YEA Lesson Library
You Can Count on It
About This Lesson
This lesson teaches that the blessings God promised to Abraham and his descendants have passed down, through Ephraim and Manasseh, to the U.S. and Great Britain today. However, these blessings will not continue in any nation which rejects God and His laws.
Scriptures
Genesis 17:1-4
Genesis 22:15-18
Genesis 28:13, 14
Genesis 35:11
Genesis 47:1-31
Isaiah 66:2
Words to Know
SERF - a member of a servile feudal class bound to the soil and subject to the will of his lord.
DESCENDANTS - one descending from another or a common stock
COMPANY - association with another; a group of persons or things
VIRTUALLY- almost entirely, nearly
BOUNTIFUL - liberal in bestowing gifts or favors
The Lesson
Jacob and his sons accepted the invitation from Pharaoh to move to Egypt and make it their home. After they arrived, Joseph immediately took his family to meet Pharaoh. Five of the brothers, who were shepherds, requested that Pharaoh let them live in the land of Goshen because they needed pastures for their flocks. Pharaoh had no problems with this arrangement and granted their wish.
Joseph brought his 130 year-old father, Jacob, to meet Pharaoh. Jacob blessed Pharaoh. Then Joseph assigned the best land, the land of Rameses, to his father and brothers as Pharaoh had commanded.
The famine became increasingly worse while people in Egypt and Canaan were starving. Joseph sold them grain until they ran out of money. Then they asked for bread. So Joseph gave them bread in exchange for their livestock. It didn't take long before Pharaoh owned all the flocks, herds, and donkeys of Egypt. Again the people came back wanting bread. So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt in exchange for food. This made Pharaoh very wealthy while turning the Egyptians into a bunch of poor serfs, or servants.
Joseph pointed out to the Egyptians what had actually happened - he had bought them and their land. He gave them grain and told them to go sow the land. When harvest time came, there would be a 20 percent tax to Pharaoh on everything the land produced. The remainder of the grain was theirs to keep. They could eat it and use it to plant next year's crop.
While the Egyptians were selling everything they had for food to feed their hungry stomachs, their new neighbors, the Israelites, were prospering and having large families. The Israelites had so many kids that there was a population explosion among them. Think about it. Having a large population gives you the wherewithal to produce more, and that gives you more power.
Word came to Joseph that his elderly dad was failing rapidly. So he took his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim and went to visit his father. Jacob didn't want to leave this life without passing on the blessings to his heirs that God had given him. He adopted Joseph's two boys and they became his own sons that God had given him in Egypt.
By this time, Jacob was virtually blind and asked Joseph to bring his sons to him to bless. Joseph led Ephraim to Jacob's left side and Manasseh to his right side. Being on Jacob’s right side was better than being on the left. Joseph was sure that was the way he should do it since Manasseh was older than Ephraim. But something very unexpected happened at this time. Jacob crossed his hand and put his right hand on Ephraim and his left on Manasseh to bless them. This upset Joseph. He was sure his elderly dad had it all wrong. But this was precisely what God intended. Jacob assured Joseph that Manasseh would become a great nation, but Ephraim would be even greater.
It is often thought that the people of the United States and Great Britain are descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh, at least in type. There was a time not too many years ago when there was a saying, "The sun never sets on the British Empire." Think about that.
The following are just some of the nations and islands that have been a part of the British Empire: Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Ireland, Canada, South Africa, India, Hong Kong. Singapore, etc. Look at a map and you can see that the sun never really set on the British Empire. As the earth turned on its axis, like no other empire, there was always daylight on some nation that was a part of the British Empire.
Genesis 35:11 says, "And God said unto him, I am God Almighty; be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins." Does this "company of nations” sound anything like the British Empire? If the British Empire is a" company of nations" mentioned here, then who would be a" nation?" Could that nation be the United States of America, which came out of Great Britain?
"And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly" (Genesis 47:27). Why? Because of their fathers' obedience to God - Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Seventeen years after the elderly Jacob moved to Egypt, he died. Prior to his death he requested, "When I am dead, take me out of Egypt and bury me beside my ancestors." Joseph promised his dad that he would do that.
What can you learn from this lesson? God loves and richly blesses those who obey and follow Him. When He promises to bless you, You Can Count on It. Just make sure you’ve completed your end of the bargain. Then, you can be assured of God's blessings.
Student Prayer
Awesome Father,
You are the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They obeyed you and you blessed them and their descendants. Blessings are things that are very real, such as food to eat, money to spend, healthy bodies, a good family, and a safe and prosperous nation. I am truly blessed. Thank you so much and help me to show you my gratitude in the way I live.
In Jesus' name I pray.
Amen.
Daily Devotions
Sunday - Genesis 28:13,14
Monday - Genesis 47:1-6
Tuesday - Genesis 47:7-16
Wednesday - Genesis 47: 17-26
Thursday - Genesis 47: 27-31
Friday - Genesis 22:15-18
Saturday - Genesis 17:1-4
Objectives
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
1. Explain that there are two nations today that are recipients of the blessings passed on through Abraham because of his obedience to God.
2. Show ways from the Bible that Great Britain and the United States are at least types of Ephraim and Manasseh.
3. Show why the people in the United States and Great Britain don't live lives deserving of the bountiful blessings they are receiving.
4. Discuss how they too can be blessed if they will obey God.
Topics & Themes
Abraham
Adoption
Blessings/Cursings
Consequences of Sin
Ephraim
God’s Grace
God’s Plan
Manasseh
Obedience
Pharaoh
Prophecy
Shepherds
Materials Needed
Bible, YEA Students’ and Teacher’s books, attendance and memory verse charts, two globes or world maps, paper, pencils, songbook, prize
How to Teach This Lesson
After opening the class with prayer, divide the students into two groups. Send them to separate corners of the room and give them each a globe, or map of the world, and a piece of paper and pencil. Explain that they are to locate all of the nations or islands mentioned in their lesson which were once a part of the British Commonwealth of Nations and write them down going from west to east in order. If they are able to locate other nations that are, or have been a part of the British Empire, each one will give that group a bonus point. The one with the most nations or islands listed that are a part of the British Empire gets a prize.
Debrief - How did you feel about doing this exercise? What did you learn from it? How many hours are there on the globe or map you have? (24) How many hours are in a day? (Approximately 12 hours) Now notice the time zones. They are shown by lines that go up and down. How many hours are in each time zone? (One hour) Can you see any nation or island that has been a part of the British Empire that is at least 12 time zones away? What kind of conclusion can you draw from this?
Obedience equals blessings - Would you consider the population explosion among the Israelites to be a blessing or a curse? How would it be a blessing for your family to be very large? What advantage does a really large family have? Why did the Israelites have this blessing? Why do you think the United States is so richly blessed? Why do you think Great Britain was blessed with an Empire like no other?
United States and Great Britain as types - There is a lot of discussion about which nation is which in prophecy. Is Great Britain Ephraim or Manasseh? Is the United States Ephraim or Manasseh? A strong case can be made either way. The point remains, however, that the blessings of Abraham have come down through Ephraim and Manasseh to both the United States and Great Britain. Is everyone who lives in the United States or in Great Britain genetically a descendant of Manasseh or Ephraim? (No.) Then, why do some people think the U.S. and Great Britain are descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh? Ask a student to read Genesis 35:11 aloud. Some people think that Great Britain must be Ephraim because the sun never set on the British Empire. But today, which is the more powerful nation and is a melting pot of many nations?
Blessings from where? - What have the people in the United States done to earn the blessings we enjoy with all our wealth, bountiful farm lands, natural resources, health, etc.? Have we earned God's blessing by taking Him out of our schools? Have we earned God’s blessings with our high divorce rate? Have we earned God's blessings with aborting or killing off babies before they are born? Have we earned God's blessings with our obedience to His commands? Does our nation deserve its enormous wealth and all the blessings we enjoy? Then where do all these blessings come from? Ask a student to read Genesis 17:1 aloud. Ask another student to read Genesis 22:15-18 aloud. Who was it that obeyed God? What did God promise to do?
What's in it for you? - Has God changed since Abraham's day?Ask a student to read Hebrews 13:8. What happens when you obey God? Then is it worth it to resist peer pressure, not go to the movie or ballgame on the Sabbath, not get involved in premarital sex in order that you can receive God's blessings? What are you going to do about obeying God?
Assign a 10-week Memory Challenge: recite all ten plagues in order.
Teacher-Directed Activity
Go over the students' Activity with the class.
REACH Activity
Memory Verse Spotlight: Isaiah 66:2
Look up the word “contrite.” Write down the Hebrew word and its meaning. Then find three other Scriptures where this word is used.
Who is contrite - the person who is sorry he got caught or the person who is sorry for his actions? Have you ever experienced someone who expressed regret, but it didn’t necessary mean he wouldn’t repeat the behavior? Let me give you an example: our dog knows he’s not supposed to sleep on the couch. If I catch him on the couch, he looks contrite - head down, tail down - but I know that when I go to bed at night, he’s likely to jump right back up there. He will even jump down off the couch when he hears me coming down the stairs. Is he truly contrite? No. He fully intends to repeat his behavior, but he really doesn’t like me being upset with him.
Write about the contrition that God desires from His people.
Where in the World? The Lost Ten Tribes
We know where the Jews are today, but where are the other 11 tribes of Israel? There’s a lot of discussion about who might be whom. Your lesson presents one view of who Ephraim and Manasseh might be. But you can read other perspectives which also sound plausible. If you’re interested, check out the books by Steven M. Collins. The archaeological evidence he presents in his books is pretty astounding and very convincing.
They Did What Back Then? Blessings
It was normal for parents to bless their children, especially when the patriarch of the family was about to die. Many Jewish families bless their children every Sabbath. Why would they do that every week? They very much want the blessing of God for their children. It’s not a bad idea actually. Come up with three reasons why it would be a good idea to specifically ask for a blessing for your children every week. Then present your reasons to your parents and ask them if they think it would be a cool part of bringing in the Sabbath every Friday night.
Making It Mine: Deuteronomy 28
The list of blessings and curses is found in Deuteronomy 28. Read through this whole chapter. Then apply it to yourself, your family, your community, and your country. Are things going well for you? Do you think it’s a fulfillment of Deuteronomy 28?
While generally this is true, there is another explanation for why things wouldn’t be going well: Read Psalm 73 and think about Job and Jesus. Jesus never did anything wrong, and yet, he suffered a horrendous crucifixion and death. So, sometimes bad things do happen to good people. What do you do when that happens? 1) Pray. Ask God to show you if you are doing something you shouldn’t be doing; 2) Pray. Ask God if there’s something you should be doing that you’re not; 3) Pray. Ask God what you should be learning from the experience; 4) Pray. Praise God. Trust Him that His plan is always best. Focus your eyes on the kingdom, but do the next thing that He has set before you to accomplish.
Write these steps in your Bible notebook. Think about this topic and discuss it with your family.
Worldview Collisions: Success
A secular worldview says that you will achieve your goals with a lot of hard work and a little bit of good luck. A Biblical worldview says that, if you will submit your life to God, then He will direct your steps. Whatever success you have in this life is a direct result of His hand and His will. Furthermore, true Biblical success is having a close relationship with God - not the accumulation of stuff.
Write these two opposing worldviews in your Bible notebook. What do you think? Do you think you have what you have because you’ve just had good luck? What verse would you cite to support your view?
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
"Seek Ye First" is on page 67 of The Group Songbook.
Closing Prayer
Ask the students to form a circle and hold hands. Let each one name at least one way our nation has been blessed by God. Ask for a volunteer to lead in prayer.
Printable Pages
