T h e A r t i o s H o m e C o m p a n i o n S e r i e s T e a c h e r O v e r v i e w The life of Jacob is a vivid picture of the leading ideas that we are discussing this week. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks, actions are made, and items are created. This is seen in Jacob s deception of his father and his brother Esau. Isaac certainly had something else planned but God was working through even the sin of Jacob to weave together His plan for the nation of Israel. The saying what goes around, comes around is definitely illustrated when Laban deceives Jacob regarding his marriage to Rachel, just as Jacob had deceived Isaac regarding receiving the birthright. Esau and Jacob Presented to Isaac, by, Benjamin West (1738-1870) Reading and Assignments Based on your student s age and ability, the reading in this unit may be read aloud to the student and journaling and notebook pages may be completed orally. Likewise, other assignments can be done with an appropriate combination of independent and guided study. In this unit, students will: Complete three lessons in which they will learn about Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, Esau, Rachel, and Leah. Define vocabulary words. Page 72
Explore the following websites: The Story of Jacob and Esau https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brwqpjkfdni Lyrics to Jacob s Ladder http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/folk-songlyrics/jacobs_ladder.htm Performance of We are Climbing Jacob s Ladder https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6nb1zqjssu Be sure to visit www.artioshcs.com for additional resources. Leading Ideas God will accomplish His purpose. Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. Proverbs 19:21 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. Luke 6:45 Vocabulary Lesson 1: birthright savory subtle Lesson 2: none Lesson 3: none Key People, Places, and Events Isaac Esau Jacob Rebekah Laban Rachel Leah Joseph Page 73
L e s s o n O n e H i s t o r y O v e r v i e w a n d A s s i g n m e n t s Stealing the Birthright The Mess of Pottage, by James Jacques Joseph Tissot (French, 1836-1902), c.1896-1902 Reading and Assignments Read the article: Genesis 27:1 Genesis 28:22. Define each vocabulary word in the context of the reading and put the word and its definition in the vocabulary section of your notebook. After reading the article, summarize the story you read by either: Retelling it out loud to your teacher or parent. OR Completing an appropriate notebook page. Either way, be sure to include the answers to the discussion questions and an overview of key people, places, dates, and events in your summary. Be sure to visit www.artioshcs.com for additional resources. Page 74
Vocabulary birthright savory subtle Discussion Questions 1. What did Isaac ask Esau to fix for him? 2. Who overheard Isaac s request? 3. What did Rebekah instruct Jacob to do? Why? Key People, Places, and Events Isaac Jacob Esau Rebekah 4. How did Jacob trick Isaac? 5. How did Esau react to Jacob s deceit? 6. To where did Jacob flee? Genesis 27:1 Genesis 28:22 Genesis 27 27 And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his eldest son, and said unto him, My son: and he said unto him, Behold, here am I. 2 And he said, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death: 3 Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison; 4 And make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die. 5 And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it. 6 And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying, 7 Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the LORD before my death. 8 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee. 9 Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats; and I will make them savoury meat for thy father, such as he loveth: 10 And thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, and that he may bless thee before his death. 11 And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man: 12 My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing. 13 And his mother said unto him, Upon me be thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me them. 14 And he went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother: and his mother made savoury meat, such as his father loved. 15 And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son: 16 And she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck: 17 And she gave the savoury meat and Page 75
the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob. 18 And he came unto his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I; who art thou, my son? 19 And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy first born; I have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me. 20 And Isaac said unto his son, How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because the LORD thy God brought it to me. 21 And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not. 22 And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau. 23 And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau's hands: so he blessed him. 24 And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am. 25 And he said, Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son's venison, that my soul may bless thee. And he brought it near to him, and he did eat: and he brought him wine and he drank. 26 And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son. 27 And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the LORD hath blessed: 28 Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine: 29 Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee. 30 And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting. 31 And he also had made savoury meat, and brought it unto his father, and said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his son's venison, that thy soul may bless me. 32 And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn Esau. 33 And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? where is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed. 34 And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father. 35 And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing. 36 And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me? 37 And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son? 38 And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, Page 76
even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept. 39 And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above; 40 And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck. 41 And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob. 42 And these words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah: and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him, Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching thee, doth comfort himself, purposing to kill thee. 43 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran; 44 And tarry with him a few days, until thy brother's fury turn away; 45 Until thy brother's anger turn away from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him: then I will send, and fetch thee from thence: why should I be deprived also of you both in one day? 46 And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me? Genesis 28 1 And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan. 2 Arise, go to Padanaram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother's father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother's brother. 3 And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people; 4 And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham. 5 And Isaac sent away Jacob: and he went to Padanaram unto Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob's and Esau's mother. 6 When Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob, and sent him away to Padanaram, to take him a wife from thence; and that as he blessed him he gave him a charge, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan; 7 And that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and was gone to Padanaram; 8 And Esau seeing that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father; 9 Then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham's son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife. 10 And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. 11 And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. 12 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. Page 77
13 And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; 14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 15 And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. 16 And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not. 17 And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. 18 And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. 19 And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first. 20 And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, 21 So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God: 22 And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee. Page 78
L e s s o n T w o H i s t o r y O v e r v i e w a n d A s s i g n m e n t s Jacob and Esau Isaac Blessing Jacob, by José de Riberia (1591-1652), 1637 Reading and Assignments Read the article: Jacob and Esau. After reading the article, summarize the story you read by either: Retelling it out loud to your teacher or parent. OR Completing an appropriate notebook page. Either way, be sure to include the answers to the discussion questions and an overview of key people, places, dates, and events in your summary. Explore the following website: The Story of Jacob and Esau https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brwq pjkfdni Be sure to visit www.artioshcs.com for additional resources. Key People, Places, and Events Esau Isaac Rebekah Jacob Discussion Questions 1. Why was receiving the birthright so important in a Jewish family? 2. Describe Esau. 3. Describe Jacob 4. Which of the twins did Isaac prefer? 5. Which of the twins did Rebekah prefer? 6. How did the heart of Jacob reveal itself when he deceived his father? 7. How did the descendants of Esau fall away from the Lord? 8. Where did the descendants of Esau settle? Page 79
Adapted for Elementary School from the book: The Wonder Book of Bible Stories Arranged by Logan Marshall Jacob and Esau After Abraham died, his son Isaac lived in the land of Canaan. Like his father, Isaac had his home in a tent. Around him were the tents of his people, and many flocks of sheep and herds of cattle feeding wherever they could find grass to eat and water to drink. Isaac and his wife Rebekah had two children. The older was named Esau, which meant red, and the younger s name was Jacob, which meant deceiver. Esau was a man of the woods and very fond of hunting, and he was rough and covered with reddish hair. Jacob was quiet and thoughtful, staying at home, dwelling in a tent and caring for the flocks of his father. Isaac loved Esau more than Jacob because Esau brought to his father what he had killed in his hunting. But Rebekah liked Jacob, because she saw that he was wise and careful in his work. Among the people in those lands, when a man dies, his older son receives twice as much as the younger of what the father has owned. This was called his birthright, for it was his right as the oldest born. So Esau, as the older, had a birthright to more of Isaac s possessions than Jacob. And besides this, God had promised that the family of Isaac should receive great blessings. Now Esau, when he grew up, did not care much for his birthright or the blessing which God had promised. But Jacob, who was a wise man, wished greatly to have the birthright which would come to Esau when his father died. Once, when Esau came home, hungry and tired from hunting in the fields, he saw that Jacob had a bowl of something that he had just cooked for dinner. And Esau said: Give me some of that red stuff in the dish. Will you not give me some? I am hungry. And Jacob answered, I will give it to you, if you will first sell me your birthright. And Esau said, What is the use of the birthright to me now, when I am almost starving to death? You can have my birthright if you will give me something to eat. Then Esau made Jacob a solemn promise to give to Jacob his birthright, all for a bowl of food. It was not right for Jacob to deal so selfishly with his brother, but it was very wrong in Esau to care so little for his birthright and God s blessing. Some time after this, when Esau was forty years old, he married two wives. Many men in those days married more than one woman, even though that was not God s way. Even worse, Esau s two wives were women from the people of Canaan, who worshiped idols and not the true God. And they taught their children also to pray to idols. In this way Esau s descendants lost all knowledge of God and became very wicked. But this was long after that time. Isaac and Rebekah were very sorry to have their son Esau marry women who prayed to idols and not to God. But Isaac still loved his energetic son Esau more than his quiet son Jacob. But Rebekah loved Jacob more than Esau. Isaac became at last very old and feeble, Page 80
and so blind that he could see scarcely anything. One day he said to Esau: My son, I am very old and do not know how soon I must die. But before I die, I wish to give to you, as my older son, God s blessing upon you and your children, and your descendants. Go out into the fields, and with your bow and arrows shoot some animal that is good for food, and make for me a dish of cooked meat such as you know I love, and after I have eaten it I will give you the blessing. Now Esau ought to have told his father that the blessing did not belong to him, for he had sold it to his brother Jacob. But he did not tell his father. He went out into the fields hunting, to find the kind of meat which his father liked the most. Now Rebekah was listening and heard all that Isaac had said to Esau. She wanted Jacob to have the blessing rather than Esau, because she loved Jacob more than Esau. So she called to Jacob and told him what Isaac had said to Esau, saying: Now, my son, do what I tell you and you will get the blessing instead of your brother. Go to the flocks and bring to me two young goats, and I will cook them just like the meat which Esau cooks for your father. And you will bring it to your father, and he will think that you are Esau and will give you the blessing. But Jacob answered, You know that Esau and I are not alike. His neck and arms are covered with hairs, while mine are smooth. My father will feel me and will find that I am not Esau. Then, instead of giving me a blessing, I am afraid that he will curse me. But Rebekah answered her son, Never mind, just do as I have told you and I will take care of you. If any harm comes it will come to me, so do not be afraid but go and bring the meat. Then Jacob went and brought a pair of young goats from the flocks, and from them his mother made a dish of food just as Isaac liked it. Then Rebekah found some of Esau s clothes and dressed Jacob in them, and she placed on his neck and hands some of the skins of the goats, so that his neck and his hands would feel rough and hairy to the touch. Then Jacob came into his father s tent, bringing the dinner, and speaking as much like Esau as he could, he said: Here I am, my father. And Isaac said, Who are you, my son? And Jacob answered, I am Esau, your oldest son. I have done as you bade me. Now sit up and eat the dinner that I have made, and then give me your blessing as you promised me. And Isaac said, How is it that you found it so quickly? Jacob answered, Because the Lord your God showed me where to go and gave me good success. Isaac did not feel certain that it was his son Esau, and he said, Come near and let me feel you, so that I may know that you are really my son Esau. And Jacob went up close to Isaac s bed, and Isaac felt his face, and then his neck and his hands, and he said: The voice sounds like Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau. Are you really my son Esau? And Jacob told a lie to his father, saying, I am. Then the old man ate the food that Jacob had brought to him, and he kissed Jacob. Then, believing him to be Esau, he gave him the blessing, saying: Page 81
May God give you the dew of heaven and the richness of the earth, and plenty of grain and wine. May nations bow down to you and peoples become your servants. May you be the master over your brother, and may your family and descendants that shall come from you rule over his family and his descendants. Blessed be those that bless you, and cursed be those that curse you. Just as soon as Jacob had received the blessing he rose up and hastened away. He had scarcely gone out when Esau came in from hunting, with the dish of food that he had cooked. And he said to Isaac: Let my father arise and eat the food that I have brought, and give me the blessing. And Isaac answered, Why, who are you? Esau replied, I am your son. Your oldest son, Esau. And Isaac trembled, and said, Who then is the one that came in and brought to me food? I have eaten his food and have blessed him. Yes, and he shall be blessed. When Esau heard this, he knew he had been cheated and he cried aloud with a bitter cry, O, my father, my brother has taken away my blessing, just as he took away my birthright! But can you not give me a blessing too? Have you given everything to my brother? And Isaac told him all that he had said to Jacob, making him the ruler over his brother. But Esau begged for another blessing, so Isaac said: My son, your dwelling shall be of the riches of the earth and of the dew of heaven. You shall live by your sword, and your descendants shall serve your brother s descendants. But in time to come they shall break loose and shall shake off the yoke of your brother s rule and shall be free. All these things came to pass many years afterward. The people who came from Esau lived in a land called Edom, in the southern part of the land of Israel, near where Jacob s descendants lived. And after a time the Israelites became rulers over the Edomites. Eventually the Edomites freed themselves from the Israelites. But all this took place hundreds of years afterward. It was better that Jacob s descendants, those who came after him, should have the blessing than that Esau s people should have it, for Jacob s people worshiped God, while Esau s people walked in the way of the idols and became wicked. Page 82
L e s s o n T h r e e H i s t o r y O v e r v i e w a n d A s s i g n m e n t s The Ladder that Reached to Heaven Jacob s Ladder, artist unknown Reading and Assignments Read the article: The Story of the Ladder that Reached to Heaven. After reading the article, summarize the story you read by either: Retelling it out loud to your teacher or parent. OR Completing an appropriate notebook page. Either way, be sure to include the answers to the discussion questions and an overview of key people, places, dates, and events in your summary. Listen to the performance of the Spiritual We Are Climbing Jacob s Ladder shown below. What do you think the words mean? Page 83
Create your own Jacob s Ladder https://s-media-cacheak0.pinimg.com/originals/26/27/c8/2627c8920d3d16bd4a12bb96b937241d. jpg Explore the following websites: Lyrics to Jacob s Ladder http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/folk-songlyrics/jacobs_ladder.htm Performance of We Are Climbing Jacob s Ladder https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6nb1zqjssu Be sure to visit www.artioshcs.com for additional resources. Key People, Places, and Events Esau Isaac Rebekah Laban Jacob Rachel Leah Joseph Discussion Questions 1. Who lived in Haran? 2. Why was Jacob sent to visit these relatives? 3. Describe the dream that Jacob had on his journey. 4. What did God promise Jacob? 5. How did Jacob respond to this dream and promise? 6. What did he name this place? 7. Who did Jacob love and want to marry? 8. What did he have to do to marry her? 9. How did Laban deceive Jacob? 10. Of what does this deception remind you? Adapted for Elementary School from the book: The Wonder Book of Bible Stories Arranged by Logan Marshall The Story of the Ladder That Reached to Heaven After Esau found that he had lost his birthright and his blessing, he was very angry against his brother Jacob. He said to himself and told others: My father Isaac is very old and cannot live long. As soon as he is dead, then I shall kill Jacob for having robbed me of my right. 1 When Rebekah heard this, she said to Jacob, Before it is too late, go away from home and get out of Esau s sight. Perhaps when Esau sees you no longer, he will forget his anger and then you can come home again. Go and visit my brother Laban in Haran, and stay with him for a time. We must remember that Rebekah came from the family of Nahor, Abraham s younger brother, who lived in Haran, a long distance northeast of Canaan, and that Laban was Rebekah s brother. Page 84
So Jacob went out of Beersheba, on the border of the desert, and walked alone, carrying his staff in his hand. One evening, just about sunset, he came to a place among the mountains, more than sixty miles distant from his home. And as he had no bed to lie down upon, he took a stone and rested his head upon it for a pillow, and lay down to sleep. And on that night Jacob had a wonderful dream. In his dream he saw stairs leading from the earth where he lay up to heaven, and angels were going up and coming down upon the stairs. And above the stairs, he saw the Lord God standing. And God said to Jacob: I am the Lord, the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac your father, and I will be your God, too. The land where you are lying all alone shall belong to you and to your children after you, and your children shall spread abroad over the lands, east and west, and north and south like the dust of the earth, and through your family all the world shall receive a blessing. And I am with you in your journey, and I will keep you where you are going and will bring you back to this land. I will never leave you, and I will surely keep my promise to you. And in the morning Jacob awakened from his sleep and said: Surely, the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it! I thought that I was all alone, but God has been with me. This place is the house of God it is the gate of heaven! And Jacob took the stone on which his head had rested and set it up as a pillar, and he poured oil on it as an offering to God. And Jacob named that place Bethel, which in the language that Jacob spoke means The House of God. And Jacob made a promise to God at that time, saying: If God really will go with me and keep me, and will give me bread to eat and will bring me to my father s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God, and this stone which I have set up as a pillar shall be the house of God, and of all that God gives me I will give back to God one tenth as an offering. Then Jacob went onward in his long journey. He walked across the river Jordan in a shallow place, feeling his way with his staff. He climbed mountains and journeyed beside the great desert on the east, and at last came to the city of Haran. Beside the city was the well, where Abraham s servant had met Jacob s mother, Rebekah. There, after Jacob had waited for a time, he saw a young woman coming with her sheep to give them water. Then Jacob took off the flat stone that was over the mouth of the well and drew water and gave it to the sheep. And when he found that this young woman was his own cousin Rachel, the daughter of Laban, he was so glad that he wept for joy. And at that moment he began to love Rachel and longed to have her for his wife. Rachel s father, Laban, who was Jacob s uncle, gave welcome to Jacob and took him into his home. And Jacob asked Laban if he would give his daughter Rachel to him as his wife, saying, If you give me Rachel, I will work for you seven years. And Laban said, It is better that you should have her than that a stranger should marry her. So Jacob lived seven years in Laban s house, caring for his sheep and oxen and Page 85
camels, but his love for Rachel made the time seem short. At last the day came for the marriage, and the bride was brought in. After the manner of that land, she was covered with a thick veil so that her face could not be seen. And she was married to Jacob. But the next morning he found that he had not married Rachel, but her older sister Leah, who was not beautiful, and whom Jacob did not love at all! Jacob was very angry that he had been deceived, although that was just the way in which Jacob himself had deceived his father and cheated his brother Esau. But his uncle Laban said: In our land we never allow the younger daughter to be married before the older daughter. Keep Leah for your wife and work for me seven years longer, and you shall have Rachel also. For in those times, as we have seen, men often had two wives, or even more than two. So Jacob stayed seven years more, fourteen years in all, before he received Rachel as his wife. While Jacob was living at Haran, eleven sons were born to him. But only one of these was the child of Rachel, whom Jacob loved. This son was Joseph, who was dearer to Jacob than any other of his children, partly because he was the youngest, and because he was the child of his beloved Rachel 1.Scripture references are paraphrased throughout. Page 86