Monday, October 8, 2018

Pharaoh's Dreams

Genesis 39-41


The traders took Joseph to Egypt.  He was thrown into jail  But he did nothing wrong.  Joseph trusted God to help him.  He made friends with some of the prisoners. 
One of them had been a wine taster for Pharaoh.  Pharaoh was the leader of Egypt.  The wine taster said, “Last night, I had a dream.  I was picking grapes and squeezing them into Pharaoh’s cup.  Then I put the cup in his hand.  What does this mean, Joseph?”
Joseph answered, “You will be Pharaoh’s wine taster again.  Once you are free, please don't forget about me. Help me get out of jail, too.”
A few days later, the wine taster’s dream came true.  He got out of jail and became Pharaoh’s wine taster once again.  But he forgot about Joseph.
Later, Pharaoh had two strange dreams.  In one dream, he saw seven heavy cows and seven skinny cows.  The skinny cows ate up all the heavy cows.
In another dream, Pharaoh saw seven healthy plants.  Then he saw seven dried-up plants.  The dried-up plants ate all the healthy plants.  Pharaoh was confused.
Pharaoh’s wise men were confused, too.  Then the wine taster remembered Joseph.  He told Pharaoh that Joseph could explain his dreams.
With God’s help, Joseph told Pharaoh what his dream meant. “For the next seven years, plenty of food will grow.  For the next seven years after that, not enough food will grow because there will be no rain.”  Pharaoh said.  “Joseph, you are a very wise man.  I will make you a ruler over  Egypt.”

Discussion Questions


  • Where did the traders put Joseph?  In jail
  • Joseph was able to tell what dreams meant.  What did the prisoner’s dream mean? He would be Pharaoh’s wine taster again.
  • Joseph told the prisoner to remember him when he got out of jail.  Did he remember?   No
  • Pharaoh had some very odd dreams.  Who helped him understand his dreams?  Joseph
  • Pharaoh gave Joseph a very important job.  What was it?  He was the ruler over Egypt.

Prayer


Dear God, thank you for teaching us to help others.  We know there will be times we don’t understand but You know what is best for us.  Amen 

Memory Verse

“Lead me in your truth, teach me, for you are God my Savior.”  Psalm 25:5


Treat to Eat: Black-Spotted Cows


Pour a bag of small chocolate chips into a bowl. Give your child a banana half, a craft stick, and a paper plate. Have him peel the bananas and push them onto craft sticks to create “banana-sicles.” Then show him how to press some chocolate chips onto their banana-sicles to make “black-spotted cows.” 

Distribute napkins, and let your family eat their creations. Remind your child of the dream about the skinny cows who swallowed up the fat cows just as they are swallowing up their bananas.


Lively Learning:  Family Fun Jailbreak


Use small, foam balls or crumpled newspapers to play this game. Direct family members to all stand along one wall. This will be your jailhouse, and family will pretend to be Prisoners. Choose one person to be “It,” and have that person toss balls at the Prisoners. Any person a ball touches can break out of jail and run to help “It” toss the balls. Play the game until the last Prisoner makes his or her jailbreak, and then talk with your child about what it might have been like for Joseph in jail.



Activity:  Camels


Supplies:  Brown paper bags or brown construction paper, scissors, cloths pins, google eyes, brown marker, and glue.

Instructions: Sketch a camel on the paper, cut it out, glue eyes on, and draw mouth with brown marker.  While the glue dries, color the cloths pins with brown marker.  

While you are helping your child with the project talk about how the camels are incorporated into the story.