unit 4: joseph ot4.4 joseph the egyptian prince lesson€¦ · ot4.4 joseph the egyptian prince...

1

OT4.4 Joseph the Egyptian Prince ©Beverly Wilson 2017

Unit 4: Joseph OT4.4 Joseph the Egyptian Prince Lesson

Scripture: Genesis 41-42

Lesson Goal: Joseph was one of the twelve sons of Jacob. He became a slave and prisoner in

the foreign land of Egypt because his jealous brothers sold him to some Midianite traders. In this lesson we will see how Joseph never stopped trusting God and how God never forgot him. In this lesson we will see what Joseph did when he meets back up with his brothers after twenty years.

Introduction: This is the fourth lesson in Unit 4: Life of Joseph. Joseph was one of the twelve sons of Jacob. He became a slave and prisoner in the foreign land of Egypt because his jealous brothers sold him to some Midianite traders. In this lesson we will see what Joseph did when he meets back up with his brothers after twenty years. The lesson is found in the first book of the Bible called Genesis. Genesis is the first book of Law. The books of the Law are the first five books in the Old Testament. Let's say the books of Law together. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

Attention Getter: "Disguises" Have you ever worn a "disguise"? To disguise means to try to wear something so that other people cannot recognize you? This child is wearing huge glasses, and a mustache. Do you think it is a good disguise? Here is a Chimpanzee and a cat boy disguise. I think other people would recognize who these children were. How about their families? It is not easy to disguise yourself from the people you live with, is it? In this lesson we are going to learn about a man who was not recognized even by his own brothers. HIs name was Joseph and we will learn what happens when his brothers see him after twenty years. Encourage children to tell about costumes they may have had that were disguises. Ask the children if their family knew who they were when they were wearing the disguise.

Opening Prayer: “Father, You command us to forgive those who sin against us. Sometimes that’s really hard. We can’t possibly do that without remembering how much You have forgiven each of us. Help us never to forget how much You have done for us in forgiving our sins and making it possible to come to heaven to live with You. Also, Lord, help us to remember that You have a great plan for our lives and sometimes You have strange ways of accomplishing it! In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.”

Memory Verse: The memory verse is I Thessalonians 5:15 "See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone."

Lesson Video: https://youtu.be/Ar0CvQrWXDM Joseph was one of the twelve sons of Jacob. Because he was his father's favorite son, Joseph's father gave him a beautiful coat of many colors. This made his brothers very jealous. As a boy Joseph had a dream about eleven sheaves of his brothers’ wheat bowing down to his sheaf of grain. In another dream Joseph saw the sun and moon and eleven stars bowing down to him. These dreams were interpreted to mean that someday his father and brothers would bow down to Joseph.

But the interpretations of these dreams only made Joseph’s brothers angrier. They treated Joseph very badly and even wanted to kill him.They were so angry that one day when Joseph came to check on them in the field they threw Joseph into a well. When some Midianite traders came by, they decided to sell their little brother Joseph into slavery! It must have been very hard for Joseph not to

https://youtu.be/Ar0CvQrWXDM

2


resent his brothers and take revenge. His mean brothers even told a lie to their father and said that Joseph had been killed by a wild animal. They showed their father Joseph's coat with blood all over it.

Even though Joseph was now gone from his family he was not alone. God was with him! He was taken to Egypt where he became the head slave of Potiphar the captain of Pharaoh's guard. Because he was so trustworthy his master soon put him in charge of all of his household.

One day Potiphar's wife tried to get Joseph to do wrong. When Joseph would not disobey God, she falsely accused him of a terrible sin. Potiphar believed the lie and sent Joseph to prison.

But even in prison, Joseph was determined to make the best of the situation. He trusted God to take care of him even in the dungeon. Soon the prison warden realized that Joseph was different from the other prisoners. Joseph could read and write and he was very honest. Before long Joseph was in charge of the prison!

Sometime after Joseph had been put in prison, two new prisoners arrived--the king's butler and his baker. They both had very strange dreams. The butler dreamed that he was squeezing three bunches of grapes into a cup and then was giving it to the king. The baker dreamed he had three baskets of bread on his head and then some birds came and ate it up. Joseph told the butler that his dream meant that in three days he would be serving the king once again but to the baker he said that in three days he would die.

Things happened exactly as God had revealed them to Joseph. In three days, the butler got his old job back, and the baker was carried away to be hanged. The butler went back to serving the king but he forgot all about Joseph in prison.

One day King Pharaoh had two dreams. One dream was about seven skinny cows eating up seven fat cows but still staying skinny. The other dream was about seven full ears of corn on a stalk being eaten up by seven withered ears of corn. Joseph told the Pharaoh that God had given him the meaning of the dream. There would be seven years of plenty in the land of Egypt followed by seven years of famine.

Joseph then suggested to the king that he store up the grain in large barns during the years of plenty so there would be food to eat during the famine. The pharaoh thought that this was such a good plan that he made Joseph the highest ruler in the land next to himself.

He gave Joseph a royal robe and put a gold chain around his neck. The pharaoh also put the signet ring on his finger which meant that everyone in the land would bow down to him and obey his orders.

Pharaoh also gave Joseph the chariot of his second-in-command, and wherever he went the people bowed themselves before him, shouting, "Long live the ruler!" Remember how Joseph's brothers had been so mean to Joseph and had sold him as a slave. Now he was the second most important ruler of Egypt with every one bowing down before him. This is the way God works for those who love and trust him, causing "all things to work together for good."

Pharaoh also gave Joseph a lovely palace home and a beautiful wife, and he became famous through-out the land of Egypt. But all this prosperity and fame did not change the heart of Joseph. He re-mained kind and fair to all, and the people of Egypt loved him.

Day after day for seven years Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt and gathered the food which grew everywhere in abundance. This excess food he stored up in huge storehouses for future needs, until finally he had an enormous quantity laid aside for the years of famine. He even built more barns and storehouses and filled those up during the seven years of plenty. Joseph was a wise man because he knew that whenever you have extra money or supplies you should save for the times you don't have as much.

3


During this time, God blessed Joseph and his wife with two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. Manasseh's name meant "Forgetting." When Manasseh was born, Joseph said, "God has made me to forget all my problems." Joseph named Ephraim "Fruitful" because, he said, "God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction."

At last, the seven years of plenty ended. Then the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had predicted. The brooks dried up and there was less and less water in the wells. All the fields and crops dried up. The harvests failed, and the people began to hunger. Everywhere the food was almost used up--but not in Egypt. Soon the people in Arabia, Syria and Canaan heard that there was food in Egypt. So the people came from near and far to beg the Pharaoh for food. He sent them all to Joseph. "Do whatever Joseph tells you," the Pharaoh instructed them.

So now, with the famine raging, Joseph opened the storehouses of Egypt to the Egyptian people and also to those from other lands who came to buy food. Joseph had honored God and how God was honoring him! Everyone wanted Joseph to sell them some food!

Back in Canaan, there was also a shortage of food. The rain had not fallen for many months and soon the crops of food were gone. Joseph’s father Jacob and his family also began to be hungry. When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt that he could buy, he said to his sons, "I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down and buy some for us before we all starve to death." So Jacob's ten older sons went down to Egypt to buy grain. However, Jacob wouldn't let his youngest son Benjamin go with them, because he was afraid that some harm might come to him as it had to Benjamin's brother Joseph.

Upon arriving in Egypt, Joseph's ten brothers asked where they might buy grain. They were told they must get permission from the prince who was the ruler in charge of all grain sales. So they went to see the ruler in charge of the grain. They bowed before him with their faces to the ground. They had no idea that by bowing down to this Egyptian prince they were fulfilling the dream that Joseph the younger brother had years before! They never thought that this important man, dressed in the elegant apparel of an Egyptian ruler and speaking the Egyptian language, was their own brother, Joseph! But Joseph recognized them!

Joseph pretended not to know them. "Where are you from?" he demanded.

“From the land of Canaan,” they replied. “We have come to buy grain.” Joseph wanted to test them and see if his brothers had changed after all those long years. Were they still jealous and mean?

Speaking through an interpreter Joseph answered them very gruffly, "You are spies —you have come to see how poor and bare the famine has made our land."

"Oh, no!" they exclaimed. "There are twelve of us brothers, sir, and we are honest men. Our old father is in the land of Canaan, and our youngest brother is there with him. One of our brothers is dead."

Joseph listened intently to their reply and he longed to see his younger brother, Benjamin, again. Joseph then thought of a plan. To make sure the brothers returned with his little brother Benjamin he decided to test them. "You are all spies," he said again. So Joseph put them all in prison for three days.

On the third day Joseph said, "I am a God-fearing man. Do as I say and you will live. One of you will stay here in jail and the rest of you can go home with grain for your families. Bring your youngest brother back to me and I will know whether you are telling me the truth."

Talking among themselves, the brothers said, "This has all happened because of what we did to Joseph long ago. We wouldn't listen to him when he begged and pled with us not to sell him as a slave. Now God is punishing us for being so cruel."

4


“Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? Rueben asked. “But you wouldn’t listen. Now we have to answer for his blood.”

Although they did not know it, Joseph understood every word they said! Joseph wanted so much to reach out and hug them all, but he hadn't finished his test. Joseph turned away from them and began to weep.

When Joseph had regained his composure, he chose Simeon to bind and put in jail. He would have to stay in jail until the other brothers returned with Joseph's little brother Benjamin. The others looked on, trembling and afraid.

Joseph then ordered his servants to fill the men’s sacks with plenty of grain. He also gave them supplies for the journey home. He did not want his family to go hungry especially his father and little brother Benjamin who was back home in Canaan. The brothers handed over the money to buy the grain. Because Joseph loved his brothers so much he did not want to take their money for the food so he secretly gave orders that their money be put back in their sacks of grain. The brothers set off back to Canaan.

When the brothers stopped for the night they discovered the money in the top of their sacks. They couldn't understand how it got there, and they were more afraid than before to return to Egypt. Trembling they said to each other, “What has God done to us?”

When they arrived home, they told Jacob all that had happened. Jacob was also terrified when he saw the returned money. The brothers told their father how roughly the ruler of Egypt had treated them, and that they could have no more grain unless they took their youngest brother back with them. "He is testing us to see if we are honest men and not spies," they explained to their father. "He has kept Simeon in jail until we take Benjamin back with us."

"Benjamin!" cried Jacob. "Never! You are robbing me of my children! Joseph is gone, Simeon is in prison, and now you want to take Benjamin, too! Everything is against me!" Jacob wept and wept. He said, “Benjamin will not go to Egypt with you. He is all that I have left!”

What would happen to this family? Soon all the food would be gone and then what would they do? Meanwhile poor Simeon remained a prisoner in Egypt.

In this lesson we see how Joseph used the position of power that God gave him to protect his family during the famine. The way Joseph used this gift showed God's love and forgiveness to his brothers. Joseph could have had a hard heart and taken retaliation for all the mean things that his brothers had done to him. But he didn't! Joseph helped his brothers even though they had been mean to him.

Our memory verse is I Thessalonians 5:15 "See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone." Helping others is a good way to obey God's Word and show God's love. Let's say that verse again. I Thessalonians 5:15 "See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone ."

Helping others is something God wants us to do. What would your family be like if no one ever helped anyone? Washing the dishes after dinner is one way you can help your family. Perhaps you could help with the laundry. That would be a big help to everyone! Another chore might be helping to clean the house. Did you know that you can help people outside your family? This girl is packaging food that will be sent to other countries to feed the hungry.

Another very important way to help others is to use your Bible to tell others how much Jesus loves them. You can tell them how He died on the cross so they can go to heaven. If people don't know about Jesus they won't know to ask him to be their Savior and then they can't go to heaven. So using

5


our Bibles is a very important way to help others!

Before we can help others that way we have to ask Jesus to be our Savior ourselves. Have you asked Jesus to be your Savior? He loves you very much. In fact He loves you so much that He left his beautiful home in heaven just to come to earth so He could die on the cross for you.

We have all done things that are wrong and these are called sins. When Jesus died on the cross he took our punishment for those sins upon himself. If we believe that Jesus is the Son of God and trust what He did on cross to be the payment for our sins, then Jesus will give us the gift of eternal life. That means we can go to heaven and live with Him forever. Wow! when we think about it--Jesus is the best Helper ever. He helps us to go to heaven! Will you ask Him to be your Savior today?

If you want to do that, you can pray this prayer. "Dear Jesus, I believe that you are the Son of God. I believe that you came down from heaven and died on the cross to pay the punishment for the things I have done wrong. I ask you to forgive me of my sins and to be my Savior. Thank you Jesus for loving me and taking me to heaven. Amen.

Remember let’s be like Joseph and do good to everyone!

Review Questions: “Four Square” Preparation: Assemble the following materials: Bibles, masking tape, rubber ball or beach ball. Procedure: Make a large masking tape square on the floor of the playing area. Divide the square into four sections. Lead the children in a game similar to Four Square. Children are to stand around the outside edges of the square. Give the ball to any child. The child bounces the ball to any other child. That child catches the ball and bounces it to another child. Children continue bouncing the ball. After a short time, signal the children to stop. The child holding the ball must answer one of the following review questions. Repeat until all questions are answered. Options: Play the game outside. Adjust the size of the square to according to the number of children and the size of your classroom. Signal the children with a whistle or by turning off the light.

1. Whose son was Joseph? (He was Jacob’s 11th and favorite son.) 2. What did Joseph’s brothers do to him? (They were so jealous and hateful they first planned to kill

Joseph; then they decided to sell him into slavery.) 3. Who was Potiphar? (The Egyptian official that bought Joseph and put him in charge over his

house and estate.) 4. What happened to Joseph when he was working in Potiphar’s house? (All went well for Joseph

until Potiphar’s wife falsely accused him of a terrible sin and Potiphar sent him to prison.) 5. How did Joseph do in prison? (Even in prison, Joseph was so well respected that the jailer put

him in charge over the other prisoners.) 6. How did Joseph get out of prison? (He wisely interpreted Pharaoh’s dream.) 7. What were the two dreams of Pharaoh and what was the interpretation? (Seven lean cows ate

seven fat cows was the first dream. Seven withered heads of grain ate seven fat heads of grain was the second. The interpretation was that there were going to be seven years of plenty and then seven years of famine.)

8. What promotion did Joseph get from Pharaoh? (Joseph was made the second leader to the Pharaoh and he was in charge of the food storage and distribution plan)

9. What is a famine? (It’s when it stops raining and the crops can’t grow. So food becomes scarce and people begin to go hungry.)

6


10. If the famine was all over the world, why did Egypt have grain to sell? (Because Joseph was wise enough to store the excess during the years of plenty.)

11. What did Jacob do when he saw that there was grain in Egypt? (He sent his sons down there to buy grain for their households.)

12. Why didn’t Jacob want Benjamin to go along with his other sons to Egypt? (Jacob had already lost one son, Joseph. He didn’t want to anything bad to happen to Benjamin as well.)

13. When Joseph’s brothers came to him in Egypt to buy grain, why did they not recognize Joseph? He was dressed as a ruler. He spoke Egyptian and used an interpreter to speak to them. It had been 20 years and they thought he was dead.)

14. Why were the ten brothers bowing down to Joseph important? (This was a fulfillment of the dreams that Joseph had when he was a young boy.)

15. Why did Joseph act as a stranger to them? (He wanted to test them to see if they had changed from 20 years ago when they were so jealous and hateful to him.)

16. On the way home from Egypt to the land of Canaan, what were the brothers shocked to find in their grain sacks? (Their money.)

17. What is today’s Memory verse? (Our memory verse is I Thessalonians 5:15 "See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.")

Bible Memory Verse Activity: Verse Poster Say: Our memory verse is I Thessalonians 5:15 "See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone." Have students locate the verse in scripture and read aloud together several times.

Say: “Helping others is a good way to obey God's Word and show God's love.”

Preparation: Assemble Bibles, large sheet of paper, colored markers, and pencils. Cover the table in your classroom with the large sheet of poster paper. Tape edges to the table to make student work easier. Print 1 Thessalonians 5:15 in the center of the large sheet of paper.

Procedure: Children will use pencils to trace each other’s hands on the paper. Children will then trace over the lines with markers and then print their names beside their handprints. Near the handprints children are to write or draw was they have used their hands to help someone.

Say: “What are some ways that other people have used their hands to help you?” Read the memory verse aloud. “We can use our hands to do good things and obey this verse.

Group Learning Activity: What Job Can You Do? (Grades K-3) Preparation: Gather the following materials: large sheet of paper and colored markers. Draw a grid on the paper to make a job chart. Procedure: Say: “What are some jobs that kids do at home?” (Using students’ responses list possible chores that children can do across the top of the chart. Children are to print their names in squares under the jobs they do at home. Say: “What job is your favorite? What is your least favorite? What happens when family members don’t help each other by doing their jobs? (Children tell ideas.) “In the lesson we talked about how Joseph helped his family when they needed food to eat.”

Group Learning Activity: “Which One is Benjamin?” (Grades K-4) Purpose: In this guessing game, children try to keep Joseph from finding Benjamin, the one whose movements they are imitating.

7


Procedure: Pick one child to be Joseph. Joseph will need to guess which child is Benjamin. Have Joseph leave the room and wait. The other children in the group pick one child to be Benjamin. Benjamin is to make movements like scratching his nose, changing position or drumming his fingers. The other children quickly copy his movements so that Joseph can’t tell who moved first. Make sure that Joseph is not told who Benjamin is. Have the children sit down in a circle on the floor. Let Joseph re-enter the room and sit down. Tell Joseph that he must find out who Benjamin is, the one whose movements the other children are copying. Keep sitting while Benjamin makes some movements, as suggested above, while the other children quickly copy him. When Joseph has guessed who Benjamin is, pick another Joseph and begin again.

Group Learning Activity: “Brother, Who’s Who?” (Grades 3-5) Purpose: In this game, the children try to be the first one to collect the names of Jacob’s sons. Preparation: Assemble the following items: 12 small pieces of paper or 3" x 5" cards writing paper, 1 sheet per child pencils or pens tape. On each card or paper, write the name of Jacob’s sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad and Asher (Genesis 35:23-26). There should be 12 names for 12 cards. If you have more than 12 children in your group, use other names. If you have fewer than 12 children, use as many names as you have children, then play the game again using the other names. Say: “I will tape one of Jacob’s sons’ names on your back. Everyone will have a name on his or her back. Then I will give you a piece of paper and a pencil. I want you to find everybody else’s names and write them down on your paper, but don’t let anyone see your name. In other words, while you are trying to find out everybody else’s names, you don’t want anyone else to find out your name! Hand out the writing paper and pencils. Have everybody line up, then tape the names to their backs. Tell them not to move until you say so. When ready, say “Go!” The first child to get 11 names wins.

Group Learning Activity: "Joseph's Life Time Line" (Grades 3-5) Preparation: Collect the following items: Bible, butcher paper, scissors, note cards, pencils or pens, colored markers, ruler, glue. Procedure: Attach a long strip of butcher paper to the wall. Draw a thick horizontal line in the middle of the paper. Review the events in this lesson inviting volunteers to add events to the time line. Students are to write the events on the note cards and attach them to the time line in the appropriate order. Students may draw objects or stick figures to show the story events. Save the time line to use again for each lesson in this unit. Events from Lesson 4.1 to record were the Birth, Gift of coat, Dream about the Sheaves of Wheat, Dream about the Sun, Moon, and Stars, Joseph traveling to field; Brothers throwing Joseph into pit; Joseph being sold to the Midianites, Joseph traveling to Egypt. Events from Lesson 4.2 include: Joseph sold to Potiphar; Potiphar's wife tempts Joseph; Joseph put in prison. Events from Lesson 4.3 include: Joseph in charge of Prison, Joseph interpreting Chief Butler and Baker's Dream, Butler serving the Pharaoh, Joseph interpreting the Pharaoh's Dream; Joseph as the Ruler. Events for this lesson: Joseph as a Prince, Joseph and his wife and two sons, Joseph storing grain, Brothers Bowing to Joseph, Brothers returning to father Jacob.

8


Group Learning Activity: “Growing Our Faith” Discussion (Grades 3-5) Purpose: Older children discuss what it means to grow up spiritually, as Joseph did. Joseph’s response to his brothers’ vengeful act of selling him into slavery was not “I told you so,” but “What you intended for evil, God intended for good.” He also forgave his brothers and used his time in Egypt to feed the people during the famine. Procedure: Use the situations and questions in Knee-Jerk Reactions as a springboard for discussion about the responses we can make to the difficult times in our lives. Discuss either in several small groups or as one large group. Knee Jerk Reactions Here are some situations you may find yourself in. What is your knee-jerk reaction?

Your parents have just told you that the whole family will be moving to another state.

You just got in trouble with a teacher for putting gum on the classroom windows. You know who reported your mischief to the teacher.

Your friend just made a new friend, and now she/he won’t talk to you.

Your friend did not invite you to his birthday party because he invited someone whom you dislike, and he did not want the two of you to be fighting during his party.

Your teacher doesn’t seem to like you. You think he singles you out and scolds you instead of the other kids, and blames you for what other kids do.

You got mad at a friend and yelled at him or hit him. The next day, he broke your bike.

What can be your well-thought-out reaction? Can you imagine any of these reactions to the above situations? How can you act in terms of each of the responses below?

Move toward reconciliation.

Forgive the one who wronged you.

Have compassion for the other person.

Put yourself in the other person’s place, and find out what was going on with him/her.

Do something nice or loving.

What can you do that would help you to grow spiritually? What would be a spiritually mature decision or action?

Craft Learning Activity: “String of Kind Deeds” (Grades K-2) Preparation: Assemble Bibles, 3 foot lengths of string, circle shaped cereal such as Fruit Loops, Apple Jacks, etc., paper plates. Procedure: Lead the children in brainstorming ways they can help others with the following questions: Say: “What are some things that Joseph did to help his family? Why might it have been hard for Joseph to help his brothers? When has someone in your family helped you? When might that person need your help? When are some other times you could help someone in your family? What does our memory verse tell us to do? (Not to repay evil for evil but do good to others all the time.) Why do you think God wants us to do good things and help others? What are some good and helpful things you can do? Give each child a string and a handful of cereal on a paper plate. Child threads the cereal onto the string, using one piece of cereal for each helpful or good thing he or she plans to do during the coming week. Help children tie the strings to make necklaces or bracelets. Encourage children to tell something that they can do to help others. Have the children take the necklaces home and do the helpful things that they have talked about in class.

9


Option: On a sheet of paper print a list of helpful things children can do. Photocopy the paper for each child. In class read the list to children and invite them to circle the things they plan to do. Encourage children to keep the list with them during the week.

Craft Learning Activity: Egyptian Jewelry (Grades 3-5) Purpose: Children make a beaded necklace to remind them of Joseph the Egyptian Prince. Preparation: Gather the following materials: strong thread or thin gold wire thicker wire for the necklace rings to attach the necklace ends beads: turquoise, gold, dark blue, dark green scissors or wire cutter needle-nosed pliers, Procedure: Cut a length of thread or wire that will fit around the neck (not too loose). Attach rings to each end, using the needle-nosed pliers. Cut thin wires or thread of progressively longer lengths (see illustration). Thread one bead, then twist the wire or knot the bead to the thread to secure. Thread other beads to about 1" (for wires) or 2" (for thread) from the end that will be attached to the necklace wire. If using wire, fold the wire over and around the necklace to secure. If using thread, tie to the necklace. Continue with at least 7-11 lengths of wire or thread. An odd number will give the design symmetry, with the longest strand of beads in the center. (See illustration.) If desired, complete the necklace by adding beads to the necklace, filling up the wire.

Craft Learning Activity: “Egyptian Masks” (Grades 3-5) Purpose: Make Egyptian face masks to show how Joseph was able to deceive his brothers. Print the template below to help students. Procedure: Make face masks by cutting eye and mouth holes in a paper plate. Make the eyes pointy at the corners. Paint or color "make-up" on the plate: use black to outline the eyes, and let the kids decorate the rest. Show a picture from a book on ancient Egypt to give the kids a reference. Then hold up the masks and have the students see how hard it would be to recognize Joseph, especially when you weren't expecting them to be there. Option: Print the mask template below. Cut out the mask and attach it to a large paper plate. Cut out the eyes and decorate with markers.

Snack Learning Activity: “Egyptian Foods” Declare an Egyptian food holiday and enjoy different foods from Ancient Egypt: honey, figs, watermelon, other melons, leeks, onions, fish, cucumbers, garlic, grapes, wheat bread, pomegranates, barley, plums, cumin, dill, sesame, and coriander. Students should be encouraged to try as many of these foods as possible. Life Application Challenge: “Feed Hungry People” (Grades K-5) Say: “Joseph made sure that there were no hungry people in Egypt during a seven-year famine. In this project, children consider how they can feed the hungry in their own community by beginning a food collection. Here are several ideas:

1. Food Drive Challenge: Challenge the other church school classes and the adults in the church to a food drive contest. Pick a start and an end date, and publicize it throughout the church. The class that collects the most food wins the church school contest. And whoever collects the most food between the church school combined classes and the adult classess

10


wins the church wide contest. Give a prize to the winners. And no matter which team wins, the whole community wins!

2. The Food Bowl: If you are teaching this lesson during football season, pick two rival teams. Or pick baseball or basketball teams or another sport. They can be either college or local high school teams. Decorate two giant boxes, one for each team, using the team colors. Pompons, pennants, and other sport symbols can be used for decoration. Place these boxes in a prominent place in the church; for example, in the fellowship hall. Pick a start and an end date for your food drive. In your publicity, challenge the people in your congregation to collect food for the glory of their favorite sports team. They should put the food into the bin that represents their favorite team. The team with the most food by the finish date wins this “Food Bowl.”

3. Helping Hands: For a noncompetitive food drive that recognizes individual generosity, try this Helping Hands project. Get a supply of small- to medium-sized grocery bags, one per child. On each bag, staple a piece of paper with this note: In this bag, put ____________. Thank you for caring! Name of giver: ___________________ In the first blank space, write the name of a nonperishable food that is needed; for example, canned soups, canned meats, cereals, fun or comfort foods such as puddings, pasta or rice mixes, canned meals, canned vegetables or fruits. Every few weeks, give each child a bag with a label on it. Have a different label and requested food for each child to collect. They will look forward to giving different kinds of food. Instruct them to return the filled bags the following week. For each filled bag that is returned, cut out a hand print from construction paper. Put the giver’s name on it and tape it to the wall. After a while, there will be a string of “helping hands” on your wall. For more visible recognition, post the “helping hands” in a church hallway or the fellowship hall with a note explaining the project.

11


12


13


14


15


Design an Egyptian Mask

16


unit 4: joseph ot4.4 joseph the egyptian prince lesson€¦ · ot4.4 joseph the egyptian prince...

Documents