Mother’s Helper / Daddy’s Helper
JOSEPH AND HIS BROTHERS
Are you ready for another Bible story? We have an interesting one about Joseph and his brothers, the sons of Jacob. Jacob had twelve sons and one daughter. Jacob loved Joseph more than all his sons. This caused Jacob much trouble.
Jacob made Joseph a coat of many colors. He did not make this kind of coat for the rest of his sons. Joseph’s brothers became very jealous.
Joseph began to have strange dreams. He told them to his brothers. In one of these dreams the sun, the moon and eleven stars bowed down before him. This made his brothers hate Joseph, because that dream meant his brothers would be his servants.
One day Jacob sent Joseph to see how his brothers were getting along with the flocks and herds in the fields. His brothers saw him coming. At first they wanted to kill him, but Reuben, the oldest brother, objected. He suggested they throw him into a pit, a big hole in the ground. Joseph could not get out. The pit had no water. Joseph had nothing to eat or drink.
While Reuben was gone, a band of people came along, and the rest of the brothers decided to sell Joseph into slavery. This means he would belong to these people, and they could sell him to somebody else. When this happened, Reuben was very sorrowful. He had intended to get Joseph out of the hole and give him back to his father, Jacob.
The wicked brothers took Joseph’s coat of many colors and dipped it in the blood of a goat. They took it to their father and asked him if it was Joseph’s coat. They claimed they had found it but, of course, they did not tell the truth. They knew what they had done to Joseph.
Jacob thought a wild beast had killed and eaten Joseph. He said he would go down to Sheol (that means to his death or grave) mourning for his son, Joseph. Jacob wept for Joseph thinking he was dead. He was not.
The people that bought Joseph sold him in the land of Egypt to a man named Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh’s guard. Pharaoh was the king of Egypt.
Drawings to Color
Questions
1. How many sons did Jacob have?
2. Did he love them equally?
3. Which one did he love most?
4. What kind of coat did he make Joseph?
5. How did Joseph’s brothers feel about him?
6. About what did Joseph dream?
7. How did his brother react?
8. Where did they place Joseph?
9. What did they show Jacob?
10. In what land was Joseph sold to Potiphar?
