LESSON OVERVIEW FOR ADULTS
In Genesis 25:19–34; 27:1–28:5, we see a family story filled with choices, some wise, others deceitful. Isaac and Rebekah had twin sons, Esau and Jacob. Though Esau was the firstborn, he gave away his birthright for a bowl of stew, showing how little he valued God’s promises. Later, Jacob, with help from his mother, tricked Isaac into giving him the special family blessing. Despite these actions, God’s plan continued. He chose Jacob to carry on His covenant, showing that even when people make mistakes, God’s truth and promises remain.
This story teaches God is always honest and wants us to be truthful too. Lies may seem to get us what we want, but they often hurt others and cause problems. Preschoolers will learn that honesty is a part of God’s character and something we should practice every day.
OPENING ACTIVITY 6:00–6:15 | Lentil Stew Collage
Items Needed
- Lentil Soup Handout (Printed on Cardstock)
- Crayons
- Glue
- Assortment of Lentils
Children will color their bread and bowl and glue an assortment of lentils onto their bowl to create their own lentil soup.
SONG 6:20–6:30
PRAYER 6:30–6:40
- Sing “Whisper a Prayer”
- Form a prayer circle, letting each child thank God for one honest person in their life.
- Sample Prayer:
“Dear God, thank You for always being true. Help us tell the truth and be kind to others, just like You are. Amen.”
BIBLE STORY 6:50–7:00
Question 1: What book of the Bible is this in? Genesis
Question 2: Is Genesis in the Old or New Testament? Old Testament
Isaac and Rebekah waited a long time to have children. One day, God gave them two twin boys! The first baby was red and covered in hair. They named him Esau. Right after him came his brother, holding Esau’s heel. His name was Jacob.
As the boys grew up, they became very different. Esau loved to run outside and hunt animals. He was his dad’s favorite. Jacob liked to stay close to home and help in the kitchen. He was his mom’s favorite.
One day, Esau came home very hungry from hunting. He smelled something delicious. Jacob had made a big pot of stew!
Esau said, “I’m so hungry! Give me some of that stew!”
Jacob said, “Only if you give me your special family birthright.”
Now, a birthright was a big deal. It meant Esau would be the next leader of the family one day. But Esau didn’t care. “Fine! You can have it,” he said. And just like that, he gave away something super important—for a bowl of food.
Later on, their dad, Isaac, was getting old. He couldn’t see very well anymore. Isaac called Esau and said, “Go hunt and cook me something tasty. Then I’ll give you the special family blessing.”
But Rebekah heard this and made a sneaky plan. She wanted Jacob to get the blessing instead. So she cooked food, dressed Jacob in Esau’s clothes, and even put goat hair on his arms so he would feel hairy like Esau!
Jacob went to Isaac pretending to be Esau. Isaac touched Jacob’s arms and smelled his clothes. “You sound like Jacob,” Isaac said, “but you feel and smell like Esau.” So Isaac gave Jacob the blessing—he didn’t know it was the wrong son.
Later, Esau came back and found out what happened. He was very angry. He cried and wanted a blessing too, but it was too late. The blessing had already been given.
Esau was so mad, he wanted to hurt Jacob. So Rebekah told Jacob to go far away to stay safe.
Even though people in this story made mistakes and lied, God still had a plan. God is always honest and true, and He wants us to tell the truth too!
Theological Questions:
- Who should we always tell the truth to? (God and others)
- Does God ever lie? (No, God always tells the truth)
Life Application Questions:
- Have you ever told a lie? What happened?
- How can we be honest at home or school?
Closing Prayer:
“God, help us to be like You and always tell the truth. Thank You that You always keep Your promises.”
BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY 6:50–7:00 | TRAIL MIX STEW
- Large bowls of:
- Plain popped popcorn
- Colorful round candies (like M&Ms)
- Pretzel sticks
- O-shaped cereal
- Raisins
- Gold Fish
- Paper Bowls
- Spoons (one per bowl)
- Hand sanitizer
Prep Ahead:
Set up a “Snack Station” with all the ingredients in separate bowls and one spoon in each. Place hand sanitizer at the beginning of the station.
- Use hand sanitizer
- Hand each child a bowl to make their own “trail mix stew”
- One at a time, children can point to the snacks they want in their stew.
- The teacher or helper will use a spoon to scoop those items into the child’s bowl.
- When everyone has their stew, say a short blessing and enjoy the snack together!
“Today we learned that Esau traded something very special, his birthright, for just one bowl of stew. He made a quick decision and didn’t think it through. But we can learn from that! God wants us to make wise choices and He gives us helpers, His Word, and His love to guide us. Just like you picked special things for your snack, God has special plans for you too!”
BIBLE CRAFT 7:00–7:10 | Jacob’s Beard
Items Needed
- Paper Plates (Cut in Half)
- Yarn
- Brown Paper Strips
- Glue
- Hole Punch
Children will glue brown paper strips of paper onto the plates to create their own beards. Remind them that Jacon created a fake beard to trick his father in our Bible story.
SNACK TIME & CENTERS 7:10–7:25
- Coloring Page
- Crayons
- Snack
Children will eat their snack and work on their coloring page.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (KJV) | Genesis 25:19–34; 27:1–28:5
19 This is the account of the family line of Abraham’s son Isaac.
Abraham became the father of Isaac, 20 and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram[a] and sister of Laban the Aramean.
21 Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. 22 The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord.
23 The Lord said to her,
“Two nations are in your womb,
and two peoples from within you will be separated;
one people will be stronger than the other,
and the older will serve the younger.”
24 When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. 25 The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau.[b] 26 After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob.[c] Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them.
27 The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents. 28 Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
29 Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. 30 He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom.[d])
31 Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.”
32 “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?”
33 But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.
34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left.
So Esau despised his birthright.
PARENT TAKE HOME SHEET
Today’s Key Takeaway: God is true
What I Learned Today:
- Jacob and Esau were twin brothers who were very different.
- Esau traded something special for a bowl of stew.
- God wants us to always be honest and tell the truth.
Questions to Ask Me
Theological
- Does God always tell the truth? (Yes!)
- What does God want us to do with our words? (Tell the truth)
- What is lying? (Saying something that isn’t true)
- Who tricked Isaac? (Jacob and Rebekah)
- What should we do if we lie? (Say sorry and tell the truth)
Life Application
- Have you ever told the truth when it was hard? (Answers vary)
- What can you do if someone asks you to lie? (Say no and tell the truth)
- How can we be like God in how we talk? (Be honest)
- Can telling the truth make others happy? (Yes)
- What did you learn from Jacob and Esau? (Don’t lie or trick others)