Joseph and the Famine

by Beverly Bartlett

Children's Sermon Based on Genesis 45:3-11, 15

Who can tell me what a famine is? Can you tell me where people have had not had enough food recently? [name countries/continents; bring a map or a globe to find these places]

People we read about in the Bible suffered from famines, too. Joseph had 11 brothers. His father's name was Jacob, and Joseph was Jacob's favorite son. That made all his brothers jealous of him. They were so jealous of Joseph that they did a horrible thing one day. They threw him into a pit that he couldn't climb out of. But then they saw some traders coming by, and they lifted Joseph out of the pit and sold him as a slave to the traders who took Joseph to Egypt. Joseph was a hard worker and a wise man, and God helped him so that he did well at all his work in Egypt. After a few years, Pharaoh, who was the ruler of Egypt, saw what a smart man Joseph was and he put him in charge of all Egypt. God had told Joseph that a famine was coming in a few years, so Joseph made the people of Egypt save food for seven years so that they would have enough food when the famine came and they wouldn't starve to death.

When the famine came, Joseph's brothers and his father Jacob, who still lived in Canaan were very hungry. Jacob sent his sons to Egypt to buy food, and they went to Joseph to ask for food. They didn't recognize him, but Joseph knew they were his brothers. He wasn't mad at them any more for what they had done to him. He felt happy to see them and he knew that they would feel horrible about selling him as a slave.

Boreno boy and animal carcass by Paul Jeffrey. Joseph finally told his brothers, "I am Joseph, your brother! Is my father still alive?" But the brothers felt so shocked and so ashamed of what they'd done, that they couldn't even speak. Joseph said, "Come closer to me. Don't be upset or angry with yourselves for what you did to me. God had a plan all along. Since I've been in Egypt, I've been able to save lots and lots of food. I think God must have sent me here so that I could save you and our people from the famine. Now you can bring our father and all your families and live here in Egypt with me. The famine is going to last for five more years, but we'll have enough food because I made sure that the people of Egypt stored food for the last seven years."

Joseph forgave his brothers. Because he had listened to God and stored enough food, he was able to help his brothers, their wives and their children, his father, and all the people of Egypt during the years of famine. When we have famines in our world, we share food that we have grown and stored up with people who are hungry in other places, just like Joseph did. One of the ways we do this is by giving money to the United Methodist Committee on Relief, which is also called UMCOR. UMCOR uses our offerings for hunger and famine to buy food for people, and seeds and garden tools and animals so that people can grow their own food. When we give offerings to UMCOR, we are like Joseph, helping people who are hungry.

Prayer:

God we thank you for Joseph who helped his family and the people of Egypt survive the famine. Help us to be like Joseph and help people when they are hungry or starving, no matter who they are or what they may have done to us. Help us to be wise and forgiving and generous, like your servant Joseph. Amen.

About One Great Hour of Sharing

One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) is observed by United Methodists on the fourth Sunday in Lent but you can give all year around. The OGHS offering supports ongoing work of the United Methodist Committee on Relief. Your gifts to One Great Hour of Sharing allow UMCOR to work efficiently and effectively in disaster response, hunger and poverty ministries, and refugee ministries around the world. UMCOR does not receive support from World Service. Give generously in thanks for all that God has given you.

Joseph and the Famine

by Beverly Bartlett

Children's Sermon Based on Genesis 45:3-11, 15

Prayer:

About One Great Hour of Sharing

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