YEA Lesson Library

Objectives

At the end of this lesson, the children will be able to:

1. Tell what Joseph's brothers did that reminded him of his boyhood dreams.

2. State that God wants them to forgive when someone treats them badly and is sorry.

3. Give examples of how Joseph showed Brotherly Love to his brothers.

4. Give examples of how they can show Brotherly Love to others.

Topics & Themes

Dreams
Forgiveness
Joseph
Joseph’s brothers
Loving Others
Punishment
Repentance

Materials Needed

Bible, YEA students and teacher's books, attendance and memory verse chart, stars, music player, cassette tapes or CD, sheets of newsprint, crayons

Preparation

At the primary age, children's friendships are usually casual and change as they are involved in different play and school activities. Encourage their friendliness. Watch for friendly gestures and point out these actions. Help them identify loving actions they naturally do for each other. They may not be aware of ways they demonstrate Brotherly Love to others because their intent is usually self-centered. When they share with another child or invite someone to play with them, they are showing Brotherly Love. Because everyone is created in God’s image and precious to God, we need to treat others with loving care and respect.

How to Teach This Lesson

Begin this lesson with the activity - Beginning at the head, ask the children to think of ways they can use their body to show Brotherly Love to others. Write their answers on a blackboard or newsprint pad, and have the children write them on their paper next to that part of the body. Example: How can you use your ears to show Brotherly Love? (Listen - when Daddy tells me to d o some- thing.) How can you use your mouth to show Brotherly Love? (Say I love you. Kind words. Kisses) Allow the children to come up with their own answers, you might be surprised!

Joseph's Brothers - Ask: Did Joseph's brothers show Brotherly Love to Joseph? What did they do with their mouth? Did they say, "I love you?" They were jealous of Joseph. They hated him. What did they do with their hands? Joseph's brothers treated him very unkindly. They threw him into a hole in the ground. Then they even sold him to be a slave.

Now Joseph's brothers were in need. Their families and animals were hungry and there was no food to eat. They heard that there was food in Egypt. Would someone show them Brotherly Love and sell them something to eat?

The Man In Charge - Ask: Why didn't Joseph's brothers recognize him? (He was older, he spoke a different language, he was dressed like a rich Egyptian.) How did Joseph's brothers treat him now? Were they still mean to him? Because his brothers thought Joseph was an important man, they acted differently toward him. They showed respect. They even bowed to him. Ask: What did Joseph remember when his brothers bowed to him? (Genesis 37:1-10)

Forgiveness - Joseph loved his family. He missed his father and wanted to see his youngest brother. So, he told his brothers to bring Benjamin to him. His brothers knew that his father would not agree to this. They thought they were being punished for the way they had treated Joseph. They knew what they did to him was wrong. Ask: If you were Joseph and your brothers had been mean to you, would you give them some food? How do you think God would want you to act? Would He want you to hate your brothers?

Brotherly Love - Joseph was glad to hear that his brothers were sorry for the way they treated him. But he wasn't ready to let them know he was their brother. Ask: Why did Joseph turn his back when he heard his brothers talking? Sometimes people cry when they are happy as well as when they are sad. Joseph sold his brothers some grain. Ask: What else did he do to show love to them?

Joseph loved his brothers. He helped them when they were hungry. He forgave them for the way they treated him. (Have one of the better readers read Proverbs 10:12 aloud.)

Review Questions

These are included in the body of the lesson.

Teacher-Directed Activity

Give each child a piece of butcher's paper or newsprint paper. The children should work in pairs. One child lies on their paper while the other child outlines their body with a crayon on the paper. Then the children reverse roles. Each child should have an outline of their body. Have them draw their face on the paper.

REACH Activity

Materials needed: tempera paint, paint brushes, package of colorful construction paper, string, glue, tape, Kids Classics Collection songbook and/or CDs, Bible, YEA book, Bible notebook, black permanent marker, watercolor paints, 11 x 17 drawing paper, card stock, pencils, markers, colored pencils, crayons, scissors, ruler, index cards, CEM Hymnal, Bible dictionary, concordance, access to encyclopedia or the Internet, Bible encyclopedia, Bible map or Bible atlas, dictionary, glitter or glitter glue, stickers

Bible notebook: A spiral bound notebook will be used as a Bible notebook. This is a good place to write and keep all of the writing activities.

1. When people need food today they make a trip to the grocery store. But there were no grocery stores when Joseph’s brothers and father were hungry during the famine. People farmed crops and grew their own food. The famine lasted seven years! It was a really bad situation for the people in Canaan! In your Bible notebook, write a prayer thanking Jesus for the blessing of the food you and your family will eat today.

2. Many people plant gardens today to help with their food supply. Ask your friends and family if they have ever planted a garden. If possible visit someone’s garden. Ask the gardener how they put the food away to use in future months. Write a thank you note mentioning what you enjoyed the most during your visit.

3. Would you want to have your own garden? Why or why not? If yes, what would you plant? Write your answer in your Bible notebook. Draw a picture of what your garden would look like and put it in your notebook. Share your picture with family or friends.

4. Jacob sent ten sons to travel from Canaan to Egypt for food. Can you imagine how they felt during the trip? Their father told them to go to Egypt so they would live and not die! The famine was very serious. Use a Bible map and trace the journey from Canaan to Egypt. How long do you think it took them to travel to Egypt? Draw the map of their journey in your Bible notebook. Label Canaan and Egypt, as well as any other important landforms or bodies of water. Share with your Sabbath School class or family.

5. Sitting in a car waiting to get to the Feast of Tabernacles or vacation spot can be very long. What keeps you busy during these long trips? How do you think the ten brothers entertained themselves during their journey to Egypt? Write a song about their journey to the tune of “Jesus Loves Me.” Use facts from the YEA lesson to help you. Teach the song to your Sabbath School class or your family.

6. Since Joseph was second in charge in Egypt, his clothes were different from the other people. Use a Bible encyclopedia or other Bible reference to find out what Egyptians wore during Joseph’s life. Write the information in your Bible notebook. Include your own pictures or drawings. Share with your Sabbath School class or family.

7. Joseph missed his family very much. He had been away for a long time! What is the longest you have been separated from your family or other relatives? For example, do you have relatives that live far away? Do they live in another state or country? How long has it been since you have seen them? You probably miss them just as Joseph missed his family. Write a letter or send a card to the family members you miss.

8. Draw Joseph with his brothers bowing down to him. Use thought bubbles to show Joseph remembering his dreams.

9. Cut out a heart from red construction paper. Fold in half. Write “Continue” on the outside. Then open the heart and write the rest of the memory verse. Decorate with stickers or glitter.

10. Make a heart banner. Cut a length of white butcher paper to fit the words of the memory verse. Cut out a heart shape for each word in the memory verse. Write one word on each heart. Glue the hearts to the butcher paper. Have friends and family sign the banner. Hang at church or at home. Practice the verse until memorized.

11. Can you remember a time when you felt someone was mistreating you? Write about it. Then write how you can show brotherly love to that person anyway.

12. Has anyone ever been mean to you and then asked you to do something nice for them? If not, how would you feel if this happened to you? If it has happened, what did you do? Were you nice to the mean person? In your Bible notebook write what happened and how you felt. Write yourself a plan if it hasn’t happened to you so you are ready if it does happen. Remember to pray for your enemies or people who are mean or unkind.

13. Read Genesis 42:8-25. Then role play it.

14. Joseph wanted to see his brother Benjamin. He loved him and had not seen him for a long time! What do you think he wanted to say to Benjamin? If you were Joseph what would you say to Benjamin? Role play what they might say to each other after being separated for a long time.

15. Do a sword drill with the Daily Devotionals for this week. Write your favorite verse when you are finished.

Note: Sword drill: Use the Daily Devotional Scriptures to have a sword drill. Read the Scripture reference to the child. Then start the timer. When the child has found the verse, stop the timer. Read the verse and talk about how it relates to the lesson. Challenge the child to see how quickly he/ she can find each of the verses in the Bible.

16. Make an acrostic poem using B-R-O-T-H-E-R-L-Y L-O-V-E to retell the story from Genesis 42:8-25.

Note: Acrostic poem: Each letter of a word begins a line of the poem; i.e., in a P-R-O-M-I-S-E acrostic poem, “P” starts the first line, “R” start the second line, “O” the third, etc.

17. Sing: “Love, Love” on page 91 of Kids Classics Collection and
 “This is My Commandment” on page 4 of Kids Classics Collection.

18. How do your friends and family show brotherly love to you, even when you don’t deserve it? Write about it in your Bible notebook.

19. Joseph did not want his brothers to see him cry. Do you think Joseph was happy or sad to know his brothers were sorry for how they treated him? What if his brothers knew that he was crying? How do you think they might have felt? Write your answer in your Bible notebook.

20. Did you know that even Jesus cried, or wept? Use a Bible and concordance to find the Scripture. Write it in your Bible notebook.

21. Grain was very valuable in Joseph’s day. Use Bible reference books to find out what the grain was used for and what it looked like. Draw pictures of the grain in your Bible notebook. 


22. Memory work activity for book: To help with the memorization of Psalm 23, give each student 13 4 x 6 cards. On one side of the card the student should write one phrase of each verse. For instance, one card will have: The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. The next card would have: He makes me lie down in green pastures. The third card would be: He leads me beside still waters. Continue with each phrase of the psalm. On the other side of the card the student should draw a picture that will help them remember that phrase. Since the students will be expected to recite Psalm 23, the cards should be made after YEA Lesson 1. After each of the subsequent lessons, the student should practice the psalm until memorized. Provide a reward for their hard work!

Song

"This Is My Commandment" is on page 4 of the Kids Classics Collection.

Closing Prayer

Lead the children in prayer, thanking God for giving us families. Ask each child to name a brother, sister or friend for which they are thankful. Close the prayer by asking God to teach them to love these people with brotherly love.