Gathering 

1. Choose one or the other option, as each represents a different theme:

a. What delicacies would you order for your ‘last’ meal? What ‘wild game’, if any, do you enjoy eating?

b. Were you ever successful in deceiving or fooling someone else? In hindsight, what are your thoughts about pretending to be someone else?

Backstory

Paternal twins, Esau and Jacob, are about to be launched from home. This story marks a major turning point in their lives resulting from their mother Rebekah’s dream during pregnancy, their memorable delivery from her womb, parental favoritism, and a father’s cultural mandate. Rebekah asked God why the twins in her womb were wrestling. God replied in a dream that the younger would rule over the older. Esau birthed first with Jacob grasping his heel. The twins’ names fit their descriptions at birth: Esau, red and hairy; Jacob, heel-grabber. Isaac (the father) favored Esau because he became a hunter, and Rebekah liked Jacob because he preferred domestic life. As this story begins, Isaac is about to fulfill his duty to bless his firstborn, Esau, with a prophecy about what his future holds. Rebecca jumps into action to help fulfill the prophecy about Jacob. The result of their actions ruptures the family, but God isn’t done with them yet.

God’s Story

Read Genesis 27: 1-40 as a script for a scene in a play by assigning the following roles: Narrator, Rebekah, Jacob, Isaac, and Esau. If your group is less than five, some may have to do multiple roles. As an alternative, have one reader use different voices for each character.

Finding My Story in God’s Story

2. When have you been with a person near the end of their life?

    1. I don’t know. I’ve never had that experience.
    2. I don’t know, but I would like to have that experience.
    3. I heard things from them that I never thought I would hear.
    4. I felt blessed to be there, sharing the divine appointment.
    5. Other __________.

3. Put yourself in Esau’s place. What are you thinking about your dad’s request?

    1. My dad’s dying, I’ll do whatever he asks. No doubt about it.
    2. My dad’s dying, and I question why this strange final request.
    3. Oh no, I haven’t seen, much less killed, a deer in a long time. I’m going to fail.
    4. For joy, I’m finally going to get my inheritance.
    5. Other __________.

4. If you were Jacob, what would be your thoughts upon hearing your mother’s commands?

    1. Really? I can’t believe she wants me to do this.
    2. She’s my mother and I should obey her.
    3. Yeah, I would like to get my father’s blessing.
    4. I don’t think this will work.
    5. Other __________.

5. You are Rebekkah’s best friend, listening to her recount this story. What might you hear her say as she told you about this event?

    1. God said Jacob would get the blessing, and I am simply fulfilling the prophecy.
    2. You’ve heard it said, “God helps those who help themselves.” Right?
    3. I’ve always loved Jacob more than Esau.
    4. I didn’t care what it cost. This had to be done.
    5. Other __________.

6. Imagine being blind Isaac. How would you react to this event, after it ends?

    1. Damn eyesight! If only I had trusted my gut instincts.
    2. Find me a loophole in the Torah, maybe I can still rectify this.
    3. I can’t object, as God must have meant this to happen.
    4. This is a terrible switcheroo, but life’s not fair.
    5. Other __________.

7. Can you make a list of “blessings” (positive or negative) you received from your father?

8. How do you think your father could have blessed you better?

9. What blessing from your family do you want to pass on to future family generations?

10. What family “blessing” do you want to leave behind?

Our Story

11. If you have more than five group members, gather into sub-groups of three or four. If you have five members or less, stay as one group.

  1. Spend 30 seconds thinking about how the other members of your sub-group have demonstrated a Jesus-like character.
  2. Put one person at a time, in the “center of attention.” The other sub-group members will then bless the person in the “center of attention” by sharing the following sentence. “(Name), I want to thank you, for how you’ve shown (a Jesus-like characteristic) toward me/us. May God bless you!” After blessing the first person, move on to the second person until all group members have been blessed.
  3. The group leader will close the meeting with a brief blessing prayer for the entire group.