YEA Lesson Library
A Good-Looking Prisoner
About This Lesson
This lesson uses Joseph's obedience and trust in God as an example for the the student to emulate.
Scriptures
Genesis 41:1-57
2 Samuel 7:25-29
Psalm 62:9
Proverbs 16:12-19
Proverbs 18:12
Proverbs 31:23-31
Proverbs 31:30
Jeremiah 9:23-24
John 6:25-29
Words to Know
SHRIVELED - to draw into wrinkles, especially with a loss of moisture
WITHERED - to become dry and sapless; to shrivel from loss of bodily moisture
SAGES - one distinguished for wisdom
The Lesson
What's the worst dream you've ever had? Did you wake up scared to death? Was it hard to go back to sleep? Did you wonder what it meant - its significance for you?
Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing on the bank of the Nile River, when suddenly, seven sleek, fat cows came up out of the river and began grazing in the grass. Then seven other cows came up from the river, but they were very skinny and all their ribs stood out. They went over and stood beside the fat cows. Then the skinny cows ate the fat ones! Then Pharaoh woke up!
What in the world was that all about? It didn't seem to bother Pharaoh very much, because he went back to sleep and had a second dream about seven heads of grain on one stalk, well formed and plump. Then he dreamed about seven more heads of grain, shriveled and withered.The seven thin heads swallowed up the seven plump heads. Then Pharaoh woke up again. The next morning Pharaoh began to think about his dreams and wondered what they meant. He called all of the Egyptian magicians and sages and went over his dreams with them. But not one of them knew what they meant.
The king's wine taster told Pharaoh that while he was in prison, Joseph had interpreted his dream for him, and his interpretation was correct. Pharaoh immediately sent for Joseph. Wow! What a relief. He was glad to get out of that dungeon. He'd been there for more than two years.
Pharaoh told Joseph his dreams. Joseph reminded Pharaoh that he couldn't tell him what they meant without God's help. "But God will tell you what it means. .. The next seven years will be a period of great prosperity throughout all the land of Egypt; but afterwards there will be seven years of famine so great that all the prosperity will be forgotten and wiped out; famine will consume the land.
"The famine will be so terrible that even the memory of the good years will be erased. The double dream gives double impact, showing that what I have told you is certainly going to happen, for God has decreed it, and it is going to happen soon."
Joseph went on to tell Pharaoh that he should put the wisest man in Egypt in charge of administering a nationwide farm program. He laid out a plan to prevent disaster where many would starve to death in Egypt from this famine. Pharaoh recognized that Joseph was filled with the Spirit of God. And he turned to Joseph and told him that since God had revealed all of this to him, he was the wisest man in all of Egypt. So Pharaoh appointed Joseph to be the administrator of this project and put his own signet ring on Joseph's finger as a sign of authority. He dressed Joseph in beautiful clothes and put the royal golden chain around his neck. Joseph went from being a prisoner again to being completely in charge of Egypt.
But that wasn't all. Pharaoh gave Joseph the chariot of the second in command and one of Potipher's daughters, Asenath, to be his wife. He was now 37 years old and he traveled throughout the land. Guess what he saw? He saw the land produce bountifully with bumper crops for seven years. They stored their crops in nearby cities until the granaries were overflowing.
Joseph and Asenath had two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. Then the bountiful years came to an end and the worldwide famine started, just as Joseph had predicted. Because of the insights God gave Joseph, he was able to sell grain to the Egyptians and people of other nations who came to buy grain.
Why do you think God gave Joseph such wisdom and insight? Was it because he was such a charming, good-looking man? Proverbs 31:30 says, "Charm can be deceptive and beauty doesn't last." So if it wasn't his good looks and charm, then what was it? Even Pharaoh could tell that Joseph was filled with the Spirit of God. Will God give wisdom and fill someone with His Spirit who doesn't obey Him? Joseph conducted his life in such a way to show his obedience to God. He ran from Potiphar's wife when she tried to seduce him even though it meant he had to spend time in prison. Pharaoh thought Joseph was the wisest man in Egypt and put him in charge of administering a nationwide farm program. What does that say to you about how much Joseph believed God and what kind of relationship he had with Him? Joseph didn't take the glory for interpreting Pharaoh's dreams. He humbly told Pharaoh that only God interprets dreams.
What can you learn from Joseph? Keep in mind that God is all wise and all powerful. He can do great things through you if you will have the kind of trusting relationship with Him that Joseph had. Joseph wasn't conceited. He recognized that only God could interpret dreams. But he knew he had to go to Pharaoh and be willing for God to work through him. Do you recognize that God is the Greatest? Greater than yourself? Greater than what your peers think of you? Are you willing to go and do what God would have you do? Your peers may not like you any better than Joseph’s own brothers liked him when they sold him to be a slave. But Joseph trusted God and lived an exemplary life. His life was so remarkable that Pharaoh trusted Joseph and put him in charge of everything he had. Are you willing to be like Joseph?
Student Prayer
Awesome Father,
Joseph was a remarkable young man. His looks weren't the most important thing about him. He believed, trusted, and obeyed you. You looked upon him with favor and gave him wisdom and the ability to interpret Pharaoh's dreams. You got him out of prison and put him in charge of administering a nationwide farm program. Help me to be more like Joseph.
In Jesus' name I pray.
Amen.
Daily Devotions
Sunday - Proverbs 31:23-31
Monday - Proverbs 16:12-19
Tuesday - Jeremiah 9:23-24
Wednesday - 2 Samuel 7:25-29
Thursday - John 6:25-29
Friday - Psalm 62:9
Saturday - Proverbs 18:12
Objectives
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
1. Tell the story of how God took care of Joseph even while in prison.
2. Talk about the fact that good looks are only temporary and not the most important thing for them to have.
3. Explain that "pride comes before destruction" and humility is something they should pray for.
4. Use Joseph as a role model in their lives
Topics & Themes
Authority
Dream
Ephraim
Famine
God’s Plan
Humility
Joseph
Manasseh
Obedience
Pharaoh
Relationship with God
Wisdom
Materials Needed
Bible, YEA students' and teacher' books, attendance and memory verse charts, songbook, paper, pencils, timer, two prizes
How to Teach This Lesson
Open the class with prayer, and give every student a pencil and a piece of paper. Explain: "Our lesson today is about Pharaoh calling Joseph to interpret his dreams. We will go around the semicircle and let each student read the dream they either had or made up and wrote in their book under the Students' Activity. Listen carefully, because you will pick a dream and then write an interpretation of it on the piece of paper I gave you. You can select any dream that you hear today. Your interpretation can be humorous, serious, or whatever you want it to be. We will vote on which one is best and that person will get a prize."
Now start with yourself and read your dream. Then go around the semicircle and have each student read their dream. Give the class about five minutes to write their interpretation of any one of the dreams they have just heard. Start your timer.
When the bell goes off, tell the students it is time to stop. Then go around the room and have each student name the person whose dream they are interpreting and then give their interpretation.
Debrief- How difficult was it to come up with a dream you wanted others in your class to hear? How hard was it to interpret another person's dream? Why do you think we dream? Dreams are usually a way the subconscious mind sorts information. Where do you think most dreams come from? What was different about Pharaoh's dreams than the dreams we've heard today?
Take a vote - Determine the best interpretation of one of the dreams. Give both persons a prize: the one whose dream was interpreted by the person who won, and the one whose interpretation was voted the best.
Take a poll - Ask: Did you hear any dream today that you thought came from God? If yes, which one(s)? How many of you thought the very best interpretation we heard was from God? How many of you think this interpretation came straight from the mind of (use the person's name who had the best interpretation)?
Good-Looking Joseph - Why do you think God looked down on Joseph and gave him the interpretation to Pharaoh's dream? Do you think it was his good looks or charm? What does your memory verse tell you about good looks and charm? Since charm can be deceptive and beauty doesn't last, what does the Bible tell us is not deceptive? Ask a student to read 2 Samuel 7:28. Since beauty or good looks don't last, what can we count on lasting forever? Ask a student to read aloud John 6:27.
Application - Why do you think God was able to use Joseph, a mere prisoner, to interpret Pharaoh's dream? Possible answers could be he was obedient and humble. Then who should we give credit for our charm, good looks, talents, riches, and everything we have? Ask a student to read Proverbs 16:18. Ask: What did that verse say comes before a fall? What will happen if you get vain or conceited about your good looks, charm, talents, riches, and other things God gives you? Then what is the solution? Read: "Let not the wise man bask in his wisdom, nor the mighty man in his might, nor the rich man in his riches. Let them boast in this alone: That they truly know me, and understand that I am the Lord of justice and of righteousness.. " (Jeremiah 9:23-24 TLB). How do you think God rewarded Joseph for being humble and obedient? He made him good-looking and charming, and gave him the highest positions in government to hold. Do you think Joseph was paid well for his obedience and humility? How can you use Joseph as a role model for your life?
Teacher-Directed Activity
The activity is part of the lesson.
REACH Activity
Memory Verse Spotlight: Proverbs 31:30
Look up the phrase “fears and reverences” from Proverbs 31:30. Start by looking in other translations to see how it is translated there. Then use a concordance to look up the Hebrew words. Write down the word(s) and the meaning(s). Then find three other Scriptures where this word is used.
Do you fear and reverence God? How can you tell? What is the evidence in your life that you do or that you don’t? Write about this in your Bible notebook.
Where in the World? Famine
There have been some very significant famines in history. Do some research about some of them. They can be famines that are referenced in the Bible (like Ruth) or more recent famines (like the potato famine in Ireland). Try to come up with five. Then write down the consequence of the famine. What happened as a result of the famine. Then go back to the Bible and find a verse which talks about famine as a curse from God when His people begin to turn their back on Him.
Challenge: Read Amos 8:11-12. Explain how a physical famine of hungering for bread or thirsting for water is a type of this famine. Write about this in your Bible notebook.
They Did What Back Then? The Nile
Look at a map of Egypt - specifically a climate map. How much rainfall does Egypt get? Now, we don’t know that this is what was happening in that area a couple of millennia ago, but if the climate were similar, you would expect that there wasn’t a lot of rainfall in the Valley of the Kings. We know there had to have been some rainfall for vegetation to support the flocks and herds in Goshen. But we also know that they very heavily depended on the Nile River flooding every spring to bring much-needed rain (and silt/soil nutrients) for the farming fields. So what happens if they have a very dry winter and there’s not a lot of water coming down the Nile one year, or for two years, or for seven years? If there’s no flooding, and the Nile doesn’t have as much water, and there’s very little rain in the region anyway, what happens? It’s a chain reaction, isn’t it. Create a flow chart (I know, bad pun!) to show the consequences of no early flooding of the Nile. File this in your Bible notebook.
Making It Mine: The Value of Humility
Don’t you love the humility that Joseph showed before Pharaoh? He could totally have taken credit for explaining the dreams. Of course, that would have severely damaged Joseph’s relationship with God, which would not have been good!! Joseph had had a long time in Egypt to think about the blessings of following God and living his life in a way that honors God. He stayed humble and gave God credit for the wisdom he had.
What about you? When you make a decision that results in a blessing, do you thank God? Do you acknowledge God’s hand in your life? Think about a recent example and write about it in your Bible notebook. Then share it with your family.
Worldview Collisions: The Source of Wisdom
A secular worldview says that mankind is getting more and more wise. A Biblical worldview says that mankind’s knowledge is increasing, but as he turns his back on his Creator, mankind becomes a fool (Romans 1:22). That’s because the source of wisdom is God (James 1:5; Psalm 119:98). In your Bible notebook, write down this worldview collision. Then give examples of how mankind thinks they are wiser than their ancestors. Then explain how following God’s law makes us wiser. For example, a doctor might say that we’ve made incredible advances in cancer treatment - which is true. But what caused the cancer in the first place? Was it man’s stupidity in dumping toxic wastes in our water supplies? Was it too many pesticides and herbicides in our farm fields? Was it processed foods rather than fresh fruits and vegetables out of our gardens? Was it increased radiation from technology? God made humans incredibly complex, so it’s very difficult to isolate a single cause of damage to the body. In God’s kingdom, we’re going to find out, I suspect, that many of the labor-saving things we do today, are actually harmful to us. Talk about this with your parents. Ask God for His wisdom to live for His glory. Then write about this topic in your Bible notebook.
Questions
As you’re working through the YEA lesson, Daily Devotionals, doing the activity, or reading the Bible, be sure to write down any questions you have. That way you’ll remember to ask someone. Also remember to share the really interesting things you’re learning with family and friends.
Song
"We Are His Hands" is on page 9 of The Group Songbook.
Closing Prayer
Have the students form a circle and join hands. Ask each student to give one character trait Joseph had that they want to emulate. Ask for a volunteer to lead in prayer.
Printable Pages
