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Friday, August 14, 2026

Bible tale: Part 5 of 5 - Jacob’s Adventures in Love & Trickery

 Part 5 of 5 - Jacob’s Adventures in Love & Trickery

Genesis 32-35

re-told by Debbie Dunn










Story highlights:

* Rachel died after giving Jacob 2nd son Benjamin.

* Jacob had 4 wives (Leah + servant & Rachel + servant) - 12 sons & 1 daughter

* Jacob & Esau reconciled their differences & parted in peace after 20 years 



Bible role-play begins:


Narrator #1: Hi from Leah! Here is my final story. My, oh, my! Talk about an adrenaline rush!

 

Narrator #2: Now that our father Laban returned home without attacking us, we had to worry about Jacob's brother Esau, who might still want to murder Jacob in revenge.


Narrator #1: Why? Because 20 years before, Jacob cheated his twin brother, Esau, out of his birthright and firstborn inheritance rights.

 

Narrator #2: Jacob traveled 450 miles to stay with his Uncle Laban to escape Esau and to marry one of his daughters.


Narrator #1: As you know, he ended up marrying me, Leah, my younger sister, Rachel, and our two handmaidens: Bilhah and Zilpah.

 

Narrator #2: Between all of us, he has eleven sons and one daughter. Rachel hopes to give him one more.


Narrator #1: One night, after Jacob met a few angels of God, he decided to send Esau a message.

 

Narrator #2: The messengers traveled to Esau's home in the land of Seir, in the country of Edom.


Narrator #1: The message stated, "Your servant Jacob says that he has been staying with our Uncle Laban all these years. He is returning home and hopes to find favor in your eyes."

 

Narrator #2: Instead, his messengers reported that Esau was coming to meet us with 400 men. YIKES!


Narrator #1: Scared, Jacob divided us up into two groups. He thought, "If Esau comes and attacks one group, the group that is left may escape."

 

 



Narrator #2: Jacob prayed to God for help and protection from Esau.


Narrator #1: "God, 20 years ago, I crossed the Jordan River holding only a staff. I am returning home with two camps filled with women, children, and all the belongings you blessed me with."

 

Narrator #2: "Please remember your promise that our descendants would match the countless number of grains of sand of the sea."


Narrator #1: Jacob decided to give Esau a generous gift of five herds of animals: Goats, Sheep, Camels, Cattle, and Donkeys. 

 

Narrator #2: Jacob instructed each group to tell Esau that these animals were a gift from Jacob and that Jacob was coming behind them.  


Narrator #1: Then, Jacob took his wives, children, and possessions, and left them on one side of a stream. Jacob went to the other side of the stream to have a night of prayer.

 

Narrator #2: The next morning, Jacob came limping back to join us. When we asked him why he was limping, he explained that he spent the night wrestling with an angel that looked like a man.


Narrator #1: They wrestled so hard that it dislocated Jacob's hip socket. Even so, Jacob refused to let the angel go until he received a blessing.

 

Narrator #2: When Jacob told the angel his name, the angel of God said these words.

 



















 Angel of God: Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.



\\





Narrator #1: Jacob told us that he called this place Peniel [PEH-nee-el]. Why? "It is because I saw God face to face, and yet He spared my life."

 

Narrator #2: When Esau and his men were almost upon us, Jacob divided us into three groups.


Narrator #1: The first group to greet Esau would be the two handmaidens with their two sons each.

 

Narrator #2: My six sons, one daughter, and I would be the next group to greet Esau.


Narrator #1: Jacob placed Rachel and Joseph in the back.

 

Narrator #2: Jacob then went on ahead of all of us and bowed himself down to the ground 7 times as Esau and his 400 men approached.


Narrator #1: But instead of being angry and attacking us, Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him.

 

Narrator #2: Esau threw his arms around Jacob's neck, kissed him, and they both wept.


Narrator #1: Esau then noticed our three groups of women and children. He asked, "Who are these with you?"

 

Narrator #2: Jacob replied, "They are the children God has graciously given your servant."


Narrator #1: Our three groups, in turn, bowed down to Esau.

 

Narrator #2: Esau then asked, "What's the meaning of all these flocks and herds I met?"


Narrator #1: Jacob said, "To find favor in your eyes, my lord." [FYI - Instead of saying 'sir,' they would say 'my lord.']

 

Narrator #2: Esau did not want to accept his gift, but Jacob insisted. He finally agreed.


Narrator #1: Esau wanted to bring us all to his home in Edom, but Jacob said that we had to travel more slowly as we were a group that included women, small children, and young animals.

 

Narrator #2: So, they parted in peace. We then continued on our way, which would eventually lead us to the land of Jacob's parents and relatives.

 

Narrator #1: A few years after meeting Esau, Rachel gave Jacob one more son. Sadly, she died in childbirth. They called Jacob's 12th son Benjamin.

 











Narrator #2: Eventually, Jacob came home to his father, Isaac, in Hebron.


Narrator #1: When 180-year-old Isaac breathed his last, Esau and Jacob worked together to bury him.

 

Narrator #2: END OF SKIT. Let's give our volunteers a great big hand!



Are you a Bible enthusiast or do you lead a Youth Group or Family Bible Study? To get a FREE PDF download of this story, click on this link below:


Free PDF download of Part 5 of 5 - Jacob’s Adventures in Love & Trickery.


Do you want more stories about Jacob, his four wives, his 12 sons, & 1 daughter? If so, visit the JACOB chapter from my EXPLORE BIBLE STORY dot org website.


Click here to get more stories about Jacob.



My ever-expanding Explore Bible Story dot org website includes Bible stories and Biblical Family Trees about



Explore Bible story dot org Business Card designed by Debbie Dunn using PowerPoint
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Bible tale: Part 4 of 5 - Jacob’s Adventures in Love & Trickery

Part 4 of 5 - Jacob’s Adventures in Love & Trickery

Genesis 30-31

re-told by Debbie Dunn













Story highlights:

* God told Jacob to return to his parents after 20 years

* Jacob took his family to Canaan while Laban was shearing sheep

* God intervened so that though Laban chased after Jacob- they parted in peace


Bible role-play begins:


Narrator #1: One day, after our husband Jacob had been working for our father Laban for 20 years, he sent a message to my sister and me.

 

Narrator #2: Jacob asked us to meet him in the field where his flocks of sheep, goats, cows, camels, and donkeys were.


Narrator #1: As a reminder of our complicated tale, Jacob was married to 4 women.

 

Narrator #2: I, Leah, was the woman my father tricked him into marrying. I was able to give him six sons and one daughter.


Narrator #1: The woman he wanted to marry, my younger sister Rachel, became Jacob's second wife. She had to wait 14 years before finally giving him a son named Joseph.

 

Narrator #2: Fearing she might never have children, she had Jacob marry her handmaid, Bilhah. They had two sons.


Narrator #1: Then, I gave him my handmaid, Zilpah, to marry. They also had two sons.

 

Narrator #2: Jacob worked 14 years to pay for two of his four wives and six years to earn a salary of flocks of his very own.


Narrator #1: When my sister and I reached the field, Jacob told us, "I have news to report. I will repeat what God told me."

 

 Father God: Jacob, the time has come for you to return to the land of your father and relatives. At all times, I will be with you.

 

Narrator #2: Rachel and I had such mixed feelings about our father. We loved him, of course, but we also resented that he kept finding ways to cheat Jacob out of his wages.


Narrator #1: We said to our husband, "Doesn't our father regard us like property? Not only did he sell us two to you, but he was also greedy by cheating you out of some of your wages."

 

Narrator #2: We thought a bit and then concluded, "So do whatever God has told you."


Narrator #1: While our father was off shearing sheep, Jacob loaded all of us up on camels. We started on our way to return to the land where Jacob had lived with his parents.

 

Narrator #2: Jacob took only the livestock that belonged to him and all the property he had gathered in the last six years.


Narrator #1: When our father Laban heard that we had left, he spent seven days chasing us down.

 

Narrator #2: The night before he reached us, God came to Laban in a dream and said these words.





 Father God: Laban, be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad. In other words, you must not hurt or harm him in any manner.


Narrator #1: When Laban finally caught up with Jacob, Jacob reminded him of the following: "In all the 20 years I worked for you, you changed my wages 10 times."

 

Narrator #2: "If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and Isaac, had not been with me, you would surely have sent me away empty-handed."


Narrator #1: Jacob continued, "But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands. And last night, he rebuked you."

 

Narrator #2: Eventually, Laban said, "As long as you promise not to take a fifth wife, I will return home in peace."


Narrator #1: Before he left, he kissed my sister, me, and all of his grandchildren. He even gave all of us a blessing.

 

Narrator #2: END OF SKIT. Let's give our volunteers a great big hand!



Are you a Bible enthusiast or do you lead a Youth Group or Family Bible Study? To get a FREE PDF download of this story, click on this link below:


Free PDF download of Part 4 of 5 - Jacob’s Adventures in Love & Trickery.


Do you want more stories about Jacob, his four wives, his 12 sons, & 1 daughter? If so, visit the JACOB chapter from my EXPLORE BIBLE STORY dot org website.


Click here to get more stories about Jacob.



My ever-expanding Explore Bible Story dot org website includes Bible stories and Biblical Family Trees about



Explore Bible story dot org Business Card designed by Debbie Dunn using PowerPoint
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , ,
Location: Athens, AL, USA

Bible tale: Part 3 of 5 - Jacob’s Adventures in Love & Trickery

Part 3 of 5 - Jacob’s Adventures in Love & Trickery

Genesis 30

re-told by Debbie Dunn














Story highlights:

* Rachel asked Jacob to give her child by servant Bilhah like Sarah did with Abraham 

* To have more sons -Leah convinced Jacob to marry servant Zilpah

* Rachel finally gave birth to Joseph after 14 years


Bible role-play begins:


Narrator #1: Hi, again! It is Leah, the first but not the favorite wife of our cousin Jacob.

 

Narrator #2: Who was Jacob's favorite wife? It is my younger sister, Rachel. Sigh!


Narrator #1: It hurts my heart to say this, but I know that she is the one woman he truly loves. Double sigh!

 

Narrator #2: God took pity on my hurting heart and blessed me with four sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah.


Narrator #1: As for my sister, she has not managed to get pregnant even though Jacob spends most of his nights with her.

 

Narrator #2: Rachel was so sad and jealous that she had no children, she decided to copy something that our Grandma Sarah did when she could not get pregnant for years and years and years.


Narrator #1: When Grandpa Abraham was 75 and Grandma Sarah was 65, God promised them a son. They waited with great excitement for it to happen.

 

Narrator #2: But when ten years had gone by, Sarah came up with a desperate plan.


Narrator #1: Instead of having faith that God would keep His promise, she decided to allow her husband to take her servant Hagar as his second wife.

 

Narrator #2: She thought that if they had a child, she could pretend that the child was hers instead of Hagar's. Hagar did have a son whom they named Ishmael [ish-may-ell].

 

Narrator #1: It was not a great plan, as this caused a lot of sorrow, jealousy, and bitterness between the two women!

 

Narrator #2: It was not God's plan for this to happen, but He had mercy on Sarah anyway.


Narrator #1: Fifteen years later, when Grandma Sarah was 90 years old and Grandpa Abraham was 100 years old, God worked a miracle.

 

Narrator #2: The two of them finally had a son whom they named Isaac. By the way, Isaac is the father of Jacob and my father-in-law.


Narrator #1: My sister must have forgotten all the negative parts of that story and only remembered the part where Sarah got to pretend that her servant's child was her very own.

 

Narrator #2: So, one day, Rachel went to Jacob and shared her plan with him.


Narrator #1: She said, "Here is Bilhah, my servant. Sleep with her so that she can bear children for me, and I, too, can build a family through her."

 

Narrator #2: Just as my sister hoped, Jacob and her servant had two sons: Dan and Naphtali [naf-taa-lee].


Narrator #1: After her servant gave birth to her second son, Rachel bragged, "I have had a great struggle with my sister, and I have won."

 

Narrator #2: Since it had become like a competition, I decided to do the same.


Narrator #1: I know now that it was not God's will for me to do this. But, in any case, I had Jacob marry my servant, Zilpah, as well.

 

Narrator #2: They had two sons together, whom I considered my own: Gad and Asher.


Narrator #1: So, in case you have lost count, Jacob now had four wives and eight sons.

 










Narrator #2: One day, during wheat harvest, my oldest son, Reuben, came home with a mandrake plant.


Narrator #1: We grew up hearing stories that a mandrake plant could help a woman get pregnant.

 

Narrator #2: Rachel begged me to give her that mandrake plant. Instead of trusting God to give her a child, she wanted to put her faith in a plant.


Narrator #1: I made a bargain with Rachel. "If I give you that plant, you must allow Jacob to come and spend the night with me."

 

Narrator #2: Rachel agreed. She said, "Very well. He can sleep with you tonight in return for your son's mandrakes."


Narrator #1: I walked up to Jacob when he came in from the fields that evening.

 

Narrator #2: I then said, "You must sleep with me tonight. I have hired you with my son's mandrakes."


Narrator #1: I put my faith in God. And sure enough, He allowed me to give Jacob a fifth son, whom we named Issachar [iss-uh-kar].

 

Narrator #2: As for Rachel, that mandrake plant did not help her get pregnant. But God blessed me with a sixth son and then a daughter: Zebulun [zeh-byoo-luhn] and Dinah.


Narrator #1: Finally, after many years, God remembered Rachel, listened to her prayers, and enabled her to conceive.

 

Narrator #2: Fourteen years after her wedding day, Rachel finally had a baby boy whom they named Joseph.


Narrator #1: Rachel said, "God has taken away my disgrace. May the Lord add to me another son."

 

Narrator #2: Would my sister and Jacob have a second son? Tune in next week to find out.


Narrator #1: END OF SKIT. Let's give our volunteers a great big hand!


Are you a Bible enthusiast or do you lead a Youth Group or Family Bible Study? To get a FREE PDF download of this story, click on this link below:


Free PDF download of Part 3 of 5 - Jacob’s Adventures in Love & Trickery.


Do you want more stories about Jacob, his four wives, his 12 sons, & 1 daughter? If so, visit the JACOB chapter from my EXPLORE BIBLE STORY dot org website.


Click here to get more stories about Jacob.



My ever-expanding Explore Bible Story dot org website includes Bible stories and Biblical Family Trees about



Explore Bible story dot org Business Card designed by Debbie Dunn using PowerPoint
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , ,
Location: Athens, AL, USA
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