YEA Lesson Library
It Pays to Obey God
About This Lesson
The lesson teaches about Joseph, his relationship with his family, and the dreams he had. It also emphasizes the blessings we receive as a result of following God’s laws.
Scriptures
Genesis 37:1-11
Deuteronomy 8:18-20
Deuteronomy 13:1-4
1 Samuel 15:22-25
Isaiah 1:19-20
Matthew 5:11-12
Acts 2:17
Colossians 3:20-25
Words to Know
SHEAVES - a bunch of grain tied together for drying
PROPHESY - to tell what will happen in the future or to teach
NOTEWORTHY - attracting attention because of some special excellence
The Lesson
Ryan rubbed his eyes. It was pitch dark in his room. "I guess it was just a dream," he said, shaking his head. He had been running down the field with the football, about to score the winning touchdown. Then he woke up. "Mom told me that I was getting too nervous about this game. I guess she's right. Now I'm beginning to dream about it.”
Ryan really wanted to win this coming week's game. It would put his team in the playoffs. "Well, maybe the dream means that I will score the winning touchdown," he thought happily as he settled back to sleep.
Ryan certainly isn't the only young man who has had a dream. The Bible tells us about many different dreams. Joseph had two noteworthy dreams. But these dreams didn't make him popular with his brothers. As a matter of fact, there were several things about Joseph's dream that gave them reason to hate him.
Joseph was a seventeen-year old lad who watched the family flocks of sheep with his older brothers. When the brothers misbehaved, Joseph told his father, Israel. Now how would you feel if your younger brother tattled to your father about your behavior? Joseph's brothers felt the same way you would feel.
Because Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, he gave Joseph a coat of many colors. This coat was very pretty and probably quite expensive. But Joseph getting this coat didn't gain him any brownie points with his brothers. They hated Joseph even more.
Then Joseph had a dream that he and his brothers tied grain into sheaves as they harvested the field. Suddenly his sheaf stood up taller than his brothers’ sheaves. Their sheaves even bowed down to his sheaf. When Joseph shared his dream with his brothers, they hated him even more. They thought he was saying that he was more important than they were.
“So you want to be our king, do you?” his brothers said, making fun of him. They hated him - and not only for the dream. They were jealous of Joseph because Jacob, his father, was partial to him. Jacob had given him the coat of many colors; Joseph had dreams that sounded like he would rule over them. It was too much! Each step of the way, the hatred built.
Joseph had another dream, and again, shared it with his brothers. “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” This time even Jacob rebuked Joseph! Did Joseph really think that not only his brothers, but his father and mother as well, would bow before him?! His brothers were fit to be tied and started called him that “master-dreamer.” Jacob, however, continued to think about Joseph’s dream.
Why were his brothers so upset? Joseph and all of his brothers would receive a blessing because of Abraham's, Isaac's, and Jacob's obedience. But their blessing would not be as great as Joseph's. When they heard the dream about Joseph's sheaf standing tall and his brother's sheaves bowing in honor they knew he would receive a greater blessing. Joseph's second dream was even greater proof, "The sun, moon, and stars bowed low before me." His brothers were jealous and didn't like what they heard.
Maybe Joseph's brothers shouldn't have been so quick to judge. The dreams Joseph had were from God. God promised a very special plan for Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. Joseph's dreams were a part of God's plan.This promise was so important that He passed down the greatest physical blessing ever from father to son. God promised that this blessing would continue even until Christ returns (Genesis 49:1).
Why was God going to give them such wonderful blessings? Do you remember the lesson we had a few weeks ago about Abraham taking his son, Isaac up to the mountain? He made all the preparations and was willing to offer Isaac as a sacrifice to God. God has never required this of any other human being. But Abraham passed the test! This was such a remarkable act of obedience that God never forgot it. He remembered that Joseph's great-grandfather Abraham obeyed Him regardless of the cost. God also remembered that Isaac and Jacob obeyed Him. Their obedience was so important to God that He felt this was worthy of a great reward that would last until Christ returns. It pays to obey God! Not only that, it will keep paying for a long time.
Can we see evidence of that blessing anywhere today? Wouldn't you say a nation that has the best-educated, most wealthy, and healthiest people in the world has been blessed of God? When you look at all the nations in the world today, which ones would you say are blessed the most? Do you think that such nations as the United States, Great Britain, Australia, and Canada could be receiving the blessings today that were promised to Abraham’s descendants? Isn't this a long, long time for God to remember that Abraham obeyed Him? God always remembers our obedience and blesses it. If you will faithfully obey God as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph did, God will bless you as well. It Pays to Obey God!
Student Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for my father Abraham obeying you and thank you for remembering his obedience for such a long time. It's awesome to think that I am able to live in a wealthier nation today, because Abraham obeyed you.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Daily Devotions
Sunday: Genesis 37:3-8
Monday: Genesis 37:9-11
Tuesday: Deuteronomy 8:18-20
Wednesday: Isaiah 1:19-20
Thursday: Deuteronomy 13:1-4
Friday: Colossians 3:20-25
Saturday: 1 Samuel 15:22-25
Objectives
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
1. Relate Joseph's two dreams to their meanings.
2. Give possible explanation for God giving Joseph the dreams.
3. Explain that everyone dreams, not all dreams are from God, and His most frequent way of speaking to us is through His Word.
4. Explain the message that "obeying God brought about lasting blessings," was more important than having a dream.
Topics & Themes
Bible/Bible Study
Blessings
Dream
Envy/Jealousy
Hatred
Joseph
Joseph’s Brothers
Joseph’s coat
Obedience
Materials Needed
Bibles, YEA students' and teacher's books, pencils and pens, attendance and memory verse charts, stars, songbook, CD or cassette tape, and music player, butcher's paper, marker, construction paper, pencils, blackboard, chalk
Preparation
This should be a very positive lesson providing a wonderful opportunity to show students the lasting benefits of obeying God. These benefits didn't just last through Abraham's lifetime. They were passed down through his sons, grandsons, great-grandsons, to his descendants to this day. And these blessing will be evident to the very end of time. There are people - nations - in this word today who are bountifully reaping the rewards of Abraham's obedience. God's mercy, love, and blessings are beyond our comprehension. It is worth it to obey God. It pays dividends beyond our greatest expectations. Your students ought to know this. Similarly, the blessings this nation has received in the past will not continue as our society rejects God and His ways.
Prior to class, tape an eight foot piece of butcher's paper to the wall at the student's eye level. Across the top write, "It Pays to Obey God." Divide it into four sections and write Abraham in the first one, Isaac in the second, Jacob in the third, and Joseph in the fourth section.
The ten week memory work is Genesis 35:23-26. For the Ten Week Challenge they are to use a separate piece of paper and leave it in the back of their students' book to record verses that are promises to them or that provide encouragement in time of need.
How to Teach This Lesson
Seat the students in a semicircle facing the butcher's paper. After opening the class with prayer, give each student a piece of construction paper. Ask them to write at the top, "It Pays to obey God!" Divide their paper into four squares and number them. In number one, write Abraham. In number two write Isaac. In the third square, write Jacob, and write Joseph in the fourth square. Explain that as you go over the lesson with them, they are to write to draw what you do on their paper.
Abraham -Draw one stick man. Write: "All nations will be blessed" (Genesis 22:18). Ask: Who can tell us what Abraham did for God to tell him this? God put Abraham to the most severe test that any human has been asked by God to do. Encourage the students to tell this story. He took his son of promise, Isaac, up to the mountain and made all the preparations to offer him as a sacrifice. Then God stopped him. He obeyed God. God was so impressed with Abraham's obedience that He started this chain of blessings in Abraham's family.
Isaac - Draw to stick men. Write: “Stars of Heaven” (Genesis 25:23, 26:1-5; 28:13-14). Ask: Who can tell us the names of Isaac's two sons? (Esau and Jacob.) Who was the oldest son? (Esau.) What did he do that was wrong? (Sold his birthright.) Then who got the birthright? (Jacob.) What was the birthright? (The right to a blessing for the oldest son.) What do these two stick men represent? (Two nations.) What blessing would Isaac receive? (Because Abraham obeyed God's voice, and kept His charge, His commandments, His statutes and His law, Isaac's descendants would be like the stars of heaven. Add lots of stars in Isaac's square.)
Jacob - Write: "Like the dust of the earth" (Genesis 28:13-14). Who remembers what God promised Jacob when he had a dream? Ask a student to read aloud Genesis 28:13-14. Now
draw lots and lots of stick men showing that Isaac's descendants would be as the dust of the earth.
Joseph - Write: "Sheaves, sun, moon, and 11 stars bow down" (Genesis 37:6-9). What do you think it meant for all these things to "bow down?" It showed their descendants would not become as important as Joseph's descendants. Draw one tall sheave and I11 bowing down and the sun, moon, and stars bowing down? Ask: Did anyone else besides Joseph receive a blessing? (Yes, all of the remaining 11 brothers also received a blessing, but Joseph’s was to be greater.) Why did Joseph receive such a great blessing? (Because of his and Abraham's obedience.) What was that blessing? Ask a good reader to read Genesis 48:22. How long will these blessing last? (To the last days, Genesis 49: 1.)
It Pays to Obey God - Because of Abraham’s obedience, people and even nations in the world today are being blessed. What kind of blessings do you think these nations are receiving? (Wealth, health, and God's protection.) If we don't walk in God's way, could we lose out on some of these blessings? Isn't it awesome to think that God can remember our obedience for many, many years to come? Yes, He'll remember it throughout all eternity by giving us eternal life with Him.
Teacher-Directed Activity
The activity takes place throughout the lesson. Allow them to take their art work home as a reminder that it Pays to Obey God.
REACH Activity
Back to the Bible: Dreams
Dreams were “highly respected and thought to be predictions or warnings of the future” in Bible times (Source: The Victor Journey Through the Bible, V. Gilbert Beers, 1996, p. 41). Can you think of other people who had dreams that were highly significant? Find three other examples of dreams. Write the scripture citation and a brief description of the dream in your Bible notebook.
Journal Jot: Makarios
There’s a difference between being happy because of your circumstances and being blessed because of your relationship with Jesus Christ. Read the “Word Study” section below and think about the difference. In your Bible notebook, write three examples for each word - blessed vs. happy. Explain how you could be happy but not blessed, or blessed but not happy. Then, give an example about being both bleszed and happy!
Word Study: makarios
This Greek word means blessed, not happy. “It indicates the state of the believer in Christ. . . Makarios is different from happy because happy is the person who has good luck. A blessed person is one whom God makes fully satisfied, not because of favorable circumstances, but because He indwells the believer through Christ. To be makarios, blessed, is equivalent to having God’s kingdom within one’s heart. . . Makarios is the one who is in the world yet independent of the world; his satisfaction comes from God not from favorable circumstances” (Source: Zodhiates’ Hebrew-Greek Key Word NAS Study Bible, 1990).
Write this word and its meaning in your Bible notebook.
Just Toolin’ Around: Blessed
There are lots of verses about being blessed in the Bible. Using a concordance, find three from the Old Testament and three from the New Testament. Write them down in your Bible notebook along with the scripture reference. Can you answer these questions: Who is most blessed? How can you be blessed wherever you go?
Did you Know? Joseph’s Mother
Read Genesis 37:9-10. Do you find it interesting that 1) Jacob knew exactly what Joseph’s dream meant, and 2) that Joseph’s mother was already dead when Joseph had this dream? When verse 10 says that Jacob kept the matter in mind, I suspect that he spent some time thinking about what the dream could mean; after all, Jacob had had dreams of his own.
Stretch It Out: Perspective
Read Genesis 37:1-10 again. There are cited three reasons why his brothers didn’t like him - even hated him. What are they? Write them down. Then write a journal entry from Reuben’s perspective (Jacob’s oldest son).
Think about Joseph’s brothers’ attitudes towards Joseph. They knew that their father loved him best; that’s why Jacob gave Joseph the color of many colors. They couldn’t have been happy that Joseph took a bad report to their father, even if it was accurate. They wouldn’t have appreciated a dream, especially if they thought it was from God, which predicted that they would eventually bow down to him. If you think you deserve honor, status, and prestige more than your brother, you would have a tendency to hate him out of jealousy! This is not good. If you serve God faithfully, He will give you what He wants you to have. There’s no sense in being envious of someone else!
Music Notes: Blessed Assurance
This hymn is on page 46 of the CEM Hymnal.
The blind hymnist Fanny Crosby spent a portion of her life working in the rescue missions in the Manhattan slums, besides writing over 8000 hymn texts. One of Fanny’s friends was the wealthy Phoebe Knapp, whose husband founded the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. Sometimes Fanny would stay in the palatial Knapp mansion. One day when Fanny was there, Phoebe told her she had a new tune she wanted Fanny to hear. Phoebe sat down at the piano and played the melody she’d written, then she asked Fanny what it said to her. Fanny knelt down, as was her custom and prayed. She “immediately clapped her hands and exclaimed, ‘Why, that says “Blessed Assurance!” ’ ” The words poured out exactly as we sing them today. (Sources: Near to the Heart of God, Robert Morgan and Then Sings My Soul, Robert Morgan)
Sing this hymn. Then write two sentences in your Bible notebook about the importance of knowing, beyond any shadow of doubt, that you have a relationship with God!
Questions?
Write down any questions you have in your Bible notebook so that you can remember to ask your parents or your pastor.
Song
"Every Promise in the Book is Mine" is on page 15 of Kids Classics Collection.
Closing Prayer
Ask for a volunteer to lead in prayer thanking God that He is so good and kind and that He remembers our obedience for years and years to come - for all eternity.
Printable Pages
