YEA Lesson Library
Second Effort
About This Lesson
This lesson teaches how Jacob ended up working for 14 years to marry Leah and Rachel because of Laban’s deceit. The student is encouraged to persevere in working towards worthy goals, like education, marriage, and God’s kingdom.
Scriptures
Genesis 28:1-4
Genesis 29:1-28
Proverbs 12:21-24
Proverbs 15:14-23
Proverbs 24:30-34
Ecclesiastes 4:4-6
Ecclesiastes 9:4-10
Ecclesiastes 10:6-20
Philippians 3:14
Words to Know
SAGA - a long detailed account
DETER - to turn aside, discourage, or prevent from happening
The Lesson
Athletes know that few games are won without giving it their Second Effort. Even though they may be dead-dog tired and ready to give up, they know they must push even harder to get that win they want. We've already seen how Jacob was this type of person. He managed to get not only Esau's birthright, but he also got the blessing that Isaac intended to be Esau's.
The saga continued with Jacob going to his uncle Laban's to find the right wife. Down the dusty path from where he was, he could see shepherds and three flocks of sheep lying beside an open field waiting to be watered. There was a heavy stone covering the mouth of the well. The stone was kept over the mouth of the well until all of the sheep were there and ready to drink. Jacob walked over to the shepherds and found out that they lived in Haran. It was only natural for Jacob to wonder if these shepherds knew his Uncle Laban. So he asked them. They said that they did and that Laban was well and prosperous.
About that time Laban's beautiful daughter, Rachel, walked up with her sheep. She was a shepherdess. Jacob went over to the well and rolled away the stone and watered his uncle's flock. He was so happy to see Rachel that he kissed her and then started crying. He explained that her Aunt Rebekah was his mother; they were cousins. Rachel wanted her father to hear this good news, so she ran to get Laban.
With kind relatives and this beautiful, shapely cousin around, Jacob decided to stay and work for Laban without pay. But as time went on, Laban told Jacob that just because he was a relative, he didn't have to work without pay. So they began to negotiate a wage for Jacob. Jacob was in love with Rachel and wanted to marry her someday. So he said to Laban, "I'll work for you seven ears if you will give me Rachel to be my wife." Laban thought that was a fair enough bargain and agreed to it. But Laban had another daughter. Her name was Leah and she happened to be older than Rachel. Leah had lovely eyes, but Rachel was shapely and a real beauty.
Jacob's seven years of working for Laban was up, and it was time for the wedding. He was so much in love with Rachel that the time had just flown. Laban threw a big party and invited all of the neighbors. His daughter was getting married and it was time to celebrate!
However, Laban was more concerned about marrying off his oldest daughter than keeping his word. The party was dying down and it was time to take Rachel into Jacob's tent as his wife. But Laban tricked Jacob. While it was dark he took Leah, instead of Rachel, into Jacob's tent. Jacob thought he had married Rachel and didn't realize what he was doing. So he slept with Leah. When he woke up the next morning he saw that Leah was in his bed and not Rachel, the woman he loved so dearly. To say the least, Jacob was not happy with Laban. He never intended to marry Leah. He had worked seven years for Rachel according to their agreement, and now Laban tricked him. So he went to Laban and asked what in the world did he mean by sending Leah to his tent in the dark so he would sleep with her.
Laban explained to Jacob that it wasn't their custom to marry off a younger daughter ahead of her older sister. Now this was a fine time to tell Jacob this. He had an agreement with Laban that he would work for Rachel for seven years. Why didn't he tell Jacob that he was going to give him a different wife at the end of the seven years?
Laban was not only deceitful, but pretty smooth with carrying his plan through. He asked Jacob to wait until the bridal week was over and then "you can have Rachel too - if you promise to work for me another seven years!"
Have you ever had someone play a really dirty trick on you? What if you thought you had married the most beautiful, shapely girl in the world and woke up the morning after your wedding to realize that you had slept with her sister? How would you feel? Would you keep her as your wife, or would you claim that you were defrauded and kick her out?
Jacob saw that he was trapped. Laban had tricked him out of the woman he loved, but that would not deter him. Jacob was much like his mother, Rebekah - a goal-oriented individual. If it was something he knew was worth working for, he was willing to pay the price. Jacob knew what he wanted and was willing to do what it took to marry Rachel, the woman he loved so much. Having Rachel to be his wife would take a Second Effort - seven more years of working for Laban. But Rachel was worth it. And he was willing to do it. So Jacob worked seven more years for Rachel.
What is it that you really want in life? Do you want to finish school at the top of your graduating class? Do you want to go to college, but your family can't afford to send you? Do you want a successful, happy, and lasting marriage? None of these things will happen without giving it that Second Effort. There'll be times when you have to work twice as hard, like Jacob did. But few things in life are easy. The really good things in life will require that Second Effort. And the best thing of all - making it into God's Kingdom - will require that Second Effort as well.
Student Prayer
Great God and Father,
You have such enormous blessings ahead of me. Satan and my peers will often be there to deter me from getting them. I'm willing to give you my Second Effort, but I'll need your help each step of the way. Thank you for being with me.
In Jesus' name I pray.
Amen.
Daily Devotions
Sunday - Genesis 28:1-4
Monday- Ecclesiastes 10:6-20
Tuesday - Ecclesiastes 4:4-6
Wednesday - Ecclesiastes 9:4-10
Thursday - Proverbs 12:21-24
Friday - Proverbs 15:14-23
Saturday - Proverbs 24:30-34
Objectives
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
1. Discuss things that showed that Rachel and Jacob were goal-oriented.
2. Explain how Jacob gave the Second Effort in order to get the wife he loved so dearly.
3. List five good character traits that Jacob showed when Laban tricked him out of the wife for which he had worked seven years.
4. Give ways that it will take a Second Effort to make it into God's Kingdom.
Topics & Themes
Eternal Life
God’s Kingdom
Jacob
Laban
Leah
Perseverance
Rachel
Materials Needed
Bible, YEA Students' and Teacher's books, attendance and memory verse charts, songbook, two or three different colors of construction paper, drinking straws, basket, awards
How to Teach This Lesson
After opening the class with prayer, divide the class into relay teams (the number of teams will depend on the size of your class). Have the kids form their teams at one end of the classroom. Allow the teams to choose a team color from the pieces of construction paper you have. Give each student a drinking straw and a piece of construction paper of their team's color. Explain that they will be running a relay race in turn, from one end of the classroom to the other. They are to use their straws and hold their paper in place by sucking on the straw. Each team gets one point for every paper they carry across the room and get into the basket at the end. If a person drops his paper, he may pick it up by sucking on his straw and continuing the race. Give a prize to the team that finishes first. Arrange the seats in a semicircle, seat the students and continue the class.
Debrief - Ask: How did you feel about this race? What kinds of obstacles did you come across in getting the paper to stay on your straw so that you could get it from one end of the room to the other? What kind of team effort did it take to win the race? What efforts did you make that required trying harder? How would you relate “trying harder" to the title of our lesson today? What did you learn in the lesson you read for today's class that you can relate to this race? What did Jacob have to do to get the beautiful, shapely wife he wanted? What would have happened if he hadn't been willing to work for Laban for the next seven years? What things happened in his life that make you think Jacob was a goal-oriented man? How important is it to set goals?If you set goals, what must you do to attain them? What character traits are required to attain your goals? Would you say that Jacob was a disciplined man? Could anything deter him from getting the wife he wanted?
Application - What did this lesson teach you that you can apply in your life? What kinds of character traits did Jacob have that you would like to have? What would you have done to Laban for deceiving you into working for seven years for the wrong woman? What advantages did it give Jacob to keep his cool and get on with the job of working seven more years to marry Rachel? What are your advantages when your peers deceive or trick you and you keep your cool? What did you learn from this lesson that will help you stay goal-oriented and make it into God's Kingdom? What will you do about it?
Teacher-Directed Activity
Ask: What would you do if a friend or relative tricked you into working seven years for something you really wanted and then reneged on his promise? What do you think were some of the consequences Laban suffered for deceiving and tricking Jacob? Which five good character traits did Jacob show when he was tricked and deceived? What kinds of blessings did Jacob receive from God? What people could Jacob give thanks to for the blessings he received? Was this success story a team effort? How many who share in Jacob being blessed had to give it that Second Effort? Are you willing to give it that Second Effort to receive God's blessings?Ask one of the students to read 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 aloud from the Living Bible.
REACH Activity
Memory Verse Spotlight: Philippians 3:14
Look up the phrase “press forward.” Write down the Greek word and its meaning. What did you find? Is there any area in your life that you “press forward”? Then find three other Scriptures where this word is used.
Where in the World? Leah and Rachel
Where in the world was Jacob’s wife? Jacob thought he was working for his uncle Laban for seven years for Rachel! Using your lesson and the Bible, create a timeline of events from the time Jacob left Isaac to when Jacob was ready to return to Isaac. Pay close attention to the time that passed. What conclusions can you draw about how long Jacob lived in Haran? What impact did this have on His relationship with God? He certainly was a stranger in a foreign land for a long time. How long? Write about all of this in your Bible notebook.
They Did What Back Then? Watering Time
Have you ever noticed how many times a well is mentioned in the Bible? Water is extremely important to physical existence. Because of this, wells, watering holes, rivers, lakes, cisterns all play a central role in the drama. But, think of how many times a woman met her future husband at the well. Find at least three examples. Write them down in your Bible notebook. Make notes about the similarities and differences of the stories.
Making It Mine: Right Now
We live in an instant society. We have instant pots to cook food quickly! We have fast food restaurants because we don’t want to spend too much time sitting and eating. We have convenience stores so that we don’t have to drive “all the way” to the grocery store. But we can’t always get everything we want RIGHT NOW! Sometimes it takes time; sometimes we have to wait. Write down five things that are worth waiting for. What do you learn when you have to wait for something? Does it become more or less valuable? Do you ever change your mind about whether you really want that thing? Write your thoughts in your Bible notebook.
Worldview Collisions: Faith
A Biblical worldview believes Hebrews 11 which says that we must have faith that God exists and He rewards those who diligently seek Him. Diligently seeking God implies duration. That means it’s not something you do once and then you’re done. A secular worldview says that you only going around once, so get all you can right now. It’s a difference of knowing that your reward is coming vs. thinking that you have to grab your reward right now. Think about what you believe about rewards. Then write about this in your Bible notebook.
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
"The Greatest Thing" is on page 17 of The Group Songbook.
Closing Prayer
Have the students form a circle and join hands. Ask them to give their memory verse. Then ask each students to give one way that they can put forth that Second Effort to make it into God's Kingdom. Begin with the teacher.
Printable Pages
