Family Home Evening for Genesis 37-41

 You may want to preface this lesson, the way they do in Old Testament Stories Joseph in Egypt. This lesson will begin in Genesis 41, so you can stop the summary when the Chief Butler tells Pharaoh about Joseph.

Now, read or summarize Genesis 41:14-57. When I do this with my kids, I like to mix both reading and summarizing. For example, I would use the following outline:

Pharaoh wanted to know the meaning of his dream, so he called for Joseph to be brought to him. Joseph shaved, cleaned up, and put on nicer clothes, before going to meet Pharaoh. Pharaoh told Joseph that he heard that Joseph could interpret any dream. Joseph replied, “It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.” (vs. 16) Meaning that Joseph would tell him what his dream meant, but Heavenly Father would tell Joseph what to say.

Pharaoh told him about 2 dreams. In the first dream, Pharoah saw 7 kine (cows) come out of the river. They were really fat and would provide a lot of food for the people. Then, 7 more came, and they were skinny and weak. So, they ate the fat kine. After the kine ate, they were still just as sick and this as they were at the start. 

In the second dream, 7 ears of corn popped up and were good. Then, a second stalk of corn sprang up with corn that was withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind. The thin corn devoured the full corn.

Joseph explained that the kine and ears of corn represented a time period of 7 years. The fat kine and full cGeneralorn represented 7 years of really good food, before 7 years of no food, also called famine, represented by the thin kine and withered corn.

Joseph told him, “… the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.” (vs. 32)

Pharaoh listened to this warning and stored lots of food for the 7 years when famine, or no food, was available.

The Pharaoh was so grateful that he released Joseph from prison and made him a ruler over Egypt.

When the famine hit, all of the people cried to Pharaoh for guidance. He replied, “Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do.”(vs. 55) Because they were prepared, Egypt had enough food to feed themselves and the people in the lands around them.

Discuss

What do we learn from these verses about how the Lord blessed the people of Egypt through Joseph? What can we learn about preparing for future emergencies? Discuss what you can do to be better prepared as a family.

The “Emergency Preparedness” Gospel topics can help give you some ideas.

Challenge

 Conference is in a few weeks. Find a way that you can listen to the words of the prophet and do as Pharaoh suggested, “what he saith to you, do.”

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