THE TWELVE SONS OR THE TWELVE TRIBES OF ISRAEL

PICTURE 1
One of Israel’s sons was called Joseph.
PICTURE 2
Israel loved Joseph more than the others.
PICTURE 3
But Joseph’s brothers hated the favourite.
PICTURE 4
One night Joseph had a dream. Joseph’s sheath of corn stood up and his brother’s sheaves bowed down to it.
PICTURE 5
When Joseph told his brothers, they became very angry.
PICTURE 6
In another dream, the sun, moon and eleven stars, bowed down to Joseph.
PICTURE 7
This time he told his brothers and his father, who also became angry.
PICTURE 8
The brothers travelled with the sheep to find good pasture.
PICTURE 9
Israel asked Joseph to visit his brothers.
PICTURE 10
Eventually he found them. When the brothers saw Joseph they said;
PICTURE 11
 “Look! It’s the dreamer let’s kill him.”
PICTURE 12
“No don’t kill him, put him in the well and leave him.”
PICTURE 13
They planned to cover Joseph’s coat with blood and say that he had been killed by a wild beast.
PICTURE 14
Then they put him down a well.
PICTURE 15
Soon merchants came by travelling to Egypt.
PICTURE 16
 “Why don’t we sell him?”
PICTURE 17
So they agreed a price and the deal was done.
PICTURE 18
Then they bought the blood stained coat to their father.
PICTURE 19
 “My son has been killed by some wild beast.” cried Israel.
PICTURE 20
Joseph arrived in Egypt
PICTURE 21
And was taken to the slave market.
PICTURE 22
He was purchased by a very important man called Potiphar.
PICTURE 23
Joseph was taken to Potiphar’s home, where he became a servant.
PICTURE 24
As time passed, Potiphar put Joseph in charge of his whole household.
PICTURE 25
Joseph was very handsome and refused the advances of Potiphar’s wife saying, “My master trusts me.”
PICTURE 26
One day Potiphar’s wife, accused Joseph of attacking her.
PICTURE 27
Joseph was taken to prison.
PICTURE 28
In prison the Pharaoh’s butler and baker both had dreams.
PICTURE 29
The butler saw a vine with three branches and three clusters of grapes. The juice ran into a cup and he handed the
up to the Pharaoh.
PICTURE 30
Joseph said, “The three branches are three days, then you will be restored to your position as butler.” And that is exactly what happened.
PICTURE 31
The baker said, “In my dream I had three baskets and the birds ate the cakes from the top basket.”
PICTURE 32
Joseph replied, “The three baskets are three days and in three days time the Pharaoh will hang you from a tree ” And it happened as Joseph said.
PICTURE 33
One night the Pharaoh had a dream; he saw seven fat healthy cows.
PICTURE 34
Then he saw seven thin cows and the thin cows ate the fat cows, but the thin cows remained thin.
PICTURE 35
The Pharaoh also saw, seven good ears of corn and seven thin ears of corn and the seven thin ones, swallowed the seven good ones, but still the thin ears remained thin.
PICTURE 36
The Pharaohs magicians and wise men, couldn’t interpret the dream.
PICTURE 37
But the butler remembered Joseph.
PICTURE 38
So the Pharaoh explained the dream, Joseph responded;
PICTURE 39
“There are to be seven years of plenty, then seven years of famine. You must store one fifth of all produce during the first seven years, to sell to the people during the famine.”
PICTURE 40
The Pharaoh made Joseph the prime minister of Egypt.
PICTURE 41
And Joseph stored grain for the next seven years.
PICTURE 42
When the famine began, Joseph sold grain to the people.
PICTURE 43
Israel sent ten of his sons to Egypt to buy grain.
PICTURE 44
The brothers arrived in Egypt.
PICTURE 45
And as they bowed to Joseph, he recognised them.
PICTURE 46
Joseph had the brothers arrested for spying and through an interpreter said;
PICTURE 47
“I have decided to let you all go except one. He will remain here, until you return with your brother.”
PICTURE 48
As the brothers talked, Joseph wept as he understood every word.
PICTURE 49
When the brothers told their father, they wouldn’t let Benjamin go Israel said;
PICTURE 50
“Joseph dead, Simeon arrested, if Benjamin is taken I’ll die.” But the famine continued, so Israel said;
PICTURE 51
 “Take Benjamin with you and buy some more corn.”
PICTURE 52
When the brothers arrived, they were taken to Joseph’s palace.
PICTURE 53
Where they were invited to a banquet.
PICTURE 54
Joseph arranged for a silver cup to be hidden in Benjamin’s sack.
PICTURE 55
When the brothers left, the Egyptian guard searched them and found the cup.
PICTURE 56
So they were arrested and interrogated. Then Joseph spoke in his own language;
PICTURE 57
 “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold as a slave.”
PICTURE 58
When the Pharaoh heard of this, he invited the whole family to Egypt.
PICTURE 59
So the brothers went home and told their father.
PICTURE 60
On the journey to Egypt, Israel built an altar and worshipped the Lord. That night God spoke to Israel;
PICTURE 61
 “In Egypt  I will make you into a great nation, before I bring you out.”
PICTURE 62
So it was that the whole family travelled to Egypt.
PICTURE 63
When they arrived, Israel prayed for God to bless the Pharaoh.
PICTURE 64
Seventeen years passed and Israel made Joseph promise not to bury him in Egypt.
PICTURE 65
So finally when Israel died.
PICTURE 66
They buried him in Canaan.
PICTURE 67
When Joseph returned from the burial.
PICTURE 68
The brothers thought he would seek revenge, but he forgave them saying;
PICTURE 69
“What you planned for evil, God used for good.”
PICTURE 70
Joseph said to his children, “Bury my body in Canaan.”
PICTURE 71
And they did, when Joseph died at the age of one hundred and ten years.