For Young People

Appreciate Sacred Things!

Instructions: Do this exercise in quiet surroundings. As you read the scriptures, imagine that you are part of the event. Visualize the scene. Hear the voices. Feel the emotions of the characters. Let the account come to life.

Main characters: Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Esau

Summary: Esau sells his birthright to his twin brother, Jacob.

1 ANALYZE THE SCENE.​—READ GENESIS 25:20-34.

What characteristics did Jacob and Esau display even while still in the womb?

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How do you picture the physical appearance of Jacob and of Esau as young men?

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What emotions do you sense in the conversation between Jacob and Esau in verses 30 to 33?

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DIG DEEPER.

Using research materials at your disposal, find out something about the rights of the firstborn son. Why were these rights important? What was the significance of selling these rights for a bowl of stew?

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2 ANALYZE THE SCENE.​—READ GENESIS 27:1-10, 30-38.

What emotion do you sense in Esau’s voice when he realized that his brother had received the blessing of firstborn?

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DIG DEEPER.

Was it wrong for Rebekah and Jacob to maneuver events so that Jacob received the blessing? Why, or why not? (Clue: See Genesis 25:23, 33.)

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3 APPLY WHAT YOU LEARNED. WRITE DOWN WHAT YOU LEARNED ABOUT . . .

The long-term consequences of instant gratification.

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FOR FURTHER APPLICATION.

What sacred things have been entrusted to you?

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In what specific ways can you show that you value sacred things?

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4 WHAT ASPECT OF THIS ACCOUNT IS MOST MEANINGFUL TO YOU, AND WHY?

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If you don’t have a Bible, ask Jehovah’s Witnesses for one, or read it online at www.watchtower.org