When Jacob was still on his journey to his homeland, he sent messengers to Esau his brother. And he said, “Tell my brother that your servant Jacob has been with Laban until now: I have oxen, asses, flocks, menservants, and womenservants. May I find grace in thy sight.”

And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We went to your brother Esau, but he came to meet thee with four hundred men.”

Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed. He divided the people that were with him, the flocks, herds, and camels into two groups. He said, “If Esau comes to one company and smites it, then the other company will escape.”

Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the LORD which said to me, ‘Return to your country and your kindred, and I will deal well with you.’ I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth, which you have shown to your servant. I am become two bands. Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children. You said, ‘I will surely do you good and make your seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’”

Jacob lodged there that same night and took animals to present to Esau: 200 she goats, and 20 he goats, 200 ewes, and 20 rams, 30 milch camels with their colts, 40 kine or cows, 10 bulls, 20 she asses, and 10 foals. Jacob gave them to his servants in separate droves or groups. He said to them, “Put a space between drove and drove. And when Esau meets you and asks you, ‘Whose are you? And are you going? And whose are these in front of you?’ Then thou will say, ‘They are your servant Jacob's. It is a present for you my lord Esau and also those behind us.’ And say further, your servant Jacob is behind us. He said, ‘I will appease him with the presents, and then I will meet him to see if he accepts of me.’”

Then that night, Jacob rose up and took his two wives, and his two womenservants, and his eleven sons, and sent them on their way.

Then Jacob was left alone. It was that night that Jacob wrestled with a man until the break of day and could not prevail. The man touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh, and it became out of joint. The man said, “Let me go because the sun is rising.” And Jacob said, “I will not let you go until you bless me. And the man said to Jacob, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” And the man said, “Your name shall not be Jacob anymore, but Israel.” And Jacob said to the man, “Tell me, I pray, your name.” And the man said, “Why do you ask my name?” And the man blessed Jacob there. Jacob called the name of the place Peniel because I have seen God face to face and my life is preserved.

Then Jacob saw Esau coming with four hundred men. And he divided the children unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto the two handmaids. He put the handmaids and their children in front, and Leah and her children after them, and Rachel and Joseph after them. Jacob went and bowed to the ground seven times until he came to his brother. Esau ran to Jacob and embraced him, fell on his neck, kissed him, and they wept.

When Esau saw the women and the children, he said, “Whose are those?” Jacob said, “God has graciously given the children to your servant.” Then the handmaidens and their children came near and bowed. Leah also with her children came near and bowed. And then came Joseph and Rachel and they bowed.

Then Jacob said, “What is meant by all these droves that I saw?” And Jacob said, “These are to find grace in your sight my lord.” Esau said, “I have enough my brother. Keep these things for yourself.” Then Jacob said, “Nay, I pray, if I have found grace in your sight, then receive my present. Take my blessing that is brought for you because God has dealt graciously with me, and I have enough.” And after Jacob urged him, Esau took it.

Esau said, “Let us journey together. I will go before you.” And Jacob said, “My lord, the children are tender, the flocks and herds are with young. If we overdrive them one day, all the flock will die. Let my lord lead on softly as the cattle can handle and the children are able to endure, until I come to you my lord in Seir.” And Esau said, “Let me leave some folk that are with me.” And Jacob said that it was not necessary.

CHARACTER LESSON

DO THOSE THINGS THAT ARE PLEASING IN GOD’S SIGHT (1 John 3:22)

When Herod lost self-control, became very angry, and took out his anger upon the city of Bethlehem, it shows how we need to be in self-control or we could do foolish or hurtful things as well. Letting anger be displayed and having those feelings inside is not being like Jesus. When we do not get our way, we need to be in self-control

When Joseph immediately did what the angel said to do, this showed what all of us are to do. When mommy or daddy tell you to do something, it should be done and done right away.

For Jesus to become strong in spirit and filled with wisdom, He had to be listening to what His parents taught, especially from the Bible called the scriptures. There is time for play and time for doing work but also make sure you have time for the Bible. Instead of always reading and listening to stories not from the Bible, try reading and listening to more of those that are from the Bible.

When Mary and Joseph left Jerusalem thinking Jesus was with them, they were actually being careless. They assumed that Jesus was with them and did not check. We need to be careful about what we assume. Do not be afraid to ask questions when we are not sure.

When Jesus asked questions of the teachers, which were men who know the scriptures, Jesus asked questions about God and about a godly life. That should be on our minds frequently as well.

When the Bible says that Jesus was subject to His parents, He did those things that were right to do and did not do those things that were wrong or ever say, “But I want…” He thought of others first.

Mary, Jesus’ mother, kept certain things that she observed inside and did not tell anyone at that time. It is not necessary for mom or dad to see every picture you draw or building you build. Sometimes you can just keep it inside and maybe at a more appropriate time share everything at once. Mary told about all these things many years later. How do we know? Because it is written in the Bible.

Before Jacob would meet with his brother Esau, he humbled himself. Though Jacob had become very wealthy, he showed himself to be willing to allow Esau to command him and for Jacob to be Esau’s servant. This is why Jacob called Esau “my lord”. So even though we may be in a better position than a brother or sister, we must not think of ourselves as better but think of how to keep happiness in the family.

When the messengers returned to Jacob and said that Esau was coming with four hundred men, they assumed it was for war or to hurt Jacob and his men. This caused great stress and uneasiness. In fact, Jacob wasted his time in planning how to have his family survive if Esau and the four hundred men tried to hurt him and his family. In the end, Esau was not intending to hurt Jacob but to offer assistance.

When Jacob would not let go of the angel until he was blessed it shows us to not easily give up in what we do. It might be hard to pick up all the toys, but you can do it if you do not give up. Many things are difficult in life, but by depending upon Jesus and not giving up, you can make it through the difficult things.

When Esau met Jacob, instead of Esau being angry still with what Jacob did to him years ago, Esau forgave Jacob because he saw that Jacob had been sorry for what he had done. When a brother or sister is sorry for what they do to you, it is right to forgive them as well and not bring it up to them again.

When Jacob offered a present to Esau of the animals he had, this showed that he wanted to have a close relationship with his brother. Willingly to share what we have also creates closer relationships.

Esau offered protection to Jacob showing that we should protect our brothers and sisters as well, making sure that they do not get hurt.

NATURE LESSON

And the earth brought forth... the tree yielding fruit, whose seed [was] in itself, after his kind: and God saw that [it was] good. (Genesis 1:12)

When a seed is in the ground with air, water, and sunlight it will grow. First, the roots form a strong hold so it will be well rooted. Then the trunk will grow and eventually develop into a tree.

Applied spiritually, to develop into a Christian, the first step is to be rooted. What would a Christian be rooted to? “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love” (Ephesians 3:17). We are to be rooted in love. Love to God above all things and love to everyone else. The first thoughts should be always, “Is this what God would have me do” and “Is this good for other people”. If you wonder how to love God and everyone else, Jesus said, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second [is] like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:37-40). All of God’s ten commandments are found in the two great commandments of love. And Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). The first four commandments show our love to God and the last six show our love to everyone else.

How does one become rooted? “Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:7). We are to be taught in the faith. We are to be taught what the Bible teaches. We are to be taught what Jesus said.

In addition, the Bible says, “If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and [be] not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, [and] which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister” (Colossians 1:23). Listening to the preacher preach and going to church is where we are to become grounded in addition to home training.

Another word in the Bible that means rooted is the word “ground” or “grounded”. And the Bible says, “But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). Truth, which is to be found at church, is very important. Depending upon how one feels is not grounded because feelings change. Truth never changes. There will be days that one feels like doing the truth while other days they do not feel like doing it. Truth did not change - the feelings did. People feel like eating a certain food one day and not the next. Children especially feel like being friends one day and not the next and then being friends again.

So where do you find the truth so you may be grounded or rooted? The Bible says that the Bible is truth (John 17:17). God’s law is truth (Psalms 119:142). And Jesus is the truth (John 14:6). So by studying the Bible, obeying God’s law, and following Jesus, especially in His examples and manner, we will be grounded and no one will be able to push us over like a tree in a storm that does not have deep roots.

HEALTH LESSON

Whether Therefore Ye Eat, Or Drink, Or Whatsoever Ye Do, Do All To The Glory Of God (1 Corinthians 10:31)

The Second Meal of the Day:

Five to six hours after you are done eating that big breakfast that got you through the morning, the stomach will be ready for a big lunch to get you through the afternoon. If a snack is eaten in between breakfast and lunch, lunch would not be considered a second meal - the snack would be. So it is important to eat enough for breakfast so as to make it all the way until lunch - five or six hours after breakfast.

At first, you may not be able to make it six hours in fact you may not make it five hours especially if you are used to eating a mid-morning snack. The body has been trained to expect food at that time and even after eating enough for breakfast, the body will feel hungry when really it is not. Try some cold water.

Also, all the food that you ate for breakfast should be completely out of the stomach by four hours leaving the last hour or two with the “all gone” feeling. This should be treated as the beginning of the process of developing an appetite for lunch. In other words, this is the body preparing for lunch.

Now lunch should be the second biggest meal. Some go as far as to say that it should be half the size of breakfast. If you had a piece of fruit and a slice of toast for breakfast that does not leave much for lunch. Instead, you should have had a lot for breakfast so that half that size would still be a lot of food for lunch.

In eating a big lunch, the body will then have the needed nourishment and strength to last the remainder of the day. Eating a big lunch allows the body time to digest the food before going to sleep.

At the second meal, try eating whole-grains, nuts, legumes, and plenty of vegetables. If there is no appetite for a big lunch, a snack eaten after breakfast and not yet digested may be the reason.

Variety will make the lunch interesting and desired as well as increase the nutrients. Remember, eat the same type of food prepared in different ways instead of so many different items on the table. The body can digest the food easier that way.

Genesis 32:24-25 “And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.”

MATCHING: For each item in the first column, write in the letter for the description from the second column.

___ 1. Bethlehem ___ 2. Egypt ___ 3. Esau ___ 4. God ___ 5. Jacob ___ 6. Israel ___ 7. Nazareth

A. Finally prevailed in wrestling all night B. Seen face to face C. The land where Mary, Jesus, and Joseph fled to escaping Herod D. The man approaching with four hundred other men E. The new name given to Jacob F. The town where Herod murdered many innocent children G. The town where Jesus grew up

[Answers to June 2002 matching: 1=A, 2=B, 3=G, 4=E, 5=D, 6=C, 7=F]

CRYPTIC: Each letter represents a different letter to make a real word. Replace the letter consistently in each word to reveal the verse being quoted. (Hint - the verse is from the one of the Bible lessons.)

B C A	D F E G E	H C I J F B E F A		H C
__ __ __	__ __ __ __ __	__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __		__ __
.
.
K H E A L N	B C A	E M B M G J F,		B C A
__ __ __ __ __ __	__ __ __	__ __ __ __ __ __ __		__ __ __
.
.
H C	O B P L G J	K H M Q	R L A	B C A
__ __	__ __ __ __ __ __	__ __ __ __	__ __ __	__ __ __
.
.
N B C
__ __ __

[Answers to June 2002 cryptic: Each letter in the puzzle stood the place of a real letter: A=F, B=O, C=R, D=A, E=L, F=T, G=H, H=E, I=C, J=I, K=W, L=G, M=K, N=M, O=N, P=U, Q=D, R=V, T=S. The verse was: Genesis 31:16 “For all the riches which God hath taken from our father, that [is] ours, and our children's: now then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do.”.]

UNSCRAMBLE: Rearrange the letters in the following words to reveal the Bible word. (Hint - the words are based upon the Bible lessons and quoted from the King James Version.)

O C F S K L	D D D E I I V	S A B D N	A S C E L M
__ __ __ __ __ __	__ __ __ __ __ __ __	__ __ __ __ __	__ __ __ __ __ __
.
.
A E N R S T V	D D E G L O	D E E L R S T W	W L L H O O
__ __ __ __ __ __ __	__ __ __ __ __ __	__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __	__ __ __ __ __ __
.
.
A A E H N R T Z	A E O P R S S V	Y E J O N R U	A E E G I L L
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __	__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __	__ __ __ __ __ __ __	__ __ __ __ __ __ __
.
.
D I M O S W	A E R S T T U	A F O R U V	E E G I N P W
__ __ __ __ __ __	__ __ __ __ __ __ __	__ __ __ __ __ __	__ __ __ __ __ __ __

[Answers to June 2002 unscramble: Row 1- DAN, NAPHTALI, GAD, ASHER; Row 2 - ISSACHAR, ZEBULUN, DINAH, JOSEPH; Row 3 - HEROD, JUDAEA, WORSHIP, PRIESTS; Row 4 - TROUBLED, GOVERNOR, MYRRH, GOLD.]

LEARNING ACTIVITIES:

1. Count how many things your mommy or daddy ask you to do remembering that Jesus did the things He was told to do by His parents right away.

2. Find some little stones and see if you can count up to 200 like Jacob did with some goats and lambs.

3. Find a large rock and see how hard it is. Jacob probably used a rock for a pillow.

4. Go to the library, if need be, and find a book with animals and look up camels, goats, lambs, rams, colts, cows, and bulls to see what animals were in Jacob’s flock.

5. Try to memorize Hebrews 13:6 remembering how Jacob was afraid.

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