Jacob and Esau: The Early Years | Birthright - Blessing - Deception Bible Lesson
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Explore the dramatic story of Jacob and Esau with this engaging, hands-on Bible lesson featuring a stolen birthright, a bowl of lentil stew (soup) and Jacob, the master trickster! This five-lesson curriculum unit (spanning five hours) takes students through Genesis 25 and 27, offering interactive activities that bring the narrative to life. Designed for grades 4-8, this curriculum helps students grasp a powerful truth: While Jacob and Esau fiercely fought over a birthright and blessing, Jesus willingly shares His inheritance with us as co-heirs!
Lesson Highlights & Activities:
✳️Twin Traits & Sibling Rivalry: Students explore the concept of identical vs. fraternal twins by identifying classmates who look alike, leading into a discussion about Jacob (the quiet homebody ⛺️) and Esau (the rugged outdoorsman ⛷️).
✳️Color Coding Jacob and Esau: After filling out a family tree that traces the lineage of Abraham to Jacob, students are taught color-coding techniques as they underline key descriptions of Esau (in red) and Jacob (in green) to visually differentiate their personalities. ✍️
✳️Trading a Birthright for a Meal: An exhausted and famished Esau traded his birthright for a bowl of lentil stew at Jacob’s urging. Students learn the meaning of a birthright while eating their own bowl of lentil soup (optional). ♨️
✳️Pictogram Scavenger Hunt: In a fun scavenger hunt-style activity, "Esau" and a few other students search for hidden envelopes outside of the classroom, while the rest of the class learns about Jacob and Rebekah’s trickery. Upon Esau’s return, the envelopes are opened to reveal pictograms that are decoded to reveal Esau’s stolen blessing. ✉️
✳️Jesus: Our Inheritance Giver! The lesson concludes with students reflecting on how Jesus, God’s only Son, chooses to share His inheritance with us. They will respond with a personal letter of gratitude to Jesus for making them co-heirs in His Kingdom. ♥️
Included in this 39 page lesson:
◾️21 page lesson plan with clear DO/SAY/READ instructions that can be read or adapted
◾️Color Coding Jacob and Esau Worksheet (and answer key)
◾️Jacob and Esau Nametags
◾️Six pictogram clues and two goat pictures
◾️Pictogram Puzzle Worksheet (and answer key)
◾️Blessings Worksheet (and answer key)
◾️Recipe Project ~ Esau’s Pottage
◾️Response Letter ~ Inheritance in Christ
◾️Stepping Stone ~ “Shares His Inheritance”
⏰️Flexible Scheduling: This 3-4 hour lesson can be spread over multiple days with clearly labeled stopping points.
✝️ Perfect for Sunday school, homeschool Bible study, or Christian classrooms!
Save time and shop with confidence. Watch the lesson preview video here!
Explore the dramatic story of Jacob and Esau with this engaging, hands-on Bible lesson featuring a stolen birthright, a bowl of lentil stew (soup) and Jacob, the master trickster! This five-lesson curriculum unit (spanning five hours) takes students through Genesis 25 and 27, offering interactive activities that bring the narrative to life. Designed for grades 4-8, this curriculum helps students grasp a powerful truth: While Jacob and Esau fiercely fought over a birthright and blessing, Jesus willingly shares His inheritance with us as co-heirs!
Lesson Highlights & Activities:
✳️Twin Traits & Sibling Rivalry: Students explore the concept of identical vs. fraternal twins by identifying classmates who look alike, leading into a discussion about Jacob (the quiet homebody ⛺️) and Esau (the rugged outdoorsman ⛷️).
✳️Color Coding Jacob and Esau: After filling out a family tree that traces the lineage of Abraham to Jacob, students are taught color-coding techniques as they underline key descriptions of Esau (in red) and Jacob (in green) to visually differentiate their personalities. ✍️
✳️Trading a Birthright for a Meal: An exhausted and famished Esau traded his birthright for a bowl of lentil stew at Jacob’s urging. Students learn the meaning of a birthright while eating their own bowl of lentil soup (optional). ♨️
✳️Pictogram Scavenger Hunt: In a fun scavenger hunt-style activity, "Esau" and a few other students search for hidden envelopes outside of the classroom, while the rest of the class learns about Jacob and Rebekah’s trickery. Upon Esau’s return, the envelopes are opened to reveal pictograms that are decoded to reveal Esau’s stolen blessing. ✉️
✳️Jesus: Our Inheritance Giver! The lesson concludes with students reflecting on how Jesus, God’s only Son, chooses to share His inheritance with us. They will respond with a personal letter of gratitude to Jesus for making them co-heirs in His Kingdom. ♥️
Included in this 39 page lesson:
◾️21 page lesson plan with clear DO/SAY/READ instructions that can be read or adapted
◾️Color Coding Jacob and Esau Worksheet (and answer key)
◾️Jacob and Esau Nametags
◾️Six pictogram clues and two goat pictures
◾️Pictogram Puzzle Worksheet (and answer key)
◾️Blessings Worksheet (and answer key)
◾️Recipe Project ~ Esau’s Pottage
◾️Response Letter ~ Inheritance in Christ
◾️Stepping Stone ~ “Shares His Inheritance”
⏰️Flexible Scheduling: This 3-4 hour lesson can be spread over multiple days with clearly labeled stopping points.
✝️ Perfect for Sunday school, homeschool Bible study, or Christian classrooms!
Save time and shop with confidence. Watch the lesson preview video here!
Explore the dramatic story of Jacob and Esau with this engaging, hands-on Bible lesson featuring a stolen birthright, a bowl of lentil stew (soup) and Jacob, the master trickster! This five-lesson curriculum unit (spanning five hours) takes students through Genesis 25 and 27, offering interactive activities that bring the narrative to life. Designed for grades 4-8, this curriculum helps students grasp a powerful truth: While Jacob and Esau fiercely fought over a birthright and blessing, Jesus willingly shares His inheritance with us as co-heirs!
Lesson Highlights & Activities:
✳️Twin Traits & Sibling Rivalry: Students explore the concept of identical vs. fraternal twins by identifying classmates who look alike, leading into a discussion about Jacob (the quiet homebody ⛺️) and Esau (the rugged outdoorsman ⛷️).
✳️Color Coding Jacob and Esau: After filling out a family tree that traces the lineage of Abraham to Jacob, students are taught color-coding techniques as they underline key descriptions of Esau (in red) and Jacob (in green) to visually differentiate their personalities. ✍️
✳️Trading a Birthright for a Meal: An exhausted and famished Esau traded his birthright for a bowl of lentil stew at Jacob’s urging. Students learn the meaning of a birthright while eating their own bowl of lentil soup (optional). ♨️
✳️Pictogram Scavenger Hunt: In a fun scavenger hunt-style activity, "Esau" and a few other students search for hidden envelopes outside of the classroom, while the rest of the class learns about Jacob and Rebekah’s trickery. Upon Esau’s return, the envelopes are opened to reveal pictograms that are decoded to reveal Esau’s stolen blessing. ✉️
✳️Jesus: Our Inheritance Giver! The lesson concludes with students reflecting on how Jesus, God’s only Son, chooses to share His inheritance with us. They will respond with a personal letter of gratitude to Jesus for making them co-heirs in His Kingdom. ♥️
Included in this 39 page lesson:
◾️21 page lesson plan with clear DO/SAY/READ instructions that can be read or adapted
◾️Color Coding Jacob and Esau Worksheet (and answer key)
◾️Jacob and Esau Nametags
◾️Six pictogram clues and two goat pictures
◾️Pictogram Puzzle Worksheet (and answer key)
◾️Blessings Worksheet (and answer key)
◾️Recipe Project ~ Esau’s Pottage
◾️Response Letter ~ Inheritance in Christ
◾️Stepping Stone ~ “Shares His Inheritance”
⏰️Flexible Scheduling: This 3-4 hour lesson can be spread over multiple days with clearly labeled stopping points.
✝️ Perfect for Sunday school, homeschool Bible study, or Christian classrooms!
❓️FAQS❓️
What Christian perspective is used for these Bible lessons?
I am an evangelical Christian who writes Bible curriculum for older students, and I take this tremendous responsibility seriously. Each lesson has a clear focus on what God says in His Word and the lessons are presented age appropriately, thoughtfully and biblically.
What translation of the Bible is used? 99% of the time I use the ESV although on rare occasion I might use another translation such as the NIV.
How can this Bible lesson be used
Each lesson unit in our Walking Alongside Jesus series is divided into five sections, each section takes between 30 minutes to an hour. This allows homeschool and Christian school teachers to use it daily in the classroom (thereby completing an entire unit in a week) OR in a Sunday School classroom or youth group once a week (thereby completing an entire unit in a month). These lessons are flexible enough to be used in the following settings:
Children's Sunday School class
Youth Group
Private Christian school Bible class
Chapel for Christian schools
Children's Church
Homeschool Bible class
Family Bible time
Copyright ©️ Experience the Bible Creatively. Permission to copy for single classroom use only.
