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Jacob and Esau unite |
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Activity Suggestion: The story could be play by the children. Print and use this text as a script, make costumes for the actors and have fun! | |
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Laban had two daughters. Leah, the oldest daughter, had weak eyes, and Rachel, the youngest daughter, was very beautiful. Jacob was in love with Rachel so Jacob said: "I'll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel." Laban agreed. So Jacob worked seven years to get Rachel. Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife. My time is completed." So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast. But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and she lay in bed with Jacob (Jacob thought she was Rachel). When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, "What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn't I? Why have you deceived me?" Laban replied, "It is not our custom here to give th younger daughter in marriage before the older one. I will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work." And Jacob did so. Jacob took Rachel as his wife also, as it was the custom in that time for a man to have more than one wife. He loved Rachel more than Leah. Leah gave Jacob many sons and Rachel had one son, Joseph. Jacob became very wealthy after twenty one years with Laban. He had many cattle, servants and a large family. Then God said to him: "Return unto the land of your fathers, to your own land, and I will be with you." First Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau. He commanded them, saying: "You shall speak to my lord Esau: 'Your servant Jacob wishes to say that he has flocks, servants and great wealth and he want to find grace in his sight.'" Later, the messengers returned to Jacob, saying: "We went to your brother Esau, and he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him." Jacob was greatly afraid. He prayed to God and remembered God's promise that he will be with him and his descendants. Then Jacob asked his servant to deliver some of his flocks. He said to his servant: "When Esau, my brother, meets you and asks: 'To whom do you belong? Where are you going? And to whom belong those animals before you?' you will answer: 'They are a present for my lord Esau.'" Jacob gave the same order to the second servant, then to the third one who all came behind more possessions to offer to Esau. Jacob thought: "I will appease him with the gift that goes ahead of me, and later I will look at his face. Perhaps he will accept me." So Jacob return home but before he return to the promised land of Canaan, he wrestled with all night with an angel. At daybreak the angel ask Jacob to let him go but Jacob replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." So the angel said: "Your name shall no longer be Jacob but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome." (In doing so Jacob restored man's dominion over the angels).
Jacob went ahead of his two wifes and his children and bowed himself to the ground seven times until he was near to his brother. Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they both wept. *Note: When Esau opened his arms and affectionately welcomed Jacob, they fulfilled the indemnity condition to remove the fallen nature, and for the first time, the Foundation of substance was laid successfully. At last, the Foundation to receive the Messiah was established in Isaac's family. However, God could not send the Messiah at that time. By Abraham's time, fallen people had already built up satanic nations that could easily overpower his family. The Messiah could not have safely come on that foundation. A foundation of a sovereign state was needed to cope with the nations of the satanic world. So, after 400 years, here comes Moses !
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