Overview Creation The Garden of Eden The First Sin Cain and Abel The Tower of Babel God's Promises to Abram Sarah is Promised a Child The Sacrifice of Isaac Hagar & Ishmael Isaac & Rebekah Esau & Jacob Jacob's Dream Jacob gets Two Wives Jacob Wrestles Joseph, his Colourful Coat, and his Dreams Joseph's Brothers Forgiven

Bible Texts:

Genesis 32:22-31

 

Children's Bible Story sources:

"Jacob's Return," DK Children's Illustrated Bible, p.55

"Jacob Wrestles," Spark Story Bible, p.46

"A strange wrestling match" DK Children's Everyday Bible, p.34

 

Children's Story Resources

 

It Could Always Be Worse by Margot Zemach

A simple villager living in a crowded house goes to the Rabbi for help and discovers things can get worse.
How these stories are connected: Wrestling with the things in our lives takes on new perspective when we bring God and faith into the picture. The poor unfortunate man wrestled with a small living space and Jacob wrestled with the events of his life. A change of perspective was good for both of them.

 

Questions about It Could Always Be Worse:

     Why did the man go to see the Rabbi?

     Why do you think the Rabbi told him to bring the animals into the hut?

     At the end of the story, the hut was exactly the same as at the beginning. Why was the man             happy with that?

 

Questions about the Bible story:

     Why do you think the man was wrestling Jacob?

     Why do you think Jacob wanted to be blessed?

     How do you think wrestling with God changed Jacob’s life?

 

Questions about our lives:

     Is God with you when you are wrestling with difficult things?

     How do you know?

 

Prayer

Dear God, Let us know you are with us when things in our lives are difficult. Help us to always give thanks for what we have. Amen.

 

Sam and Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Jon Klassen

Two boys dig a hole and quickly become obsessed with finding something spectacular.

  

How these stories are connected: Sam and Dave work hard to find something spectacular. As thy dig, diamonds appear all around them, but they never find them. They finally discover the most spectacular thing of all. Jacob wrestles too, but with someone spectacular he doesn’t recognize. Help children see that good things are not always readily seen and that hard work and wrestling with difficult things can lead to blessing.

 

Questions about Sam and Dave Dig a Hole:

     Why did Sam and Dave dig a hole?

     Where were the spectacular things?

     Why didn’t they see them?

     What happened in the end?

 

Questions about the Bible story:

     Why do you think the man wrestled with Jacob?

     Why didn’t Jacob want to let him go?

     How did the man bless Jacob?

     Who was the man?

 

Questions about our lives:

     What things are hard for you to do?

     What happens when you struggle with hard things?

     How do hard things in life bless us?

 

Prayer

Dear God, thank you for being with us when we struggle with hard things. Stay with us until the things that are hard for us turn into blessings. Help us give thanks for the blessings in our life and the things that are hard, too. Amen.