Easy Reading Edition

6
Rest and the Family
July 31–August 6

SABBATH—DATE
SABBATH—JULY 31
READ FOR THIS WEEK’S LESSON: Genesis 34;
Deuteronomy 4:29; Isaiah 43:1; Genesis 39:1–6; Genesis
39:21–Genesis 40:22.

MEMORY VERSE: “Dear friends, you already know about

this. So be careful. Don’t let these evil people lead you
away by the wrong they do. Be careful that you do not
fall from your strong faith. But grow in the grace [loving-­
favor] and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ. Glory be to him, now and forever! Amen” (2 Peter
3:17, 18, ERV).

THE YOUNG MAN, Joseph, carefully looks for his older broth-
ers. Joseph has searched for them for many days. He is happy
to find his brothers. The young man runs to them. He waves and
shouts their names. The brothers look at the young man. Hate
fills their eyes. The only reason we know what happens in this
story is because of Reuben. Reuben tells his brothers not to kill
Joseph. The brothers should only beat up Joseph a few times.
Then they should throw him in a well. Later, Judah comes up
The brothers sell Joseph
to some slave traders
with a plan for the brothers to get rid of their little brother for good.
who travel by. They can make some money while they get rid of him, too! So,
the brothers sell Joseph to some slave traders who travel by.
This family is messed up, for sure! We get to choose
many things in life. But we cannot choose our family. Our
family connections are often painful. These bad connec-
tions can make us feel hurt and tired. Then we need rest.
How can we find peace in our families so we can rest? This
week we look at the story of Joseph and his family. We shall
see how God finally heals this family and brings them rest.
44 REST AND THE FAMILY
 SUNDAY—AUGUST 1 Lesson 6
TROUBLE AT HOME (Genesis 34)

Read the story about Dinah in Genesis 34. Joseph is a

young boy when this story happens. How do you think
this story makes the family of Joseph feel? How do you
think this story makes young Joseph feel?

Leah and Rachel are sisters. They are married to the

same man, Jacob. They fight against each other for Jacob.
Later, we can see this same spirit of fighting in the ten older
sons of Jacob. When they are young men, the brothers kill
all the men in the town of Shechem. Then the oldest son,
Reuben, sleeps with Bilhah, who is the maid of Rachel and
one of the wives of Jacob (Genesis 35:22). Bilhah is the
mother of two of the sons of Jacob. Then Judah, another
one of the sons of Jacob, sleeps with his daughter-in-law
Tamar. Tamar tricks Judah. Judah believes she is a woman
who sells sex for pay. They have twin boys (Genesis 38).
Jacob makes the problems in his family worse. He shows
favor to Joseph by giving him an expensive coat (Genesis
37:3). This gift makes all the brothers jealous. Then they
hate Joseph. For sure, this family has a lot of problems!

Read part of the list of heroes of faith in Hebrews

11:17–22. Do you see that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are
in this list of Bible heroes? Think about all their family
problems. These men made a lot of mistakes, right? So, Leah and Rachel are
why do you think Paul includes these men in his list of sisters. They fight against
faith heroes in Hebrews 11? each other for Jacob.

The people that God chooses to serve Him often make

awful mistakes in life. Paul does not include Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob in Hebrews 11 because they are perfect.
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob often learned the hard way
about faith, love, and trust in God. They made many mis-
takes along the way. So, the list in Hebrews 11 should give
us hope. The list shows that God does not fail His children.
He never stops trying to save them.

What problems do you have in your own family? For

sure, we cannot change the past. But how can giving
yourself fully to the Lord and His ways right now help
make things better for your family in the future?

REST AND THE FAMILY 45

 Lesson 6 MONDAY—AUGUST 2
CHOOSING A NEW DIRECTION (Deuteronomy 4:29)

“Joseph has been sold into slavery. Now he is on his way

to Egypt. The men who buy Joseph travel south. They pass
near the land of Canaan. Joseph can see the hills where the
tents of his father are. Jacob will be lonely without Joseph
and will suffer much. Joseph cries when he thinks about
his loving father. Joseph thinks about what his brothers
did to him at Dothan. Joseph sees his angry brothers. He
remembers the unkind looks his brothers gave him. Joseph
asked them to not sell him into slavery. But his brothers
answer him with insults. The heart of Joseph is filled with
fear as he thinks about the future. His life has changed so
much! Before, he was a beloved son. Now he is a helpless
slave that no one cares about. Joseph is alone. He has no
friends. What is going to happen to him in the strange land
where he goes? For a time, Joseph lets the fear and sad
feelings in his heart control him. . . .
“Then Joseph thinks about the God of his father. When
Joseph was a child, Jacob taught Joseph to love and obey
God. Often Joseph sat in the tent of his father. He heard his
father tell the story about the dream that Jacob saw when he
ran away from home. . . . Now Joseph remembers all these
precious lessons. Joseph believes that the God of his fathers
“When Joseph was a child, will be his God. Joseph gives himself fully to the Lord. He
Jacob taught Joseph to
prays that the God of Israel will be with him in Egypt.”—Ellen
love and obey God.”
G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, pages 213, 214, adapted.
As we see from this quote, Joseph starts to find rest
during his journey to Egypt as a slave. Joseph starts to
make peace with the past. He can do this because he
makes a personal decision to follow God. This decision
gives Joseph strength. So, that is why he can find rest.

Read Deuteronomy 4:29; Joshua 24:15; 1  Chronicles

16:11; Psalm 14:2; Proverbs 8:10; and Isaiah 55:6. What
do these verses teach us about giving ourselves to
God? Why do we each need to make a personal choice
to follow Him?

Do you want rest and peace? Then you must make a

personal decision to follow God just as Joseph did. Maybe
your parents or grandparents had a lot of faith. But faith is
not something we get from our parents in the same way we
get their blue eyes or black hair. Remember, God has only
children—and no grandchildren.

46 REST AND THE FAMILY

 TUESDAY—AUGUST 3 Lesson 6
FINDING REAL SELF-WORTH (Isaiah 43:1)

When Joseph arrives in Egypt, he is sold again. Genesis

39:1 tells us that the traders who bought Joseph sell him
“to the captain of Pharaoh’s guard, Potiphar” (Genesis 39:1,
ERV). Joseph is now in a strange, new land.
The close family friendships we have growing up are
important. Our families help us to know that our lives are
important and worth something. Joseph grew up believing
he was special. He was the oldest son of the best-loved
wife of his father, Jacob (Genesis 29:18). Joseph is the
favorite child of his father, too. He is the only child that
Jacob gave a special coat to (Genesis 37:3, 4).
But who is Joseph now? He is a slave. His owners can
sell him whenever they want. Look at how fast his whole life
changes. Life is now hard for Joseph, for sure.
Joseph learns the lesson we all must learn. We will have
a tough time in life if we depend on other people to tell us
how much we are worth. We will be confused, because not
everyone will care about us or who we are. So, we need to
know that our worth comes from what God thinks about us.

How does God see each one of us? For the answer,
read Isaiah 43:1; Malachi 3:17; John 1:12; John 15:15;
Romans 8:14; and 1 John 3:1, 2.

God looks at each of us with love and mercy. God sees

in us beauty, talent, and skills that we cannot even begin
to see! God died for us so that we can have the chance to
become everything He meant for us to be. When we look
at the Cross, we see this Bible truth. Yes, the Cross shows
us that we are sinners. The Cross also shows us the big
price God paid to save us. At the same time, the Cross also
shows us our worth and value to God. God loves us and
wants to save us, even if no one else believes we are worth
saving. God wants to save us from the power of sin now
and from the everlasting death that sin brings.
So, now that we know all these things, the question you
must ask yourself is: What answer will you give God for the Our families help us
to know that our lives
love that He shows you in Jesus Christ?
are important and
worth something.
Many people tell us today not to judge ourselves and
just to love ourselves. But why is this advice wrong?
Why must our love for ourselves and for other people
come from the God who made us?

REST AND THE FAMILY 47

 Lesson 6 WEDNESDAY—AUGUST 4
HONORING GOD ALWAYS (Genesis 39:1–6)

At first, the story about Joseph in Egypt starts out well.

Joseph gives his life to God. God blesses Joseph in his
work as the manager of the house of Potiphar.

How does God bless Joseph in the house of Potiphar?

What about the connections that Joseph has with the peo-
ple he works with? Are they good or bad? Explain. For the
answers, read Genesis 39:1–6.

Potiphar likes Joseph. Other workers also like Joseph.

But trouble soon comes his way. Someone at home has no
rest.

What problem does Joseph soon have at home?

How does he choose to manage this problem? For the
answer, read Genesis 39:7–10.

Joseph has a problem with the wife of Potiphar. Maybe

we should say this again in a way that is more correct: the
wife of Potiphar has a problem. A big one. She looks at peo-
ple as “things” she can use. She wants to “use” Joseph for
sex. The Bible tells us that “Joseph was a very handsome,
good-looking man” (Genesis 39:6, ERV). The Bible often
does not talk about how good people look. Why? Because
“ ‘people judge by what is on the outside, but the Lord looks
at the heart’ ” (1 Samuel 16:7, ERV).
What does Joseph do? How does he answer the evil
behavior and wishes of this woman? Joseph obeys the
Bible. He follows the important rules of the Word of God
in all his connections with people on the job. Bible rules
are not old-fashioned. Anyone who has suffered from the
choice to sin can tell us that.
The wife of Potiphar wants The Bible story about Joseph shows us that the wife of
to “use” Joseph. Potiphar does not try to get Joseph to sin only one time. No,
she flirts with Joseph many times. Joseph tries to explain to
her why he cannot do what she wants him to do (Genesis
39:8, 9). This woman becomes angry with Joseph.
Joseph understands that he cannot control the behav-
ior of other people. He decides to live, love, and trust the
people around him in a way that honors God. Joseph has
learned to live as if God is with him every second. This
knowledge helps Joseph say no to sin.

48 REST AND THE FAMILY

 THURSDAY—AUGUST 5 Lesson 6
THE WAR BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL IN THE
LIFE OF JOSEPH (Genesis 39:21–Genesis 40:22)

Genesis 39:11–20 tells us that Joseph suffers because

he will not have sex with the wife of Potiphar. Joseph is
thrown into prison. Because Joseph is the slave of Potiphar,
Potiphar can kill Joseph at any time. We can see that
Potiphar does not believe his wife. So, why does Potiphar
throw Joseph in jail? Because Potiphar must take action.
He must protect his good name and his honor, even if his
wife is lying. Even after all this happens, the Bible tells us,
“the Lord was with Joseph” (Genesis 39:21, KJV).
Life on planet Earth is not fair. People do not always get
rewarded for their good behavior. Evil is not always pun-
ished right away. But there is some good news for Joseph:
he can find rest, even in prison. God is with him. Sure,
Joseph can think about how bad his life is and how it is not
very fair. He can even give up on God. But does he?

What does Joseph do when he is in prison? How

does he behave around other people? What type of per-
In prison, Joseph helps
son does he show them he is? For the answers, read other people.
Genesis 39:21–Genesis 40:22.

In prison, Joseph helps other people. Joseph also asks

for help when he needs it. He asks the cupbearer of the
king of Egypt for help. A cupbearer tastes the wine of the
king before he drinks it to make sure it is safe to drink. While
the cupbearer is in prison, he has a dream. Joseph tells
the cupbearer the meaning of his dream. Then he asks the
cupbearer to help him when he is free.

What does Paul tell us is the reason for the troubles

and suffering in all our friendships and close connections
with people? For the answer, read Ephesians 6:1–13.

Our friendships show the worldwide war between God and

Satan. This war has been happening since humans sinned.
This means that there are no perfect friendships or families.
Satan does his best to use all our close friendships and famil­y
connections to hurt us and to stop the plan of God for our
lives. We can thank God that He does not let us fight against
Satan on our own. The Bible shows us how to have good and
healthy friendships. God promises to give us wisdom (James
1:5) and to be with us when things get difficult.

REST AND THE FAMILY 49

 Lesson 6 FRIDAY—AUGUST 6
ADDITIONAL THOUGHT: Ellen G. White writes about Joseph
and the wife of Potiphar: “Joseph is an example to everyone
who shall live on the earth. . . . God will be our Helper when
we are in need. The Spirit of God is the same as a shield that
protects us. There may be things all around us that cause us
to want to sin. But we have a God who can give us strength
to say no to sin. The attack of Satan on the heart and mind of
Joseph was awful. . . . But Joseph said no to sin right away. He
stayed firm and strong in his decision not to sin. .  .  . Joseph
trusted his life and his honor to God. Sure, Joseph suffered for
a time. But this suffering was meant to help Joseph get ready
for more important work later on. God kept the name and the
honor of Joseph safe. Later, God showed everyone that Joseph
was innocent. God made the prison a part of His plan to save
Joseph. This story shows us that, in time, God will reward our
being loyal to Him. Joseph had a shield that covered his heart.
This shield was obedience to God. Obedience made Joseph
loyal to his master and to God. Joseph refused to hurt his
master by sinning with his wife. Joseph hated that sin because
it showed no thankfulness to his master. Potiphar may never
learn what really happened or know that Joseph was deeply
loyal to him. Even so, Joseph refused to hurt his master and
get away with sinning against him in secret.”—The Spirit of
Prophecy, volume 1, page 132, adapted.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1 Sister Anne has just joined the church. Her husband is not
a Christian. Anne loves her husband. But he does not love the
changes he sees in her. What advice can you give her from the
Bible to give her hope and healing in her marriage?

“Joseph had a shield that 2 All families have problems, some more than others. All fami­
covered his heart. lies are made of sinners. So, each of us brings our problems into
This shield was our families. How can each one of us follow the Bible rules of love,
obedience to God.” forgiveness, and helping each other carry our heavy loads and
problems? How can doing these things help bring healing to our
families and friendships?

3 Many people have this experience: things are going well for
them and their families. Then all of a sudden, disaster happens.
When this happens, why must we trust more than ever in Bible
promises? Why must we be ready for bad times, even when times
are good?

50 REST AND THE FAMILY

 Story
ASKING GOD FOR 100 DOLLARS INSIDE
18 -year-old Roman Cardwell prayed from his heart
before leaving home. Roman was a college student
who lived in Salem. Salem is a city in the state of Oregon
by Andrew McChesney
in the United States.
“God, if You give me $100, I will buy stuff for the homeless,”
Roman prayed. Roman was a full-time student. So, he did not
have much money. Roman did not tell anyone about his prayer.
Later that day, he drove to the supermarket. He pushed
an empty shopping cart through the store. He put some
bread in the cart. After that, he selected something else.
Then Roman looked down into the cart. His eyes got big.
A $100 bill lay in the cart! He blinked in surprise and picked
up the money. The name “Benny” was written across it.
“Benny” is famous in Salem. For years, somebody named
“Benny” has gone into local stores. Benny is very sneaky.
He puts $100 bills into shopping carts and purses. Or he
hides the money behind canned food on shelves. No one
knows for sure who Benny really is. But Benny always
writes his name on the money. People in Salem guess that
Benny has given away $50,000.00!
Roman was so excited. As soon as he got outside, he
called his dad, Pastor Dale Cardwell. Roman told him about
his secret prayer and the surprise answer he got.
“What do the homeless need most, Dad?” Roman asked.
“I want to go shopping for them now.”
Dale Cardwell, the father of Roman, was very happy to Roman looked down into
the cart. A $100 bill
hear the news. Dale is the pastor of Inside Out Ministries.
lay in the cart!
Inside Out Ministries is a Seventh-day Adventist church
in Salem. This church has more homeless members than
members who have homes.
Dale told Andrew, who wrote this story: “We see miracles
every day. We share Jesus with gangs, the homeless, and
people whose lives are deeply broken.”
Roman is happy God answered his prayer to help other
people. James 4:2, 3, WE, says, “You want something but
you cannot get it. Then you kill. You want something very
much and cannot get it. So you quarrel and fight. You do not
get it because you do not ask God for it. You ask for it, but
you do not get it, because you ask in a wrong way. You want
to use it for yourselves and not for others [people].”
Part of the 13th Sabbath Offering for this quarter will help
people who have escaped from other countries and come
to America to be safe. Now it is your turn to be a “Benny.”
Give a kind offering to help these people who are starting
new lives.
Provided
51 by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission, which uses Sabbath School
mission offerings to spread the gospel worldwide. Read new stories daily at AdventistMission.org.