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Family Blueprint

    by Julianne Bell

Blueprint #15: Jacob and Esau
Date Posted: January 29, 2007

(A family game helps us to learn along with Jacob and Esau that cheating hurts others.)

The Lord gave us the blueprint of His Word to architect our family on Jesus Christ.

Going through the Bible with your family…

Weekly Scripture:
Genesis 25:19-34; Genesis 27

Story:
“Jacob and Esau”

Application:
Cheating Hurts Others.

Summary:
Isaac and Rebekah had no children, so Isaac pleaded with the Lord for Rebekah to have a child and the Lord granted him this desire. Rebekah became pregnant with twins and before they were born the Lord told her the younger of the two would be the more important. The first baby was born and was named Esau and the second was called Jacob. Esau was very hairy and was a hunter. Jacob had smooth skin and stayed around the home. Esau came home one day from hunting and was hungry for a stew Jacob had made. Jacob got Esau to trade his birthright for the stew. When Isaac was old and almost blind, Rebekah and Jacob tricked Isaac into giving Jacob the blessing of the eldest son. Esau wanted to kill Jacob for getting the birthright and the blessing. Isaac sent Jacob away to Rebekah’s brother Laban’s home until Esau calmed down.

Focus:
To teach our children that cheating causes hard feelings and is not trusting God to fulfill His plan.

Finding Christ:
Jacob is seen as a type of Christ and is known as a peaceful man, and Jesus Christ is our Peace.

Live the Lesson:
Pull out a family game. Before hand decide who will be the cheater, preferably one of the parents.

Play the game, but have the one parent blatantly cheat everybody in the game, but deny he is cheating when accused. Continue playing and allow the cheating until the kids finally are fed up with his/her cheating.

Explain to your children that nobody likes to be cheated, nor does anybody trust a cheater. Tell them that just the same way that we are not to control a game through cheating, nor are we to try to control events in our lives by cheating. We need to trust that God’s plan for our lives will come about in His time and in His way. All we need to do is be willing vessels for Him to use.

For more free resources: www.familyblueprint.org

Memory Verse:
“Let brotherly love continue.” Hebrews 13:1

Prayer:
Dear Lord, please help us to trust in Your plan and never cheat others to get what we want.

Living the Life:
This week help your children understand the consequences of cheating and how getting what we think we want can be the worst thing for us.

"'Christ in You...'" from Dale Krebbs

Perilous Times

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Biography Information:
Julianne Bell is blessed with a husband who challenges her to fulfill her calling. Their quiver is overflowing with children ages 3-young adult, one of which has autism.

Family Blueprint has come to fruition as a complimentary service for those seeking creative ways to 'teach them (the words of the Lord) diligently to your children...' Deuteronomy 6:7

Julianne Bell is also a consultant for Once Upon A Family at www.familyblueprint.org/once_upon_a_family.htm This allows her to work from home while homeschooling her children and keeping her ministry website resources free.
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