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Having deceived his brother and father, Jacob escaped to relatives in Haran. During the journey, Jacob dreamed of a stairway between heaven and earth on which angels were ascending and descending to the Lord at the top. God reassured Jacob of his blessing and promise. Undeserving as he was, this promise sustained Jacob over the next twenty years as he worked for his uncle Laban and built a family and wealth. Eventually, Jacob returned to his home and was surprised to find that his brother, Esau, welcomed him with open arms.
Bible verses used in this episode:
Genesis 28:10-33:20
Outline:
- Jacob encounters God at Bethel (Genesis 28:10-22)
- A growing family and trickery at Haran (Genesis 29-31)
- Jacob returns to Canaan and makes peace with his brother, Esau (Genesis 32:1-33:11)
- Jacob’s family makes their home in the land of Canaan (Genesis 33:12-20)
Tips for teaching children:
- Dress up as one of the characters and tell the story from that character’s point of view
- Designate one area as “Canaan” and the other as “Haran.” Move between the areas as you tell the story. (Start in Canaan, go to Haran, and come back home to Canaan.)
- Make a craft involving a ladder. Alternatively, make a ladder of pretzel sticks and little marshmallows.
- Draw a family tree with Jacob, his wives and children.
Tips for teaching adults:
- This story is quite long (6 chapters), so it would be helpful to summarise it for your students instead of trying to go into too much detail or read the entire passage of Scripture. Use the outline above to help summarise, and then use the main points of the outline as "talking points." Draw questions from one or two sections of the story. For example, relate questions to Jacob’s dream of the ramp to heaven and his wrestling with God.
- Alternatively, spread the story over four teaching sessions. Refer to the outline above and cover one of the four points per session.
- To help students relate to the story, you might use one or more of these discussion starters:
- Which character do you identify with (or have at some point in your life)? Explain.
- How does Jacob’s character change throughout this story?
- God uses a scoundrel like Jacob to move his plans to bless the nations through him. What does this tell you about God?
Full teaching instructions free from Mission Bible Class:
Bible Lesson: Jacob Goes to Haran
Scriptures quoted from the International Children’s Bible®, copyright ©1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy Nelson. Used by permission.
Excerpts from Mission Bible Class used by permission.
Music: Upbeat Positive Culture (Acoustic Corporate Travel Promo Christian Rock), Individual License, Stock Media provided by HumansWin, pond5.com
For questions or comments email: mary@missionbibleclass.org
