Join me for this Bible journaling session, all about the life of Joseph (Jacob’s son). There is so much we can learn from his character, and the way he lived his life through faith in God.
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Joseph has always been one of my favorite characters in the Bible, and for good reason!
He exemplifies what it means to live faithfully, trusting God even in the midst of trials and setbacks. If you read his story in Genesis 37 and 39-50, you see a person who wasn’t perfect, but tried his best to stay true to God.
Joseph might’ve been a bit conceited as a young man (see Genesis 37:5-11, where he bragged to his father and brothers about the dreams he had)… but after his jealous brothers sold him into slavery in Egypt (Genesis 37:12-36), Joseph proved himself to be a man of faith and integrity. He stayed true to godly morals (see the temptation he faced in Genesis 39:6-10), but was still wrongfully accused and thrown in prison (Genesis 39:11-23). But through it all, Joseph was diligent, and God showed him favor.
Long story short, after all the trials Joseph went through, God gave him a great purpose of saving lives as he was appointed second-in-command by Pharaoh! (See Genesis chapters 40-41 for this part of Joseph’s story).
And when his brothers came to Egypt, Joseph didn’t trust them right away… he put them through a series of tests, to see if they had changed, before he revealed his identity to them. And then, he forgave them! (Read all the drama, in Genesis chapters 42-45).
Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.”
Genesis 45:4-8 (NIV)
Bible Journaling Character Study: Joseph (Jacob’s Son)
I think the ONE thing I most admire about Joseph, is that he didn’t let his trials make him bitter. He continued to act with kindness and diligence, trusting God, throughout his slavery and imprisonment. I want to be more like that! When troubles come, I want to trust God with my journey, and keep walking diligently and faithfully with Him.
How about you? Do you see aspects of Joseph’s story and/or his character that you want to emulate? If so, join me in this Bible journaling session and make note of your insights! Check out the full video tutorial below, or keep scrolling for the supplies and steps I used in creating this page.
Supplies:
These are the Bible journaling tools and art supplies I used in creating this Joseph character study page. As always, I encourage you to use whatever supplies you have on hand, and feel free to substitute different colors or patterns to your liking. 😃
- Illustrating Bible
- Faber-Castell Gelatos
- Sponge blending tool/applicator
- Creative Worship Stamps “Moroccan Quatrefoil” stencil
- CWS “Texture Tiles 1” stamp set
- CWS “Hope in Him Alpha” stamp set
- Faith stencil set (contains the wheat stencil)
- Blending brushes (set of three)
- Brown pigment ink pads
- Pigma Micron pen (black 01)
- Art Impressions “Bible Icons Set 1” stamp set (with the bowl of fruit stamp)
- Gelly Roll metallic pens
- Pentel Slicci metallic pens
Step-by-Step Instructions:
You definitely don’t have to follow my steps exactly, but if you want to, here is the process I used to create this page (see the video above for more detail and the full process)…
- FIRST, AN IMPORTANT NOTE: I used my Illustrating Bible, so I did NOT prep the page at all. (Be sure and check out how to prep with gesso if you’re journaling in a regular Bible with thinner pages).
- Start with a light wash of color all over the page. I used a brown color from my Gelatos set, mixed with water and painted on.
- Tape down the Moroccan Quatrefoil stencil, and use the same (or different shade) of Gelatos with an applicator sponge to apply color to the stencil. If needed, you can reposition the stencil to cover another part of the page.
- If desired, use a texture or background stamp to a bit more interest to the background. I used the script background from the Texture Tiles 1 stamp set.
- Now, it’s time to add Joseph’s name (or another title of your choosing!). For this step, I used the Hope in Him Alpha stamp set with brown pigment ink.
- Next, add a wheat stalk or two below Joseph’s name. This faith stencils set has the wheat stalk, plus hundreds of other objects too. I used brown pigment ink and a blending brush to apply color to the stencil.
- Time to take some notes! Write down all the qualities of Joseph you admire, or perhaps a list of life lessons gleaned from his story. I used a Pigma Micron pen for this step.
- Optionally, add another image below your notes. I used the fruit bowl stamp from the Bible Icons Set 1 stamp set, to match the quote from Joseph about how God made him fruitful. Gel pens such as Gelly Roll work great for coloring in the stamp, as they’re opaque and cover up the background color nicely.
- Done! Sit back and ponder all the insights you’ve gleaned while creating. Maybe add today’s date at the bottom if you like.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this journey into Joseph’s life story through Bible journaling! May you leave feeling inspired, and encouraged to keep following God and trust Him through the ups and downs of your own life journey. 🙏🏼
Hi! Thank you so much for visiting Divine Creative Love. I’m a Jesus-lovin’ girl, artist, designer, and general creative-at-heart. And, I have narcolepsy. I blog about faith in God, overcoming challenges, and creative topics such as Bible journaling. If you’re new here, be sure and subscribe to my list so you won’t miss anything!