Easy Reading Edition

7 August 7–13

Rest, Friendships, and Healing

SABBATH—AUGUST 7
READ FOR THIS WEEK’S LESSON: Genesis 42:7–20;
Genesis 42:21–24; Matthew 18:21–35; Luke 23:34;
Genesis 50:15–21.

MEMORY VERSE: “  ‘Now don’t be worried. Don’t be

angry with yourselves for what you did. It was God’s
plan for me to come here. I am here to save people’s
lives’ ” (Genesis 45:5, ERV).

A WOMAN accuses of man of a crime. She tells the police

that the man forced her to have sex. Some people have
questions about her story. But the woman points to the man
in a police lineup. She says that he hurt her, for sure.
The man, Johnny, goes to prison. 14 years later, scientific
tests prove Johnny did not do the crime. The woman, Joan,
understands she blamed the wrong man.
Joan wants to meet Johnny after he is released from
prison. What will Johnny do when he comes face-to-face
“ ‘ I forgive you.’ ” with the woman who destroyed his life for so many years?
Joan waits in a room at the prison. When Johnny comes
in, he and Joan look at each other. Joan starts to cry.
Joan tells someone later, “Johnny took my hands. He
looked at me and said, ‘I forgive you.’ For 14 years I hated
this man. I wanted him to die. But he told me he forgave me
after I did him so much wrong. I cannot believe it! That is
when I started to understand forgiveness. I started to heal
and have real rest.”
This week we study the topic of forgiveness. We will learn
how forgiveness can heal human hearts that need rest.

52 REST, FRIENDSHIPS, AND HEALING

 SUNDAY—AUGUST 8 Lesson 7
FACING THE PAST (Genesis 42:7–20)

Soon, the life of Joseph improves in big ways. Joseph

gets out of prison after he tells Pharaoh, the king, the correct
meaning of his dreams. Then Pharaoh puts Joseph in charge
of the whole country (Genesis 41). Joseph marries Asenath,
the daughter of an Egyptian priest, or holy leader. Joseph and
Asenath have two sons. Thanks to Joseph, the warehouses in
Egypt are full of food. Just as Joseph said, the food shortage
starts. Then the brothers of Joseph come to Egypt.

Read about the first meeting between Joseph and his

brothers in Genesis 42:7–20. Why does Joseph behave
the way he does? What is he trying to do?

Joseph is now a powerful man. He can hurt his brothers if

he wants to. He can get away with revenge, too. But Joseph
does not choose revenge. He chooses mercy. He worries
about his family at home. He worries about his father most
of all. Is his father alive? And what about Benjamin, the
younger brother of Joseph? Is Benjamin in the same dan-
ger that Joseph was in from their older brothers? Joseph
now is powerful enough to look after the helpless members
in his family. He can take good care of them. That is exactly
what Joseph chooses to do.
We must act the same as Joseph. When our family mem-
bers are harmed by other family members, we must not
accept this behavior. Each of us is precious in the eyes of
God. Jesus paid the price on the cross for us all.

Why does Jesus care so deeply about the pain we

suffer? For the answer, read Matthew 25:41–46.

Jesus bought each one of us with His blood. We belong

to Him. Anyone who attacks another person and hurts them
really attacks the property of Jesus. Joseph is now a powerful
Forcing anyone to have sex is wrong. So is hitting or beat- man. He can get even with
ing someone. When these two things happen in families, we his brothers if he wants to.
need to get help. These problems are not private. You will
need outside help. Are you or someone in your family being
hurt or forced to have sex with another family member? Then
please get help from a professional you can trust.

What are some Bible rules that you can follow to help
you with whatever family problem you may have right now?

REST, FRIENDSHIPS, AND HEALING 53

 Lesson 7 MONDAY—AUGUST 9
THE TESTS (Genesis 42:21–24)

Joseph forgives his brothers after they come to Egypt. For

sure, Joseph never can be a success if he refuses to forgive.
Why? Because the anger will eat away at his heart. Anger
will hurt our friendship with God, too.
Studies show that people who heal from awful suffering
do so because they forgive the ones who hurt them. When
we refuse to forgive, our lives continue to be destroyed by
our suffering. Forgiveness frees us from pain. So, we must
ask God to help us forgive. Forgiveness is about our hearts
and not about the person who hurt us.
Yes, Joseph forgives his brothers. But he is not willing to
let things be the way they were in the past. So, Joseph must
make sure his brothers really have changed.

What does Joseph hear his brothers say? For the

answer, read Genesis 42:21–24. What does Joseph learn
about his brothers from their conversation?

The brothers are not aware that Joseph can understand

anything they say. Joseph hears his brothers confess their
sin against him. The brothers thought that by selling Joseph
into slavery they will be free of his dreams, his bad reports
about them, and watching their father show Joseph more
love. Did they find the rest they wanted when they got rid
of Joseph? Not at all. They have felt guilty all these years.
Their evil act against Joseph has made them tired and
worn out. They have been filled with awful fear that God will
Forgiveness frees us from make them pay for what they did to Joseph. Joseph feels
pain. So, we must ask God
sorry for their suffering. He cries for them.
to help us forgive.
Joseph knows the food shortage will continue for sev-
eral more years. So, he tells them to bring Benjamin with
them the next time they come to buy food (Genesis 42:20).
Joseph also keeps Simeon prisoner (Genesis 42:24).
When Joseph sees Benjamin alive, he holds a feast. At
the feast, Joseph shows that Benjamin is his favorite per-
son there (Genesis 43:34). This is a test. Joseph wants to
see if his brothers will behave with jealous hearts the way
they did in the past. They do not. But Joseph is not ready to
trust his brothers. He knows how tricky they can be. They
lied to a whole town, remember (Genesis 34:13)? Joseph
knows they must have lied to their father about selling him
into slavery (Genesis 37:31–34). So, Joseph will give them
one more test (read Genesis 44).

54 REST, FRIENDSHIPS, AND HEALING

 TUESDAY—AUGUST 10 Lesson 7
FORGIVE AND FORGET? (Matthew 18:21–35)

What does forgiving other people do for us? For the

answer, read Matthew 18:21–35.

We must understand all the things that God has for-

give­n us for because of Jesus. This understanding is
one of the most important parts of learning how to for-
give other people. We all have sinned. We have sinned
against other people and against God Himself.
Every sin is a sin against our Lord. But because of
Jesus, we can ask God for full forgiveness for all our
sins. We have done nothing to earn this precious gift
from heaven. God forgives us because of His mercy. Not
because of anything we do. When we understand these
Bible truths, we can accept this perfect gift of forgiveness
from God. Then we can forgive the ones who have hurt
us, too. Why do we need to forgive them? Do we need
to forgive others because they have earned forgiveness?
No, we forgive the ones who wronged us because God
forgives us. We all need forgiveness that we did nothing
to earn.
As we saw, Joseph offers a second chance to his
brothers. Joseph feels no anger in his heart for the evil
things his brothers did to him in the past.
In a family when we each become experts at how to
hurt each other, can we have a new start? Difficult, but
yes. We can start new with the help of God. Joseph does
not hurt his brothers for all they did to him. Joseph does
not try to get revenge against them. Joseph puts the past
behind him. He moves on with life. He accepts his broth-
ers and shows them love. What if Joseph had a different
feeling in his heart? Then, for sure, this story will have a
different ending, and not a happy one.

“  ‘It is a great [wonderful] blessing when people

are forgiven for the wrongs they have done, when
their sins are erased! It is a great blessing when the
Joseph feels no anger
Lord accepts people as if they are without sin!’  ” in his heart for the evil
(Romans 4:7, 8, ERV). What is Paul telling us in these things his brothers did
verses about the gift God has given us in Jesus? to him in the past.
How should this wonderful promise change our lives
for the better? How should this promise help us
show love and forgiveness to the people who hurt
us the most?

REST, FRIENDSHIPS, AND HEALING 55

 Lesson 7 WEDNESDAY—AUGUST 11
MAKING FORGIVENESS PERSONAL (Luke 23:34)

Do you need to forgive someone? Then here is what you

must do. You must confess that you are hurt. This is not
always easy to do. Sometimes we want to hide our feelings
or behave as if no one hurt us. But telling God we are angry
is fine. We see the writers in the psalms do this all the time.
So, feel free to tell God you do not like what happened. Tell
God that the way someone behaved hurts you, makes you
sad, or angry.
In the story about Joseph, we see him cry when he
meets his brothers again. For sure, in that moment, Joseph
feels some of the pain from his past.

What does Jesus say on the cross? What do His

words tell us about the best time to forgive someone?
For the answer, read Luke 23:34.

Jesus did not wait for us to ask for His forgiveness. So,
we do not need to wait for the person who wronged us to
ask for forgiveness. We can forgive other people before
they accept our forgiveness first.
The Cross is the best
example of the price God What do Luke 6:28 and Matthew 5:44 teach us about
paid to forgive us. how we should feel about the people who hurt us? What
do we need to show them?

Forgiveness and love both start with a choice. They do

not start with a feeling. We can make the choice to forgive
people, even if we do not feel ready to forgive them yet.
God knows “ ‘that is something people cannot do, but God
can. He can do anything’ ” (Mark 10:27, ERV). Jesus tells us
to pray for those who hurt us. What if the person who hurt
us already is dead? Then we can pray for God to heal our
hearts so that we can forgive.
Forgiveness is not always easy. The pain that other peo-
ple caused us can be awful. Our suffering can leave us
hurt, broken, and with crippled hearts. Healing will come
if we allow it. But we must not hold on to anger and hate.
Anger and hate make healing harder. Healing may not be
possible at all when our hearts are full of anger and hate.
The Cross is the best example of the price God paid to
forgive us. He knew many people will reject Him. But the
Lord went to the cross to die for us anyway. If the Lord can
do that for us, we can learn to forgive other people.

56 REST, FRIENDSHIPS, AND HEALING

 THURSDAY—AUGUST 12 Lesson 7
FINDING REST AFTER WE FORGIVE (Genesis 50:15–21)

The family of Joseph finally arrives in Egypt. The brothers

of Joseph must have explained to their father how they sold
Joseph as a slave years ago. The son that Jacob thought
wild animals killed is now in charge of Egypt!

What are the brothers of Joseph worried about in

Genesis 50:15–21? Why do you think they are worried?
What does this fear say about them?

The brothers of Joseph have been living in Egypt for

17 years now (Genesis 47:28). But when Jacob dies, the
brothers are afraid Joseph will take his revenge on them.
The brothers understand all over again how much they hurt
Joseph. Joseph tells them again that he forgives them after
their father dies. This experience of forgiving again is good
for both Joseph and his brothers, for sure.
When someone hurts us deeply, we may need to forgive
that person many times. When we remember the wrong, we
The son that Jacob
must go to God right away in prayer. We must ask God to thought wild animals killed
help us. We must make the choice to forgive many times. is now in charge of Egypt!

Read Genesis 50:20. How does this verse help explain

why Joseph is so willing to forgive his brothers for the
wrong they did to him?

Joseph firmly believes that his life is part of the big plan
that God made to help save the people on the earth from
famine at that time. A famine is a food shortage. Joseph
also believes that God chose him to help his family become
a mighty and important nation. Joseph knows that God
turned the evil plans of his brothers into something good.
That is why Joseph can forgive his brothers for the sin they
did against him.

The story about Joseph has a happy ending. How do

we feel when the ending to a story is not so happy?
When Jesus comes back a second time, He will put
an end to sin. Jesus also will end the worldwide war
between good and evil. Then we will have a real happy
ending to everything bad that has happened on this
earth. How does this hope help you to live with the
experiences and stories in life that are not so happy
now?

REST, FRIENDSHIPS, AND HEALING 57

 Lesson 7 FRIDAY—AUGUST 13
ADDITIONAL THOUGHT: Joseph shows us Jesus in many
ways. “Joseph was sold by his own brothers to men who
did not believe in God. Jesus was sold to His worst ene­
mies by one of His own followers. Joseph was accused of
something he did not do. Then he was thrown into prison
because he refused to do wrong. In the same way, people
hated and rejected Jesus because He was holy. Jesus was
not guilty of doing any wrong. But He was sent to the cross
anyway because false witnesses lied about Him. Joseph is
patient and kind when people hurt him and are not fair to
him. Joseph also is ready to forgive his brothers. His heart
is filled with mercy for his brothers who should love him. But
the hearts of his brothers are filled with hate for Joseph.
This hate is not natural. Joseph shows us the Savior. Jesus
did not complain when evil men hurt Him and were filled
with hate against Him. Joseph shows us the forgiveness of
Jesus for His killers. Joseph also shows us the forgiveness
Jesus gives to all people who come to Him, confess their
sins, and wish to be pardoned.”—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs
and Prophets, pages 239, 240, adapted.
“When someone shows no mercy to other people, he shows
that he does not know anything about the mercy and forgive-
ness that come from God. When God forgives, the heart of the
sinner comes close to the mighty heart of the One whose love
has no limits. Love from God pours into the heart of the sinner.
From the sinner, this love pours out to other people. Jesus
Jesus showed tender showed tender mercy in His own life. We will see this mercy
mercy all His life. in the people who share in His loving-favor and forgiveness.”
—Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, page 251, adapted.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1 Someone said, “When we refuse to forgive someone, our

behavior is the same as drinking poison and hoping the other
person will die.” Do you agree? Why?

2 Why do you think Joseph gave his brothers so many “tests” to

pass before he told them who he really was? What did all these
tests do for Joseph and for his brothers?

3 The manager of the house of Joseph must know some of

the story about the brothers of Joseph (read Genesis 44:1–12).
How do you think this experience of watching Joseph forgive
his brothers changed the manager? How does your experience
of forgiveness change the lives of people who watch you?

58 REST, FRIENDSHIPS, AND HEALING

 Story
GET READY TO MEET YOUR GOD! INSIDE
M y six-year-old son, Asher, shared with me a wish in his
heart. “Mom, I want to give people booklets about Jesus.” by Jessica Cebuhar Atwell
We lived in Bangkok, Thailand. Asher wanted to give people
in Bangkok a small booklet in the Thai language. The name of
the booklet is “A Love Letter From Jesus.” I was so happy my little
boy wished to share his love for Jesus. But it was Friday. Friday
was not really a good day. I needed to get ready for Sabbath.
Plus, most people stayed indoors because of COVID-19.
On Sabbath morning, I remembered Asher and his wish. I
felt I should take Asher to hand out the booklets. But I did not.
Sabbath afternoon, I watched a sermon. The preacher
ended his message with these words from Ellen G. White:
“As a people, we believe Jesus is coming soon. God gave
us a special message to share with other people: ‘  “Get
ready to meet your God”  ’ (Amos 4:12, [NLV]).”—Gospel
Workers, page 55, adapted. “That is exactly what I want to
tell the Thai people!” I thought to myself.
Early on Sunday, I read the daily quote from the writings
of Ellen G. White for my morning worship. Guess what
that quote included? Amos 4:12! “ ‘Get ready to meet your
God!’ ” The words cut into my heart.
At breakfast, I told Asher to get ready to hand out his book-
lets. Asher was so happy. He studied Amos 4:12 in Thai and
said it again and again until he knew it by heart. Then we left.
My husband Brian and I needed to pick up some fresh bread
from a bakery that morning. We helped start the bakery in “Get ready to meet
your God!”
Bangkok soon after we came to the city from our home in the
United States. When Brian and I delivered the bread to people,
Asher often rode his bike. But today he announced that he was
too busy to ride his bike. “I will be handing out booklets.”
We walked from the bakery to the neighbor who bought the
bread. The trip was one mile. Asher ran to everyone he saw.
“Get ready to meet your God!” Asher said in Thai and handed
each person a booklet. No one refused the gift from the little boy.
Asher was so excited when we got home two hours later.
He handed out 100 booklets! “I want to do this every day!”
he announced with a big smile.
God wants the big city of Bangkok to be ready for the com-
ing of Jesus. As Ellen G. White said, “As a people, we believe
Jesus is coming soon. God gave us a special message to
share with other people: ‘ “Get ready to meet your God.” ’ ”
This story shows an important part of the “I Will Go” plan.
This plan encourages all church members to share Jesus
with people in all parts of their life. Learn more about the
plan at www.IWillGo2020.org.
Provided
59 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.