Jacob Deceives Esau and Isaac Genesis 25:27-34; 27:1-40

[Pages:10]Study 3

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Jacob Deceives Esau and Isaac Genesis 25:27-34; 27:1-40

P art of a middle-school student's process of defining his or her identity consists of testing boundaries set by others. This means that sometimes they'll attempt to get away with things. They'll lie to a parent, cheat behind a teacher's back, and spread rumors to anyone. It's through the experience of losing and regaining trust that they begin to truly understand the consequences of deception. In this study, focus on helping them envision the consequences of their actions so they can see them before they have to experience them.

STUDY

WHAT STUDENTS DO

1

Faith Connection

That's My Story, and I'm Sticking to It (about 15 min.) Play a guessing game that explores honesty.

Media Connection (Option) (about 10 min.) Watch a movie clip in which a dad and his son talk about the ethics of lying.

2

Bible Exploration

Rewriting History (about 20 min.) Students discuss the effects of embellishing the Bible passage.

Bold text within the lesson is spoken text.

SUPPLIES

EASY PREP

video player, movie Liar Liar

Cue Liar Liar to 00:39:14, when Fletcher says, "Monster Max!"

Bibles, Bible Trek, pens

Remove the Study 3 pages from each Bible Trek student book.

Bible Point

Honesty is important to God.

Key Verse

"The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful" (Proverbs 12:22).

Weaving Faith Into Life

Students will consider why honesty is best for their lives.

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STUDY

WHAT STUDENTS DO

Choose Your Own Adventure (about 15 min.)

SUPPLIES

EASY PREP

Adventure 1: The Weight of Truth Use a scale to measure the value of living honestly.

3

Weaving Faith Into Life

Adventure 2: True Lies Study real-life scenarios that demonstrate the consequences of lying.

Bible Trek, coat hanger,

string, scissors, 2

paper cups, 50 or

Set out the supplies

more pennies

for each adventure at

different stations.

Bible Trek, paper, pens

Literary Proverbs (about 10 min.) Read different translations, and write their own paraphrase.

1 copy per student of the "Proverbs 12:22" handout (at the end of this study), pens

4

Lasting Impressions

Daily Challenges (about 5 min.) Choose a Daily Challenge to apply God's Word.

Weaving Faith at Home (about 2 min.) Talk about how to share what they learned with their families.

Bold text within the lesson is spoken text.

Bible Trek, pens

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Jacob Deceives Esau and Isaac

Genesis 25:27-34; 27:1-40 BIBLe BACKGROUND

FOR LEADERS

Broken Family History

Abraham lived another 35 years after Isaac's marriage, and during that time he took a new wife who bore him six more children. After he died, he was buried with Sarah. It's interesting to note that he was buried by Isaac and Ishmael. Abraham had left all of his possessions to Isaac even though Ishmael was his firstborn. But apparently the two were able to put aside their differences to honor their departed father.

In the meantime, Isaac and Rebekah had twin boys, Jacob and Esau. Esau, the firstborn, was Isaac's favorite, and Jacob was Rebekah's favorite. Such favoritism seldom leads to a healthy home life.

Jacob Extorts Esau's Birthright

The first deception we see between Jacob and Esau is Jacob's act of extortion. When Esau came in hungry from the fields and demanded some of the stew Jacob was cooking, Jacob quickly responded that he would exchange the stew for Esau's birthright. Jacob's quick response indicates that he may have been scheming to steal the birthright, which was considered a precious gift from God. It entitled Esau to a double portion of the inheritance and made him the head of the family. When Esau swore the oath that Jacob demanded, he entered a legal agreement giving up that birthright. He gave up all that God had given him as the firstborn.

Jacob Defrauds Esau of Isaac's Blessing

had promised that the older of her twin sons would serve the younger. Whatever her motives, she helped Jacob deceive his aged father into giving him the blessing intended for Esau.

This deception devastated the family. Esau vowed to kill Jacob as soon as their father died (Genesis 27:41). Jacob had to flee the land, never to see his mother alive again.

God Worked in the Broken Family

God's will was accomplished even though it was done through human deceit and dishonesty. God can work through broken, imperfect people to do his will, but he still expects and wants us to live with integrity and to strive for purity. Jacob's family was shattered by his dishonesty, but God still brought a nation from that family.

The Jesus Connection

God can work in any situation. Despite our fallen nature, God sent Jesus to bridge the chasm between us and our holy God. With the Holy Spirit alive in us, we can live in honesty and truth in all things. What is one area of your life in which you can ask God to help you live in total honesty? You can write your prayer in the space below.

Though Esau had lost the birthright, Isaac was still determined to give him the fatherly blessing before he died. Rebekah initiated the second deception. We should consider that Rebekah might have thought she was doing her part to make sure that God's message to her (described in Genesis 25:23) came true. God

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FAITH

CONNECTION

That's My Story, and I'm Sticking to It

Media Connection

Supplies

video player movie Liar Liar

Media Connection

Easy Prep

Cue Liar Liar to 00:39:14, when Fletcher says, "Monster Max!"

What You'll Do

Say: Get into groups of three. In each group, have the person whose birthday is furthest from today's date share a unique story from his or her life. This can be anything from the time you tripped over your shoelace to the time you won the Nobel Prize--but it must be true. It's best if you think no one else in the room will know the story. Then the three of you will stand in front of everyone else and each tell the same story in the first person, as if it happened to you. We're going to hear the same story told three times by three different people and then try to guess whose story it really is.

Allow time for students to choose their stories, and then have groups take turns presenting them.

Talk With Students

Lead students in this discussion.

Ask:

n

n n n

Do you consider yourself a good judge of whether or not someone is telling the truth? Why or why not? What clues told you who was being deceptive? Tell about a time someone lied to you. No names! Why is honesty important?

Say: Today we're going to talk about Jacob, one of the great deceivers in the Bible.

We'll see what the consequences were for him and his brother Esau, and we will

discuss why HONESTY IS IMPORTANT TO GOD.

Media Connection (Option)

Tip Many movie clips are available at . This clip is also

available at under the title "Grown Ups Lie."

What You'll Do

Instead of the "That's My Story, and I'm Sticking to It" activity, watch a clip from the movie Liar Liar to lead into a discussion about the ethics of lying. Start the clip at 00:39:14, when Fletcher says, "Monster Max!" In this clip, Fletcher explains to his son, Max, why grownups need to lie and asks him to reverse his birthday wish that rendered Fletcher incapable

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of lying. End the clip at 00:42:04, when Max says, "But you're the only one who makes me feel bad."

Talk With Students

Lead students in this discussion.

Ask:

n n n n

Do you agree with Fletcher? Are there valid reasons it's necessary to lie? Explain. Fletcher said he could lose a case--even his job--if he can only tell the truth. What are some consequences you've faced for being honest? Max says Fletcher's lies make him feel bad. What are some ways you've been hurt--or hurt others--because of lies? Why is honesty important?

Say: Today we're going to talk about Jacob, one of the great deceivers in the Bible.

We'll see what the consequences were for him and his brother Esau, and we will

discuss why HONESTY IS IMPORTANT TO GOD.

2 BIBLE

EXPLORATION

Rewriting History

What You'll Do

Have students form eight groups. (A group can be as small as one person if needed.) Assign each group one of the following passages:

n Genesis 25:27-28 n Genesis 25:29-34 n Genesis 27:1-4 n Genesis 27:5-13 n Genesis 27:14-20 n Genesis 27:21-29 n Genesis 27:30-37 n Genesis 27:38-40

Explain that once each group has finished reading, its members will then tell everyone what happened, changing one significant detail. (For instance, the student could add in "Then Jacob was captured by a UFO"--okay, maybe something sneakier than that.) Clarify that the groups should try to do this as convincingly as possible, making it sound like their addition was really part of the passage.

Allow time for groups to read and decide what to change. Then have groups present their altered versions of the passage to everyone, going in order. The other groups will then try to guess which part is made up. After they've all finished guessing, have the

Middle School Study 3

Rewriting History

Supplies

Bibles Bible Trek pens Rewriting History

Easy Prep

Remove the Study 3 pages from each Bible Trek student book.

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group retell what happened without changing anything. Continue until all eight groups have presented.

Talk With Students

Lead everyone in this discussion.

Ask:

n n

n

n

How did your "little" deceptions affect the event? What were some of the consequences of Jacob's deception? Do you think they were worth what he gained? Explain. What tempts people to lie? How do you see those temptations in this passage? Do you find that you are more often like Jacob or Esau? Why?

Say: Jacob found out through experience that deception destroys trusting

relationships. Esau even planned to kill Jacob! If you can think ahead about the

consequences of being deceptive, it may prevent you from going through the same

thing. But even if it seems as if there aren't any consequences, HONESTY IS

IMPORTANT TO GOD, so it's important to tell the truth.

Say: To think more about why HONESTY IS IMPORTANT TO GOD, let's consider

the questions in the "Think It Over" section of our Bible Trek pages. Distribute the

Bible Trek pages and pens, and have students write answers to the questions in the

"Think It Over" section.

Choose Your Own Adventure

Supplies

Bible Trek Adventure 1 coat hanger string scissors 2 paper cups 50 or more pennies Adventure 2 paper pens

Choose Your Own Adventure

Easy Prep

Set out the supplies for each adventure at different stations.

3 WEAVING FAITH

INTO LIFE

Choose Your Own Adventure

What You'll Do

Say: In our adventures today, we have two activities you can choose from. Adventure 1 uses an object lesson, and Adventure 2 uses case studies. The directions are on your Bible Trek papers. Look them over and decide which activity you want to do. You can work with the others who choose the same activity. Allow time for students to decide which adventure they want to do. Summaries of each adventure follow.

ADVENTURE 1--OBJECT LESSON: THE WEIGHT OF TRUTH In this adventure, students will use a balance to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of honesty.

ADVENTURE 2--CASE STUDIES: TRUE LIES In this adventure, students will consider what was gained and lost in real-life stories of deception.

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Say: After you finish your adventure, you'll present some of what you experienced, so keep that in mind. When everyone has finished, we'll talk about what we've learned. You have 10 minutes to complete your adventures. While students are working, move between the stations, and offer assistance as needed. Let groups know when they have about five minutes left so they can wrap up their work.

After 10 minutes, have your groups take turns presenting what they experienced.

Talk With Students

Lead students in this discussion.

Ask:

n

n n

n n

How did the consequences of deception outweigh the benefits in your discussions? How can deception affect the relationships of the people involved? Imagine that a lie you told became famous--everyone knew you lied about it. How does this affect your thinking about honesty? What helps motivate you to tell the truth? In what ways do you need to practice honesty this week?

Say: Make a mental note to think about the consequences before telling lies.

If you're ever tempted to deceive someone, think of examples of people who

have been caught telling lies. Think about what happened to Jacob and Esau's

relationship because of Jacob's lies. Think about what could happen if your

deception is discovered. It may never appear in the news, but when you get

caught, you'll often find yourself facing pretty negative consequences. And most

importantly, HONESTY IS IMPORTANT TO GOD--so no matter what happens to

us, we know our lies will hurt God.

Literary Proverbs

What You'll Do

Distribute a copy of the "Proverbs 12:22" handout to each student, and have students form groups of two or three.

Say: You can see that there are a lot of different ways our Key Verse was translated from the original language into English, even though it still means the same thing. In the New International Version, it says, "The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful." Using these translations for ideas, work with each other to write your own version of Proverbs 12:22.

Encourage students to use creative means--such as rhyming the two phrases together or using alliteration (two or more repeated sounds such as some translations do with "lying lips")--to help make their verse more meaningful to them. Even though the students are working in pairs or threes, make sure they each write down the translation on their own papers so they have it with them after the study. When you have given the students five minutes to work, ask for a few students to read their verses aloud.

Middle School Study 3

Literary Proverbs

Supplies

1 copy per student of the "Proverbs 12:22" handout (at the end of this study) pens

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Daily Challenges

Supplies

Bible Trek pens

Talk With Students

Lead students in this discussion.

Ask:

n n

n

Which translation was most meaningful to you? Why? How did the different translations help you think about the consequences of lying? What's one thing you'll do differently this week because of our Key Verse?

Say: This proverb was written long after Jacob lied to Esau, but Jacob still knew

lying was wrong. He deceived his brother, and it cost him his relationship. He had

to run away scared because Esau was so mad! Lies can get us into big trouble.

They can ruin our relationships with other people, and they can compound so we

have to keep lying to cover our first lie. HONESTY IS IMPORTANT TO GOD, and

when we tell the truth we honor God.

4 LASTING

IMPRESSIONS

Daily Challenges

What You'll Do

Direct students to the Daily Challenges in their Bible Trek pages and have them choose one to do this week. They can choose one or more of these three options:

n If you've recently lied to someone, fess up, even if it seems as if it's the hardest thing possible. Ask the person for forgiveness after telling the truth.

n Forgive someone who has recently been dishonest with you. Be kind and patient, and approach him or her with gentleness. Ask your mom, dad, or Bible study leader for advice on how to do this with grace.

n Memorize Proverbs 12:22, and each time you get out of the shower, write "12:22" in the steam on the mirror with your finger to remind yourself of the verse.

Talk With Students

Lead students in this discussion.

Ask: n What's a practical way you're going to do your Daily Challenge? Include a time, a place, and other ideas.

Say: Jacob lied to his brother and his dad, and it caused a lot of problems.

Dishonesty causes problems in our lives, too. Let's remember HONESTY IS

IMPORTANT TO GOD by following through with our Daily Challenges this week.

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Study 3 Middle School

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