Joseph Becomes a Slave (GN 37 & 39)

Poor Joseph! Sold to the Egyptians as a slave! Could you imagine being free to do whatever you want one day and being a slave the next?

Now the brothers had to go face Jacob, their father. What do you think they told him?

Here’s what the brothers did. They took Josephs colorful coat that his father gave him and sprinkled it with blood. Then they gave the bloody coat to their father.                                                                

“We found this on the way back home father.” one of the brothers said. “It looks like some kind of wild animal tore him to shreds!” They continued.

Joseph was Jacob’s favorite son so he was very upset. He screamed and tore his clothes. ( in those days when you tore your clothes on purpose, it was a sign of sadness and hurting). if we tore our clothes on purpose.... we’d get grounded!

Jacob’s sons all tried to comfort him, but he was too upset. “Leave me alone! My son favorite Joseph is dead!” Jacob cried.                                                                                                                                        

 Meanwhile Joseph was sold by the traders that bought him to a very important man named Potiphar.

Potiphar was one of Pharaoh’s main guys and Pharaoh was the king. Even though Joseph was in a bad spot, he never stopped loving God or never stopped trusting Him. Sometimes when things go wrong, we start doubting God and His love. We should be like Joseph. He became the best slave ever! Potiphar saw that God was with Joseph in all he did. Potiphar trusted Joseph and made him head of his household and he put him in charge of everything he owned. Joseph even got to live in Potiphar’s very expensive home.

  Everything was going pretty good for Joseph for a couple years. As time went by, Joseph got older and more handsome. One day Potiphar’s wife was alone with Joseph. She tried to kiss Joseph, but Joseph backed away. “Potiphar has put me in charge of everything. He trusts me and I’m not going sin against him or God by kissing you!” Joseph told her and he left.                                                                                  

  As time passed, Joseph kept his distance from Potiphar’s wife. He didn’t want a repeat of what happened before. But Potiphar’s wife made sure that Joseph would be alone with her again. When she got him alone, Potiphar’s wife snuck up on Joseph and gave him a hug and tried to kiss him. Joseph took off so fast, that he left Potiphar’s wife holding his cloak!          

 In hard circumstances, we always have a choice. Most of the time it is easy to see what God would want us to choose. Joseph made Godly choices when he decided to be the best slave that he could be and when he didn’t kiss Potiphar’s wife (and the Bible says that she was very beautiful!)        

We have to remember that God has a plan. Sometimes our life gets a little harder for a while so that God’s plan could work. Hard times make us a better person, and the better person we are, the more God can use us. We should obey God and we have to trust God! Do you think God knows what he is doing? Me too!

Joseph, his coat and his brothers (Genesis37)

I hope you had a great Christmas and New years!

Remember last time we were talking about Isaac, his two sons, Jacob and Esau and how Jacob tricked Isaac into giving him the family blessing? After that happened, Jacob was so afraid of his brother that he left. Jacob and Esau only met one time after that.

Jacob had 12 sons. One of his sons was named Joseph. In the next few blogs, we will be talking about Joseph. he had a most amazing life!

Out of all Jacob’s sons, Joseph was his favorite. Jacob treated Joseph extra special. He even made him a very colorful robe. Joseph loved the robe. he wore it all the time.
But Joseph’s brother’s were jealous of him. They did not like that their father treated him extra special. One day, all the brothers, except Joseph, were tending the sheep just outside of town. Jacob called Joseph over. “Joseph, could you go check on your brother and see if they need any water?”

Joseph left right away. Of course he was wearing his favorite colorful robe that his father gave him. Joseph’s brother’s could see him a mile away wearing it! They got madder and more jealous the closer Joseph came. By the time Joseph reached the brothers, they had already planned on killing him.

Rueben was the oldest. he said, “No we don’t want Joseph’s blood on our hands. We’ll just throw him in this abandoned well. If he dies, he dies.... but we will not have shed his blood.
So they took off Joseph’s robe and tossed him into the dry well. I bet Joseph was scared and hurt. His brother’s were just about to leave, when they saw some rich merchants passing by. One of the brother’s came up with the idea to pull Joseph out of the well and sell him as a slave! So that’s what they did. The brothers traded their brother, Joseph, for 20 coins!
Joseph was probably glad to be out of the well, but I’m sure he was really hurt that his brother’s did that to him. His brother’s did some bad things to Joseph because they were jealous. Jealousy is a sin and it leads to other sins. Whenever I see something that someone has that I wish I had, I have to ask God to help me, because I can feel jealousy starting. God helps me to be happy for the other person. Have you ever felt jealous? It doesn’t feel good does it? Have you ever been happy for someone? It feels good doesn’t it? Next time you start getting jealous, ask God for help. He loves you!!

Isaac Gives His Blessing (GN 27)

You thought the story of Esau and Jacob and the soup was crazy... wait till you hear this one!

So Isaac,(Jacob and Esau's father) was getting very old. He couldn't even see anymore. He knew that he had better give his son his blessing before he died. The blessing put one son in charge of everything after the father died. The blessing was a big deal!

"Esau!" Isaac called.

"I'm here father."

"Take your bow and go into the fields. Bring back something and cook it up just the way I like it!" I'm getting old and I want to give you my blessing before I die." Isaac said.

Isaac's wife Rebekah was listening at the door.

Rebekah called to her other son Jacob. "I overheard your father tell Esau to hunt some food, cook it and bring it to him, and he will give him his blessing! Hurry Jacob! Run out to the barn, grab a nice fat goat, and I will cook it just the way your father likes it. Then you can bring him his favorite meal and he'll give YOU his blessing!"

The funny thing was that God had already told Rebekah that Jacob was going to be in charge of everything! She lied and cheated to make something happen that God was already planning to do! Do you think that was right? She didn't trust God. She trusted her own lies and tricks more.

The Bible says that the first shall be last and the last shall be first. Have you ever put yourself first instead of waiting for God? The Bible says to give and you will receive. Have you ever kept something for yourself because you didn't trust God enough?

"It's not going to work mother!" Jacob said. "Esau is hairy! I am smooth skinned! For sure my father will want to hug me during the blessing and know that I tricked him! My father will curse me.... not bless me!"

"Just do as I say!" Replied Jacob's mother. "I'll take the curse if my plan doesn't work!" With that, Jacob ran out to the barn. He brought back a nice fat goat and Rebekah cooked it up just the way Isaac liked it!

Rebekah had already laid out Esau's clothes for Jacob to wear. After getting dressed, Jacob's mother took the goat's skin and wrapped it over Jacob's arms and hands so that he would feel hairy like Esau.

...........see if you can come up with something funny that Jacob is saying to his mother.............

Jacob took the meal to his father. "I'm back father and I've done just as you asked me. " Jacob handed his father the food.

"How did you hunt it and cook it so fast my son?" Isaac asked.

"With the Lord's help." Jacob quickly responded.

"Come closer so I can smell you and touch you my son." Isaac said. "You sound just like Jacob!

"Ah but you ARE Esau... you smell and feel like Esau." Isaac ate the food and gave his blessing to Jacob, who he thought was Esau! The blessing is in Genesis 27:28-29.

As soon as he got the blessing, Jacob took off. A few minutes later Esau showed up with some food. "Here is your favorite meal just as you had asked father." Easu said with a smile. He couldn't wait for the blessing and handed Isaac the bowl.

"What is going on? I just gave Esau the blessing. who are you?" Isaac asked

"I AM Esau, your oldest son, father."

Isaac began to tremble uncontrollably. "Your brother tricked me into giving him my blessing!"

"Bless me too father." Esau begged. "There must be some blessing left over!"

"No, I'm sorry son. I made Jacob ruler over all, including you and your servants. There is nothing else." Isaac said.

"Please father! Anything! Something!" Esau was crying like a baby.

"There is nothing I can do, you will serve your brother." Isaac said as Esau lowered his head and left with tears in his eyes.

The twins- Jacob and Esau Genesis 25

When Isaac grew up, he married Rebekah. One day Rebekah told Isaac that she was going to have twins. She knew this because God told her so. God told her that her two sons would become two nations. He also told her that the older son would serve the younger..... which was not the usual way in Rebekah's time.

When the time came for Rebekah to give birth, she did have twins, just like God said. The first baby was very hairy and the second was not. The funny thing was that the second baby was holding the heel of the first baby when they were born!

Here is a coloring page for you. Click on picture and print.

God made us all different. You are not exactly the same as your brother or sister. How did God make you different? Why does God make us different? Because we all have a different purpose. We all have a special job that God has planned for us to help Him build His kingdom.(Eph.2:10)

Isaac and Rebekah named the twins Esau (which means hairy) and Jacob ( which means heel).

The twins grew up and Esau became a strong hunter. Jacob was a quiet stay at home kinda guy. He liked to cook with his mom.

One day Esau came back from a day of hunting. He smelled something delicious. Jacob was cooking up some of his famous Red Stew. " Give me some of that stew my brother!" Esau said

Jacob replied, "If you trade me your birth right, you can have all the stew."

Even though they were twins, Esau was born first, right before Jacob, so he got all the special favors, rights, blessings and inheritance. This is called the birth right.

Are you a twin? or the oldest in your family? or do you like to cook? do you love the outdoors?

Esau thought to himself, "I am starving to death, what good is the birthright if I'm dead!" So he traded his birthright to Jacob for a big bowl of red stew.

Have you ever done something without really thinking, and then regretted it later?

The Bible says that we should wait on the Lord.(Isaiah 30:18) Pray and ask God for guidance. (Psalm 27:11) We don't have to have everything we want right away. If we learn to be patient and persevere it builds our character.(Rom.5:3-4)

Abraham Passes the Test (GN22)

Sometimes God asks us to do hard things. God asked Abraham to do a very hard thing.

"Abraham, I want you to sacrifice your son, Isaac, to me on a mountain that I will show you." God said.

Wow! God will never ask us to hurt anyone. He may ask us to give up a favorite toy or do things that we don'y want to do, but He won't ask us to hurt anyone... ever.

The next morning, Abraham took his son, Isaac and a few servants and headed toward the mountain.

Remember how long Abraham waited for a son? 100 years! He must have been brokenhearted as they walked up the mountain. But Abraham trusted God. He trusted that God would keep His promise. Remember that God promised Abraham that he would have lots and lots of grandkids and great grandkids and great, great grandkids. (more than the stars in the sky) Abraham didn't know what God had planned, but he knew that he should obey God.

About halfway up the mountain, Abraham told his servants to stay there until he and Isaac came back. A little farther up the , Isaac asked Abraham, "We have the wood and the fire, but where is the lamb for the sacrifice?"

"God will provide a lamb for the sacrifice." Abraham answered. He kept remembering God's promise.

When they got to the top of the mountain, Abraham tied Isaac to the alter and raised a knife above him. "Stop! Do not harm the boy!" a voice said. It was God. "Now I know that you trust me and believe me." God said. "I will bless you!"

Just then Abraham saw a ram caught in a thorn bush. God had provided a sacrifice! Abraham named that place: God Will Provide.

God wants us to realize how hard it must have been for Abraham to sacrifice his son so that we can appreciate how hard it was for God to sacrifice His son, Jesus for us.

God provided the ram in the thorn bush to save Isaac. Jesus is the lamb (with a crown of thorns) to save us! God has PROVIDED!

Sodom and Gomorrah Destroyed! (Gn 19)

"I am Going to send fire down from the sky and destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah!" God told Abraham.

"Please, God." Abraham pleaded . " My nephew Lot is a good man. He and his family are living in Sodom. I ask you to spare the city."

"There is just too much evil there. I cannot spare the city. But I will save Lot and his family." God answered.

The next evening, God sent a couple of angels to the city of Sodom. They found Lot sitting at the gate of the city. Lot saw the men/angels and knew they were special. "Come home with me for the night. I will give you a hot meal and a bed." Lot said. At first the men said no, but Lot insisted and they agreed.

"You have to get you family together and leave this evil city." One of the angels told Lot after they had gone back to Lot's house. Lot's wife and his two daughters were there and heard as the angel continued. " Sodom is an evil city and is has been marked for destruction by God himself. If you have any other family members, like sons or son-in-laws..... let them know!"

Lot's wife said, " Be careful and hurry back." as Lot ran off to tell his sons-in-law about what God had in store for the city of Sodom. When Lot returned home he told his wife and daughters that he couldn't convince the sons-in-laws to leave Sodom because they thought he was joking.

One of the angels shouted, "OK, well it's time to get going!" But Lot and his wife started to look around at everything they had. Lot was rich and they would be leaving a lot of stuff behind.

" I can't believe it! You guys are worried about what you are leaving behind! If we don't leave right now...." The angel said as they grabbed Lot and his wife by the arm."... you will be burned up with all your stuff! Just start running toward the mountains and whatever you do, don't stop and don't look back!" The angels had to pull Lot and his family out of the house.

"There is a small city named Zoar." Lot told the angels. " The mountains are quite far and it would be hard to live there. Can't we just go as far as Zoar and stop there?"

"OK." said the angel, " Zoar will be spared and you can start a new life there. But get there quickly, because as soon as you get to Zoar, fire will fall from the sky and destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah!"

Lot, his wife and two daughters ran a fast as they could, remembering not to stop and not to look back. As soon as they reached the city gates of Zoar, Lot and his family could see the sky brightening and they knew that fire was falling from the sky behind them. Lot and his two daughters continued to head into the city and not look back, but Lot's wife stopped and looked behind her. and she became a pillar of salt!

Abraham got up early the next morning and stood on top of a hill. He looked down toward Sodom and saw very thick smoke coming from where the city once was. He knew that his nephew was safe, because God promised to spare him and God always keeps his promises.

Wow! What a story! We can learn a few things from Abraham, Lot and Lot's wife.

1. Abraham was asking God to spare his nephew's life. We can talk to God! Isn't that amazing that we can talk to the same God that Abraham talked to. The same God that created the earth!

It's called PRAYER. When we are praying, we are talking to God. When we are talking to God, we are praying. We can pray for other people. God wants us to pray for others.

2. Lot's son-in-laws didn't believe Lot. Why? Probably because Lot had not told the truth all the time. We have to be careful not to lie. Because then people won't believe us when we tell them the truth.

3. Lot and his wife almost didn't get out in time because they were looking at everything that they were leaving behind. Because we are in God's family now, we can't live the same way that we did before.

4. Lot's wife looked back and she became salt. She looked back with her eyes and her heart. This word looked means "longed for". She wanted what she left behind. If we keep looking back at what we can't do or can't have now that we are Christians... we will miss what God want for us and what purpose He has for our lives.

TRY THIS: Put a penny on the floor at the base of a wall. Now you to the opposite side of the room. Start walking toward the penny, but look at something on the wall behind you. ( a picture of a clock etc...) Now try to pick up the penny while you are still looking backwards. How did you do?

Abram becomes Abraham

Remember last time... God told Abraham to look at the stars. God promised that Abraham would have more descendants than the stars. Beginning with a son. Well... twenty years later God reminds Abraham of that promise. Imagine waiting twenty years! But this time God told Abraham that it would happen in a year. I'm sure Abraham felt much better, but he laughed because he was now 99 years old. "You mean I will have a son when I am 100 years old?" asked Abraham.

"Yes!" said God, "and from now on your name will not be Abram... it will be Abraham." The first 99 years of his life.... Abraham's real name was Abram. (Which means honored father) Now God changed it to Abraham (which means father of many).

Later that day, Abraham was Looking out his tent and he saw 3 men walking along. He ran out to them and offered them dinner. When they said yes, Abraham ran back and asked Sarah (his wife) to throw together something good to eat for their 3 guests. Abraham brought them out some food and ate with them under a tree.

"Where is your wife Sarah?" One of the men asked.

"She's in our tent." Abraham replied.

"We will be back at this time next year, and by the time we return, Sarah will have had a son."

Sarah was listening to the men from the inside of her tent. She laughed when the men said that she will have a son. The men heard her and told her that she shouldn't laugh because nothing is too hard for God. They were right. Sarah had a son the next year. Abraham and Sarah named him Isaac, just as God told them to.( Isaac means, laughs)

Sometime we have to wait . It is hard to wait. It seems like the more we want something.... the longer the wait. Have you ever counted down the days till Christmas? It seems like forever! When God makes a promise, He always keeps it.... but sometimes it is not right away... and we have to wait.

Before the men left that day, they were wondering wether or not to tell Abraham some disturbing news. They decided to tell him.

"The city where your nephew Lot is living will be destroyed because it is too wicked.

After the men left, Abraham prayed. " God please spare the city because not everyone in that city is evil."

God said that if there were 10 good men in the city, He would not destroy it. But there were not even ten good men.

The name of the city was Sodom and next week we will see if Lot and his family get out of the city before it is destroyed