Tears of Joy

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Genesis 46:28-34

TO CHEW ON: "Joseph had his chariot made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father, and wept for a long time." Genesis 46:29

Have you ever been separated from people you love?

Perhaps you spent a week at camp. Or your parents live apart and you get to see one of them only seldom. Or you moved far away from your grandparents.

What feelings do you have when you’re about to meet them again:

nervous, excited, like crying, like laughing, worried, impatient, scared, happy

I’m sure Joseph was having some of those feelings while he waited for his father to arrive in Egypt. Finally the day arrived. Judah went ahead of the others. He found Joseph and said, “The whole family is here. Where do we go?”

Joseph got in his chariot and rode out to meet his father. What did he do when he saw Israel?
_______________________ (Genesis 46:29).

We usually think of people crying when they are hurt or sad. But people also cry when they are happy. Getting back together with the people we love most, like family, is one time we easily cry tears of joy.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for the strong love of family. Amen.

MORE: Crying and Tears

Though people have studied crying and tears a lot, scientists are still not sure exactly what happens when people cry. Here are some things they do know:

1. Babies cry when they’re hungry, uncomfortable, in pain, or for attention.

2. Children and adults cry for lots of other reasons too - like when they’re sad, stressed or happy!

3. Fake crying is called ‘crocodile tears.’ (Why? Probably because sea-water crocodiles often shed tears to remove salt water from their bodies.)

4. Our bodies make three kinds of tears:
i] tears to keep our eyes moist and guard against dust and infection.

ii] reflex tears which come when we peel onions or are in smoke.

iii] emotional tears which we cry when we’re sad or happy. These tears have more protein and hormones in them. (And so some scientists think that crying and tears are our body’s way of getting rid of substances that are caused by stress.)

Can you find more facts about crying and tears?

Answer

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Jealousy's Rotten Fruit

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Genesis 37:12-36

TO CHEW ON: “... So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan. But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him.” (Genesis 37:17b,18)


Joseph’s brothers were far away from home, herding their father’s flocks. One day Joseph’s father Israel (also called Jacob) sent Joseph to see how his brothers were getting along. Finish the story by filling in the answers from the words at the bottom:

When Joseph was still far away his brother recognized him and planned to 1. _______ (Genesis 37:20).
When he got there they 2. ________ and 3. _________ (Genesis 37:23,24).
But they didn’t kill him. Instead they 4. ____________ (Genesis 37:27)

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threw him in a cistern
stripped off his coat
sold him to the Ishmaelites
kill him
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Jealousy grew in Joseph’s brothers from hatred to thoughts of murder. Our jealous thoughts can grow in the same way. But that doesn’t have to happen. Instead we can take our jealous feelings to God. We can ask for His help to work through them.

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to deal with jealousy in my life. Amen.

MORE: Dealing with the jealousy monster

Here are some ways to deal with jealousy. Cross out the one that doesn’t belong.

1. Admit your jealousy and call it what it is – sin (Galatians 5:19, 20,21).

2. Ask for God’s forgiveness (1 John 1:9).

3. Ask God for wisdom to deal with jealous feelings (James 1:5).

4. Accept yourself as God made you (Romans 12:3-8).

5. Accept that it’s okay to be jealous once in a while because the temptation is hard to resist, and no one is perfect (1 Corinthians 10:13).

6. Accept the circumstances of your life (including the thing that makes you jealous) as something God can turn into good (Romans 8:28).


Answers

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Jealousy

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Genesis 37:1-11

TO CHEW ON: “His brothers were jealous of him (Joseph), but his father kept the matter in mind.” Genesis 37:11

Joseph was his dad’s favorite. Joseph’s brothers knew this because their dad made Joseph a special coat.



Joseph also had dreams. In them his brothers and parents bowed down to him. When his brothers saw his special coat and heard his dreams they became jealous of him. Soon they hated him.

What is jealousy? It’s a bad feeling we have toward someone who:
- gets what we think we deserve.
- gets what we would like to have.
- gets what we once had and lost.

Jealous feelings can start with something as small as not liking someone. But if we let them grow they become hate. Have you been jealous at times like these?
- a brother or sister gets a lot of your parents’ attention.
- someone else gets picked for the position you wanted on the team.
- the trophy you won last year now goes to someone else.
Can you name more?

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to recognize the jealousy in my life. Amen.

MORE: The end of the jealousy story

If we let jealousy grow, it leads to a bad ending. Match the beginning of each jealousy story with what was (or might have been) its ending. Look up the Bible references if you need help.

Cain – Genesis 4:8
Saul – 1 Samuel 18:9-11
The administrators and satraps – Daniel 6:6,7,16
Priests and Pharisees – John 11:53



Answers

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

He's Back!

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Genesis 35:1-15

TO CHEW ON: "Jacob set up a stone pillar at the place where God had talked with him, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it. Jacob called the place where God had talked with him Bethel." Genesis 35:14,15

Jacob and his family had spent many months moving around, living as nomads. One day God talked to Jacob again. He told him to go to Bethel and settle there.

Jacob hears the voice of the Lord - by Frederick Sandys

Jacob had been at Bethel before.

1. Why did he stop there the first time? (Genesis 28:11)

2. What happened during the night? (Genesis 28:12)

3. What promise did God make to Jacob the first time he was in Bethel? (Genesis 28:15)

4. Now, years later, Jacob had a large family. He was rich with servants and cattle. And he was back at Bethel. Had God kept His promise? (Genesis 35:14,15)

PRAYER: You are a God who keeps promises. Thank you! Amen.

MORE: Promises

Below are three Bible promises. Choose one. Why is it important to you? You might also want to memorize it.

• "When you pass through the waters I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze." (Isaiah 43:2)

• “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you"” - Jesus (John 14:1,2)

• “Therefore I tell you whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” - Jesus (Mark 11:24)

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Can you find the city of Bethel on this map of ancient cities? It's north of Jerusalem.

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You can download and print a coloring book that tells the story of Jacob's here .

Answers

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Reunion

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Genesis 33:1-11

TO CHEW ON: “If I have found favor in your eyes, accept this gift from me. For to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably.” Genesis 33:10

The day Jacob had looked forward to and dreaded was here. Today, after many years, he would see Esau again.

1.What happened when the brothers met? Genesis 33:4
2. Who of the brothers had done something wrong and needed to be forgiven?
3. Who did the forgiving?

The meeting of Jacob and Esau

Seeing Esau again and knowing he was no longer angry was a big deal for Jacob. He compared getting Esau’s forgiveness to seeing the face of God.

Are there broken friendships in your life? Be like Jacob and Esau, and mend them.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me forgive the people who have hurt me, and help the people I have hurt to forgive me. Amen.

MORE: Forgiveness
What does it mean to forgive? Do you agree or disagree with the statements about forgiveness, below. Look up the reference to see what the Bible says.

1. It’s enough to say ‘I forgive you,’ even though you keep thinking mean thoughts about the person who hurt you. (Psalm 103:12)

2. You can’t forgive someone unless they say ‘sorry’ to you. (Luke 11:4)

3. You should forgive someone as soon as they hurt or offend you. (Mark 11:25)

4. If you forgive a person for something, but then he does the same thing over and over, you don’t have to forgive him because it seems he’s not really sorry. (Luke 17:4)

5. We should forgive others, just like Jesus forgave us. (Colossians 3:13)

Answers

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

God is Here

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Genesis 32:22-31

TO CHEW ON: "So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, 'It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.'" Genesis 32:30

Soon Jacob was a father, once, twice. three times... As he kept working for Laban, God blessed him with wealth and many children. But things were not going well. Laban and his sons were jealous of Jacob’s wealth. There was quarreling.

One day God told Jacob to move back to his childhood home. He sneaked away from Laban with his family. Though Laban came after him, he didn’t make Jacob come back. Now Jacob and his family were really on their own.

To get back home, he had to pass through Edom, where his brother Esau lived. This worried Jacob a lot. Was Esau still angry with him? Did Esau still want to kill him?

He got ready to meet Esau by preparing a gift of animals and servants. He put the gift in front, with his own flocks behind that, and at the very back his wives and children.

The night before they met, he spent time alone, praying and worrying about what the next day would bring. Then a man met him. They begin to wrestle. At dawn, after they had wrestled all night, the man said, “Let me go.”

“Bless me first,” Jacob begged.

Jacob wrestling with the Angel - Gustave Dore

“Your name will be changed from Jacob to Israel,*” the man replied. Then with one touch He crippled Jacob’s hip. Now Jacob knew this was not an ordinary man, but God. He felt good because he knew God had not forgotten about him. God would be with him on this day when he met his brother Esau.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You that when I am worried and anxious, You are there. Amen.

MORE: Seeing God

God showed Himself to several people in the Bible. (When God makes Himself visible to people we call it a theophany.) Which of these statements about seeing God are true? Which false? Look up the Bible references if you’re unsure.

____ 1. Sometimes when God appeared, He looked like a man. (Genesis 18:1-2)

____ 2. Moses, Aaron and the 70 leaders of Israel died when they saw God. (Exodus 24:9-11)

____ 3. Sometimes God appeared to people in dreams. (1 Kings 3:5)

____ 4. Some people who saw God felt dirty and unclean. (Isaiah 6:5)

____ 5. People thought if they saw God, they would die. (Judges 13:22)

____ 6. God only appeared to people when they were in church. (2 Chronicles 3:1)

*Israel means “he struggles or wrestles with God.”

Answers


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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Tricked!

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Genesis 29:15-28

Jacob falls in love with - Artist unknown

TO CHEW ON: "When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, 'What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn’t I? Why have you deceived me?'" Genesis 29:25

Jacob eventually found his mother’s relatives in Haran. There he got work with his uncle Laban. He also fell in love with Laban’s beautiful daughter Rachel. Laban told Jacob he could marry Rachel if he worked for him seven years.

Seven years pass quickly. Now it was the wedding day. But after the party was over, Jacob found his uncle had married him to Leah, Rachel’s older sister. (In that time women’s wedding clothes included veils to hide their faces.)

“Why did you deceive me?” Jacob asked his uncle. Now Jacob found out how Esau felt when he was tricked.

Jesus said, “Whatever measure you use will be used towards you and even more than that.” (Mark 4:24 Phillips). As Jacob discovered, the way we treat others becomes the way others treat us.

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to treat others the way I would want to be treated. Amen.

SUPERSIZE IT: Two Wives!?

In Bible times it was common for men to have more than one wife. This is called polygamy.

Even though many people had more than one wife, it led to problems. Usually the husband liked one wife more than the others. There was often jealousy and quarreling among the wives.

Sometimes kings had several wives for political power. They married foreign princesses to make alliances with other nations.

Later in the Bible, most marriages were monogamous (one wife, one husband). They followed God’s plan for marriage given in Genesis: “...a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife and they become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24)

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Alone - but not alone

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Genesis 28:10-20

TO CHEW ON: “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Genesis 28:15

Have you ever run for your life? That’s what Jacob was doing. After he tricked his father into giving him Esau’s blessing, Esau wanted to kill him. Rebekah told Jacob to go to Haran, where she grew up. Jacob set out alone

How do you suppose he felt as he walked away from his family and the only home he had ever known?
- Nervous about being attacked by robbers and wild animals?
- Worried about losing his way?
- Lonely and wishing he had someone to talk to?

When it got dark, he stopped walking. He pitched his tent, unrolled his sleeping bag, blew up his air mattress – NOT! He had no tent, sleeping bag, or air mattress. Instead he lay on the ground, under the stars with a stone for his pillow.

After he fell asleep, he dreamed. What things were in his dream (Genesis 28:12-13)

Esau   Angels     Isaac    Heaven     Tent

Stairway    God    Rebekah    Bears   Earth

Jacob's Dream - Artist unknown

Also, in his dream God talked to him. He promised Jacob someday the land he was lying on would be his. He said all people on earth would be blessed through Jacob and his family. And God promised to go everywhere with him. Now Jacob knew he was not alone. God was with him!

PRAYER: Dear God, please go everywhere with me as You went with Jacob. Amen


MORE: Dream Facts

- We dream every night.
- While we dream our eyes dart back and forth.
- A sound or touch while we’re dreaming may become part of our dream.
- Our dreams are often about things we worry about, wish would happen or are afraid of.
- We often don’t remember our dreams.

Though God may speak to us through dreams, usually our dreams don’t predict the future or contain special messages for us.

Tell about a dream you remember.

Find out more about sleep and dreaming here.

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Deceit and Trickery

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Genesis 27:1-41

TO CHEW ON: "But he said, 'Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing.'" Genesis 27:35


Isaac was old and knew he would soon die. He asked Esau, his favorite son, to catch some wild game and make his favorite food. Then he would say a blessing over him.

Rebekah heard this. She didn’t want Isaac to bless Esau. Jacob was her favorite son. And hadn’t God said to her at the birth of Jacob and Esau, “The older will serve the younger”?

Here’s what happened next. But one of these things is not true. Which one?

1. Jacob brought Rebekah two young goats and she prepared food for Isaac.
2. Rebekah dressed Jacob in Esau’s clothes and covered his hands and neck to smell and feel like Esau.
3. Jacob took Rebekah’s food to Isaac and Isaac ate it.
4. Isaac blessed Jacob after he smelled his clothes and felt his skin to make sure it was Esau.
5. Esau brought prepared food to his father.
6. Isaac told Esau he had already eaten and spoken a blessing – on someone else!
7. Esau didn’t care that Jacob had stolen his blessing.
8. Esau vowed to kill Jacob as soon as their father died.

By tricking Isaac in this way, Rebekah took matters into her own hands. She could have trusted God to see how He would make sure Jacob got the promised blessing. Instead, she did it her way and started a family fight.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to have faith in You to work things out instead of trying to do it my way. Amen.

MORE: Bible Disguises and Masquerades

Other people in the Bible put on disguises to trick people. Match the person with what they did and whom they tried to trick. Here are Bible references to help you:

• Saul - 1 Samuel 28:8

• King Jeroboam’s wife – 1 Kings 14:2

• David – 1 Samuel 21:12-13

• King of Israel – 1 Kings 22:29-30

Answers

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Now - or Later?

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Genesis 25:19-34

TO CHEW ON: "Jacob replied, 'First sell me your birthright.'
'Look, I am about to die,' Esau said. 'What good is the birthright to me?'"Genesis 25:31-32

Though Jacob and Esau (sons of Isaac and Rebekah) were twins, they were far from identical. What things do we know about them that show how different they were? (Genesis 25:27-28)

Esau
1.
2.
3.

Jacob
1.
2.
3.

One day when Esau came back from hunting, Jacob was making stew. When hungry Esau asked Jacob for some stew to eat, Jacob used his cleverness to get Esau to promise him the birthright in exchange for a pot of stew.

A birthright was a big deal. It was what the oldest son in a family inherited. As firstborn of the twins and the oldest son, Esau’s inheritance was twice as big as Jacob’s. The birthright also brought with it the job of being the family leader next to Isaac.

But in one reckless moment, Esau said, “What good is a birthright to me if I die by hunger anyway?” Then he promised Jacob his birthright if he would give him a bowl of stew. Later he regretted this decision with all his heart.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to make decisions based on wisdom, not impulse. Amen.

MORE: Got to have it - NOW!

It’s natural to want things NOW! But insisting we get what we want immediately is often not wise.



Sort these things into two groups.

• Which things satisfy right away and go on the Instant Reward (IR) pile? 

• Which give a reward later and go on the Delayed Reward (DR) pile?

1. ____ Spending all your money on gum and candy.
2. ____ Waiting till mealtime to eat with your family.
3. ____ Spending all your free time on play.
4. ____ Nibbling on snacks whenever you’re hungry, then skipping meals later.
5. ____ Practicing a musical instrument for half an hour a day.
6. ____ Saving your money by putting some in a bank.

Answers

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.