Genesis 37–50 · ESV memory verse below
Joseph Forgives His Brothers
Who is this?
Joseph was Jacob’s son. His brothers were jealous—yet the LORD was with Joseph in Egypt.
What happened?
They sold him. God raised him up to save many lives. Joseph forgave them: what they meant for evil, God meant for good.
The story
Jacob loved Joseph and gave him a robe of many colors. Joseph’s brothers hated him and could not speak peacefully. They sold him to traders, and Joseph was taken down to Egypt. Tears and a torn robe could not stop God’s plan.
The LORD was with Joseph in Potiphar’s house and even in prison. God gave him wisdom to understand dreams. Pharaoh set Joseph over all the land of Egypt to store food for the famine that was coming.
When the famine reached Canaan, Joseph’s brothers came to buy grain. They did not know him at first. Joseph tested them, then revealed himself with weeping. He saw God’s hand where they had meant harm.
Joseph said, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive.” He forgave them and provided for his father’s house. Forgiveness and trust in God’s purpose go together.
Memory verse (ESV)
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.
Genesis 50:20
Talk about it
Ages ~4–7
- What did Jacob give Joseph?
- Did Joseph forgive his brothers?
Ages ~8–12
- How can God mean something for good even when people mean evil?
- What helped Joseph forgive instead of take revenge?
- Where does our family need God’s help to forgive?
Family activity
Practice saying “God meant it for good” when someone shares a hard day this week.
Parent take-home
Read Genesis 37 and 50:15–21 (or a children’s Bible retelling between). Hold both truths: people meant evil, but God meant it for good to save many lives. Practice Genesis 50:20; ask God to help your house forgive as Joseph did.
Talk on the way home
- Was God with Joseph far from home?
- What did Joseph say God meant for good?
- Is there someone we need to forgive this week?
Longer family guide: Week 5 on the family page.
In the PDF: coloring page, memory verse with blanks, plus kid activities (match). Draw lines from left to right. Younger kids can point while a parent draws.
For parents and teachers
Children feel jealousy and unfairness keenly. Let Joseph’s words do the work: God was with him in the pit, the prison, and the palace. Forgiveness here is not pretending the evil never happened; it is refusing to play God.