Curriculum
Jacob and Rachel
Memory Verse:
“God isn’t a mere human. He can’t lie. He isn’t a human being. He doesn’t change his mind. He speaks, and then he acts. He makes a promise, and then he keeps it.” Numbers 23:19
Bible Background
What Kids Will Learn
There was quite a bit of trickery happening in Jacob’s family. Jacob was both the deceiver and the one being deceived. While people can trick us, God keeps His promises to us.
Scripture Summary
Jacob, Isaac’s son, was living with his relative Laban and his family. Jacob had fled for his life after Esau, Jacob’s brother, had plotted to kill Jacob. Jacob had offered Esau a bowl of stew in exchange for Esau’s first-born birthright.
While living with Laban, Jacob had begun to work for him and his estate. Laban offered to pay Jacob for his work. Jacob, instead, asked for the hand of Laban’s younger daughter, Rachel.
It was customary at the time for a man to offer a dowry, an expensive gift, to a woman’s family. This was to help offset the cost of losing the girl and her work for the family. Jacob didn’t have the wealth or possessions to offer a dowry, so Jacob provided the gift of his work for seven years.
Then Laban tricked Jacob. Laban hadn’t told Jacob of another custom where the older daughter is to be married before the younger daughter could consider marriage. Scholars offer a couple of reasons how Jacob could have married Leah by mistake. As the Scripture mentioned, it was evening (and dark) when Laban brought Leah to Jacob. Also, the customary dress for a wedding feast included heavy clothing and a thick veil. Jacob was unable to see well.
Jacob was angry when he found out Laban had tricked him. The one who tricked Esau out of his birthright was now the one being tricked. Even though he was angry, Jacob still wanted to marry Rachel and continue with the plan God had for his life. Laban gave Rachel to Jacob after another week, and Jacob agreed to work another seven years.
Why Is This Important
In the midst of such trickery, Jacob stood strong and worked long and hard for the end goal to marry Rachel. God was with Jacob throughout his life, and Jacob trusted God and His plan. We, too, can trust God to keep His promises even when things get hard.
Teacher Devotion
Scripture
God’s Promise of His Presence
“So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)
“For God has said, ‘I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.’” (Hebrews 13:5)
There are many promises that God makes throughout the Bible. Promises of unconditional love, of salvation, of an eternal home, of His good plans for your life. God also promises each of us His presence.
God is everywhere, all the time, so we are never alone.
The first passage, from Deuteronomy, takes place when Moses is at the end of his life. He’s passing the baton to Joshua. While Moses knew he would not enter the Promised Land, he was inspiring Joshua to lead God’s people, the Israelites, across these final steps of deliverance.
The second passage, from Hebrews, directly references what Moses said back in Deuteronomy. Paul, the writer of Hebrews, concludes his letter to Christians by gathering his last vital words of loving others well. He speaks of not loving money and quotes God’s promise of His presence.
When you’re facing a new responsibility or a new chapter in your life, know that God is with you. When you’re leading others, know He will not forsake you. When you’re attempting to love others, even the hard- to-love, know that God will never fail you. When you face financial hardships and want so desperately to seek money first as the solution, know that He will never abandon you.
God promises to never leave us. And God keeps His promises. Regardless of our circumstances, we can trust Him to keep His promises.
Prayer
Dear God, thank You for always being with me. When I’m on the mountaintop and even when I struggle, I know that You are with me. Always. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Bible Memory Verse
You’ll Need: Fine-tipped markers, Wooden tongue depressors - eight, per child, Rubber bands - one per child
SAY: Now let’s learn and practice our Bible memory verse! Remember, Laban broke his promise to Jacob after Jacob worked for seven years to keep his word. Finally, Laban kept his promise and let Rachel marry Jacob. Even though Laban didn’t keep his promise very well, God always keeps His word. And God had promised Jacob He would watch over him and wouldn’t leave him—and God kept His word.
Show kids the tongue depressors.
SAY: These are called tongue depressors. The doctor might use them to push down your tongue to examine your mouth. They’re a reminder that we make promises to others with words that come off our tongue. So let’s use them to learn our Bible memory verse today!
- Give each child a marker and three tongue depressors.
- Help children each write the Bible memory verse spread over three tongue depressors as follows:
- “God makes a promise,
- and then he keeps it.”
- Numbers 23:19
Practice the verse aloud together.
Encourage children to take their tongue depressors home in the rubber band and say the verse to their parents.
Interactive Bible Experience
You’ll Need: Bible, Six paper plates, Markers
Get Ready: Create six plates with the following simple drawings on them. Cat Dog Lizard Cow Monkey Snake
SAY: In today’s Bible lesson, Laban made a promise to Jacob that he didn’t keep. God always keeps His promises, and He wants us to do the same.
Read aloud Genesis 29:25.
SAY: We make promises, too. Sometimes we keep our promises, and sometimes we break them. Let’s play a game to see what that’s like.
Here’s how to play.
- Explain that to play the game, kids have to promise to act out whatever animal they choose from the plates.
- Mix up the plates and spread them animal-side-down on the floor so only the blank sides are visible.
- Take turns having kids choose a plate. Whatever they pick, the child pretends to be that thing. Afterward, replace the plates.
- Play so everyone gets to draw a plate at least once.
After the game, ASK:
- You kept your promise by pretending to be whatever you chose from the plates. How did you like keeping your promise?
SAY: In our activity, you had to be silly and pretend to keep your promise. But in real life, our promises are important and they matter to other people. When we make a promise, God wants us to keep it.
ASK:
- How do you think Jacob felt when Laban broke his promise?
PRAY: God, thank You for keeping Your promises to us. Thank you for being here to help us. Please help us faithfully keep the promises we make to others. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Snack
Can-Do Snacks
You’ll Need: Any individually wrapped snack favorites, Sanitizing hand wipes
SAY: In today’s Bible lesson, we learned that even though Laban didn’t keep his promise at first, God always keeps His promises. God loves us and wants us to love others by keeping the promises we make. He promises to never leave us and to help us—and that includes helping us keep our promises.
Invite children to come up, one by one, and make a promise to do something they know they can do in the coming week—or even right there on the spot.
As kids make their promise and take a snack, SAY: I promise to pray for you this week.
And then, keep your promise!
Game
Find Rachel Game
You’ll Need: A small female doll
Explain to kids that they’ll be playing a game called “Find Rachel.” Play the game like this:
- Have kids lie on the floor with their eyes closed.
- Hide the doll somewhere in the room.
- Have kids open their eyes and guess where the doll is.
- After three incorrect guesses or a correct guess, play again.
- Play several rounds.
Afterward, ASK:
- What helped you guess where Rachel was?
- What made it hard to guess where Rachel was?
SAY: Sometimes it was hard to find Rachel. In the same way, it was hard for Jacob to work for 14 years to get Rachel as his wife.
Craft
His Promises Craft
You’ll Need: “Jacob and Rachel” How-to Video, Various colors of construction paper, Scissors, Glue sticks, Markers
Help children follow these steps to create a “His Promises” craft to remind them that God always keeps his promises.
- Use a marker to trace the outline of kids’ hands on one piece of construction paper.
- Cut out the hands.
- Choose another color of construction paper and cut it into a hori- zontal strip about 4X2 inches.
- Use a glue stick to attach hands to each end of the strip, creating “sleeves.”
- Write “God always” on the palm of the left hand outline and “keeps His promises” on the palm of the right hand.
- Encourage kids to decorate the center strip with things that remind them of God’s love.
- Show kids how the hands can loop together as if they’re shaking on a promise made.
SAY: Laban didn’t keep his promise to Jacob at first. Finally, he changed his mind and kept his promise. But God always keeps His promises to us. Jacob’s story is a good reminder that God wants us to keep our promises to each other. These two hands show us that a promise is kind of like a handshake.
Prayer
Promise Prayer
You’ll Need: “His Promises” Craft Markers
Have children turn over their “His Promises” craft. Help them write or draw things they want to promise to do this week, such as say hi to a new friend, take care of a pet, or help a parent.
Encourage kids to only include promises they really feel they can keep. Encourage them to check off each promise they keep this week.
PRAY: Dear God, thank You for promising good for Your children. We know we can trust You to always keep Your promises. Please help us keep our promises, too. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
