Jacob and Esau Jacob and Esau

LEVEL 2 2 5 L E S S O N 5

od promised Abraham that JACOB AND ESAU He would give him many de- Isaac loved Rebekah. They married G scendants. He promised that soon after she arrived. Years passed, these descendants would come from yet Rebekah was not able to have his son Isaac. But Isaac was 40 years children. For 20 years God tested old and still had no wife. He needed to Isaac and Rebekah’s faith. But they get married and have a family. continued to believe that God would Abraham sent his chief servant keep His promise to give Abraham back to Chaldea to find Isaac a wife grandchildren. from among his relatives. God healed Rebekah, and she At the end of his journey, Abra- gave birth to twins. He told her in ham’s servant stopped near a well. a dream that her twin sons would He prayed to God to show him the become two nations. One nation right woman for Isaac. He asked would be stronger than the other, God to lead the right woman to draw and the firstborn son would serve water for him and all his camels. the other son. Soon after, a young woman arrived The first son was Esau, and the at the well. She offered to draw wa- second was Jacob. The twins grew ter for him and all his camels! She up to be quite different. Esau became introduced herself as Rebekah and a hunter. Jacob became a shepherd. it turned out that she was a second One day, Esau came home from cousin to Isaac. God had answered hunting and was extremely hungry. that prayer! He saw Jacob making a pot of lentil Both Rebekah and her father soup and asked for a bowl. Jacob believed that it was God’s will for her said he would only share the soup to marry Isaac. This young woman, if Esau sold his birthright to him. who was eager to serve, went to The birthright was the promise of Canaan with Abraham’s servant to national greatness that God gave to meet and marry Isaac. Abraham, which had passed down

2 IMPERIAL ACADEMY BIBLE LESSONS to Isaac. It would pass down to Esau, then went to Isaac, pretending he was since he was Isaac’s firstborn, and Esau. Isaac believed he was Esau, and Esau’s descendants. But Esau chose he bestowed the blessing on Jacob. to sell the incredible honor and God wanted to give Jacob the blessing of God’s birthright promise birthright and the blessing, but not in for a bowl of soup! this way. He allowed this to happen to Some time later, when Isaac was show that Jacob’s deceitful attitude old and blind, Jacob and his mother, was wrong, and to show that Esau’s Rebekah, plotted to take Esau’s ungrateful attitude was a serious sin! blessing as well. Isaac told Esau to go hunting and bring him venison to eat. JACOB’S LABORS Then he would give Esau his blessing. When Esau found out what Jacob Rebekah heard Isaac’s instruction, had done, he reacted sinfully: He and cooked the meat of two goats threatened to kill Jacob, his own twin to taste like venison. She gave Jacob brother. To stay alive, Jacob fled from goatskins to put on his arms so that home. He traveled back to Chaldea they would feel hairy like Esau’s. Jacob to live with Rebekah’s relatives. moore emma , goddard julia , barreiro melissa : illustrations Rebekah draws water for Abraham’s servant and camels.

LEVEL 2 | LESSON 5 3 Jacob and Esau

Jacob ran from Esau so fast that Jacob heard God speaking to him, he didn’t set up a tent at night. He promising him the same blessings piled some stones together to use for He had promised to Abraham. God a pillow as he slept in the open under said, “I am with you, and will keep the night sky. When he fell asleep, he you in all the places where you go.” dreamed that he saw a long stairway When Jacob woke, the pile of leading up to the throne room of God, stones he slept upon had fused into with angels traveling up and down it. a single stone. Jacob set this stone

4 IMPERIAL ACADEMY BIBLE LESSONS Esau sells his birthright for a bowl of soup.

LEVEL 2 | LESSON 5 5 Jacob tricks his father into giving him the firstborn’s blessing.

6 IMPERIAL ACADEMY BIBLE LESSONS LEVEL 2 | LESSON 5 7 Jacob watches over Laban’s flocks.

8 IMPERIAL ACADEMY BIBLE LESSONS up as a pillar, poured oil upon it, and and goats. When he finally took his promised to obey God. family and his herds back to Canaan, When Jacob eventually arrived he was a very wealthy man. in Haran, he went to live with his As he got closer to Canaan, Jacob Uncle Laban (his mother’s brother). became worried Esau would still be He offered to work for Laban as a angry with him for stealing his birth- shepherd. Jacob had been deceitful right all those years ago. So he sent toward Esau and toward his father, many gifts ahead of him for Esau. but now he tried to work hard and live More importantly, Jacob prayed and righteously. Laban asked if there was asked God to spare him and his fam- anything he could do to pay Jacob. ily from his brother’s anger. Jacob loved Laban’s daughter Rachel, One night, while Jacob was and he asked if he could marry her. walking alone, somebody came out Laban agreed to let Jacob marry of nowhere and began wrestling Rachel if he worked for seven years. with him. Jacob did not know it, but it Jacob worked day after day for Laban, was the Word. Jacob wrestled with but the time seemed to pass quickly, the Word all night. He refused to give because he loved Rachel so much. up! At one point, his hip was pulled When the time came for the mar- out of joint. But Jacob refused to quit. riage, Laban deceitfully disguised As morning approached, the Word his older daughter, Leah, with Ra- told Jacob to let Him go, but Jacob chel’s wedding dress. After the wed- refused to quit. He realized there was ding, Jacob got the shock of his life something special about this Being when he realized he had married the who was opposing him. Jacob told wrong woman! Him that he would not let Him go until Laban had tricked Jacob with a He gave him a blessing! The Word disguise. This was similar to how blessed Jacob and gave him a new Jacob had tricked his father with name. He changed Jacob’s name to a disguise. It is wrong for a man to Israel, which means prevailer. have two wives, but Jacob was afraid The next morning, Israel came Laban would not let him marry Rachel face to face with Esau. He bowed if he did not agree to keep Leah, so he in humility to Esau and feared that agreed to marry both sisters and to he might be angry, but his brother work even longer for Laban. rushed forward and hugged him. God had answered Israel’s prayer, JACOB WRESTLES and Israel was peacefully reunited WITH THE WORD with his brother. After working for Laban many years, Jacob acquired many cattle, sheep

LEVEL 2 | LESSON 5 9 Jacob anoints the pillar stone.

10 IMPERIAL ACADEMY BIBLE LESSONS Jacob finds out Laban tricked him into marrying Leah.

LEVEL 2 | LESSON 5 11 Published by the BIBLE MEMORY Twelve Tribes of Israel Philadelphia Church of God and produced in cooperation Reuben Dan with Imperial Academy.

Jacob Word Search

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BIRTHRIGHT LABAN SOUP CANAAN LEAH STONE ESAU RACHEL TRICK JACOB REBEKAH WEDDING