In this lesson, children learn that God keeps His promises even when we move to a new place. Genesis 46 tells how Jacob and his whole family traveled to Egypt, and God told Jacob not to be afraid. This lesson works well for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes.
Big Idea
God goes with us, even when we go somewhere new and a little scary. He keeps His promises to take care of His people wherever they are.
Memory Verse
Genesis 46:4
I will go down with you into Egypt. I will also surely bring you up again. Joseph will close your eyes.”
(WEB)
Teach the children to hold both hands in front of them, then walk their fingers forward slowly like little feet. When you say “I will go down with you,” have them point to their own chest. Repeat it together three times, walking in place each time.
The Story: Genesis 46 for Kids
Jacob was an old man, and he had a very big family. His sons, their wives, and their children all lived with him in the land of Canaan. But there was a long famine, and food was hard to find. Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, and his son Joseph, who had become an important ruler there, was waiting for them.
Jacob packed up everything he owned and started the long trip. Before he left, he stopped at a place called Beersheba and offered a sacrifice to God. That night, God spoke to Jacob in a dream. God called his name twice, “Jacob, Jacob!” and Jacob answered, “Here I am.”
God said, “Don’t be afraid to go down into Egypt. I will make your family into a great nation there. I will go with you, and I will bring you back again.” Jacob must have felt much braver after hearing God’s words. Pharaoh had even sent wagons to carry Jacob and his family to Egypt.
The family arrived in Egypt, and the Bible lists every person who went with Jacob. There were seventy people in all, counting Jacob’s family. Joseph went out in his chariot to meet his father in the land of Goshen. When they saw each other, Joseph hugged his father and cried for a long time.
Jacob was so happy to see Joseph alive that he said he was ready to die now. Joseph then planned how to talk to Pharaoh. He told his brothers to say they were shepherds, so they could live in Goshen. God had planned a safe place for His family to grow.
Read It Together
Genesis 46:1-2
1 Israel traveled with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father, Isaac. 2 God spoke to Israel in the visions of the night, and said, “Jacob, Jacob!” He said, “Here I am.”
(WEB)
Point out that Jacob stopped to worship God before he began his trip. Ask the children what they might do before a big trip to remember God. Show them that God spoke to Jacob in the night and that Jacob listened.
Genesis 46:28-29
28 He sent Judah before him to Joseph, to show the way before him to Goshen, and they came into the land of Goshen. 29 Joseph prepared his chariot, and went up to meet Israel, his father, in Goshen. He presented himself to him, and fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while.
(WEB)
Point out how Joseph ran to meet his father and hugged him. Explain that families can be happy to see each other after a long time apart. Show how God brought this family back together.
Genesis 46:3-4
3 He said, “I am God, the God of your father. Don’t be afraid to go down into Egypt, for there I will make of you a great nation. 4 I will go down with you into Egypt. I will also surely bring you up again. Joseph will close your eyes.”
(WEB)
Point out the words “I will go down with you.” Explain that God was with Jacob on the whole journey. Ask children to say what it feels like to know someone is right beside them.
Talk About It
- How do you think Jacob felt when God told him not to be afraid?
- What is one thing you would bring if you had to move far away?
- How did God take care of Jacob’s family during the famine?
- What do you think Joseph felt when he saw his father again?
- When have you felt that God was with you in a new or hard place?
Activity Ideas
Family Journey Drawing
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and a pencil. Ask each child to draw a picture of Jacob’s family traveling in wagons toward Egypt. Encourage them to add God in the sky or as a bright light beside the wagons. Hang the drawings where children can look at them during the week.
Follow the Leader Journey
Clear a space in the room and set up two chairs at one end to be Egypt. Have children line up behind you as Jacob’s family. Walk slowly around the room while saying the memory verse together, and have them follow your steps. When you reach the chairs, have everyone hug a partner to show Joseph’s joy.
Take-Home Promise Card
You will need index cards, a marker, and a small piece of yarn for each child. Write “God goes with me” on each card and let children decorate it with stickers or drawings. Punch a hole in the top and tie on the yarn so they can hang it on a bedpost. Ask them to read it aloud each night before bed.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that God’s promises reach beyond one place and one generation. Jacob’s move to Egypt was part of God’s larger plan for His people, even though it was difficult and far from home. The chapter also shows the reunion of Joseph and his father, which reminds us that God can restore broken relationships.
Avoid suggesting to children that God always protects us from every hardship or that moving away is always safe. The passage promises God’s presence and faithfulness, not an easy journey. Keep the focus on God being with us, not on guaranteed outcomes.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank You for going with us wherever we go. Help us not to be afraid when we feel nervous about something new. Thank You for keeping Your promises to Jacob and his family. Help us remember that You are always with us. Amen.
