Deceit and Trickery

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Genesis 27:1-41

TO CHEW ON: "But he said, 'Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing.'" Genesis 27:35


Isaac was old and knew he would soon die. He asked Esau, his favorite son, to catch some wild game and make his favorite food. Then he would say a blessing over him.

Rebekah heard this. She didn’t want Isaac to bless Esau. Jacob was her favorite son. And hadn’t God said to her at the birth of Jacob and Esau, “The older will serve the younger”?

Here’s what happened next. But one of these things is not true. Which one?

1. Jacob brought Rebekah two young goats and she prepared food for Isaac.
2. Rebekah dressed Jacob in Esau’s clothes and covered his hands and neck to smell and feel like Esau.
3. Jacob took Rebekah’s food to Isaac and Isaac ate it.
4. Isaac blessed Jacob after he smelled his clothes and felt his skin to make sure it was Esau.
5. Esau brought prepared food to his father.
6. Isaac told Esau he had already eaten and spoken a blessing – on someone else!
7. Esau didn’t care that Jacob had stolen his blessing.
8. Esau vowed to kill Jacob as soon as their father died.

By tricking Isaac in this way, Rebekah took matters into her own hands. She could have trusted God to see how He would make sure Jacob got the promised blessing. Instead, she did it her way and started a family fight.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to have faith in You to work things out instead of trying to do it my way. Amen.

MORE: Bible Disguises and Masquerades

Other people in the Bible put on disguises to trick people. Match the person with what they did and whom they tried to trick. Here are Bible references to help you:

• Saul - 1 Samuel 28:8

• King Jeroboam’s wife – 1 Kings 14:2

• David – 1 Samuel 21:12-13

• King of Israel – 1 Kings 22:29-30

Answers

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Now - or Later?

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Genesis 25:19-34

TO CHEW ON: "Jacob replied, 'First sell me your birthright.'
'Look, I am about to die,' Esau said. 'What good is the birthright to me?'"Genesis 25:31-32

Though Jacob and Esau (sons of Isaac and Rebekah) were twins, they were far from identical. What things do we know about them that show how different they were? (Genesis 25:27-28)

Esau
1.
2.
3.

Jacob
1.
2.
3.

One day when Esau came back from hunting, Jacob was making stew. When hungry Esau asked Jacob for some stew to eat, Jacob used his cleverness to get Esau to promise him the birthright in exchange for a pot of stew.

A birthright was a big deal. It was what the oldest son in a family inherited. As firstborn of the twins and the oldest son, Esau’s inheritance was twice as big as Jacob’s. The birthright also brought with it the job of being the family leader next to Isaac.

But in one reckless moment, Esau said, “What good is a birthright to me if I die by hunger anyway?” Then he promised Jacob his birthright if he would give him a bowl of stew. Later he regretted this decision with all his heart.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to make decisions based on wisdom, not impulse. Amen.

MORE: Got to have it - NOW!

It’s natural to want things NOW! But insisting we get what we want immediately is often not wise.



Sort these things into two groups.

• Which things satisfy right away and go on the Instant Reward (IR) pile? 

• Which give a reward later and go on the Delayed Reward (DR) pile?

1. ____ Spending all your money on gum and candy.
2. ____ Waiting till mealtime to eat with your family.
3. ____ Spending all your free time on play.
4. ____ Nibbling on snacks whenever you’re hungry, then skipping meals later.
5. ____ Practicing a musical instrument for half an hour a day.
6. ____ Saving your money by putting some in a bank.

Answers

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.