A9 Jacob

Lesson 1: Jacob deceives his brother

Readings: Genesis 25: 27-34

Esau and Jacob were twins but they were very different. Esau was very hairy. He liked to go hunting. Jacob was happy to stay at home. Sad to say, their mother and father each had a favourite son.

Lesson 2: Jacob deceives his father

Readings: Genesis 27: 1-29

When Isaac was an old man he became blind. He wanted to enjoy a meal made by Esau, his favourite son. He also wanted to give him a special blessing. “Go and hunt some wild animals”, he said to Esau, “and cook them for me, then I will give you my blessing”. Rebekah had been listening! She wanted her favourite son, Jacob, to have the blessing, so she told him to kill two goats. She said she would cook a meal for Isaac. Jacob thought of a problem. “If he touches me”, he said, “he will know I am not Esau. My skin is smooth, but Esau’s skin is hairy”. “Do as I say!” said Rebekah. They were both planning to cheat Isaac. When the meal was ready Rebekah covered Jacob’s neck and hands with the skins from the goats. Jacob put on Esau’s clothes and took the meal to Isaac! Isaac wasn’t sure who it was!

Lesson 3: Jacob meets God

Readings: Genesis 28: 1-22

Have you always lived in the same house? Sometimes we have to move to another place. Isaac told Jacob, to go to Haran to visit his Uncle Laban and marry one of his daughters. As Jacob’s brother Esau was planning to kill him, Jacob thought it was a good idea to go away for a while!

Lesson 4: Jacob finds a wife

Readings: Genesis 29: 1-30

Jacob went to visit Uncle Laban and his family in Haran. After a long journey, Jacob met some shepherds beside a well with their sheep. “Where are you from?” he asked them “Haran”, they replied. “Do you know Laban?” asked Jacob. “Yes”, they said, “here is his daughter, Rachel, with her father’s flock of sheep”.