YEA Lesson Library
Playing Favorites
About This Lesson
This lesson teaches about Esau and Jacob: Esau’s disregard for God and his birthright, and Jacob’s deceit. It emphasizes that the students trust God to fulfill His promises.
Scriptures
Genesis 25:20-34
Genesis 27
John 3:16
Acts 10:34-35
Romans 2:11-13
Galatians 6:7-8
Colossians 3:25
Words to Know
DESCENDANTS - children and grandchildren, offspring born to a family
GAME - wild animals or birds
The Lesson
Isaac and Rebekah loved each other very much. But, there was something missing! They had been praying that God would give them a child. God always does much more than we expect. He blessed them with twin boys. These twins were not alike at all. Esau, the oldest, was a hairy man. His skin was ruddy, or red. He loved to be outside roaming the hills hunting for wild animals. Jacob was fair skinned and smooth. He liked to stay close to home and keep the flocks of sheep and goats.
Isaac and Rebekah taught both boys about God and His promises. They taught them that their grandfather Abraham obeyed God and because of this, he and his descendants would receive special blessings. Usually this special blessing was passed on to the oldest son before the father died. It was called the birthright.
Part of this blessing was that the Savior of the world would be Abraham's descendant. If you knew that God's Son would be born in your family, how would you live your life? Jacob believed God and His promises. But, Esau cared little about God or His promises. He even married a woman who didn't love God. Even so, Isaac loved Esau the best. He loved the delicious meat Esau brought home from his hunting trips. Rebekah loved Jacob even more than Esau.
One day Jacob made a big pot of stew. As he was stirring it, the smell drifted through the air. Esau had been away from home on a hunting trip. He hadn't had anything to eat for quite a while. The smell of the delicious stew made his stomach growl. He came up to Jacob and said, "Quick! Let me have some of that red stew! I’m very hungry!” (Genesis 25:30 NIrV).
Esau and Jacob were brothers. Would you give your brother something to eat if he were starving? Jacob saw this as his chance to get Esau’s birthright. He told Esau that he would give him something to eat if he would sell him his birthright. Well, Esau thought, “What's a birthright worth if you're going to die of hunger anyway?” So he traded all of the rights of being the oldest son to his younger brother. He ate the stew with peas and bread and went about his business unconcerned that he had thrown away his birthright.
Isaac was getting old and was almost blind. He knew that he would soon die. He wanted to pass on a special blessing to Esau before he died. He told Esau to go hunt for some wild game. Then he was to cook the meat the way Isaac liked it and bring it to him.
But, Rebekah heard what Isaac told Esau. She wanted Jacob to receive the blessing. So she told Jacob to bring her two of his goats. She cooked them just the way Isaac liked best. Jacob knew that he wasn't hairy like Esau. He was afraid Isaac would know the difference even though he couldn't see very well. So, Rebekah put skin from the goat on Jacobs arms and neck. She told him to wear some of Esau's clothes. Now Jacob was ready to go in to his father.
Isaac asked who was there. Jacob said that he was Esau. Isaac said, "The voice is the voice of Jacob." But, when he touched Jacob, he felt the goat's hair. Since Jacob felt and smelled like Esau, Isaac ate the meat that Jacob brought. Then he blessed him: "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). He asked God to give his son good crops. He said that other nations would serve him- even his own brothers! He would have all the rights of the oldest son.
Jacob had just been blessed by his father and Esau came in the room with his father's favorite dish. When Isaac realized that he had been tricked, he began to tremble. Esau cried with bitterness and asked for his father to bless him. But the blessing had already been given and Isaac couldn't take it back.
The blessing that was left for Esau didn't compare with what Jacob received. He wouldn't have a life of easy or luxury. For a time he would serve his brother, but would finally be free from him. Esau became so angry that he threatened to kill his own brother.
The sad part of this story is that it didn’t have to happen. Isaac and Rebekah had their favorite sons. They were willing to do anything to make sure their favorite got the most.
Just because Jacob lied and got the better blessing, doesn't mean that it was right for him to do it? Why was there no need for Jacob to lie and trick his father? God said in the beginning that the older would serve the younger. It was in God's plan for Jacob to get the greater blessing. Don't you think God could work this out without Jacob lying? What Jacob did was wrong. He received the blessing, but he should have waited for God to work this out in His time and His way.Then there would be no bad consequences like Esau wanting to kill him. "Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism" (Colossians 3:25).
The color of your skin doesn't matter to God. Neither does it matter whether you are rich or poor. He wants all of us to obey Him and receive His blessings. God sent His Son, Jesus, to die for the sins of everyone. He doesn't play favorites!
Jesus wants to be a part of your life, to live in you. He wants to bless you too. Will that make a difference in how you act, in what you do?
Student Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
I thank you that you do not play favorites with your children. You love al of us. Teach me to treat others the same way - no Playing Favorites.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Daily Devotions
Sunday - Genesis 25:24-26
Monday - Genesis 25:27-28
Tuesday - Genesis 27:35-36
Wednesday - Galatians 6:7-8
Thursday - Acts 10:34-35
Friday - John 3:16
Saturday - Romans 2:11-13
Objectives
At the end of this lesson, the students will be able to:
1. Tell why the birthright and the blessing were so important.
2. Describe how Jacob, the younger boy, ended up with the birthright and the blessing.
3. Compare what Jacob lost with what he gained.
4. State that God doesn't play favorites - He is no respecter of persons.
Topics & Themes
Birthright
Blessings
Choices
Esau
Firstborn
God’s Gifts
God’s Plan
Jacob
Obedience
Trusting God
Materials Needed
Bible, YEA students' and teacher's books, attendance and memory verse chart, stars, songbook, cassette/CD player and music tape/CD, bowl, paper strips, treats, paper and crayons or markers, newsprint pad
Preparation
Children today are faced with choices that affect their lives right now and could affect them far into the future. These choices are often difficult and are compounded by adult or peer pressure, and by social influences. They have already experienced the fact that life isn't always fair. Today's lesson is an example of what happens when you make bad choices. It shows that even adults make bad choices. But, God loves us all. He is fair. He is not a respecter of persons.
Before you come to class, write the following "What if" questions on strips of paper and place them in a bowl: 1) What if Jacob had not asked Esau to sell his birthright, but had just given him some stew? 2) What if Esau had loved and believed in God? 3) What if Isaac had loved his boys equally? 4) What if Rebekah had not played such a trick on Isaac?
How to Teach This Lesson
Object Lesson - Tell the class that you want to try an experiment. Divide the class into three groups. Give one group a reading assignment (Genesis 25:20-28). Tell the second group to draw a picture of Jacob and Esau based on what they learned from their student book. The third group can sit and talk quietly, draw or do whatever they want. Allow about five minutes for this project. At the end of the five minutes, praise the third group for doing so well on their project. Give everyone in group three a treat, saying nothing about the other two groups.
Now ask groups one and two: How did you feel when I gave a treat to group three? Do you think they deserved a treat? Why or why not? Do you think it was fair that you did your work but didn't get a treat? Explain that this was an experiment to show how you feel when someone plays favorites. (Give the rest of the class a treat.)
God Blesses - Isaac and Rebekah wanted a family, but Rebekah couldn't have children. They prayed that God would give them a child. And God did more than they expected - they had twins! Ask: What can you tell me about twins? (Write their responses on a chalkboard or newsprint pad.) Do twins always look alike?
Alike But Different - The twins had the same parents and shared the same birthday. They were both taught about God and His promises to their family. God promised to make many great nations from their descendants. He would give them a land of their own. And the Savior of the world would later be born through the line of Isaac. But there were differences. Esau chose his wife from the people who didn't love God. He loved to be outdoors, hunting and in the fields. Jacob stayed near home and tended the sheep and goats. Ask: In what way did the boys look different?
A Fair Trade? - Jacob had a pot of stew. Esau had been out in the field hunting. The smell of the stew made him very hungry. Jacob saw his chance to win the right to Esau's inheritance - the birthright. He offered to sell Esau a bowl of stew in exchange for the birthright. Ask: Do you think this was a fair trade? Why or why not? Do you think Esau saw how valuable his birthright was? Ask one of the students to read Matthew 6:33.
Playing Favorites - Ask: Why did Isaac love Esau the best? Why do you think Rebekah loved Jacob more than Esau? Isaac was getting very old. To which son did he want to pass a special blessing? Isaac sent Esau out to hunt for some wild game. He told him to cook it just the way he liked it. But, Rebekah heard the plan. She had a plan of her own.
Sneaky Trick -Rebekah made a special meal for Isaac from two of the goats in Jacob's flock. She disguised Jacob so that he would appear to be Esau. She told him to lie to his father in
order to receive the blessing.
Gains and Losses - Jacob was successful in fooling Isaac. He gained the blessing. But, think about what he lost. Ask: How do you think God felt about what Jacob did? Do you think Jacob showed that he loved God? What about his relationship with his brother. Esau? Do you think Isaac trusted Jacob after what he did?
God Doesn't Play Favorites - God sent Jesus to earth to pay for the sins of everyone. He doesn't just love the Jews or the Americans. He doesn't care what color of skin a person has. He doesn't love boys more than girls. God loves everyone (Acts 10:34-35). He doesn't play favorites - He is not a respecter of persons.
Review Questions
1. Why was having the birthright so important to Jacob? (It gave him all of the inheritance that the older child was to have.)
2. Why was getting Esau's blessing so important to Jacob? (This blessing was so great it extends far beyond Jacob's life time to his descendants even to the end of time.)
3. How did Jacob, the younger end up with the birthright?
4. What did Jacob gain? What did he lose by deceiving his father?
5. If Jacob had trusted God and waited on him, would he have received the birthright and blessing anyway? Why? (It was in God's plan that the older was to serve the younger.)
Teacher-Directed Activity
Divide your class into four groups. Allow each group to pick a "What If” question from the bowl (Smaller classes may have two groups and choose two questions). Have the groups brainstorm about how this story could have been different if. . . Then allow each group to present their ideas to the class.
REACH Activity
Back to the Bible: Partiality
There are several passages which talk about God not showing any partiality. Look up each of these scriptures. Write them down in your Bible notebook. Then write a paragraph about what you have learned.
Romans 2:11; Deuteronomy 10:17; Job 34:19; Acts 10:34; 2 Chronicles 19:7; Colossians 3:25
Journal Jot: Favorite
When you read Genesis 25:27 and Genesis 27, how does it make you feel to know that Rebekah favored Jacob so much that she was willing to deceive her husband? How do you feel about Isaac giving Esau a blessing - just because Esau was his favorite? Have you ever experienced someone playing favorites? Were you the favorite? Was someone else the favorite? Write about this topic in your Bible notebook.
Word Study: prosōpolēmpsia
This Greek word means “partiality” or “respecter of persons.” But what does that mean? If your parents tell you and your brother to clean your rooms, and you both obey, you would expect that the reward would be the same. If your brother got a candy bar or was allowed to go play with his friends, and you had to go weed the garden, that would be showing partiality - giving a preference to someone - and it wouldn’t be fair. But we know that God is just; that means He always does what is right - even if we don’t understand why things happen the way they do. We must be very careful not to accuse God of not being fair.
Just Toolin’ Around: Chosen
Look up Romans 9:10-16 and Malachi 1:2-3. Look up these two passages in a Bible commentary. After you read the commentary, talk about these two passages with your parents or your pastor at church. How is God’s election (God’s choice) different from partiality (because it is!!)? After thinking about this and talking about it with people who know the Bible, write your conclusions in your Bible notebook.
Did you Know? Responsibility of the Birthright
Once a son had received the birthright from his father, he not only received a double portion of the inheritance, he also assumed the leadership of the family. This included taking care of his mother (if she was still alive) as well as any unmarried sisters or underage siblings. The birthright wasn’t just about money; it was about responsibility as well.
Stretch It Out: Finger Puppets
Make finger puppets of Jacob, Esau, Rebekah, and Isaac out of popsicle sticks and scrap cloth. Then write a play from the time of the birth of the twins until Jacob tricks Isaac and receives the blessing. Emphasize the difference between the blessing and the birthright. Write lines for a narrator, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Esau. Practice saying your lines in different voices. Or find several people who will perform the finger puppet play with you. Present it to you family. Have someone record it on their phone so that you can see the play too.
Music Notes: Make Me a Blessing
This hymn is on page 48 of the CEM Hymnal.
When God gives us a blessing, it is to be used for His glory. It is to be used in service to others. It’s not something we’re supposed to keep exclusively for ourselves. Rather we are supposed to use the gifts God has given us to be fruitful for Him, making our lives useful in His service. This is the message behind the words of this hymn which were written in 1909. Fifteen years later another musician set these words to music and introduced the song to 1000 people at a Sunday school convention.
After you sing this song, write down five ways that you can use God’s gifts to serve Him and serve others for His glory.
Questions?
Write down any questions you have in your Bible notebook so that you can remember to ask your parents or your pastor.
Song
"Jesus Loves Even Me" is on page 8 of Kids Classics Collection.
Closing Prayer
Ask if one of the children would like to lead in prayer, thanking God for not Playing Favorites. Ask God to help them treat everyone the same and not play favorites.
Printable Pages
