care of all of them. Then Joseph fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin also wept on Joseph’s neck. Joseph also kissed all his brothers and wept upon them, and after that, his brothers talked with him.

SUGGESTED APPLICATIONS TO CHOOSE FROM:

●We can never hide our sins. When we sin, we cannot hide it or just forget about it. God sees everything and knows everything. Joseph’s brothers had guilt on their conscience for over twenty years! But their sin was not forgotten. They had plotted to kill him, thrown him into a pit, and sold him into slavery, making some money from selling Joseph. They also led their father to believe a terrible lie by dipping Joseph’s coat into the blood of a goat. They felt guilty for what they had done, and believed that God was punishing them by letting many bad things happen to them.

●When we sin, we should repent and confess. Although the brothers committed terrible sins, eventually they genuinely repented for what they had done. Before Joseph revealed who he was, he tested them in different ways probably to see if they had repented. How are some ways the brothers showed they repented? Some examples we can discuss with the children:

○When Benjamin was given 5 times more, it seems the brothers did not get jealous. This was different than when Joseph was given a coat many years ago, and his brothers hated him.