Genesis 37 · Grade 4
Jealousy Grows
Read and Think
Genesis 37 begins the story of Joseph, which fills most of the rest of Genesis. Jacob's favoritism toward Joseph was unwise. He gave Joseph a special coat, a sign of honor. This made the brothers bitter.
Joseph's dreams were from God, but sharing them with his angry brothers made things worse. Jealousy grew into hatred, and hatred grew into a plan to kill. 1 John 3:15 warns that hating a brother is like murder in the heart.
Reuben and Judah stopped the murder, but the brothers still sold Joseph and deceived their father, just as Jacob once deceived his father with goatskins and his brother's clothes. Joseph's future looked hopeless. Yet God was at work in ways no one could see.
Show What You Know
What was unwise about Jacob's actions?
How did the brothers' sin grow step by step?
What does 1 John 3:15 say about hatred?
How did the brothers' deception echo Jacob's own past?
Word Bank Fill-In
Use the word bank to fill in each blank.
- Genesis 37 begins the story of , which fills most of the rest of Genesis.
- He gave Joseph a special , a sign of honor.
- Yet was at work in ways no one could see.
Think About It
How can jealousy grow if we don't deal with it? What can you do when you feel jealous?
Joseph didn't know how God would use his suffering. How can you trust God when things look hopeless?
Memory Verse
“His brothers envied him, but his father kept this saying in mind.”
Genesis 37:11 (WEB)
Copy It
Prayer
Dear God, thank You for today's Bible story. Help me to . Amen.
Take It Home
For families: talk about these together.
- How can you be glad when good things happen to others?
- How can you speak about your gifts without bragging?
Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org. © 2026 The Daily Rooted. Free to print and copy for church and home use; not for resale. Original line art.