Confirmation 10/21/20: Jacob & Esau (Genesis 25, 27, 29, 33)
Intro
Questions:
·
Do
any of you have an interesting birth story?
·
Are
you a “mommy’s girl/boy” or a “daddy’s girl/boy”?
·
Have
you ever made a poor swap/trade with a sibling? How did it happen?
· Have you ever deceived someone or tried to cover something up? Why? How did it make you feel?
Read
Genesis 25:21-28
·
What
did God say to Rebekah through prayer when she asked him about “the jostling in
her belly”?
·
Who
was born first? Describe each brother, along with what their names mean. Who
will rule over the other?
· Generally when we hear the circumstances of a birth, it means that someone pretty special is being born. How do you think this birth story is similar to the most important birth story of Jesus? Different?
Read
Genesis 25:29-34
·
What
is a birthright and why do you think it was so important to Jacob?
·
Why
do you think Esau was willing to part with his birthright so quickly?
o
In
what ways do we choose “temporary value” over “eternal value” (like Esau
choosing to satisfy his hunger instead of choosing birthright)?
·
Do
you think this was a fair trade by Jacob?
·
Do
you think Esau regretted giving up his birthright?
·
Does
this change how we view Jacob?
· How might this point to God’s plan? Review what God told to Rebekah before they were born.
Read
Genesis 27:1-17 (pause to recap) then 18-29 (pause to recap) then 30-40 (recap)
·
Since
God had chosen Jacob to inherit the promises God made to Abraham and Isaac, was
it wrong for Jacob and Rebekah to use trickery to get it, even if it appeared
that Isaac was going to give Esau the blessing? Why or why not?
·
Are
God’s promises (covenants) dependent on cultural custom (e.g. birthright) or
human virtue (e.g. trickery)? What does this tell us about God?
·
How
do you think Esau felt when he learned Jacob has taken his blessing? How do you
think Jacob felt?
·
What’s
so important about a blessing?
·
When
Isaac realized he was tricked, why didn’t he revoke the blessing and then bless
Esau instead?
·
With
God choosing Jacob, does that mean he is better than Esau? Why?
·
We
get a brief glimpse into the brothers’ lives years later. How would you assess
their success?
·
How
do you think Jacob was feeling before meeting Esau? See Genesis 32:11.
·
We
last heard from Esau and he was very angry. How do we find him now? Does this
surprise you?
·
Why
do you think Esau was so willing to forgive?
·
Can
you think of anything you need to forgive someone for? What about forgiveness
you need to receive?
·
What
do we value most when we are willing to forgive?
·
What
do we need to do to receive forgiveness from God?
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