Who were Isaac and Rebekah’s twin sons?

Esau, who was born first, and Jacob, whose hand took hold on Esau’s heel (Genesis 25:25–26).

What were the two brothers like?

Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents (Genesis 25:27).

What did Esau sell his birthright for?

Bread and pottage of lentiles (Genesis 25:34).

Free Bible lesson for kids · Abraham, Isaac and Jacob

Esau Sells His Birthright

Isaac prayed for Rebekah, and God gave them twin sons, Esau and Jacob, and told her, “The elder shall serve the younger.” Esau grew up a cunning hunter and Jacob a plain man dwelling in tents. One day Esau came in from the field faint and hungry, and he sold his birthright, the special place of the firstborn, to Jacob for a bowl of red pottage.

Teach this lesson: film, sheets and guide Print the coloring page

Bible passage: Genesis 25:19–34
Big idea: God’s promises are worth more than anything we want right now.
Memory verse: Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. Colossians 3:2 (KJV)
Ages: Preschool to preteen (3 to 12), with tips for each age
Time: About 45 minutes
Included, free: Animated story film, coloring page, class sheet, teacher guide, questions and answers, a game

The story

Rebekah had no children, so Isaac prayed for her, and the LORD answered (Genesis 25:21). God told her that two nations were in her womb and “the elder shall serve the younger” (Genesis 25:22–23). Twin boys were born: first Esau, red and hairy, and then Jacob, holding on to Esau’s heel (Genesis 25:24–26). Esau became a cunning hunter, and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents (Genesis 25:27).

One day Esau came in from the field faint and said, “Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage” (Genesis 25:29–30). Jacob asked Esau to sell him his birthright, the special honor of the firstborn son (Genesis 25:31). Esau said he was about to die, “and what profit shall this birthright do to me?” (Genesis 25:32). So he sold it for bread and lentil stew, and “Esau despised his birthright” (Genesis 25:33–34).

Read it in the Bible: Genesis 25:19–34 (KJV)

¹⁹And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham begat Isaac: ²⁰And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian. ²¹And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. ²²And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD. ²³And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger. ²⁴And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. ²⁵And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau. ²⁶And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau’s heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them. ²⁷And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents. ²⁸And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob. ²⁹And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint: ³⁰And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom. ³¹And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. ³²And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? ³³And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. ³⁴Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.

Questions to ask

Who were Isaac and Rebekah’s twin sons?
Esau, who was born first, and Jacob, whose hand took hold on Esau’s heel (Genesis 25:25–26).
What were the two brothers like?
Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents (Genesis 25:27).
What did Esau sell his birthright for?
Bread and pottage of lentiles (Genesis 25:34).

What this story teaches

God hears prayer, even when the answer takes years (Genesis 25:20–21, 26).
God knows the future before it happens (Genesis 25:23).
Wanting something right now can lead to foolish choices (Genesis 25:32–33).
God’s blessings are worth more than one meal (Hebrews 12:16).
We should set our hearts on things above (Colossians 3:2).

Jesus Brings a Better Inheritance

Esau traded his birthright for one meal. Through Jesus, God gives believers an inheritance in heaven that can never fade away.

1 Peter 1:3–4

A 45-minute lesson plan

5 min	Welcome and pray. Greet each child by name and pray: Ask God to help us treasure His promises more than the things we want right now.
10 min	The story. Play the story film: each verse appears on screen in the King James Version while the scene plays. Pause to ask what happens next.
10 min	Talk about it. Ask the three questions below. Then ask: “God’s promises are worth more than anything we want right now.” What does that mean for us?
5 min	Memory verse. Say Colossians 3:2 together, covering one word at a time until the children can say it alone.
10 min	Activity. Younger children color the coloring page while you retell the story; older children do the class sheet (memory-verse fill-in, word search and questions).
5 min	Pray and send home. Pray together and send the sheet home so families can talk about the first question this week.

Preschool: keep it short and physical. Act out the story, use a simple prop, and repeat the big idea in one sentence.
Elementary: let children find the passage in their own Bibles. Ask “who, what, where” questions first, then “why.”
Preteens: read the verses before and after the passage, and ask how this story fits the whole story of the Bible.

Game time

For kids · game · indoors · about 10 minutes

What’s It Worth?

You need: Picture cards: a candy bar, a toy, a bowl of soup, a family, a Bible, a friend, God’s love

Teams line up the cards from least to most valuable.
Compare the teams’ orders and talk about the differences.
Ask: what did Esau trade for a bowl of soup?

Esau traded something precious for a bowl of stew. Let’s value what God gives us.

For youth group · game · indoors · about 5 minutes

Now or Later?

You need: Wrapped candy

At the start, offer everyone one candy now, or three if they wait until the end of youth group.
Keep track of who waits.
At the end, pay out and talk: when is it hard to wait for something better?

Esau wanted what he could have right now. God’s blessings are worth waiting for.

Pray

Ask God to help us treasure His promises more than the things we want right now.