VERSES: Genesis 29:1-30
MEMORY VERSE: Genesis 29:20 "...and they seemed unto him but a few days for the love he had to her."
BOOK TO REMEMBER: 2 Chronicles. Write "2 Chronicles" on slips of paper and hand out to students at the end of class.
PRAYER: Pray safe journeys for all those traveling to and from Bible class. Be thankful for families.
SPECIAL SONG: The Old Testament Books (see March - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #3 on this blog).
VISUAL AID: Folded Picture (Make a larger Activity-see below for directions)
LESSON POINTS:
- Last week we left Jacob travelling back to his father, Isaac's, homeland, Haran. Remember Jacob's dream? The angels were going up and down the ladder in his dream! Jacob kept traveling and finally came into an eastern land. He saw a well out in the field with flocks of sheep lying by it. This was a well that had a great big rock covering the opening of the well. When all of the sheep arrived by the well, they uncovered the well and let the sheep drink, then they rolled the stone back on top.
- Jacob walked up to the well and asked the men who were with the sheep, "Where are you from?" Do you know what they said? Haran! That's where Jacob was going! Jacob asked them if they knew Laban and they said yes! They knew him! Jacob asked if Laban was well and they said that he was well and his daughter, Rachel, was bringing up the sheep! While Jacob was talking to the shepherds about watering the sheep, Rachel came up with her father's sheep and Jacob rolled back the stone on the well and watered the flock.
- Jacob kissed Rachel and, because he was so happy, tears fell from his eyes! Jacob told her that he was Laban's nephew and Rebekah's son. Rachel ran to tell her father the news that Jacob was there at the well. When Laban heard that Jacob was at the well, he ran to meet him and hugged him and kissed him and took him to his house and Jacob stayed there a month.
- Now, Laban had two daughters. The oldest daughter's name was Leah, and the youngest daughter was named Rachel. Leah was "tender-eyed" or her eyes were pretty, but Rachel was beautiful and everyone liked her. After a while, Laban asked Jacob what he should get paid for all the work he was doing for him. Jacob loved Rachel and he said, "I will work for you seven years for Rachel, your youngest daughter to marry her." Laban agreed and Jacob worked hard for seven years to get to marry Rachel. Let's turn to Genesis 29:20 and see how Jacob felt about all that work. (Read verse.) Let's put our bookmark right here. How did Jacob feel about working seven years for his wife? All those years seemed like no time at all because Jacob loved Rachel!
- Jacob worked hard for one year, for two years, for three years, for four years, for five years, for six years, and for SEVEN years and finally Jacob told Laban, "OK. My seven years is up. Now I get to marry Rachel." Laban threw a huge feast that lasted a whole week. Back in those days, when the bride got married, she had a veil over her face and you couldn't really see her face at all. So they got married and the next day, Jacob discovered that it wasn't Rachel who he married! It was her older sister Leah!! Jacob found Laban and said, "What have you done to me!! Did I not work for you seven year for Rachel? Why have you tricked me?" Laban answered and said, "In our country, the older daughter must be married first before the younger ones can be married. Go through this week and I will give you Rachel for a wife as well, if you will work for me seven more years." Jacob agreed and then received Rachel as a bride as well, but still had to work another SEVEN years for her. How many years that he work for Rachel all together? FOURTEEN years! That's a lot of work!!
"Older Student" Tips:
- Talk about how in the beginning it was Jacob who was the 'trickster' or the one who tricked his father, Isaac, for the blessing and now...he is the one being tricked.
- Discuss how getting married in different lands can be quite different than the country in which we live.
Materials needed: white typing paper, crayons, scissors.
- The Bible teacher or the student can fold a paper lengthwise and cut along the folded edge to create papers for two students.
- Folding carefully, make edges meet in the middle and fold. (See picture above.)
- Open the paper flat.
- Draw Jacob on one side near the edge pointing outside. Draw Rachel the same way. (See picture below.)
- Draw the well in the middle and the sheep all around, completing with green hills. (See picture below).
- Turn paper over and draw "14 years" in the middle of the paper. (See picture below.)
- Fold the paper so that Jacob and Rachel meet in the middle (See picture at the top of this page.)
