In this lesson, children learn that God keeps His promises and goes with His people even into strange new places. It suits ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes, with time for a short story, a few questions, and one simple activity.
Big Idea
God is with us wherever we go, and He keeps every promise He makes to His people, even when the journey is scary.
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 stand tall with hands on their hearts, then step forward one time as they say the verse together. Each step reminds them that God goes with them on every step of their journey.
The Story: Genesis 46 for Kids
Jacob was an old man, and he loved his son Joseph very much. Joseph had been gone for a long time, but now he was alive and ruling in Egypt. Jacob packed up everything he had and started the long trip with his whole family. Some of them rode in wagons, and some of them walked with the animals.
When Jacob came to a place called Beersheba, he stopped and gave thanks to God. That night God spoke to Jacob in a dream. God called his name twice, “Jacob, Jacob!” Jacob answered, “Here I am.” God told him, “Don’t be afraid to go down to Egypt. I will make your family into a great nation there.”
God said something very special: “I will go down with you into Egypt. I will also surely bring you back up again.” God was telling Jacob that He would be with him in the new land and would bring his family home again. Jacob did not have to be scared, because God was going with him.
The family kept going until they reached Egypt. Joseph got ready and drove out in his chariot to meet his father. When they saw each other, Joseph hugged his father and cried for a long time. Jacob was so happy that he said he could now die in peace, since he had seen Joseph alive.
Joseph told his family how to talk to the king of Egypt. He said, “Tell the king that you are shepherds.” Joseph knew that the family could live in the land of Goshen and take care of their animals there. God had a plan for them, and it was happening step by step.
Read It Together
Genesis 46:2-3
2 God spoke to Israel in the visions of the night, and said, “Jacob, Jacob!” He said, “Here I am.” 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.
(WEB)
Point out that God spoke to Jacob in a dream and called his name. Show the children that God knows each person by name, and that He speaks to His people when they need to hear Him.
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. Help the children notice how happy families feel when they are reunited after being apart, and how God works through people who love each other.
Genesis 46:31-34
31 Joseph said to his brothers, and to his father’s house, “I will go up, and speak with Pharaoh, and will tell him, ‘My brothers, and my father’s house, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. 32 These men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of livestock, and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have.’ 33 It will happen, when Pharaoh summons you, and will say, ‘What is your occupation?’ 34 that you shall say, ‘Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we, and our fathers:’ that you may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.”
(WEB)
Point out that Joseph gave his family a plan for living in Goshen. Explain that God often leads His people through wise plans and kind helpers, and that the family could trust His care even in a new country.
Talk About It
- Why do you think Jacob was nervous about going to Egypt?
- What did God tell Jacob so he would not be afraid?
- How do you feel when your family goes on a trip together?
- Who is a person who loved you and came to find you when you were lost?
- Where is a new place you have been, and how did God help you feel safe there?
Activity Ideas
Draw the Journey Map
You will need paper, crayons, and a pencil. Have each child draw a path from a place called Beersheba to a place called Goshen, with wagons and animals along the way. Ask them to draw a small heart or star at each stop to remind them that God is with them all the way.
Follow the Leader Walk
Clear a space in the room or outside. Have one child be Jacob, walking slowly, while the others follow behind like the family. Each time the leader stops, everyone says, “God goes with us.” Switch leaders so every child gets a turn.
Take-Home Promise Card
Give each child an index card or a folded piece of paper, a marker, and a sticker if you have one. Ask them to write or draw “God goes with me” on the front. Encourage them to put the card in a pocket or backpack and look at it on a trip or when they feel nervous.
Teacher Notes
This chapter shows that God keeps His promises across generations, moving His people from one land to another while staying faithful to them. Adults can see in Jacob’s trip a picture of trust, since he leaves what is familiar because God calls him forward. It also shows God’s care for ordinary families, down to the names and numbers of each person.
Be careful not to suggest to children that God will always make a trip safe or easy, since Jacob’s family faced real change and uncertainty. Focus instead on the truth that God goes with them, which is the point the passage itself emphasizes.
A Prayer to Close
Lord, thank You for going with us wherever we go. When we feel scared or far from home, help us remember that You are right there with us. Thank You for keeping Your promises and for loving our families. Help us trust You every day. Amen.
