FYI-Scroll to the bottom of the screen to see the following:
(1) Clickable links of Debbie Dunn's books published on Amazon
(2) Blog Archives
(3) About Me - Debbie Dunn: Professional Storyteller & Published Author

Wednesday, July 22, 2026

Bible tale: Jacob and Esau

Jacob and Esau
from Genesis 25-27
re-told by Debbie Dunn




















  • Story Highlights:
    * Isaac & Rebekah had 2 fraternal sons who looked and acted nothing alike.
    * In exchange for a meal, Esau gave away his birthright inheritance to Jacob.
    * Jacob cheated Esau out of their father's special deathbed blessing.




Narrator #1: God waited 20 years before blessing Isaac's wife, Rebekah, with not just one baby - but twins. However, the two babies were nothing alike.



Prayer and God clip designed by Debbie Dunn using PowerPoint & Paint

Narrator #2: One day, Rebekah prayed, "Lord, it feels like my babies are fighting inside of me. Why is this happening to me?"


God text

Father God: The sons in your womb will become two nations. From the very beginning, the two nations will be rivals. One nation will be stronger than the other, and your older son will serve your younger son.



Narrator #1: The baby who came out first was red and covered with thick hair, similar to a fur coat. They named him Esau [Ee-saw]. He was his father's favorite - perhaps because he became a skilled hunter and a good cook.


Narrator #2: His mother's favorite was Jacob. He came out, holding Esau's heel. He wasn’t hairy. He was quiet, polite, and preferred being indoors. He also was the long-ago grandpa of Mary, the mother of Jesus.


Narrator #1: Jacob was clever. He managed to cheat Esau out of both his birthright inheritance and their father's special deathbed blessing reserved for the oldest son. How did that happen?


Narrator #2: Let's imagine you are Esau's close friend. Listen to his two sad stories about sneaky Jacob. Esau might have said:


Narrator #1: Hey, Pal! Have you ever been so hungry that you made some bad decisions as a result? That's what I did. I came home one day feeling like I was starving for something to eat.


Narrator #2: Then, I saw the delicious-smelling lentil stew Jacob was making. I said, "Hey, Jacob, I am so hungry that I think I might die! Would you please share that food with me?"


Narrator #1: Jacob only agreed to give me some if I promised to give him my birthright inheritance, which would give him a double portion and make Jacob my leader.


Narrator #2: I was too hungry to think straight, so I said, "Okay, I swear. My birthright is yours." As I ate the stew and bread he gave me, I mistakenly thought it was worth it.





















Esau must have not just been hungry, he was hangry. Therefore, he made an impulsively bad decision.



Narrator #1: I lived to regret that decision. From that point forward, my parents and others criticized me for showing disrespect for my rights as the firstborn. If only I would think more before making bad choices!


Narrator #2: After I turned 40, Jacob did something even worse to me! That cheater stole my special blessing from our dying father!


Narrator #1: My father, who was old and nearly blind, asked me to go out hunting to make him his favorite dish. He promised that after he ate it, he would give me a special blessing reserved for the oldest son. I agreed!


Narrator #2: A few hours later, I returned from hunting and cooked up Father's favorite dish. I entered the room just as Jacob was leaving.


Narrator #1: I was so focused on giving my beloved father his favorite meal before he passed away that I failed to notice something. Jacob was wearing one of my outfits and had goat skin covering his hands, arms, and neck. That way, I guess, he would smell and feel like me.


Narrator #2: Little did I know that my mother had cooked up two young goats from our flocks and prepared them using MY special recipe. She helped Jacob convince our father that he was me.


Narrator #1: So that cheater Jacob received the special blessing instead of me. What was the blessing my father gave Jacob?


Narrator #2: My regretful father revealed, "I have made Jacob your master and have declared that all his brothers will be his servants. I have guaranteed him an abundance of grain and wine. What is left for me to give you, my son?"


Narrator #1: I broke down in tears and begged for at least one blessing from my father. So he said, "You will live by your sword, and you will serve your brother. But when you decide to break free, you will shake his yoke from your neck."


Narrator #2: From that time on, I hated Jacob for stealing my blessing. I even hatched a plan to kill Jacob after our father had died.


Narrator #1: But I was going to be cheated out of that, as well. You see, my mother got my father to agree to send Jacob to visit her brother, Laban [lay-bn], in Haran [heh-ruhn] until I cooled down.


Narrator #2: None of us could have ever guessed that Jacob would be gone for almost 20 years or that he would become the father of twelve sons and one daughter.


Narrator #1: At the end of those 20 years, would I decide to forgive him? I guess we all will just have to wait and see.


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 the role-play about Jacob & Esau – fraternal twin sons of Isaac & Rebekah


Do you want more stories about Isaac & Rebekah – the parents of Jacob & Esau? If so, visit the chapter called ISAAC & REBEKAH from my EXPLORE BIBLE STORY dot org website.


Click here to get more stories about ISAAC & REBEKAH – the parents of Jacob & Esau.


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
Labels: , ,
Location: Athens, AL, USA

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)