Lesson 11 - Elementary

Memory Verse

"Seek, and ye shall find"  (Matthew 7:7).

Notes

Joseph Was Brought to Egypt

When Joseph was sold by his brothers he was taken to Egypt and sold to Potiphar, an officer. God was with him and gave him favour with his master, and Joseph was given an important work to do. God blessed Potiphar's home for Joseph's sake, and Potiphar knew it. That made him like Joseph still more. God knows well how to help those who love Him.

Joseph Is Cast into the Prison

One day a false story about Joseph was brought to Potiphar and he believed the lie. Joseph was put into the prison. It must have seemed hard for Joseph to be in prison when he knew he had done no wrong, but God had a purpose in it that Joseph did not know. While in the prison Joseph explained the meaning of some dreams that men in the prison had dreamed.

The King's Dreams

After Joseph had been in the prison two years the king, too, had dreams that puzzled him very much and he wanted to know what they meant. He called some of his men to tell him the meaning, but they could not. Then they remembered that there was a man in the prison who had been able to tell the meaning of dreams, so the king called for Joseph.

The king dreamed that he was standing by the river, and seven fat cows came up from the river and ate grass. Then seven poor cows came up and ate the fat cows.

The king dreamed also that he saw seven big ears of corn on a stalk, and then seven thing withered ones came up after them. They destroyed the big ears.

Joseph Satisfied the King

Before he appeared to the king, Joseph made himself neat and clean. When the king told him his dreams Joseph said that God was trying to show the king what was going to happen in the country. Joseph said he could not tell the king the meaning of the dreams unless God told it to Joseph. He gave God all the credit. No doubt Joseph prayed earnestly that God would explain it to him, and God did show him what the dreams were and what they meant.

The fat cows and the big ears of corn meant that there would be seven years of much food. Then there would be seven years with almost no food unless they gathered enough during the seven good years. The king was pleased with Joseph's explanation and made him ruler over the land to gather up food for the hard years that would come. God was using Joseph for a very important task. The wicked brothers did not know it when they sold him, but God did. He can make everything work out well for His purpose. There is nothing too hard for God to do. God has work for all who are willing to work for Him and are saved.

Questions

1. Where had Joseph been staying while in Egypt? [GEN:41:14].

2. Why did God give King Pharaoh two dreams with the same meaning? [GEN:41:32].

3. Did the dreams come true? [GEN:41:53-56].

4. Who gave Joseph the wisdom to tell what the dreams meant? [GEN:41:16].

5. Who gives people wisdom today? [JAM:1:5].