YEA Lesson Library
Consider the Options
About This Lesson
This lesson teaches about the choices that Rebekah, Isaac, Esau, and Jacob made - choices not to wait on God to work things out according to His promises. The student is encouraged to carefully consider the choices they make
Scriptures
Genesis 25:20-34
Genesis 27:1-46
Exodus 20:16-17
Psalm 62:5
Matthew 6:19-21
Luke 12:16-21
Hebrews 12:16-17
Words to Know
BIRTHRIGHT - right, privilege, or possession to which a person is entitled by birth
BLESSING - to invoke divine care for; to confer prosperity or happiness upon
The Lesson
Isaac and Rebekah had been married for about 20 years and still didn't have children they wanted. So Isaac Considered the Options. He prayed fervently to God, and Rebekah became pregnant, with not just one child, but with twins. Before Rebekah's boys were ever born, they started fighting so hard in her womb she thought she couldn't endure it. Ultrasound hadn't been invented. So Rebekah asked God what in the world was going on inside her. He told her that she was carrying two sons who would become two rival nations. One of these nations would be stronger than the other, and the oldest would serve the younger.
The first boy was born covered with so much red hair that he looked like he was wearing a fur coat. So his parents called him Esau. Then the other twin boy was born with his hand on Esau's heel. So he was called Jacob, which means "Grabber."
Isaac's favorite son was Esau who grew up loving to hunt. Rebekah's favorite son was Jacob who hung out around the house and helped his mother with household chores. One day Jacob was cooking stew and Esau came home hungry and exhausted from hunting. He asked his brother, Jacob, for a bowl of his stew. Jacob Considered the Options and took advantage of Esau's hunger. Being the rival brother that he was, he offered to trade him a bowl of stew for Esau's birthright. The birthright gave the oldest son an advantage - at his father's death he inherited more of what his father owned.
Esau failed to rightly Consider the Options and completely lost sight of what having this birthright meant to him. Rather than seeing its value, he despised it. He was hungry and he wanted to eat NOW! "When a man is dying of starvation, what good is his birthright?" Esau asked Jacob. Jacob recognized the significance of getting this birthright. So he asked Esau to make a vow to God that Jacob could have it. Esau made the vow and the birthright was Jacob's from then on.
But this wasn't all there was to this story. Isaac, the twins' father, was getting old and was half-blind. He wanted to pass on a blessing to the twins. So he called Esau and told him to go kill a deer and cook it just the way he liked it. "Then I will give you the blessing that belongs to you as my firstborn son,” Isaac told him.
Rebekah overheard this conversation and Considered the Options. Remember, Jacob was her favorite son, and she wanted him to have this blessing. So she devised a plan to deceive her husband, Isaac. She told Jacob to kill two goats from their flock and she would cook them in Isaac’s favorite way. After she cooked the goats, Jacob was to take some to his father to eat and then receive the blessing Isaac had promised Esau. Jacob knew it would be difficult to deceive his father, because Esau was such a hairy lad. He was taking a chance that he would receive a curse rather than a blessing if Isaac decided to touch him. Rebekah reassured him that she would take any curse that came his way. She had Jacob put on Esau's best clothes and a pair of hairy animal skin gloves. Jacob was ready to carry the food to his father and receive the blessing.
Isaac may have been half-blind, but he was smart enough to realize that everything didn't add up. He couldn't image how Esau could have killed, dressed, and cooked a deer so rapidly. He also realized it was Jacob's, not Esau's voice! But when he asked to feel his hands, the hairy gloves convinced Isaac that this was indeed Esau. So Isaac went ahead giving this blessing to Jacob. "May God always give you plenty of rain for your crops, and good harvest of grain, and new wine. May many nations be your slaves. Be the master of your brothers. May all your relatives bow low before you. Cursed are all who curse you, and blessed are all who bless you" (Genesis 27:28,29 TLB). These were not just mere words. This carried a divine blessing that could not be reversed.
Esau came in and learned that Isaac had given the blessing to his younger brother. That meant that Jacob would be Esau’s master. Esau realized that even though Isaac had been tricked, the blessing would now go to Jacob along with the birthright. Esau Considered the Options and wept. He asked his dad for a blessing, and this is what Isaac gave him. "Yours will be no life of ease and luxury, but you shall hew your way with your sword. For a time you will serve your brother, but you will finally shake loose from him and be free" (Genesis 27:40). Esau didn't like his options and he hated Jacob for receiving the greater blessing.
Did Jacob do the right thing in deceiving Isaac? No! This was a wrong option, the same as Esau selling his birthright for a bowl of soup. Rebekah and Jacob took matters into their own hands. However, it was in God's plan that Esau serve Jacob. Remember, before the twins were ever born, God told Rebekah that the oldest would serve the younger. Because Rebekah and Jacob did not wait on God to take care of this situation, there was unnecessary hostility between these two brothers. This blessing would follow down through the ages for generations to come. And the hostility has also continued unnecessarily down through the ages.
We should always remember: God is in charge and knows what is best. He will work things out for your good. Always Consider Your Options and make the right choice!
Student Prayer
Thank you, Great God, for showing me that you have a plan and that I should wait on you rather than taking matters in my own hands. Esau didn't value the birthright you gave him. This was a very important gift. Help me always to be thankful for what you give me and do your will.
In Jesus' name I pray.
Amen.
Daily Devotions
Sunday - Matthew 6:19-21
Monday - Luke 12:16-21
Tuesday - Exodus 20:16-17
Wednesday - Genesis 25:21-24
Thursday - Genesis 25:24-26
Friday - Genesis 25:27-34
Saturday - Hebrews 12:16-17
Objectives
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
1. Explain that it was wrong for Jacob to not consider the needs of his brother and to cheat him out of his birthright.
2. Discuss that it was in God's plan for Jacob to receive the birthright and the blessing. And God would have seen to it that he got them without any deception had he only waited on God.
3. Make the comparison between Jacob's birthright and our eternal reward, that we should not despise it, nor sell it short, rather consider it to be our most valuable asset.
Topics & Themes
Birthright
Blessings
Esau
Eternal Life
Inheritance
Isaac
Jacob
Prayer
Reward
Vow
Materials Needed
Bible, YEA Students' and Teacher's books, attendance and memory verse charts, songbook, fire-safe box. treasures, such as money, jewelry, valuable items, a deed to property, things with sentimental value such as photos, ticket stubs, programs
How to Teach This Lesson
After opening the class with prayer, pass the fire-safe box around to the students and let each one guess what's in it. Now allow the students to see what's inside. Then discuss that such things as these would have been included in the birthright Jacob traded Esau out of for a bowl of soup. Have them count the money to see how much is there. Ask: How much do you think the jewelry is worth? How much are your baby pictures, school pictures, pictures of your friends and family worth to you? What are mementos, saved over the years from memorable events you have attended, worth to you? How much do you think this deed to a piece of property is worth? Sometimes it can be worth millions of dollars depending on where this property is located, how large it is, and the building(s) it has on it. Then ask: What do you think everything in this box is worth?
Tell the class that the Bible says Esau despised his birthright. Then involve the kids in a discussion about why they think Esau despised his birthright. Did he realize how much it was worth? Can anyone tell us what Jesus said about laying up treasures here on earth? Ask a student to read Matthew 6:19-21. What are some earthly or physical things that you treasure? Who noticed what happens to our earthly treasures in the Scripture that was just read? (They erode away and can be stolen). Jesus gave an illustration of what happens when we set our hearts on physical treasures. Ask a good reader to read Luke 12:16-21. What treasure or inheritance stays with us beyond this life? (Our inheritance as a member of God's family can be very valuable - worth far more than all the items in this box.) Do we value the inheritance God has laid up for us?Would we sell it for a bowl of soup? Would we sell it to please our peers? Would we sell it for sex or drugs? Is there anything on this earth that is worth selling our heavenly inheritance for? What happens to us if we do sell our heavenly inheritance?
Teacher-Directed Activity
Go over the Students' Activity with your class and allow them to answer without being condemned. Ask: How long do you think Esau had gone without food? Do you really think he was hungry enough to give up something as valuable as his birthright for a bowl of soup? What should Esau have done rather than trading his birthright for a simple bowl of soup? (He could have gone into the kitchen and cooked his own bowl of soup.) What should we do before we sell our eternal reward short? (Consider our options!)
REACH Activity
Memory Verse Spotlight: Psalm 62:5
Look up the word “salvation.” Write down the Hebrew word and its meaning.
Then find three other Scriptures where this word is used.
When working with Hebrew words, you have to be very careful to look at the context where the word is used. Does the context of Psalm 62:5 indicate past tense, present tense, or future tense? Can you tell? Does it make a difference in how you understand this verse? Write down what you find in your Bible notebook.
Where in the World? Genesis 27:28-29
Where in the world have we seen this blessing before? Do some research to find where this blessing originated? Is it still in effect today? Talk about this with your family. Then write down what you discover in your Bible notebook.
They Did What Back Then? Birthright
There is a distinct difference between a birthright and a blessing. Which did Esau sell to Jacob for a bowl of lentil stew? Which was Isaac’s right to give to whomever he wished? Who usually got the birthright? What all did that entail? What were the rights of the firstborn?
Making It Mine: Value
Have you ever assigned a lesser value to something - only to find out later that it was worth a whole lot more than you thought? Why do your values change? Is it okay for your values to change? What affects your values? Write down as many things that can influence your values as you can think of. Then consider these things: money, recreation (having fun), doing things with excellence, having integrity, spending time with friends, spending time with family, having a relationship with God, making the world beautiful. Can you rank them in order of what is most important to what is least important? Now have your brother, sister, or parents rank the same list. Do your lists look the same? Why or why not? Talk about the value you assign to these things. Then write your thoughts about this topic in your Bible notebook.
Worldview Collisions: The Ends and the Means
A Biblical worldview says that the end does not justify the means. In other words, the actions you do to get where you are really do matter. If you want a new car, work for it; don’t steal one from your neighbor down the street. A secular worldview says that the ends do justify the means. That means this: if you want something, it’s okay to lie and cheat, maybe even steal and murder, to get what you want.
Think about these two colliding worldviews. What are the consequences of conducting yourself with a secular worldview that says anything is okay as long as you get what you want? Give examples that you see from people around you - or come up with some hypothetical examples. Write these down in your Bible notebook. Then write an apology (reasoned argument) for why a Biblical worldview will work better in the end.
Questions
As you’re working through the YEA lesson, Daily Devotionals, doing the activity, or reading the Bible, be sure to write down any questions you have. That way you’ll remember to ask someone. Also remember to share the really interesting things you’re learning with family and friends.
Song
"I'm Yours" is on page 65 of The Group Songbook.
Closing Prayer
Have the students form a circle and join hands. Ask: What should we always do before we make a decision? (Consider the Options!) Then what should we do? (Make a decision that ensures we're not selling our eternal inheritance.) Ask a student to lead in prayer asking God to help each one of us to value his eternal inheritance and live his life daily to ensure he receives it.
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