Lesson on Growing Up With Your Siblings: Jacob and Esau

Do any of you have a brother or a sister? How are you getting along with him or her? Do you have the same likes and dislikes or different?  Today, we will study about twin brothers.

Remember Isaac and Rebekah? Isaac prayed to the Lord for Rebekah and she became pregnant. When she gave birth, she had twin boys. The first to come out was red and hairy so he was named Esau. The second was holding to Esau's heel so he was named Jacob. When they grew up, Esau became a hunter while Jacob was quiet and home bound. Esau was Isaac's favorite, while Jacob was favored by Rebekah.

One day, Esau came home from hunting very hungry. Jacob was cooking some stew so Esau asked for some. But Jacob said, "First, sell me your birthright."  (Birthright means a double share of the father's property upon his death. Usually, the oldest son gets this status or privilege.)  Because Esau was very hungry, he said "What good is birthright to me if I am about to die." So, he sold his birthright to Jacob.  Jacob, then gave Esau some bread and stew.

The story is taken from Genesis 25:19-34

KIDS DISCUSSION:
1. How do you describe Esau? Jacob? Are they the same or different?
2. Do your father or mother have favorites among your siblings? How do you feel about it?
3. If you were Jacob, would you ask for your brother's birthright?  Why?
4. If you were Esau, would you sell your birthright? Why?
5. What can you say about the relationship between Esau and Jacob? good or bad? with jealousy? with fighting?
6. How is your relationship with your siblings? Do you love your brother or sister even if he or she is different from you? How can you show your love?
7. What lesson have you learned from Esau and Jacob?


MEMORY VERSE: John 13:34
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

KIDS' CRAFT:
Origami heart: Since this lesson teaches about loving siblings, the kids may like to learn how to make an origami beating heart. There is a YouTube video of how to make this in this link.

Origami Photo frame: The kids can make this simple origami photo frame where they can put a picture of themselves and their siblings.




Jacob and Esau coloring page: Find on this page coloring pages telling the story of Esau selling his birthright to Jacob for stew.

Cain Killed Abel - Lesson About Being Angry

Kids do you have any brother or sister? How are you getting along with them? Do you fight with your brothers or sisters? Why? What happens when you fight?

Our Bible story for today which is found in Genesis 4:1-8 is about two brothers who had some problems getting along with each other. They are the sons of Adam and Eve. Cain, who is older, is a farmer while Abel, the younger, is a shepherd.

Distant Shores Media/Sweet Publishing / CC BY-SA

One day, they went and offered their sacrifice to the Lord. Cain offered the fruits from his crops while Abel offered a firstborn of his flock.  God was pleased with Abel's offer and this made Cain mad.

Then Cain said to his brother, "Let's go to the field" and there he killed his brother.

Distant Shores Media/Sweet Publishing / CC BY-SA

DISCUSSION WITH THE KIDS
1. What can you say about the two brothers?
2. Why was Cain angry with his brother Abel? What did he do?
3. Do you fight with your brother or sister? Why?
4. Does God like us to be jealous and fight our siblings? How does God want us to deal with our siblings? What should we do to avoid fighting with our siblings?

You may also want to read this Cain and Abel lesson for additional input on how to teach this story.

MEMORY VERSE: James 1:19
Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.

KIDS CRAFT / ACTIVITY
I like this craft from DLTK-Bible where the kids will use toilet paper roll to make Cain and Abel toilet paper roll craft. Good to use as visual aid as well while telling the story.  Find the instructions for making Cain and Abel by clicking the links.

Lessons on Love and Loyalty

Once upon a time, long, long ago, there was a man who had a wife and two sons. There was a famine in the land where he lived, so he said to his wife and sons, "We will journey down to another country where the crops have not failed. There shall we find plenty to eat, and there will we make our home."

So the family moved to the strange land where they prospered and were happy. In time, the boys grew to young manhood and married young women of the new land where they dwelt. Then sorrow entered their homes, as sorrow comes sooner or later to every home. The father and the two sons died, and the mother and her two daughters-in-law were left alone.

The mother, whose name was Naomi, said, "I am going back to the land where I lived in former days, back to the people of my girlhood." The young women said, "We shall go with you also." "No," replied Naomi, "you must not do that. Go back to your homes, there you shall be cared for, and may the Lord deal gently with you."

The names of these two daughters-in-law were Ruth and Orpah. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye.  But Ruth spoke up and said:

"Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me."

Great words are these, words of love and loyalty.

(This Bible story is found in Ruth Chapter 1.)

MEMORY VERSE:  Exodus 20: 12
Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

KIDS CRAFT:  Dog Paper Craft
Dogs are known to show love and loyalty to their owners.  How do dogs show their love and loyalty?  What can we learn from dogs?   This puppy dog is a simple cut and paste paper craft that is fun for young children to make.  It makes a great project for preschool and kindergarten kids.  See complete instruction here.