Joseph and His Brothers

This is the title: 'The Coat of Many Colours'. Joseph's father, Jacob, gave him a very special coat. The coat was colourful – just like a kikoi or leso that you might see in Kenya. It was bright and beautiful. Because of this coat, everyone could see that Joseph was very special to his father. His brothers did not get such a gift. How do you think they felt? Our worked example. We will think together about why Jacob gave Joseph this coat. Was it just because Joseph was his favourite? Or was there another reason? Here is the question: 'Why did Jacob give Joseph the coat?' I want you to think carefully. The coat showed love, but it also caused jealousy.

It is about a boy named Joseph. At the title with me — 'Joseph's Dreams'. Joseph had some very special dreams. In his dream, his whole family — his father, his mother, and all his brothers — bowed down to him. That means they showed him respect, like you bow to a chief or a king. When Joseph told his brothers about this dream, they became very angry. Why do you think they were angry? The brothers did not like the idea of bowing to their younger brother. They were already jealous because their father loved Joseph the most. When Joseph shared his dream, it made them even angrier. They started to plan something bad. They plotted to get rid of Joseph. Here is a lesson for us. Sometimes, it is not wise to share everything we think or see. Joseph's dreams were true, but telling them at the wrong time caused trouble. Let's remember: we should know when to speak and when to keep quiet.

Today we will learn about a sad event in Joseph's story. Joseph's brothers made a terrible choice. They wanted to kill him, but Reuben stopped them. Instead, they sold Joseph to some traders. The traders took him to Egypt. It's like when a matatu carries goods to another town. Joseph arrived in Egypt, a faraway country. He was far from home. Back home, Jacob saw the torn coat and thought Joseph died. His heart broke. God was with Joseph.

We find this story in the Bible. The Bible is God's special book for us. Joseph was a slave for Potiphar. Potiphar saw that God was with Joseph. He made Joseph the boss of his house. God helped Joseph even when things were hard. At this example. It says God helped Joseph do good work. Can you think of a time when God helped you? Maybe when you were sick, or when you needed help with your homework? Let's share with each other.

Children, today we will learn about the Great Famine and how Joseph's brothers came to Egypt to buy food. Remember, Joseph was now a ruler in Egypt after being a slave in prison. The famine was very bad. There was no food anywhere. It is like when there is a drought in some parts of Kenya and the crops do not grow. People were hungry. Joseph's family in Canaan also had no food. Jacob, their father, told his sons, 'Go to Egypt and buy grain for us.' But he did not send Benjamin because Benjamin was the youngest and Jacob loved him very much. At this picture. This is Joseph in Egypt. He was in charge of all the grain. When his brothers came, they bowed down to him. Joseph knew them, but they did not know him. It was a very important moment. What do we learn from this story? Joseph's brothers had been cruel to him many years ago. Joseph had a chance to help them. He did not punish them. He gave them grain. Later, we will see that he forgave them. Forgiving others is good, just like we should forgive our brothers and sisters at home.

We come to the most important part. Joseph forgives his brothers. First, Joseph tested his brothers. He wanted to see if they had really changed. Do you remember how Judah offered to stay in place of Benjamin? That showed true change. At this worked example. Joseph could have punished his brothers for what they did long ago. Instead he forgave them. Why? Because God planned good from the bad things that happened. Here is a picture of forgiveness. It is like letting go of a heavy burden. When you forgive someone, you feel lighter, just like dropping a heavy load. Joseph forgave his brothers even though they had been very mean to him. That is a powerful lesson for all of us.

Let's learn the big lesson from Joseph's story. God has a plan. He can turn bad things into good. At these words. Joseph told his brothers: 'You meant to hurt me, but God meant it for good.' Even when people are mean, God can make something good happen. God used Joseph to save his family from famine. He saved many people. In Kenya we say 'Mungu ana mpango' – God has a plan. Even when bad things happen, remember that God can bring good out of bad. Just like Joseph's story.

Everyone. It says, 'Let's Pray and Remember.' This is our closing time for today. First, we are going to pray. We want to thank God for watching over Joseph. Even when bad things happened to Joseph, God was with him. Let us say thank you. Thank you, God, for Joseph's story. Thank you for his big heart and for helping him forgive his brothers. Help us to forgive others too, just like Joseph. Let's remember the lesson. We have three things to keep in our hearts. First, God has a plan for each one of us, just like He had a plan for Joseph. Second, we must forgive like Joseph. When we make mistakes, we say sorry王一 and we forgive. Third, be kind. Be kind to your friends at school, be kind to your brothers and sisters at home. God loves a kind heart.