Bible tale: Part 4 of 9 - Joseph (11th son of Jacob)

 Part 4 of 9 - Joseph (11th son of Jacob)

Genesis 41-42

re-told by Debbie Dunn

Story highlights:

* Joseph rationed food supplies during the 7 years of plenty.

* Joseph distributed food during the 7-year famine.

* Joseph's 10 older brothers came to Egypt to buy food for their families.

Bible role-play begins:

Narrator #1: Please recall that Joseph, the eleventh of Jacob's twelve sons, also known as Israel, has been in Egypt since he was seventeen years old.

 

Narrator #2: First, he was a slave for Potiphar, the Captain of the Guard for Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.

Narrator #1: Next, due to the lies of Potiphar's wife, Joseph was thrown into prison for ten or more years.

 

Narrator #2: Then, at the age of 30, Joseph became the 2nd-in-command in all of Egypt. This benefit was a result of God's perfect plan for Joseph's life.

Narrator #1: God gave Joseph the ability to interpret the dreams of Pharaoh's chief cupbearer and then of Pharaoh himself.

 

Narrator #2: God gave Joseph the gift of being responsible, worthy of respect, trustworthy, and super intelligent.

Narrator #1: Thanks to all these gifts from God, Joseph wisely knew to take 1/5 of everybody's crops during the seven years when there was plenty of food for everyone to eat.

 

Narrator #2: As it states in Genesis 41,"Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the sea."

Narrator #1: "It was so much that Joseph stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure."

Narrator #2: Sadly, the 7 years of abundance came to an end in Egypt. Just as God told them, there was now going to be 7 years of famine.

 

Narrator #1: What is famine? It is a severe and prolonged shortage of food and water, leading to widespread hunger and starvation.

 

Narrator #2: If it were not for Joseph, many people in Egypt would have died.

Narrator #1: Thanks to Joseph listening to God, the people of Egypt have the chance to live and not die.

 

Narrator #2: There was also a famine in all the other lands around Egypt. But only in Egypt was there food.

Narrator #1: When all of Egypt began to feel the famine, the people cried to Pharaoh, their king, for food.

 

Narrator #2: Pharaoh said to them, "Go to Joseph and do what he tells you."

Narrator #1: Joseph opened up the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians so they would not starve.

 

Narrator #2: People from other countries around Egypt heard that there was food in Egypt.

Narrator #1: "And all the world came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe everywhere."                [Genesis 41:57]

 

Narrator #2: In the land of Canaan, the place where Joseph's father and 11 brothers lived, they also had hardly any food left to eat.

Narrator #1: Please recall, Joseph's father believes that a wild animal killed Joseph.

 

Narrator #2: Joseph's ten older brothers know they sold Joseph to be a slave. In the 20 or more years that have passed, they likely guess he is either still a slave or dead.

Narrator #1: Joseph's father, named Jacob and also Israel, turned to his sons one day. He said, "Why do you just keep looking at each other?"

 

Narrator #2: Their father said, "I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die."

Narrator #1: Then 10 of Joseph's brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. But Jacob did not send Joseph's younger brother, Benjamin, because he feared something bad might happen to him, as well.

 

Narrator #2: Do you recall Joseph's dreams he had when he was 17 years old about his brothers bowing down to him? That dream is about to come true.

 

Narrator #1: Joseph's 10 brothers went to the place where you could buy grain in Egypt. As soon as the governor of Egypt walked out, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground.

 

Narrator #2: Please recall that Pharaoh had given Joseph a new name. So, there was nobody there who would call him Joseph.

Narrator #1: Joseph immediately recognized his older brothers, but they had no idea that the governor of Egypt was the younger brother they sold as a slave 20 or more years before.

 

Narrator #2: Joseph pretended to be a stranger. He also pretended that he could only speak Egyptian and not their language of Hebrew.

Narrator #1: Through an interpreter, he harshly asked, "Where do you come from?"

 

Narrator #2: His 10 older brothers replied, "We came from the land of Canaan to buy food."

Narrator #1: Joseph accused, "You are spies! You have come to see where our land is unprotected."

 

Narrator #2: They said, "No, my lord. Your servants have come to buy food. We are all the sons of one man. Your servants are honest men, not spies."

Narrator #1: Joseph again pretended not to believe them and accused them of being spies.

 

Narrator #2: They said, "Your servants were 12 brothers, the sons of one man, who lives in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more."

Narrator #1: Will Joseph agree to sell them food? Will Joseph reveal that he is their brother who is still alive? Tune in next week to find out.

 

Narrator #2: END OF SKIT. Let's give our volunteers a great big hand!

Are you a Bible enthusiast or do you lead a Youth Group or Family Bible Study? To get a FREE PDF download of this story, click on this link below:

Free PDF download of Part 4 of 9 - Joseph (11th son of Jacob).

Do you want more stories about Joseph & his 11 brothers? If so, visit the 12 sons of Jacob chapter from my EXPLORE BIBLE STORY dot org website.

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My ever-expanding Explore Bible Story dot org website includes Bible stories and Biblical Family Trees about

• Creation, Adam, & his Descendants
• Noah, the Ark, & the Flood
• Abraham & Sarah
• Isaac & Rebekah, Esau & Jacob
• Jacob & his 4 wives
• 12 sons of Jacob who became known as the 12 Tribes of Israel
• Moses who was from the line of Levi
• Joshua who became leader of Israelites after death of Moses
• 12 Judges of Israel including Deborah, Gideon, & Samson
• Kings of Israel including Saul, David, & Solomon
• 4 Major Prophets of Israel: Isaiah, Daniel, Jeremiah, Ezekiel
• 12 Minor Prophets of Israel
• More Prophets of Israel: Samuel, Nathan, Elijah, & Elisha
• Women from Old & New Testament
• Jesus Christ, our Messiah, Lord, Savior, & King of king
• 12 Disciples of Jesus
• Apostle Paul & other Significant Followers of Christ
• Triune God: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit
• The Free Gift of Salvation & The Sinner's Prayer
• About Website: Explore Bible Story.org
• About the author: Debbie Dunn