Lesson 10 – Jacob and Esau

God worked through Jacob and Esau, despite their sin, to advance His plan of salvation. In spite of our sinful actions, God accomplishes His will and plan for our lives.

Opening

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

This lesson will use the Bible, the Bible Exploration Guide and the Lesson 10 Leaflet from the Student Pack. The front cover shows how the artist sees Jacob before Isaac with Esau returning from hunting and gathering. Also paper and pencil will be needed.

Prayer:  Lord, bless our families, friends, and relationships with other people. Help us to turn to You and trust You when we encounter troubles with people. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

God Speaks

Read and follow the directions under Twin Profiles on page 2 of the leaflet.

Read Genesis 25:19-28 and write down a profile of each brother.

Esau's profile: Oldest of twins who struggled in the womb; red and hairy; skillful hunter, outdoorsman; loved best by Isaac, who enjoyed eating the game he caught; the stronger of the two.  Possible one-word summaries: Strong, Outdoorsman, Redhead, Firstborn.

Jacob's profile: youngest of twins who struggled in the womb; came out holding his brother's heel, so parents named him Jacob, which means "he takes by the heel” or "he cheats"; a quiet man who hung around camp (dwelling in tents"); loved best by Rebekah. Possible one-word summaries: Homebody, Cheater, Quiet, Tent-Dweller

Continue with the questions under The Family Story on page 2.

Isaac and Rebekah were married twenty years, but did not have children. You may remember this also was a problem for Abraham and Sarah, Isaac's parents.

What did Isaac ask the Lord to do? Isaac asked the Lord to give them children, and He did.

What caused Rebekah to "inquire of the LORD"? The babies struggled within her, which means they probably moved in multiple places at the same time.

The Scripture indicates the babies were at odds even in utero. Their movement probably made sleeping difficult and made Rebekah wonder if her baby was healthy. She wouldn't have known she had twins before the Lord told her, as there were no sonograms or doctors delivering babies then.

What did the Lord tell Rebekah? She carried two babies, two nations, two divided peoples in her womb. One would be stronger. The older would serve the younger. The information may have led Rebekah to favor Jacob.

How do you think the parents' favoritism affected the sons? It probably added to the sibling conflict and gave them more things to argue about.

Read Genesis 25:29-34.

A birthright was the inherited privileges of the firstborn son, which included leadership of the clan and a double portion of the inherited property when the father died. For Abraham's family, it also meant supervision of worship and preaching of the Messiah, as well as carrying on the covenant promise of the Messiah.

How did Esau despise his birthright? Esau didn't understand that this blessing came from God. He treated it carelessly. He may have thought Isaac wouldn’t enforce this agreement because Esau was his father's favorite.

What does "swear" mean in this context? To promise or make a vow.

Who do you think deserved the birthright? Neither son was worthy. Like us, sinful nature made them unworthy. But in His mercy, God gave them and us a great inheritance in Christ. We receive this at Baptism. God continued to love and care for both sons, as He does for us.

Family conflict continued as Isaac aged. Before Isaac died, he expected to give Esau a firstborn blessing, even though Esau had given Jacob his firstborn birthright.

Continue with The Inevitable Blowup on page 3 of the leaflet.

Read Genesis 27:1-41 and answer the questions.

Why do you think Rebekah took action when she overheard Esau and Isaac talking about the firstborn blessing? (1) Rebekah may have taken action on behalf of her favorite son. (2) She may have remembered the Lord's words when she was pregnant that the older son would serve the younger. (3) She probably knew Esau sold his birthright and may have considered the firstborn blessing as rightfully belonging to Jacob. She "helped” God out.

Put Rebekah's plan in your own words. She schemed to get the firstborn blessing for Jacob instead of Esau. She cooked Isaac's favorite meal and sent Jacob to Isaac in Esau's clothing and covered with goat hair.

What did Jacob fear? He feared Isaacs curse, as irrevocable as a blessing.

Why did the plan work? They were able to trick nearly blind Isaac by having Jacob wear Esau's clothing and goat skins to be as hairy as Esau, and making delicious food. Isaac questioned, but Jacob lied to him and convinced him.

What blessings did Isaac give Jacob (vv. 27-29)? Isaac asked God to bless Jacob with dew and bounty from the earth, including grain and wine. These blessings would have fit Esau better, since he enjoyed farming and hunting. Isaac said people would serve Jacob and nations would bow down to him. He would be lord over his brother and his mother's family, including servants ("'your brothers” v. 29; the Bible reports no other sons of Isaac and Rebekah or to Isaac and a concubine). In saying this, he made Jacob the family leader. He cursed everyone who cursed Jacob and blessed everyone who blessed him. 

When Esau asked his father to bless him too, Isaac replied that he had given Jacob the best blessing. What blessing did Isaac give Esau (vv. 39-40)? He would live away from His family. He would live by the sword and serve his brother, but eventually break away.

Compare the brothers' blessings. What do you notice about them? They are almost opposites of each other.

So who do you think was right and who was wrong? Did Esau and Isaac have the right to plot secretly for Esau to receive the firstborn blessing? Did Rebekah and Jacob have the right to lie to Isaac and steal the blessing from Esau? All involved sinned, and no one deserved the blessings

Read Romans 8:28 on page 3 of the leaflet.

Esau hated Jacob and plotted to kill him after Isaac died. Isaac gave the blessings in faith, and God continued to work in and through these people. God forgives our foolishness and sin. He even gives us success and brings good things out of our troubles and conflicts (Romans 8:28).

He brought the Messiah from the lineage of Jacob, a family of sinners, saved by grace through faith.

We Live

Read the Scriptures on page 4 of the leaflet under So now what? and answer the following questions.

Sometimes, we wonder if faith in God makes a difference. Sin seems to win most of the time. People do evil things and make poor decisions. The Bible says we will have troubles in the world. What do we Christians have that makes us different and helps us in the world?  Christians have hope in the Lord. We believe in Christ, our Savior, and trust that He will work good out of everything that happens in life and will always be with us. We have a command from our Savior to serve Him in the world.

Watch the video, "Kid President- How to Change the World (a work in progress)".

Did Kid President give you any ideas about how to make the world a better place? What kinds of things can our church do? What can we do?

Read about Lentil Stew on pages 22-24 in the Bible Exploration Guide.

Read Meaning 3 of the First Article of the Apostles' Creed from Luther's Small Catechism  on page 4 of the leaflet.

Closing

As a closing prayer, listen to the video "Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow".