YEA Lesson Library
Prosperity Promise
About This Lesson
This lesson teaches about Jacob’s dream of the angels ascending and descending from heaven, God’s blessing on Jacob, and Jacob’s vow to pay a tithe. The students are encouraged to also show their gratitude for God’s blessings.
Scriptures
Genesis 28:1-22
Deuteronomy 8:10-18
Job 22:23-27
Psalm 78:23-24
Isaiah 45:6-7
Malachi 3:6-12
Malachi 3:10
3 John 1-11
Words to Know
INHERIT- to come into possession of o receive as a right
OPPRESSIVE - Unreasonably burdensome or severe
OFFSPRING - the progeny of an animal or plant: child
The Lesson
Do you ever fight with your siblings? Have you ever fought over who would inherit your Mom's and Dad's house when they die. Probably not. But inheriting a house and land could mean a lot of money in your bank account when they are sold. People in the Bible knew the importance of inheriting houses, land, and other earthly stuff their parents owned. Esau learned the value of what he was giving up too late, but he decided it was worth fighting over. So sibling rivalry continued.
Esau hated Jacob because Jacob had traded Esau out of his birthright. But that was not all. He also got the blessing through deceit that Isaac thought he was giving to Esau. Everything Jacob would be receiving was extremely valuable to him and his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and all of his descendants down to this day. It wasn't just a small package of stuff. What Jacob and his descendants were getting was worth a lot!
When Esau fully realized the result of Jacob getting the birthright and the blessings, he was fighting mad! He even planned to kill Jacob after Isaac, his father died. Rebekah wanted to do everything she could to prevent this from happening. So she told Jacob to flee to his Uncle Laban's place in Haran and stay there until Esau forgot about what Jacob had done.
Before Jacob left, Isaac his father, blessed him yet another time. He told him not to marry a Canaanite girl. These were the same instructions that Abraham, Isaac's father, had given him. The Canaanites didn't worship the true God. They were idol worshipers.
So Jacob left Beersheba and started out for Haran where his Uncle Laban lived. Jacob had walked a long way and was tired. About sunset he decided to pitch camp. There were no clean sheets and soft pillows. He didn't even have sleeping bag to bed down in. So he found a rock that would work as a pillow - well, at least a support for his head. After falling asleep, he had a dream in which he saw a staircase that reached from earth to heaven. Angels of God were going up and down the staircase.
Jacob saw the Lord standing at the top of this staircase. He said, "I am Jehovah, the God of Abraham, and of your father Isaac. The ground you are lying on is yours! I will give it to you and to your descendants. For you will have descendants as many as dust! They will cover the land from east to west and from north to south; and al the nations of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants. What's more, I am with you, and will protect you wherever you go, and will bring you back safely to this land; I will be with you constantly until I have finished giving you all I am promising" (Genesis 28:13-15 TLB).
If you were camping away out from any other human being and had a dream like this, how would you feel? Would it scare you out of your wits seeing this dramatic display of angels walking a staircase from earth to heaven? Would you have believed that this was the Lord speaking to you? Let's see Jacob's reaction when he awakened.
Jacob was in absolute terror! He said, "God lives here! I've stumbled into his home! This is the awesome entrance to heaven!" This certainly wasn't a night that left Jacob wanting to sleep in late the next morning. He got up early and placed that rock he used for a pillow upright as a memorial of worship of God. Then he poured olive oil on it. Olive oil was used throughout the Bible for dedicating something, or anointing kings or people.
This was an awesome dream! The Lord said He would protect Jacob wherever he went. Now isn't that worth a lot? He said that He would bring him back safely to this land. He also said that He would constantly be with Jacob until He had finished giving him everything that He had promised. This included a promise of so many offspring spread from one end of the earth to the other that they would be as dust. "All of the nations of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants."
What nations help when there is drought, famine, or an oppressive government? The United States and Great Britain were there to free the Iraqis from Saddam Hussein's oppressive dictatorship. Doing all of these things provides an enormous blessing to other nations.
Then Jacob made a vow to God. He promised that if God would watch over him on the trip to Haran, give him food and clothes to wear, and return him safely back home, he would give God a tenth of everything God would give him. Are you willing to say with Jacob that you will give God a tenth of everything He gives you? God gives us everything we have. Giving Him back one dollar out of every ten He gives us is the least we can do. You can't out give God. Remember what your memory verse says?
Student Prayer
Thank you, Father, for giving me everything I have and for fulfilling your promises to Jacob's and his descendants. It is such a small thing for me to return only ten percent of what you give me to you. Help me to always be faithful in tithing and
giving to you.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Daily Devotions
Sunday - Malachi 3:6-12
Monday- Psalm 78:23-24
Tuesday - Job 22:23-27
Wednesday - 3 John 1-11
Thursday - Isaiah 45:6-7
Friday - Genesis 28:13-15
Saturday - Deuteronomy 8:10-18
Objectives
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
1. Explain what a tithe is and why they should give it.
2. Discuss how Jacob's descendants are a blessing to the entire world and unlike most nations, after they win a war, they go back and establish schools, hospitals, infrastructure, etc.
Topics & Themes
Blessings
Dream
Esau
God’s Promises
Gratitude
Inheritance
Jacob
Laban
Tithes
Materials Needed
Bible, YEA Students' and Teacher's books, attendance and memory verse charts, songbook, two awards, newsprint, marker, fake rock, olive oil, Chocolate hugs and kisses, offering basket, slips of paper, camping gear
How to Teach This Lesson
After opening with prayer, have the students take their positions for the play they will be acting out as you read the dialog. Explain that they are to act out what you read.
Dialog - (Jacob walks in.) So Jacob left Beersheba and started out for Haran where his Uncle Laban lived. Jacob had walked a long way and was tired. About sunset he decided to pitch camp. He found a rock that would work as a pillow - well, at least a support for his head. (Jacob lays down.) After falling off to sleep, he had a dream. In this dream he saw a staircase that reached from earth to heaven. (Angels walk up and down stairs.) Angels of God were going up and down the staircase.
(Angel of the Lord stands at the top of the stairs.) Jacob saw the Angel of the Lord standing at the top of this staircase. He said, "I am Jehovah, the God of Abraham, and of your father Isaac. The ground you are lying on is yours! I will give it to you and to your descendants. For you will have descendants as many as dust! They will cover the land from east to west and from north to south; and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants. What's more, I am with you, and will protect you wherever you go, and will bring you back safely to this land; I will be with you constantly until I have finished giving you all I am promising.”
(Jacob awakens absolutely terrified and says:) "God lives here! I've stumbled into his home! This is the awesome entrance to heaven!" (Jacob places the rock he used as his pillow upright and says:) This pillar will be a memorial of the worship of God. I will anoint this rock with olive oil. (Jacob pours oil on the pillar.
Then Jacob makes a vow to God.) God of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, I promise that if you will watch over me on the trip to Haran, give me food and clothes to wear, and return me safely back home, I will give you a tenth of everything you give me.
Debrief - How did you feel about this awesome dream? What impact does this dream have on you, or what does it mean to you? Do you think the promises made to Jacob extends to today? Why? What nation or nations have been a blessing to the entire world? Can you give some incidents where this has happened. What nation or nations do you think are the ones that have most likely received this blessing? Read the first four paragraphs of Background to the class.
Tithing- Have you ever felt so grateful to God for the things He has given you that you wanted to give something back to Him? What does God expect you to give in return for what He gives you? Ask one of the students to read Psalm 103 aloud to the class. Explain that they have been blessed with nine kisses and one hug. Pass the offering basket and explain they are to tithe their hug on the ten pieces of chocolates they were given at the beginning of the class. Ask: Where did your chocolates come from? Ask one of the students to read James 1:17 aloud. Ask: What do you have left? Did you out give God? Have the students give the hugs to their minister after class. They may want to perform this play before their church. Or, if time permits, repeat it again in class with students doing their own dialog.
Teacher-Directed Activity
The activity is embedded in “How to Teach This Lesson."
REACH Activity
Memory Verse Spotlight: Malachi 3:10
Look up the word “tithe.” Write down the Hebrew word and its meaning. Then find three other Scriptures where this word is used.
Do you think this command and associated promise is still in effect? Why would God want you to tithe? God doesn’t need your money! What is the purpose of tithing? Is a tithe different from a free-will offering? Deuteronomy 16:17 says to bring an offering in proportion to the way that God has blessed you. How has God blessed you? How can you possible bring an offering that would express your gratitude for all of His goodness to you?
Where in the World? Jacob’s Dream
As you read Genesis 28, make a note of the locations cited in the text. Find an outline of a map of Israel from Abraham’s era. Note, on the map, where Isaac would have lived. Note where Jacob had his dream and what he named the location. Note where Haran is from this place. File this in your Bible notebook. Be prepared to add more notes to this map in subsequent lessons.
They Did What Back Then? Intermarriage
God gave very specific instructions to His people that they were not to marry foreigners who would pull them away from worshiping Him. Another indication that Esau was not interested in serving God was the fact that he married women who made Isaac and Rebekah miserable. Find three scriptures where God specifically commands His people not to marry people of a different religion. Write them in your Bible notebook.
Making It Mine: Dreams
Most people dream. Most of the time, our dreams are the brain’s way of processing events (past, current, or future). The night before school starts, you might dream that the teacher decided you all need to spend the first day of school playing a team sport, like baseball or kickball. Or you might dream that she’s the meanest teacher ever and it’s going to be a rough year.
But occasionally, God gives a person a dream to give them information. Usually this is actionable information. God, in His mercy, is telling that person something for their good. Think about Pharaoh. Think about Nebuchadnezzar. Think about Jesus’ father Joseph. All of these men had dreams that would dramatically affect their future. Can you think of 5 other people who had dreams - given to them by God? Write them down.
Then think about your dreams. Have you ever had a dream that came true? Do you think it was just a dream, or do you think it was from God? Can you tell?
Talk about this topic with your parents. Sometimes God doesn’t give us information in a dream; He gives us a strong feeling that we should, or shouldn’t, do something. We learn to recognize those feelings are from God - because when we don’t listen to those feelings, we find out that we certainly should have. For example, my parents always park next to the house. One day, when they got home, they both had a really strong feeling they should put the car around back, behind the house. That night the neighbor’s huge tree fell right in the driveway where their car would have normally been. Can I prove that feeling was from God? No. But I believe it was God blessing my parents because He loves them.
Worldview Collisions: Active in the Affairs of Men
A Biblical worldview says that God exists and that He is actively involved in the affairs of men. I don’t know about you, but that is very comforting to me. I know that no matter what happens, God is not surprised and He is still in control. That means that, even when we can’t see how anything good can come out of a situation, God has a plan. We just need to trust Him.
A secular worldview says that things all just happen by chance. If your car gets a flat tire, it’s just bad luck. If you are hired for a specific job, it’s just good luck or because you deserve that job. But there’s no real rhyme or reason for how things unfold in life - and really, chance is a scary way to live.
Do some research this week. Talk with three people who hold either a Biblical or a secular worldview in this area. What do they use as evidence to support their worldview? What experiences have they had? Write all of this in your Bible notebook and then explain the view you have.
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
“As the Deer" is on page 34 of The Group Songbook.
Closing Prayer
Have the students form a circle and hold hands. Ask each student to give one blessing that God has given our nation. Ask for a volunteer to lead in prayer thanking God for the bounty that He has given us and for putting it in our hearts to help other nations in need.
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