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Joseph: God Was With Him

Reference: Genesis 37, 39–50

Big Idea: Even when life is unfair and difficult things happen, God is with us and He can turn evil into good.

Teacher Quick Reference

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Lesson: Joseph: God Was With Him
Scripture: Genesis 37, 39–50
Big Idea: Even when life is unfair and difficult things happen, God is with us and He can turn evil into good.
Three Main Points:
  1. Joseph was betrayed by his jealous brothers and sold into slavery.
  2. Despite his suffering, the Bible says 'The LORD was with Joseph.'
  3. Joseph honored God in Potiphar's house and in the dungeon.
  4. God elevated Joseph to save Egypt and his own family from famine.
  5. Joseph forgave his brothers because he trusted God's bigger plan.
Activity: The Big Picture Puzzle
Memory Verse: Genesis 50:20
Take-Home Truth:
"Even on my worst days, God is with me and He is working for my good."

Teacher Preparation

Before class:

  • Read the narrative arc of Joseph (Genesis 37, 39–50).
  • Pay special attention to Genesis 39:2, 39:21, and 50:20 (BSB).
  • Prepare The Big Picture Puzzle activity (requires printing and cutting a picture beforehand).
  • Write the memory verse on the board.
  • Decide which age adaptation will work best for your classroom.

[!IMPORTANT] A note for the teacher
Covering chapters 37 through 50 in a single lesson requires focusing heavily on the theme rather than every detail. Do not get bogged down in the mechanics of Pharaoh’s dreams or the exact items put in Benjamin’s sack. Keep the focus tightly on the theological through-line: God was with Joseph, and God turned evil into good. This is a profoundly comforting lesson for children who may be experiencing trauma, bullying, or unfairness in their own lives.

Opening Activity: The Unfair Game

Ask the children: “Have you ever had a day where absolutely everything seemed unfair?” Allow them to share a few short examples (e.g., getting blamed for something a sibling did, losing a game because someone cheated, having a fun trip canceled).

Explain: “It hurts when things are unfair. Sometimes, when really unfair things happen, we might wonder if God has forgotten about us. Today, we are going to look at the life of a young man who experienced some of the most unfair things you can imagine. But we are going to see a secret hidden in his story.”

The Bible Story

1. The Favorite Son and the Pit

Joseph was seventeen years old, and he had a problem: his ten older brothers hated him. Their father, Jacob, loved Joseph more than the others and gave him a beautiful, special tunic. To make matters worse, God gave Joseph dreams showing that one day, his brothers would bow down to him.

His brothers were furious and jealous. One day, when they were far from home, they grabbed Joseph, tore off his beautiful tunic, and threw him into a deep, empty pit. They decided to sell him as a slave to some traders traveling to Egypt. It was completely unfair. He was dragged away to a foreign country in chains.

2. A Slave in Egypt

Joseph was bought by a rich Egyptian official named Potiphar. He was a slave. He had lost his family, his home, and his freedom. But the Bible tells us a very important secret:

“And the LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man…” (Genesis 39:2, BSB)

Even as a slave, God had not left Joseph! Joseph worked hard and chose to honor God. Potiphar put Joseph in charge of his entire house. But then, something else unfair happened. Potiphar’s wife told a terrible lie about Joseph. Even though Joseph had done exactly the right thing and ran away from sin, Potiphar believed the lie. Joseph was thrown into a dark dungeon.

3. The Prison and the Dreams

Now Joseph was a slave and a prisoner. It seemed like his life was completely ruined. But what does the Bible say?

“But the LORD was with Joseph and extended kindness to him…” (Genesis 39:21, BSB)

God was in the dungeon, too! While in prison, God helped Joseph explain the meaning of dreams for two of Pharaoh’s servants. One of the servants promised to remember Joseph and help him get out. But guess what? The servant forgot all about Joseph for two whole years. Unfair, right? But Joseph kept trusting God.

4. From the Dungeon to the Palace

One night, Pharaoh (the king of Egypt) had terrifying dreams about fat cows and skinny cows. No one could explain them. Finally, the servant remembered Joseph! They rushed Joseph out of the dungeon. Joseph told Pharaoh, “I cannot do it, but God will give Pharaoh the answer.”

God revealed that a terrible famine (a time with no food) was coming. Because God was with Joseph, Pharaoh made Joseph the second most powerful man in all of Egypt! Joseph stored up grain and saved thousands of people from starving.

5. The Big Picture

Eventually, the famine reached Joseph’s family. His older brothers traveled to Egypt for food. They didn’t recognize Joseph, but he recognized them.

When he finally revealed who he was, his brothers were terrified. They thought Joseph would kill them for what they did to him all those years ago. But Joseph wept, and he told them something amazing. Listen to what Joseph said:

“As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people.” (Genesis 50:20, BSB)

Joseph finally saw the big picture. He forgave his brothers. God took the terrible, unfair, evil things his brothers did and used them to save the whole world from starvation.

The Deeper Meaning

Joseph’s story isn’t just about a guy who got lucky after a run of bad luck. It shows us how God is in control of history. Even when people do evil things, God’s good plans cannot be stopped.

Hundreds of years later, someone else would be betrayed by His friends. He would be sold for pieces of silver. He would be falsely accused and punished even though He did nothing wrong. That person was Jesus. When Jesus was put on the cross, it looked like the most unfair, terrible day in history. But just like Joseph’s story, God was taking something intended for evil and using it for the greatest good ever: saving us from our sins.

Three Things to Remember

1. Hard Times Don’t Mean God Left You

When Joseph was in the pit, the slave market, and the dungeon, the Lord was with him. When you go through hard, sad, or unfair times, God is with you, too. Teacher Question: How does it feel to know that God is with you even in the “dungeons” of life?

2. You Can Still Choose to Honor God

Joseph didn’t use his bad circumstances as an excuse to sin. He didn’t say, “Well, my life is ruined, so I’m going to be bad.” He chose to honor God everywhere he went. Teacher Question: Is it hard to make good choices when everything around you feels unfair?

3. God Can Turn Evil into Good

Joseph’s brothers did a genuinely evil thing. But God is so powerful that He wove their bad choices into a master plan to save lives. Teacher Question: Why is it important to forgive people who hurt us?

Age Adaptations

Preschool (Ages 3-5)

Younger Children

For younger children (ages 5–7), focus heavily on God’s constant presence.

Simplified concepts:

  • Joseph’s brothers were mean to him and sent him far away.
  • Joseph was put in a jail even though he didn’t do anything wrong.
  • But God was ALWAYS with Joseph. God did not leave him.
  • Eventually, God made Joseph a great leader who gave people food when they were hungry.
  • Joseph forgave his brothers because he loved God.

Developmentally appropriate questions:

  • Was God with Joseph in the dark pit? (Yes!)
  • Was God with Joseph in the jail? (Yes!)
  • Is God with you when you are sad or scared? (Yes!)
Upper Elementary (Grades 4-6)

Older Children

For older children (ages 8–11), focus on the theology of God’s sovereignty and the difficulty of forgiveness.

Deeper discussion: It is very hard for pre-teens to forgive people who have bullied or betrayed them. Joseph had the ultimate reason to take revenge on his brothers, but he chose forgiveness because he trusted God’s sovereignty.

Discussion Scenarios:

  • Scenario 1: Someone spreads a rumor about you at school (like Potiphar’s wife did to Joseph). You get in trouble. How can you respond in a way that honors God, even when it is totally unfair?
  • Scenario 2: Read Genesis 50:20 again. Does this verse mean that what the brothers did was actually good? (No. What they did was evil. But God’s power is so great that He can use evil things to accomplish His good purposes.)
  • Concept: Trusting God doesn’t mean we pretend bad things are good. It means we trust that God is bigger than the bad things.

Discussion Questions

Understanding

  1. What did Jacob give to Joseph that made his brothers jealous?
  2. What did the brothers do to Joseph?
  3. What did Potiphar’s wife do that got Joseph thrown into the dungeon?
  4. What phrase does the Bible repeat about Joseph while he was a slave and a prisoner?
  5. What did Joseph do when he finally saw his brothers again years later?

Thinking

  1. Why do you think Joseph continued to obey God even when he was a slave in Egypt?
  2. Did God cause the brothers to sin? (No, they chose to sin. But God used their sinful choices to move Joseph to Egypt).
  3. Why did Joseph say, “what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good”?
  4. How is Joseph’s life a picture of what would eventually happen to Jesus?

Personal Application

  1. Have you ever felt like you were in a “pit” or a “dungeon”—a time when you felt stuck and sad?
  2. How does knowing “The LORD was with Joseph” help you when you feel alone?
  3. Is there someone who has been unfair to you that you need to forgive?

Activity Time

Activity Resource: The Big Picture Puzzle View Standalone →

Type: Visual Object Lesson
Time: 10 minutes
Group Size: Any
Materials:

  • A large, colorful picture (a landscape, a famous painting, or a poster).
  • Cut the picture into several jigsaw pieces before class. Take one piece that has dark or confusing colors on it (like a shadow or a muddy spot) and set it aside.

Purpose

To visually demonstrate that while one specific event in our lives might look dark, confusing, or ugly, God is using it to build a beautiful “big picture.”

Setup

Keep the pieces of the puzzle hidden. Hold only the single dark/confusing piece in your hand.

Exact Instructions

  1. Hold up the single, confusing puzzle piece so all the children can see it.
  2. Ask the children: “What is this a picture of? Is it pretty? Does it make any sense?”
  3. Allow them to guess. Acknowledge that on its own, the piece looks like a mistake, a dark smudge, or just a mess.
  4. Say: “Sometimes, things happen in our lives that feel just like this piece. They are confusing, sad, or unfair. If we only look at this one piece, we might think the whole picture is ruined.”
  5. Bring out the rest of the puzzle pieces. Invite a few children to help you quickly assemble them on a table or the floor.
  6. Finally, place the dark/confusing piece into its exact spot.
  7. Say: “Now look at the big picture! Does this dark piece make sense now? Yes. The picture actually needed this shadow/spot to make the whole image complete.”

Discussion

Ask: “When bad things happen to us, do we get to see the ‘big picture’ right away?” (No). “Who is the only one who sees the big picture?” (God).

Connection Back to the Bible Story

Remind the children that Joseph spent years looking at dark, ugly puzzle pieces—being thrown in a pit, sold as a slave, and locked in a dungeon. It made no sense at the time. But God was putting together a massive, beautiful picture that would eventually save thousands of lives from starvation.

Craft Time

Activity Resource: Colorful Coat Craft View Standalone →

Materials:

  • White cardstock or heavy paper
  • Colorful tissue paper squares (about 1x1 inch)
  • Glue sticks
  • Markers or crayons

Templates:

📄 Blank Coat Template

Purpose

To create a vibrant, visual reminder of the special coat Joseph’s father gave him, which started the amazing story of God’s protection over his life.

Setup

Printable Coat Template

  1. Print or draw the outline of a long coat or robe on white cardstock for each child. (If you don’t have a template, you can quickly draw a tunic shape on paper and photocopy it).
  2. Pre-cut lots of colorful tissue paper squares. The more colors, the better!

Instructions

  1. The Outline: Give each child a coat outline. Let them use crayons or markers to draw Joseph’s face sticking out of the top, or have them write their own name across the bottom!
  2. The Glue: Have the children cover one small section of the coat with their glue stick.
  3. The Colors: Before the glue dries, have them stick the colorful tissue paper squares onto the coat. They can overlap them, make patterns, or just make it as wild and colorful as possible!
  4. Continue gluing and sticking until the entire coat is completely covered in a beautiful mosaic of colors.

Discussion While Crafting

  • “Why did Joseph’s brothers get so angry about his beautiful coat?” (Because it showed that their dad loved Joseph the most).
  • “Because they were angry, they did something terrible to Joseph. Did God leave Joseph alone when bad things happened?” (No! God was always with him).
  • “Even when our lives are messy, God is with us and He can use bad things for good, just like He did for Joseph!”

Memory Verse Teaching Method

Genesis 50:20 (BSB)
“As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good…”

Practical Way to Teach:

  • Use hand motions to create contrast.
  • “As for you” (point outward).
  • “what you intended against me for evil” (cross arms tightly in front of chest, making a scowling face).
  • “God intended” (point up to the sky).
  • “for good” (throw arms wide open with a big smile).
  • Repeat several times, speeding up the motions.

Knowledge Check

Knowledge Check

Question 1 of 5

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Application

When something unfair or sad happens this week, don’t use it as an excuse to make a bad choice or treat someone poorly. Instead, practice saying out loud: “God is with me right now.” Remember that Joseph honored God even when he was sweeping floors as a slave.

Take-Home Challenge

If someone does something mean or unfair to you this week, choose to forgive them quickly, just like Joseph forgave his brothers. Trust that God’s plan is bigger than their unfair choice.

Closing Thought

It is easy to trust God when we are wearing a beautiful tunic and everything is going perfectly. It is much harder to trust God when we are in a dark pit. But God’s promise isn’t that we will never be in a pit. His promise is that He will be right there in the pit with us. He is the Master Artist, taking all the dark, ugly pieces of our lives and turning them into a beautiful masterpiece.

Closing Prayer

“Heavenly Father, thank You that You never leave us, even when life feels unfair. Thank You for the story of Joseph, which reminds us that You can take things meant for evil and use them for good. When we go through hard times, help us to remember that You are right there with us. Give us the courage to make good choices and the strength to forgive people who hurt us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

One-Minute Teacher Quick Reference

JOSEPH: GOD WAS WITH HIM
Genesis 37, 39–50

Big Idea

Even when life is unfair and difficult things happen, God is with us and He can turn evil into good.

Memory Verse

“As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good…” — Genesis 50:20 (BSB)

Three Points

  1. Hard Times Don’t Mean God Left You
  2. You Can Still Choose to Honor God
  3. God Can Turn Evil into Good

Opening

The Unfair Game (Discussion about unfair days and feeling forgotten).

Activity

The Big Picture Puzzle (Object lesson showing how a dark puzzle piece is necessary for the whole picture).

Take-Home Truth

Even on my worst days, God is with me and He is working for my good.

Closing

Pray for the strength to trust God in the “dungeons” of life and the grace to forgive others.