YEA Lesson Library
The Stolen Blessing
About This Lesson
This lesson uses the story of Esau and Jacob (the birthright and the blessing) to teach the student to trust and obey God.
Scriptures
Genesis 25:21-34
Genesis 27:1-46
Leviticus 19:11
Psalm 37:4-9
Matthew 6:33
Mark 10:19
Ephesians 4:28
Hebrews 12:15-17
1 John 1:9
Words to Know
BIRTHRIGHT - any right that a person has by birth
The Lesson
Do you think it would be fun to be a twin? You would always have someone your own age to play with. But what if your twin wanted your toys? Would you like that?
How many sets of twins do you know? Do they look alike? Are they both boys? Or, are they both girls? Did you know that one twin is always older than the other one? Usually they have exactly the same birthday, but one twin is born before the other one, and that makes him older.
Isaac and Rebekah were the proud parents of twin boys. But these twins did not look alike. Their names were Jacob and Esau. Esau was born first, so he was older than his brother Jacob. In Bible times, the oldest son got the "birthright." When the father died, he would get more of what his father owned than the other children. Because Esau was the oldest son, he would get more land, more of the cattle, and more of everything than Jacob would get. This was important because his father, Isaac, was very rich.
Esau loved to be out in the fields. One day after he had been hunting all day, he came home very hungry. Jacob had a big pot of stew cooking. It smelled wonderful! "Please give me some stew,” Esau asked. Jacob said that he would trade Esau some stew for his birthright. Esau agreed because he was hungry. What Esau did was a very foolish thing. He didn't think about what his birthright was worth.
The birthright is only part of the story. Isaac was getting very old. He had trouble seeing. Isaac knew that he would soon die. He called Esau in and told him to cook him his favorite meal. Then Isaac would bless Esau. This blessing was very important. So, Esau went out hunting for the meat.
Now Jacob was Rebekah's favorite son. She wanted him to receive the blessing. When she heard what Isaac told Esau, she came up with a plan. Rebekah told Jacob to cook one of his goats. Esau was a very hairy man. So, Rebekah took fur and sewed it on Jacob's sleeves. Then Jacob took the meat in to his father and pretended he was Esau.
Isaac smelled the meat and asked who was there. Jacob said, "It's me, your son Esau."(Jacob was lying.) Isaac knew the voice sounded like Jacob. Isaac reached out to touch his son. He felt the hair on Jacob’s arms and thought it must be Esau. So, Isaac prayed a prayer of blessing for his son Jacob.
Rebekah and Jacob didn't have to deceive Isaac into thinking he was Esau. Even before Esau and Jacob were born, God told Rebekah that Esau would serve Jacob. God wanted Jacob to have a greater blessing. They should have waited for God to work this out.
As soon as Jacob left his father's tent, the real Esau came in. He brought the meat that his father had asked for. Isaac was surprised. Jacob had tricked him. Isaac said that he had already given the blessing to Jacob.
Esau was very sad and very mad. He hated Jacob so much that he wanted to kill him! Rebekah was afraid for Jacob's life. She asked Isaac to send Jacob to her brother's house for a while. Then he could find a wife who would love God. So, Isaac sent Jacob to his uncle Laban.
Jacob broke God's law. He lied to get the blessing. Esau also sinned. He got mad and threatened to kill Jacob. Jacob was sent away from his home. His brother hated him.
When you disobey God, things just go from bad to worse! When you tell lies you will get caught. When you cheat, someone will find out. When you steal you will have to pay it back. 'There are consequences to pay when you sin. Sin leaves scars like sores do! God knew what He was doing when He said, "Do not steal. Do not tell lies. Do not cheat one another." Jacob should have waited for God to work things out. He didn't have to steal the blessing. God would have given it to him.
Student Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
Help me learn a lesson from the story of Jacob and Esau. It is wrong to cheat and lie and steal. Help me to wait for you to bless me. I want to obey your laws and love others.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Daily Devotions
Sunday - Psalm 37:8-9
Monday - Mark 10:19
Tuesday - Ephesians 4:28
Wednesday - 1John 1:9
Thursday - Matthew 6:33
Friday - Hebrews 12:15-17
Saturday - Genesis 27:35-36
Objectives
At the end of this lesson, the students will be able to:
1. Tell what Esau traded for something to eat.
2. Explain what the birthright was.
3. Explain that the blessing was different from the birthright.
4. Describe what Jacob did to get the birthright and how he tricked his father to get the blessing.
5. State why it is best to obey God's commands.
Topics & Themes
Birthright
Blessings
Consequences of Sin
Esau
Isaac
Jacob
Laban
Lying
Obedience
Rebekah
Wait on God
Materials Needed
Bible, YEA students' and teacher's books, attendance and memory verse chart, stars, songbook, music player and cassette tape or CD, construction paper, fabric scraps, fun-fur pieces, glue, crayons, poster board, push pins
Preparation
Kids may think of God as a fierce judge ready to punish their wrong-doings. Sometimes their family situations only heighten their fear of God. Seek to help your children learn to obey out of love rather than fear.
Obedience at any age can be difficult. We have our own thoughts and ideas, and we choose them rather than obedience to God. Children are no exception. Helping them understand that heartache and consequences follow disobedience will give them a new reason to obey happily.The ultimate reason to obey is to show their love to God.
Remember that the birthright and the blessing are two separate things. Before the birth of Esau and Jacob, God told Rebekah that the younger would serve the older.
How to Teach This Lesson
The following object lesson brings home the point that sin leaves scars. Take a piece of white poster board. This board has never been used, it is white and clean. Let's pretend that the colored push pins are the bad things you've done - cheating, lying, stealing, etc. They are sins. (Push several pins into the poster board Each time you lie or steal the sin leaves a mark on your life. If you confess those sins to God, He has promised to forgive them (I John 1:9). (Remove the push pins) The sin is gone, but look what remains - the scars! These scars may stay with you for the rest of your life. Wouldn't it be much better to obey God and avoid the scars?
Twin Boys - Jacob and Esau were twins, but they didn't look alike. Esau was born first and had lots of red hair all over him - even his arms were hairy! (Place two pieces of "fun fur" on the arms of one of the children. Allow the others to feel his arms.) He loved being outdoors and was a hunter. Isaac liked Esau the most because he loved to eat the meat that Esau brought home. Rebekah loved Jacob the most because he liked to stay close to home with her.
Starving to Death - Ask: Have you ever been so hungry that you thought you would starve to death? Was it on the Day of Atonement when you were fasting? Or, were you on a car trip and couldn’t find a place to stop to eat? (Allow the children to talk about a time when they were very hungry.) Esau had been out hunting one day. He was so hungry he thought he would starve to death. (Bring in some food that has been heated and gives off an appealing aroma for the children - like pizza or finger foods.) Ask: Doesn’t this smell good? What would you trade me for some of this food? (Allow the children to think of something. Then give each one a sample to eat.) Jacob was cooking a big pot of stew. When Esau asked if he could have some, Jacob said he would trade him some for his birthright.
The Birthright - Explain that in Bible days, when a father died, his oldest son got the larger part of everything his father owned. He got more of the land, cattle and money. Isaac was wealthy because he had inherited the bulk of his father Abraham's flocks and herds. Ask: Who was the oldest son in Isaac's family?Jacob traded Esau out of his birthright. Did Esau make a mistake by trading his birthright for a bowl of stew?
The Plan - Rebekah heard Isaac tell Esau that he was going to give him a special blessing. She wanted Jacob to get this blessing and told Jacob to kill two of the goats which she cooked the way Isaac liked. Ask: Do you remember what Esau looked like? She sewed fur around Jacob's arms and neck and told Jacob to take the meat to his father, pretending to be Esau.
The Lie - When Jacob entered the tent, Isaac asked who it was. Isaac was almost blind, so he asked Jacob to come close so he could feel him. Ask: What do you think happened? Isaac felt the hair on Jacob's arm and neck and Jacob's lie fooled his dad into believing it was Esau.
The Stolen Blessing - In addition to the birthright, there was a special blessing Isaac wanted to give to his oldest son. Isaac blessed Jacob thinking that he was blessing Esau. Now the birthright and blessing were Jacob’s. Even though Jacob stole the blessing, this was the way that God intended that it be. God wanted Jacob's family to eventually become many nations.
Esau Gets Mad- When Esau returned from hunting and preparing his father's favorite venison, the lie was revealed. Esau was mad! He begged his father to give a blessing to him also. Once Isaac gave this blessing, he couldn't take it back. So Isaac gave him a lesser blessing. He told Esau that he would live off the land and by the sword. Jacob would rule over him. This caused Esau to hate his brother so much that he planned in his heart to kill Jacob.
Sin Leaves Scars- Esau was hungry and wouldn't wait until he cooked himself a meal. He wanted what he wanted when he wanted it. He didn't appreciate his birthright. He sold his birthright and gave up receiving his father's wealth for a bowl of stew.
Jacob was rightly named: supplanter or schemer. Because of his lie, His brother hated him and threatened to kill him. Jacob was sent from his home. And, as we shall later see, he would reap what he had sowed.
Review Questions
1. What did Esau trade for something to eat?
2. What does the person with the birthright get?
3. How did Jacob trick his father into blessing him?
4. How did Esau feel when Jacob stole his blessing?
5. Why is it always best to obey God's commands?
Teacher-Directed Activity
Give each child a sheet of skin colored construction paper. Have them draw the outline of Jacob and cut it out. Small fabric pieces can be glued on for his clothes. Give each child a small piece of "fun fur" to glue on his arms to show how he deceived his father.
REACH Activity
1. Here’s Looking at You: Using details from Genesis have kids draw portraits of Isaac’s twins.
2. Kids in the Kitchen: Ask: What was cooking in that big pot of stew? Find out what ingredients may have been in Jacob’s stew, and then find a similar recipe. With help from an adult, have children cook it for the family dinner.
3. Place Cards: In addition to your savory stew, set a scenic table by letting kids make a place card for each person. On the front of the place card, have them put the person’s name so everyone will know where to sit. Inside the card they should write a verse from the lesson about either Jacob or Esau. During dinner, they can take turns asking others if the verse is about Jacob or Esau.
4. The Stolen Blessing: Day 1: Write a skit about lesson 5. Choose music. End the skit with a song (see #5) and the Ten Commandments. Day 2: Make props and rehearse. Day 3: Display portraits. Serve dinner. Perform skit. Sing new song. Recite Ten Commandments.
5. Sing a New Song: To the tune of “Here We Go ‘Round the Mulberry Bush” children should write a new song about the lesson using these lines: do not steal, do not lie, do not cheat.
6. Kids can create biography cards for Jacob and Esau.
Note: Biography cards: Index cards for each Biblical character. Add information about that person; i.e., who their parents were, who they married, who their children were, what things they did to serve God, what their name means, etc.
7. Let kids make furry arm bands using brown grocery bags and glue on 1/2 inch pieces of yarn to make the hair.
8. They can role play the stolen blessing with the arm bands (see #7).
9. Blessing Game: There are two rules: 1) You can’t eat without a blessing; 2) There’s only one blessing. Play the game. Make breakfast and bless it. Before you can eat, someone steals it. You can’t bless again. You can’t eat. Ask: How do you feel? How do you think Esau felt when Jacob stole his blessing?
10. Have children make an acrostic poem for B-L-E-S-S-I-N-G. Ask: What God has given us?
Note: Acrostic poem: Each letter of a word begins a line of the poem; i.e., in a “P-R-O-M-I-S-E” acrostic poem, “P” starts the first line, “R” starts the second line, “O” the third, etc.
11. Sing: “Come Bless the Lord” on page 85 of Kids Classics Collection or “Count Your Blessings” on page 44 of the CEM Hymnal.
12. Let kids list five ways they can be a blessing to someone.
13. Have them list five blessings from God.
Other Ideas:
The biography cards can be used in so many ways. They can eventually be kept in a file of Who’s Who in the Bible. Store in a plastic card file box. The cards can be separated by men and women of the Bible; people of the Old and New Testament; prophets; kings, etc. Cards can be used to record information on Bible foods, animals, and places. Cards come in different sizes and colors!
The biography cards can also be used as “note cards” for a future book about that person. Books come in all shapes and sizes, and are a very creative way for a young person to express themselves. Be sure to make an author’s page.
Cartography (making and drawing maps) is very interesting and fun for young children. Paper towel rolls will help keep the storage issue under control for small paper maps. For the study of one specific area, a floor map would be fun. Use a shower curtain instead of paper. Fold and store in a plastic zipper bag.
Dramatic play is an area children usually love. Save old shirts and belts, hats and scarves, and let them play dress up. Acting out a story makes it easier to remember as well as making a lesson more relevant to them.
Song
“O Be Careful Little Eyes" is on page 93 of Kids Classics Collection.
Closing Prayer
Ask if one of the children would like to lead in prayer, asking God to help them learn not to cheat, lie and steal.
Printable Pages
