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Lesson Series

10. The Life of Paul

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© David A. Jones.
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OBJECTIVES:
1. To teach the students what it means to believe God without doubting, and thus enjoy His peace in the soul.
2. To make clear God’s character, that He is ever good, and His Word of promise is secure.
3. To show that His special love is really enjoyed only by those  who belong to Christ.
4. To remind the children of the importance of being prepared for  the coming of the Lord, or for death,  whichever comes first.

SCENE No. 1.  Joseph receives a visitor.
DEVELOPMENT: - A messenger sent by his brothers brings a message  that causes Joseph distress.  (Gen. 50:16).
- Because of doubt in their heart,  Joseph’s brothers are worried and upset about the future.
- In addition to this, they are afraid.  This state of mind keeps them at a distance from Joseph, unable to enjoy friendship or fellowship with him.
- The brothers were unable to understand the reality of Joseph’s words of pardon, spoken 16 years earlier. Thus  they could not enjoy his forgiveness.
- Joseph had pardoned them sincerely. He had no intention whatever of taking vengeance on them.
Cns. Although Joseph considered their sin blotted out, it continued to be very much present in their minds.
Sug. Teach the students what it means to believe God without doubting.  Show how one can enjoy the peace of God.  If God has forgiven us, He is not going to treat us as if we are to be condemned.
Lsn. God’s promises, found in the Bible, are to be believed exactly as they are written.
Ex. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.
Apl. With a promise such as this, the believer can be at peace, for nothing can change what God has said.
- Pardon brings a sense of security and allows the believer to live rejoicing, happy in this life and through all eternity.
Apl. Due to not trusting the Word of God,  many live sad and careworn lives.   Such unbelief robs a person of fellowship with God.
Cns. Joseph’s brothers considered Jacob as a “buffer” between them and their brother while they lived in Egypt.  In their thinking, Jacob’s presence with them would preclude any retaliation on Joseph’s part.
Cmt. This was THEIR thinking and had no basis for Joseph had forgiven them.
Apl. Christ is the guarantee for the believer. Because I LIVE, ye shall LIVE also, said the Lord Jesus Christ.
Lxn. Ask the students what it means to be “frankly forgiven”?
See the expression in Luke 7:42.

SCENE No. 2.  Some place in Egypt.
DEVELOPMENT of the lesson: Joseph meets with his brothers and shows them that he has, indeed, forgiven  them.
- Joseph is deeply hurt that his brothers had such limited trust in him.
- He weeps over it, (Gen. 50:18), since he had not thought of harming them but rather of doing them good.
Cns. No doubt it hurts God that sinners do not take advantage of the peace He lovingly offers those who believe in Him.
Cns. Something similar occurs when a believer in Christ doubts His goodness.
- God is never anything but Good even when it might seem as if He  is doing something that hurts us.
- Of all the peoples living in Egypt, this special love was for those who were truly of Joseph’s family.
Apl. Only those who are children of God can fully enjoy His love while here in the world, surrounded by people who by reason of their unbelief deprive themselves of knowing Him as a God of love.
Sug. Imagine the conversation between Joseph and his brothers. Would he tell them of his hurt at their lack of confidence in him?
Qsn:  Would those around them get to know about what was taking place?
Sug. With the students, imagine how the Egyptians would speak well of Joseph.
Apl. It is through the testimony of Christians the world around gets to hear what God is like.
Sug. The teacher ought to speak well of the Lord, mentioning some  of his/her own experiences and those of others that illustrate  God showing His love towards us.
- With the words “Behold we be thy servants”,  Joseph’s brothers offer themselves as his slaves, the same fate to which they had sold him.
Cns. Gen. 50:19. Joseph’s words,  “am I in the place of God?” seems to be his response implying they are closer to him than slaves.
- Slavery of any kind is contrary to the nature of God, who wants  all to be free to enjoy the blessings He provides.  See v.21. See also Galatians 5:1.

SCENE No. 3.  In Joseph’s house in Egypt.
DEVELOPMENT of the lesson: - Joseph is about to leave this world.
- Since nothing more is mentioned about the problem of fear, it is assumed the brethren took Joseph’s words of assurance to heart.
- In Joseph’s last words of instructions, he makes no mention of the great sin committed against him.
Ccl. His forgiveness was complete.  The sin was forgiven and forgotten.
- Apply to what God does.
- Joseph’s tender heart is shown in the mention of his grandchildren and his great grandchildren.
-  These descendants were at his side to the end, giving happiness to the one who for so many years had lived far from all his relatives and family.
Cmt. When God’s grace is seen in action in another person or in one’s family, it is a source of happiness.
Apl. When Christ is truly in the family it makes for a happy home.
- Joseph’s last blessing and final request that his bones be carried to the Promised Land show his unshakeable faith in God’s promises regarding the children of Israel.
- God had plans for their future and was with them at all times.
- Joseph’s greatest comfort was his certainty about his eternal destiny and so he had no fear of what was ahead.
Sug. It is well to ask the children about their own eternal destiny.
Cmt. A survey made in 1991 in Chile found that many young children are afraid of death.

SCENE No. 4. Summary.
DEVELOPMENT: This lesson is intended to show:
{1} Assurance must be obtained through the Scriptures, especially when there is so much reason to doubt the words of  those around.
Sug. Imagine a conversation between a father and his child, perhaps on account of something wrong the child has done, in which the father forgives his child and talks to him about how God forgives our sins.  The child might wonder, “Is what he says the truth?”  The Scriptures tell the truth.
Apl. Joseph’s brothers did not believe his words when he forgave them, not even 16 years after he revealed his identity to them. They deprived themselves of joy through unbelief.
Cns. Unbelief led to distrust of Joseph after their father died, and in turn led them to falsely conclude that he might now take vengeance on them.
Cmt. Fear is paralyzing, and deprives the fearful one of enjoyment and pleasure.
- They had felt secure in the shadow of their father, but on his death, their sense of safety came to an end.
- This was the result of  not really knowing Joseph’s true character, his honesty and righteousness.
- They worried about a possible change in Joseph.
- Joseph’s brothers did not fully understand the extent of their brother’s love and forgiveness.  Their distrust was dispelled by his words and tears.
Apl. No one should doubt the tremendous love that the Lord Jesus has for us.
Apl. Because of not really knowing what God is like, many suffer from uncertainty about their soul’s salvation.
Sug. Ask the children to mention what  facts can take away this doubt and uncertainty.
Apl. The living Lord Jesus Christ is guarantor for the believer that the promises of God will never be forgotten.
His Word assures us of it.  He gives us ETERNAL LIFE. Jn. 5:24.

{2} Just as Joseph himself trusted the promises of God  regarding the future, we also can keep our eye fixed on our  heavenly Home.
- When he asked that his bones be carried out of Egypt when the Israelites left, Joseph showed that he had his heart set on God’s  promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Apl.  A believer lives looking to the future, because his peace in this present world is based on a fact in the past, the  death of Christ; and the blessed promise of His soon return to take us to Heaven and Home.
- As his life drew to an end, Joseph was thinking about the glorious promises yet to be fulfilled.
Sug. Engage the students in thinking, How many die without a single hope beyond this life?