Single lesson
Joseph Prepares Egypt for Famine
Genesis 41:46–57
This lesson helps children follow how Joseph worked through years of plenty and years of famine in Egypt. They will sequence the passage, notice the choices people made, and describe what the text shows about God and wise action.
Before you teach
In this passage Joseph is thirty years old and goes throughout Egypt. The land produces abundant crops for seven years, and Joseph stores food in the cities. Before the famine, two sons are born to him. Then the years of plenty end, famine begins, and people come to Joseph for grain.
Students will be able to retell the order of Genesis 41:46–57 and name at least two choices in the passage and their outcomes.
Welcome: Plenty and planning
4 minAsk children to think about what people do when they know a hard time may be coming. Explain that Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh, then travelled through Egypt. Tell the group they will listen for what Joseph did during good years and what happened later. Evidence: Joseph’s age and his going throughout the land.
Genesis 41:46
Read and explain: Seven good years
7 minRead Genesis 41:46–49 slowly. Help children hear the order: Joseph went through Egypt, the earth produced abundantly, and he gathered food from the seven years. Explain that he stored food in cities from the fields around them. The grain became so great that it could not be counted. This shows careful action during a time of plenty.
Genesis 41:46, Genesis 41:47, Genesis 41:48, Genesis 41:49
Discuss: Joseph’s family and names
6 minRead Genesis 41:50–52. Point out that two sons were born before the famine came. Their names are explained in the passage itself. Manasseh is linked with God making Joseph forget his toil and his father’s house. Ephraim is linked with God making Joseph fruitful in the land of his affliction. Ask children to notice that Joseph speaks about what God has done.
Genesis 41:50, Genesis 41:51, Genesis 41:52
Make and respond: Sequence cards
8 minChildren make simple sequence cards for the passage: Joseph travels, crops grow, food is stored, sons are born, plenty ends, famine begins, people go to Pharaoh, Pharaoh sends them to Joseph, Joseph opens storehouses, nations come to buy grain. As they arrange the cards, ask them to match each step to the Bible reading and tell the outcome of Joseph’s preparation.
Genesis 41:46, Genesis 41:48, Genesis 41:50, Genesis 41:53, Genesis 41:54, Genesis 41:55, Genesis 41:56, Genesis 41:57
Closing: What choices and outcomes do we see?
5 minReview the sequence together. Joseph gathered food during abundant years, and later there was bread in Egypt when famine had begun. Pharaoh told the people to go to Joseph and do what he said. Close by inviting each child to say one action from the passage and one result that followed from it.
Genesis 41:48, Genesis 41:54, Genesis 41:55, Genesis 41:56
Questions to explore
What did Joseph do during the seven plentiful years?
Look for the action words in the passage: he went throughout the land, gathered food, and stored it in the cities during the years when the earth produced abundantly.
Genesis 41:46, Genesis 41:47, Genesis 41:48
What do the names Manasseh and Ephraim tell us Joseph believed about God?
Use Joseph’s own words in the verses. He says God made him forget his toil and God made him fruitful in the land of his affliction.
Genesis 41:51, Genesis 41:52
What happened when the famine became severe?
Trace the order in the text: the people cried to Pharaoh, Pharaoh sent them to Joseph, Joseph opened the storehouses, and people from many places came to buy grain.
Genesis 41:54, Genesis 41:55, Genesis 41:56, Genesis 41:57
Make, think or respond
Joseph Sequence Cards
What you’ll need
- paper or card
- pencils or textas
- scissors
- Bible
Try it together
- Write or draw one event from the passage on each card.
- Mix the cards up and let children work together to place them in order.
- Read the matching verses aloud as each card is placed.
- Ask children to name the choice or action in each card and the outcome that followed.
This activity helps children follow the sequence of Genesis 41:46–57 and connect Joseph’s actions with what happened during the famine.
Adapt for your group
- For younger children, prepare picture prompts and use fewer sequence cards, focusing on plenty, storing food, famine, and people coming to Joseph.
- For older children, ask them to add verse references to each card and explain how Joseph’s words about his sons mention God.
An optional closing prayer
You may pray: "God, thank you for this passage about Joseph. Please help us notice what you have done and help us act wisely and listen carefully to your word. Amen."
Read the Bible passage World English Bible Classic
Genesis 41
46 Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.
47 In the seven plenteous years the earth produced abundantly.
48 He gathered up all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities. He stored food in each city from the fields around that city.
49 Joseph laid up grain as the sand of the sea, very much, until he stopped counting, for it was without number.
50 To Joseph were born two sons before the year of famine came, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore to him.
51 Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh, “For”, he said, “God has made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house.”
52 The name of the second, he called Ephraim: “For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”
53 The seven years of plenty, that were in the land of Egypt, came to an end.
54 The seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.
55 When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread, and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph. What he says to you, do.”
56 The famine was over all the surface of the earth. Joseph opened all the store houses, and sold to the Egyptians. The famine was severe in the land of Egypt.
57 All countries came into Egypt, to Joseph, to buy grain, because the famine was severe in all the earth.
World English Bible Classic. Public domain.
Source passages
Something to make together
These activities connect with the passage. Choose one that suits your group and the time you have.
