Jacob loves his grandchildren
key words
biblical reference
Genesis 48:1-2, 8-11
lesson objective
To help the children understand that family members must care for each other.
memory verse
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34, NIV*).
prepare yourself to teach
After 17 years of living in Egypt, Jacob was very ill. The end of his life was approaching. Joseph went to visit his father and took his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. At first, Jacob did not recognize his grandchildren because he could no longer see well. However, he gathered all his strength to sit and greet his family.
Jacob blessed the sons of Joseph, though they were young. It was very important for them to receive the blessing of their grandfather.
A blessing was very significant. It represented privileges for those who received it. In a sense, Jacob adopted his grandchildren as if they were his own children. This placed the sons of Joseph at the same level as their father’s brothers with respect to the inheritance.
Grandparents can have a very significant impact on the lives of their grandchildren. The blessing of Jacob had a decisive influence on the life of Ephraim and Manasseh.
During these lessons, we will see how the family of Joseph went through great suffering. Many times, they acted in a way quite contrary to love. However, God was still with them. Through the development of this unit, we have noticed the progress made in the character and actions of the family of Joseph through the work of God in their lives.
Remember how your grandparents impacted your life. Do you have a grandparent or older relative who blesses your life with love and care? Praise and thank God for the blessing of being part of a family as you prepare the final lesson of this unit.
introduce the lesson
Hearts of love
Before class, gather Play-Doh or modeling clay. If you have cookie cutters in the shape of a heart, use those for this activity.
Tell the children: “Sometimes we use heart shapes to say, ‘I love you’ or ‘I care about you’ because they remind us of love. As you make your hearts, think of your mom, dad, grandparents, or other family member you love. God wants families to love and care for each other.
teach the lesson
The following ideas will be a help for the children to learn today’s biblical truth.
People in my family
Let the children take turns telling four members of their family (including grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins.) Many of the children may want to name more than four, but limit them to four. There may be some children who have less than four. Let them know that families are small and large. We can love our family members regardless of the size of our family.
Say, “In today’story, listen to see how many people were in Joseph’s family.
A visit to Grandpa Jacob
In the previous story, we saw that the family of Joseph went to live in Egypt. It was a very happy time for the whole family.
Now, 17 years have passed, and Jacob is old and sick. Joseph is also an older man, and his sons Ephraim and Manasseh are young.
One day, Joseph went to visit his father, Jacob. He brought his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. Jacob was very weak and tired because of illness. However, he sat on the bed to receive his visitors. Since he could no longer see very well, he could not recognize his grandchildren. So, he asked: “Who are these men?”
“They are my two sons,” replied Joseph. “Come to me,” said Jacob, “I will bless you.” In the time of Joseph, a father would give a blessing to his children and a grandfather would give a blessing to his grandchildren to show his love.
Joseph brought his sons to Jacob’s bed, and Grandpa Jacob kissed and hugged his two grandchildren.
Then Jacob said, “Joseph, I thought for a long time that you were dead. I never imagined that I would see you again, and now God allows me to see my grandchildren too.”
Joseph was very happy to see that his father loved his children. So, they thanked God for the opportunity of being together.
connect the lesson
Jacob loved his grandchildren
Distribute Student Activity Sheet #30-A and #30-B. Tell the children: “God teaches us to love and care for our families.”
Let them trace the Word of Faith (Loves) on SAS #30-A, and help them put their name on the top of each activity sheet. Some children may need help in writing their names.
Give the following instructions: “On SAS #30-A are three pictures that show Jacob, Joseph, and two of Joseph’s children. Circle the three pictures. There are also three figures that do not appear in today’s Bible story. Make an X on those figures.”
When the children complete the activity, have the children turn to SAS #30-B and draw in each of the boxes a different person from their family. Tell them that God wants families to love and care for each other. Ask the children to take the activity sheets home to share with their families and friends.
practice the memory verse
Bible verse poster
Write the memory verse on a big sheet of white paper. Let the children decorate the sheet by drawing hearts or stick figures of their families. Display the poster somewhere in the meeting area and recite the verse several times.
Exposition
Since this is the last lesson of the unit, you can organize a small exhibition inside your classroom with all the work that your children did during these lessons.
Invite parents and members of your congregation to visit, and acknowledge the efforts made by the children during these four weeks. Recite the memory verse and sing the “Thankful for My Family” song for the visitors.
I thank God I have a family,
A family, a family.
I thank God I have a family,
And I love them too!
Sing the song more than once and change the word family to father, mother, sister, brother, grandmother or grandfather and change them to the appropriate pronoun.
wrap-up
Pray
Pray for any prayer requests that the children mention. Thank God for families and their love and care for us. Thank God for the families at church who show love and support for the children. Ask God to help the children show love and forgiveness to their families every day.
Encourage
Perhaps you can plan a small party with the children. Play some games with them and help them to feel loved.
Invite
Tell the children you hope they enjoyed the stories about Jacob, Joseph, and his brothers. Invite the children to the next class. They will learn some more stories from the Bible.
* Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™