The Gospel Project
Jacob and Esau Genesis 27–28
PreK-5th Grade Lesson
Jacob and Esau Genesis 27–28
Story Point: Rebekah and Jacob tricked Isaac into blessing Jacob. Big Picture Question: Does God keep His promises? God always keeps His promises because He is faithful. Christ Connection: The promises for Abraham and Isaac also became the promises for Jacob. At Bethel, God showed that His plan was to continue the covenant through Jacob’s family and eventually a whole nation, leading to the birth of Jesus—the promised Savior. Key Passage: Genesis 28:15
Babies and Toddlers Lesson
Jacob and Esau Genesis 27–28
Key Passage: Genesis 28:15 Babies & Toddlers Christ Connection: While we still made wrong choices, God sent Jesus. Preschool Christ Connection: God’s promises for Abraham and Isaac were promises for Jacob too. God showed Jacob in a dream that He would bless Jacob’s family and even a whole nation as part of His plan to bring Jesus, the Savior of the world. Big Picture Question: Does God keep His promises? Yes, God always keeps His promises. Story Point for Babies & Toddlers: God keeps His promises. Story Point for Preschoolers: Jacob tricked Isaac. Gospel Gems: • God promised to bless Jacob. • Jacob made a wrong choice to trick Isaac. • God sent Jesus through Jacob’s family.
Parents: 3 Easy Steps
Unit 3, Lesson 1: Jacob and Esau
1) Watch: Cindy teaching “Jacob and Esau” in the Sunday liturgy for 9/13/20
2) (Optional) Re-Read: This week’s Bible Story as a family or life group and ask the Big Picture Question to each other. (Notice there are two versions of the story based on age.)
3) Do: Easy optional activities the whole family or life group can enjoy together.
Bible Stories By Age PreK-5th Grade
Jacob and Esau Bible Passage: Genesis 27–28 When Isaac was old and he could not see, he called for his older son Esau. “Go hunting and make a meal for me,” he said. “I want to bless you before I die.” So Esau went out to hunt. Rebekah heard Isaac and Esau talking, and she made her own plan. Rebekah told her younger son Jacob, “I will make your father’s favorite meal. Take the food to your father so that he may bless you before he dies.” Jacob did what Rebekah said. Rebekah put Esau’s clothes on Jacob and covered his hands and neck with goat hair so that Isaac would think Jacob was Esau. Then Jacob took the meal to his father. “Who are you, my son?” Isaac asked. “I am Esau, your firstborn,” Jacob said. Isaac asked Jacob to come closer. He felt Jacob’s hands.
“The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau,” Isaac said. Jacob brought his father food and drink, and he ate. After the meal, Isaac kissed him and offered him the blessing. The blessing included land, riches, and power. Then Jacob left. About this time, Esau came home. When he gave food to Isaac, his father told him that he had been tricked. Jacob had been given the blessing. Esau begged his father to bless him too, but Isaac had nothing left to give. Esau was angry, and he made a plan to kill Jacob. Isaac and Rebekah sent Jacob away to stay with relatives, and Isaac told him to find a wife. On the way, Jacob stopped to sleep. He put a stone under his head as a pillow. Jacob had a dream of a stairway set on the ground with its top reaching the sky. Angels were going up and down the stairs. Then God spoke to Jacob: “I am the God of your grandfather, Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac. I will give you and your offspring this land.” He gave Jacob the same covenant He made with Abraham. God told Jacob that his family would be like the dust of the earth. They would spread out in all directions, and all the people on earth would be blessed because of his family. God said, “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go.” Jacob woke up and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place. What an awesome place this is.” Early the next morning, as a way to remember the place where God had shared His promise, Jacob poured oil over the stone where he had slept. He renamed the place Bethel, and Jacob promised to follow God and honor Him. Christ Connection: The promises for Abraham and Isaac also became the promises for Jacob. At Bethel, God showed that His plan was to continue the covenant through Jacob’s family and eventually a whole nation, leading to the birth of Jesus—the promised Savior.
3-5th Grade Discussion & Bible skills Distribute Bibles and guide kids to find Genesis 27–28. Ask kids what testament the Book of Genesis is in. (Old Testament) Ask who wrote the Book of Genesis. (Moses) Choose a volunteer to read aloud Genesis 28:12-13. Say • Before Jacob and Esau were born, God had a plan for the older son to serve the younger. Does God keep His promises? God always keeps His promises because He is faithful. Ask the following questions. Lead the group to discuss: Why do you think God said the older son would serve the younger? Lead kids to consider that culturally, the younger brother would have served the older. God showed He has the freedom and power to work in ways that are different than our ways. (Option: Choose a volunteer to read Rom. 9:15-16.) In his dream, Jacob saw a stairway going up to heaven. What are some ways people try to get to heaven? How can we get to heaven? Guide kids to identify that people often try to get to heaven by doing good deeds. Point out that we can never be good enough to get to God on our own. Salvation comes only through faith in Jesus. (Option: Choose a volunteer to read John 14:6.) How can we be part of God’s mission to bless the whole world through Jesus? Help kids conclude that we can share Jesus with everyone—family members, friends, and even complete strangers. God has a role for each of us in His plan. We can be open to His calling and willing to obey. (Option: Choose a volunteer to read 2 Tim. 1:8-9.)
Babies and Toddlers Paste Story Here: Genesis 27–28 Isaac and Rebekah had twin sons, Esau and Jacob. Esau was born first, and he was his father’s favorite. Jacob was his mother’s favorite. Jacob wanted a special gift that belonged to the first son—Esau. Esau traded that special gift for a bowl of red soup! When Isaac was old, Isaac wanted to bless Esau. Rebekah told Jacob to wear Esau’s clothes. Jacob covered his arms with goatskin to be hairy like Esau. Rebekah made a tasty meal, and Jacob took the meal to his father. Isaac could not see well, so he said, “Are you Esau?” Jacob said, “I am Esau.” Jacob tricked his father, and Isaac blessed Jacob. Esau was very angry with Jacob. Rebekah sent Jacob away until Esau calmed down. Jacob made wrong choices, but he did not stop God’s promise.
Gospel Gems God promised to bless Jacob. Jacob made a wrong choice to trick Isaac. God sent Jesus through Jacob’s family.
Quick and Easy Activities
PreK-5th Grade
Activity One Blind touch Place various items into a box or bag so the kids cannot see what is inside. Blindfold child and ask him to put his hand into the box or bag to feel the item. Lead him to describe to the group what the item feels like. Challenge the group to guess the item. The first kid to guess correctly gets to be blindfolded and describe the next item. Use various household items or gather items that represent parts of the Bible story: a cooking pot, rock, bottle of oil, and faux fur. Say • When you are not able to see, you have to use your other senses—such as touch—to know what is around you. In today’s Bible story, Isaac was old and had lost his sense of sight. He relied on his senses of touch and sound to figure out who was around him. Activity Two Sand play Place a few inches of sand in a plastic tub. Allow the kids to play in the sand. Ask them questions about how it feels in their hands and what kinds of things they could do with sand. You may wish to place a tarp under the play area to help minimize mess. Use wet wipes to clean off fingers and hands when kids finish playing.
Say • Today we will learn about a time God promised offspring that would be like the dust of the earth, spread all over the place. Whom do you think God promised this to? Why do you think He would promise this? Let’s learn more!
Activity Three Rocks of remembrance Provide each kid with a smooth stone about the size of her palm. Help the kids write the story point on the stone. You may choose to provide decoupage paste and foam brushes to add a layer of protection to the ink on the rock. Say • Rebekah and Jacob tricked Isaac into blessing Jacob, but God used their sinful choice to further His plan to send Jesus. The blessing that Isaac gave to Jacob included the promise that God had made to Isaac and Abraham. Later in our story, Jacob slept with a rock as his pillow. God visited Jacob in a dream to encourage him and extend the promises made to Abraham and Isaac to him as well. When he awoke, Jacob used the rock under his head to set up a marker to remember God’s good promises to him. Does God keep His promises? God always keeps His promises because He is faithful.
1-4 Year Olds
Activity One Look in a mirror Sit with a baby on your lap. Show the baby her face in a nonbreaking mirror. Talk about God’s love and God’s promises for her. Repeat with each child. Say: God promised to bless Jacob. God promised to send Jesus to bless [baby’s name] too! God keeps His promises. Activity Two Gather various items that will fit in a brown paper bag. Choose items that are readily available and vary in textures and sizes. Place each item in individual brown paper bags. Allow preschoolers to take turns feeling the item inside each bag without looking in the bag. Encourage children to guess what the item is. Reveal the item after a child has had several guesses. Say • Good job guessing what was in each bag. Was it easy or hard to tell what each thing was by feeling it? In today’s Bible story, Isaac felt some hands that were hairy. He thought they belonged to his son Esau, but he was wrong. We will find out whose hands they were in today’s Bible story. Activity Three Play dress-up Set out a variety of dress-up clothes. Invite preschoolers to try on different items. Challenge preschoolers to create a disguise. Say • Rebekah dressed Jacob in Esau’s clothing. She told Jacob to pretend to be Esau. Jacob tricked Isaac. But God had already planned to do His plan through Jacob’s family. God would bless Jacob’s family and even a whole nation as part of His plan to bring Jesus, the Savior of the world.
INSTRUCTIONS:
REBEKAH
JACOB
ESAU
ISAAC
Draw a line connecting Jacob and Esau to the things they like best. Review last week’s story as needed.
Jacob and Esau
Preschool Activity Page Preschool Activity Pages
28:15a
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LIFEWAY KIDS APP
DOWNLOAD the
• Find a place where the whole family can climb stairs safely. Imagine what it would be like to see a staircase from earth to heaven. • Invite another family to join you on a rock hunt. Review the Bible story and talk about how Jacob set up a rock to remember where God spoke to him.
FAMILY ACTIVITY:
• Did Rebekah and Jacob make a right choice or a wrong choice? • Did Rebekah and Jacob’s wrong choice stop God’s plan for their family? • How does God bless us through Jacob’s family?
FAMILY DISCUSSION STARTERS:
• Does God keep His promises? God always keeps His promises.
BIG PICTURE QUESTION:
KEY PASSAGE: Genesis
• Rebekah wanted Isaac to bless Jacob instead of Esau. • Jacob tricked Isaac into giving him the blessing. • God showed Jacob in a dream that He would bless him and his family.
BIBLE STORY SUMMARY:
Jacob and Esau
Unit 3 • Session 1
INSTRUCTIONS:
Draw thick hair on Jacob (right) to make him look more like Esau (left).
It’s Hair-d to Tell
Younger Elementary Activity Page Younger Kids Activity Pages
28:15
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LIFEWAY KIDS APP
DOWNLOAD the
• Cook dinner as a family. Discuss the events of the story, and remind your kids that God can work His plans even when we make sinful choices. • Use fake fur to play dress-up with your kids.
FAMILY ACTIVITY:
• Why didn’t God reject Jacob after he tricked Isaac? • Did Rebekah and Jacob trust God’s promises? • How can we grow to trust God more?
FAMILY DISCUSSION STARTERS:
• Does God keep His promises? God always keeps His promises because He is faithful.
BIG PICTURE QUESTION:
KEY PASSAGE: Genesis
• Isaac was old and his eyesight had faded. • Isaac wanted to bless Esau before he died. • Rebekah wanted Isaac to bless Jacob. • Rebekah and Jacob tricked Isaac into blessing Jacob.
BIBLE STORY SUMMARY:
Jacob and Esau
Unit 3 • Session 1
______________ ______________.
tricked ______________ into
______________ and ______________
Complete the maze. Use each word you pass through to fill in the blanks.
Blessing Maze
START
Find and circle 10 differences between the two pictures.
Tricked!
Older Elementary Activity Page
FINISH
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STORY POINT: REBEKAH AND JACOB TRICKED ISAAC INTO BLESSING JACOB.
Coloring Page
Jacob and Esau Genesis 27–28
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