Genesis: Jacob & Esau

For this Jacob & Esau lesson, I set up areas in the classroom and we acted out the lesson. I used the tent that is always up for 'Isaac' to sit in. I set up cooking utensils, the fire and pot for Jacob, then 'Rebekah to cook. I brought a crock pot of meat cooked to add to the sensory part of the lesson. I had a scroll for Jacob and a bow and arrows for Esau. Also, I made arm and neck coverings for 'Jacob' to wear. Most of these are items that I have used for probably 20 years!



Review: Last week we learned about Abraham’s servant traveling to another country to find Isaac a wife. He found her by a well. Rebekah had gone there to get water and when she offered Abraham's servant water and enough for his camels, he knew that Rebekah was the right woman for Isaac. Rebekah was also very beautiful.

Abraham's servant went to Rebekah's house and told her brother, Laban and her mother why he was there. Abraham's servant gave Rebekah gold and silver jewelry, and he gave clothes and gifts to her family.

Rebekah left her home with Abraham's servant to be with Isaac and they saw Isaac while he was in the field. Rebekah put on her veil to cover her face. Isaac was 40 when he married Rebekah and he loved her. Abraham lived 175 years.

 

Today's lesson is found in Genesis 25:24-34 & chapter 27.  Isaac and Rebekah didn't have a baby for 20 years, and then they had twins! They didn’t look alike at all.  The first baby was all hairy and red and they called him Esau which means red. Then his brother was born. They named him Jacob. Jacob means ‘holder of the heel.’ Isaac was 60 when they were born. God told Rebekah that even though Jacob was the younger son, he would have the birthright.

** Usually, the older son received the birthright. A birthright in Bible times was a custom that the oldest received 2 different blessings. The things that you have around you, like money, land, food and animals were given to the oldest twice as much as the other children the father has. The firstborn was also considered head of the family.  The other part of the blessing, being the oldest, meant he offered the sacrifices and taught the family about God. Eventually, these men were ancestors to Jesus.

The boys grew up and Esau was a skillful hunter. He liked to be outside. He was a big strong man with hair all over him. Isaac loved Esau the most.

But Jacob liked to stay inside in the tent. And Rebekah love Jacob the most because he was a gentle man and stayed in the tents.   

One day Jacob cooked a stew and when Esau came in from the field, he was so hungry and tired, Esau asked Jacob for some of the stew. Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright and you can have some.”  Esau replied to Jacob “Well, I’m so hungry I’m about to die anyway, so why not?” Jacob gave Esau bread and stew, and then Esau was sorry that he had made the trade.

 

(Genesis 27:1) Years later Isaac was sick and couldn’t see well. Isaac called the oldest son, Esau in to see him. Isaac was also very rich and didn’t think he was going to live much longer. Isaac told Esau "Go hunt a deer and cook it for me as I like it and bring it to me."

Rebekah heard this and told Jacob. She told Jacob to get two goats and she would cook them for Isaac how he liked it.

  

After the meat was cooked, Rebekah put clothing on Jacob and fur from a goat on his hands and neck to make him hairy like his brother Esau. Rebekah wanted Jacob to fool Isaac! So, that is what Jacob did. Jacob told Isaac that he was his brother, Esau. When Isaac asked Jacob how he found the meat so fast, Jacob replied that God put it there for him.

Isaac said, “Come over here and let me feel you to see if you are Esau.” Isaac said, “You sound like Jacob, but feel like Esau.” Isaac ate the meat and gave the blessing to Jacob that should have gone to the firstborn son, Esau.  

As soon as Isaac was done with the blessing, Esau came in from hunting and took the food in to Isaac. Isaac said “I have already eaten and given the blessing. Your brother came in and deceived me.” 

Esau was so angry with Jacob; Esau said he would kill Jacob. Rebekah heard about this and sent Jacob to her brother’s house to keep Jacob safe until Esau wasn’t so angry.

You can print this worksheet that I made for this lesson. The kids will cut the pictures out on the second page, and glue them in the correct order. Or they can just lay them on the correct number if you want to reuse them. The above photo is what the download looks like.

And this is what the final worksheet looks like. You can print it here.

Click here to download the updated visuals.

This file contains visuals for Genesis 25-27. All are not shown.

Click here to download the pictures to color.
(These are the same as the visuals but are black & white.)

You can print the worksheet here.

You can print all the Genesis worksheets here.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.

Used by permission.

 

Here is the cut & glue lift-the-flap worksheet that can be used by itself, or with the lapbook printables.

Here are the lapbook printables:
lapbook #1
Lapbook #2

See all the Genesis cut and paste worksheets and lapbook printables here.

There is a good blog post about Esau with a lot of background.

Wow! This post was FEATURED at http://www.teachbesideme.com/!