Powerpoint Pictures: Slides with the following on: 12 m in a y; 12 s of the z; 12 k of the r t; 12 i in a f; 12 d of c

Here are some brainteasers based around the number ’12’.  Can you guess what the missing words are? [12 m in a y, 12 s of the z, 12 k of the r t, 12 i in a f, 12 d of c].  The next part of the story begins with 12 of something, the 12 sons of Jacob or Israel.

One of the 12 sons was not liked by his brothers.  Joseph.

One day Joseph and his brothers [Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issacher, Zebulun, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher and Benjamin] were working as shepherds looking after their dad’s flock.  When evening came and they returned home, Joseph went to his father and started telling tales on his brothers, saying that they weren’t doing a good job.

To make matters worse Jacob loved Joseph more than the other 11 sons and bought him a colourful robe.  How do you think the other brothers felt?  “When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.” (Genesis 37:4)

But there was something else that happened that cause his brothers to hate him even more.  One night Joseph had a dream.  He and his brothers were collecting grain and putting them into bundles.  Then the bundles belonging to his brothers bowed down to Joseph’s bundle.  Joseph also had a dream when 11 stars, the sun and the moon bowed down to his star.

After Joseph told his brothers what he had dreamt we read that “His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.” (Genesis 37:11)

Through these dreams God was showing Joseph and his brothers what was going to happen in the future.  But why would his brothers one day bow down to him?