Dedication

Dedicated to Aaron Jnr, Lois and Shanel.

Dad loves you hard.

Acknowledgements

All the stunning images used in the portrayal of this story are by the kind courtesy of Sweet Publishing/FreeBibleimages.org

These images have not been modified in any way by this author.

Find more awesome biblical images at:

http://freebibleimages.org/

And more Joseph images at:

http://freebibleimages.org/illustrations/joseph-dreams/

Table of Contents

Joseph’s Beautiful Coat

Have you ever had a dream?​​ 

Was it a happy dream, or a scary one?​​ 

Did your dream seem so real that you wished you understood what it meant?​​ 

Image 1: ​​ Jacob had a favourite son

We are going to read a super amazing story about a great young man who had the​​ incredible gift of knowing the meaning of every dream!

Oh, yes, don’t look so surprised at all, because it is true! The Bible says so…and we all know everything in the Bible is true because the Bible is God’s word!

This handsome young man knew the meaning​​ of every dream because God gave him this wonderful gift.

He was the master of dreams! This young man could tell you exactly what was going to happen after listening to your dream, and it would happen exactly that way!​​ 

Oh, so wonderful, isn’t it?​​ 

Now, if​​ you are ready, relax and let me narrate the story of this wonderful man to you.

A long, long time ago, there was a man called Jacob.​​ 

He was a wise and kind man who loved God very much.​​ 

Jacob had four wives and twelve sons.​​ 

Leah, his first wife, had six​​ sons.​​ 

Rachel, his second wife, had two sons.​​ 

Bilhah, his third wife, had two sons.

Zilpah, his last wife, also had two sons.

Jacob was a good father, and loved all his sons very much…but there was one amongst them whom he loved above all of them.​​ 

This favourite son was called Joseph.​​ 

Jacob loved Joseph and his brother Benjamin very much because they were the children of Rachel, his second wife. Jacob loved Rachel more than his other wives.

Jacob had a lot of cattle and sheep, and most of the time his children took care of the flock. They would travel far with the flock to find grass and water for them. Sometimes, Joseph went with his older brothers to look after the cattle and sheep.

Jacob loved Joseph so much that he made a very beautiful coat for him!​​ This coat was made with many bright colours, and it was so beautiful and expensive!​​ 

Image 2: Jacob gave Joseph a beautiful coat

Anytime Joseph wore his coat of many colours he looked like a prince!

This made his other brothers dislike him very much!​​ 

They were so jealous because their father loved Joseph so much, and had made a special coat for him!

Then something happened that changed their jealousy into hatred!

It all started when young Joseph had a dream one night.

Joseph Dreams

When he woke up​​ in the morning he was bursting with excitement! He could not wait to tell his family his dream. He waited until they were all having breakfast, and then he dropped the bombshell!

“Listen to me, please!” Joseph cried excitedly as he sat beside his father. “Would you all be quiet for a moment and listen to the dream I had last night?”

His brothers looked at him sourly, and would have shut him down had it not been for the presence of their father.

Jacob looked at his son fondly and rubbed him gently on the cheek.

“Now, my son, what is this dream that you want all of us to hear?” he asked softly.​​ 

“Well, in my dream my brothers and I were in a huge field,” Joseph began, and he was so excited. “We were binding grass. When we had all finished binding our grasses,​​ an amazing thing happened. My sheaf of grass suddenly stood up high like a king! It did not end there, though. The sheaves of grass which my brothers had bound suddenly became upright​​ too, and they formed a semi-circle around my sheaf, and they all bowed low to my sheaf!”

Image 3: Joseph told his dream to his brothers

There was a great silence in the room.​​ 

Joseph’s brothers stopped eating, and they looked at Joseph with great hatred.

Image 4: Joseph's brothers were jealous

​​ “What are you​​ trying to tell us?” asked Reuben, the eldest son. “Are you saying you’re going to be greater than all of us, and we will all worship you?”

Image 5: The brothers were mean to Joseph

“Yes, that’s what he’s trying to say!” said Gad, one of the brothers. “How insulting! How do you expect us, your older brothers, to bow down to you? Do you think we’re going to be your slaves?”

All the brothers were very angry now.

Their hearts were filled with so much hatred for their young brother.

“Come on, sons!”​​ Jacob said, trying to calm down his angry sons. “It was just a harmless dream which your brother had! Come on, eat your breakfast and forget about it!”

But the brothers were still angry, and some of them stood up and walked out angrily.​​ 

Joseph was very sad by his brothers’ behaviour. He looked at his father sadly.

“Why are they angry at me, Father?” he asked miserably. “I just told them the dream I had!”

Image 6: Joseph told Jacob about the brothers' behaviour

“It’s alright, son,” Jacob said and patted​​ his son’s back fondly. “It’s alright.”

It did not end there, though.

Joseph again had another dream!

What was it this time?

Well, one late evening the whole family was gathered on the veranda. The brothers had returned from the fields. The sun was low on the horizon, and it cast a warm glow on everything.

Benjamin, Joseph’s younger brother, stood staring at the sun.

“Look, father, the sun is so low in the sky!” he cried. “It is almost like Joseph’s dream, isn’t it?”​​ 

“Joseph’s dream?” asked Simeon, one of their older brothers. “Don’t tell me Joseph had another of his silly dreams!”

“He did!” Benjamin cried. “He told me about it!”

“What did you dream about this time, boy?” Gad asked. “Do tell us!”

Joseph shook his head slowly.

“You might get angry again if I​​ tell you about the second dream,” he said.

“Go on, tell us,” Simeon insisted. “It’s just a dream, isn’t it? Nobody will be angry!”

“Well,” Joseph began uncertainly. “In my dream, I was standing on a mountain. It was a really tall mountain. The sky was really dark. Suddenly, the sun and the moon appeared in the sky. Then eleven stars also appeared behind the sun and the moon. Suddenly, the sun, the moon and the eleven stars bowed down before me!”

Image 7: Joseph told his second dream to his family

This time round there was no silence!

There was great uproar!

All his brothers were very angry with him!

Even his parents were also angry with him!

“What is this?” Gad shouted. “Now you’re going to be our Lord? You impudent little rascal!”

Jacob shook his​​ head at his favourite son.

“What kind of dream is that, son?” Jacob asked in a disapproving voice. “Are you saying that your mother, all your brothers and even I, would bow down to the ground in front of you?”

Joseph sighed miserably.

“Father, it’s just a​​ dream I had!”

They all left him.​​ 

Joseph was so sad.

His brothers now hated him so much.

Joseph Visits His Brothers

One day, Joseph’s brothers took the sheep and cows to a town called Shechem. There was a lot of grass fields and water streams in Shechem. Since Joseph and his brother Benjamin were young, they remained home with their parents.

​​ Only the ten oldest sons went to Shechem.

After some weeks, Jacob called his favourite son.

“Joseph, your brothers are in Shechem. I want to send you to go and see​​ them. I want to know how they are, and also how the animals are faring.”

“Send me, Father,” Joseph replied with a smile.​​ 

He was so excited to go and see his brothers because he had missed them very much. Joseph set off the following morning.

When he got to Shechem he moved from field to field looking for his brothers, but he could not find them.

Soon Joseph began getting worried.​​ 

Image 8: Jacob sends Joseph

Then a kind shepherd passed with his sheep and stopped beside Joseph.

“Young man, why are​​ you wandering alone here?” the shepherd asked. “You better go home. It’s not safe to be in the fields all alone! Nowadays some greedy merchants that pass through the fields on their way to Egypt kidnap young men and sell them in Egypt.”

Image 9: A stranger directed Joseph

Hearing this, Joseph became anxious.

“I’m looking for my brothers,” he said. “Our father sent me to find them. They are supposed to be tending our flock here.”​​ 

“Oh, you mean Jacob’s sons?” the man asked. “I heard them saying they’re taking their flock to the next town, Dothan, where the grass is fresher.”

Joseph thanked the kind shepherd and set off for Dothan.

Luckily for him, when he reached the first grass field in Dothan he saw his brothers camped there.

He was happy to see his brothers so he began to shout and ran when he was still some distance from where they were seated.

Image 10: Joseph brothers had bad plans

When his brothers heard his voice, they looked up and saw him approaching, wearing the wonderful coat of many colours which their father had made especially for Joseph. Their hatred for their young brother suddenly came back strongly and with full force.

“There comes the dream master,” one of them said angrily.

“Yes, the boy who says we’ll be his slaves,” another said.

“Let us kill him,” said a third, and pulled out his knife.

“Yes, let’s kill him and throw his body into a deep hole,” said another. “When we go home we’ll lie to our Father that Joseph was killed by a wild lion!”

Reuben was very unhappy with what his brothers were planning. He did not like what they wanted to do to Joseph, but he was afraid to stop them. He thought that if he stopped them, they might turn on him and kill him too.

He thought of how he could save Joseph’s life.

“Don’t let us kill him,”​​ Reuben said to his brothers. “Killing him will be murder, and God will punish us for spilling Joseph’s blood. Let us rather put him into a deep ditch and let him die there!”

“Yes, that’s a good plan,” the other brothers agreed.

Reuben sighed with relief.​​ 

He was happy his brothers had accepted his suggestion. It was his intention that when all the brothers left the place, he would return secretly to the ditch and rescue Joseph.

Poor Joseph!

He was so happy to be with his brothers again, but least did he​​ know that they were planning evil for him.​​ 

As soon as he reached his brothers, they seized him and held him tight.

Joseph was very sad and scared.​​ 

He saw hatred on the faces of his brothers.

“We’re going to be your slaves, right?” Gad said angrily and pulled the coat of many colours off Joseph.

“My brothers!” Joseph said as tears of sadness fell down his face. “Please do not harm me. I beg of you! What I had were just dreams!”

His brothers would not listen to him.

They took off all his clothes and then they dropped Joseph into a deep dark hole!

Image 11: They threw Joseph into a deep hole

The hole was so dark and so cold! The sides were slippery rock, and he could not climb up!

He would starve to death inside that hole!​​ 

“Brothers, please,” he stammered​​ and tears fell down his cheek in torrents. “Please forgive me and don’t let me suffer in here!”

But they did not listen to him! His own brothers refused to have pity on him!

They left poor Joseph in the deep hole, and then they sat down around their campfire, eating and drinking.

And they were so happy!

Image 12: The brothers had no regrets

Joseph Is Sold

Later, Reuben realized that one of the sheep was missing,​​ 

“Has any of you seen the great white sheep with the black mane?” he asked.​​ 

None of his brothers had seen it.

“Then I’m going back to the stream to look for it,” Reuben said and left the camp.

When Reuben left, the brothers saw some merchants passing through on their way to Egypt.

Merchants were traders who moved from town to town​​ selling goods.

One of Joseph’s brothers called Judah suddenly stood up.

“Brothers, whether we like it or not Joseph is our brother, and our own flesh!” Judah said. “If we leave him in the ditch to die, we will always feel guilty. Let us take him out and sell him to the merchants. In that way, we will make some money, and know too that we did not kill our own brother!”

Image 13: The brothers decided to sell Joseph

The others agreed.

They walked to the edge of the ditch and dropped a long rope into it.

“Joseph, grab the rope!”

Still crying and shivering in the dark, Joseph took the rope.

He thought his brother had had a change of mind.

He tied the rope around his waist, and his brothers pulled him out of the ditch.

Image 14: Reuben wanted to rescue​​ Joseph

There was more pain and fear for him when he realized that his brothers wanted to sell him off to the merchants!

He watched with shock as his brothers sold him to the merchants for twenty pieces of silver!

Joseph fell on his knees and held unto Judah’s leg.

“Please, brother!” he cried pitifully. “I beg you, don’t do this to me!”

“You go and become a slave!” his brothers shouted at him. “Go and have your big dreams in slavery!”

The merchants tied Joseph’s hands to a horse and continued on their journey.

Poor Joseph!

He walked behind the horse, and he fell down many times.​​ 

He cried bitterly. His heart was broken! His brothers had hurt him so much!

Later on, Reuben found the sheep he was looking for and returned to the camp where his brothers were.​​ 

He did not know that his brothers had sold Joseph.

When they left Dothan, Reuben left his brothers and headed back to the ditch.​​ 

He dropped a rope into the ditch.

“Joseph!” he shouted. “Grab the rope. I’m pulling you out!”

Nothing happened. Reuben was alarmed.

“Joseph, answer me!” he screamed. “Are you down there? Are you alright?”

Still no response. Reuben told himself that maybe Joseph was hurt when he fell down the ditch, so he tied a rope around his waist and tied the other end to a huge strong tree. He descended into the ditch!

Joseph was not in the ditch!

Reuben climbed back up!

He was so alarmed that he tore off his own clothes!

He ran to his brothers.

“Joseph is not in the ditch!” he screamed with anxiety. “Something might have happened to him! Oh,​​ what are we going to tell Father?”

Image 15: Reuben was angry at his brothers

His brothers looked at one another with guilt.

“Let’s dip Joseph’s coat into animal blood and take it to Father,” said Gad. “He would think a wild beast killed Joseph!”

The wicked brothers then killed a young sheep and dipped Joseph’s beautiful coat in its blood.​​ 

They allowed it to dry, and then they took it to Jacob, their father.

“Father,” Gad said. “We found this coat by the roadside. It looked like Joseph’s coat. We were worried. Is Joseph home, or he went out?”

Image 16: The brothers gave the soiled coat to Jacob

“Oh, nooooooo!”​​ Jacob screamed and took the coat.​​ 

His hands trembled as he saw all the dried blood in the coat.

“It’s Joseph’s coat!” he shouted, and​​ tears began to flow down his cheeks. “I sent him to find out how you were doing! A lion might have killed my dear son! Oh, no! Oh, Joseph, Joseph, Joseph!”

Poor Jacob could not stop crying.

Image 17: Jacob mourned Joseph

He took off his clothes and​​ put on a rough cloth made with sack.

In those days people put on sack clothes when they were in mourning.

Jacob cried many days for Joseph.​​ 

His sons, daughters and wives all tried to comfort him. His friends came to him to comfort him.

Jacob would not be​​ comforted! He felt so guilty! He loved Joseph so much and told himself that if he had not sent young Joseph out, a lion would not have killed him!

He continued to cry and weep for many days because he thought that Joseph, his favourite son, was dead!

Memory Verse:

Genesis 37:6

Let me tell you about this dream that I had!

Remember:

Joseph, as innocent as he was, told his dreams to his brothers, and this made his brothers hate him so much that they even tried to kill him!

Sometimes, we should be careful of​​ who we tell our secrets and dreams to. Also, we should not hate people who do well around us, but rather encourage them.

Goodnight, Lord:

It is time to say Goodnight to the Lord.​​ 

Before you sleep, thank God for taking care of you and your family through​​ the day, and then humbly ask Him to:

• Guard over your soul

• Guide you to good people who will help you with God’s plan for you

• Help you so that you don’t become jealous of anybody

• Help you not to hate others who appear to be doing better

Say​​ Goodnight to the Lord and sleep blissfully.

​​ 

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