Narrator
Voice of God:
Isaac: Old man, blind, seated and hunched
Jacob: young man with smooth skin
Esau: Hairy man, with a red painted face, painted beard and hair, bow, arrow, dead animal (soft toy)
Rebekah:
Leah:
Rachel:
Bilhah:
Zilpah:
Sheep skin
White t-shirts and pillow for Rebekah.
Dress ups, including at least two suits the same colour, so that Jacob can wear Esau’s clothes.
Microphone and amp.
Plate and cup.
Bow, Arrow, soft toy.
Red face paint/makeup.
Black face paint, draw a beard on Esau.
[NARRATOR]
Previously, in Genesis…
You remember that after many years of waiting, Abraham and Sarah had a baby, a boy, Isaac.
God promised that Isaac would inherit everything.
And Isaac grew up.
[Isaac walk out and wave to the crowd.]
And we saw, last week, that Isaac had to get married.
You can’t produce offspring like sand on the beach without a wife!
And so, God provided … Rebekah.
[Rebekah walks out, she and Isaac hold hands. Thumbs up to the crowd. ]
Young, beautiful, talented, and best of all, someone who would worship YHWH, the God of Abraham and Isaac.
Well, of course, Isaac and Rebekah needed to reproduce if God was going to keep his promise to Abraham.
But unfortunately, for 20 years, they were unable to have any children.
[Isaac and Rebekah look sad.]
But Isaac prayed for Rebekah.
[Isaac kneels down to pray.]
And God heard Isaac’s prayer.
Rebekah became pregnant.
[Rebekah sticks a pillow under her sloppy jo!]
But it wasn’t a good pregnancy.
There was kicking and punching and all round biff.
[Move the pillow around violently. Isaac looking very worried.]
And Rebekah said,
“If this keeps going, I don’t want to live!”
[Rebekah repeats.]
And God said to Rebekah:
[VOICE OF GOD]
“Two nations are in you."
[Rebekah and Isaac looking to the skies, wondering where the voice is coming from.]
“One nation will be stronger than the other."
“The older will serve the younger”
[NARRATOR]
So it looks like someone will end up in tears.
And eventually, twin boys were born.
[Take the pillow out.]
One for mum, and one for dad.
And they grew up.
The older son was hairy and red.
[Esau comes out, armed with bow, arrow and animal he has caught.]
He was a great hunter.
[Esau shows his bow and the dead animal.]
His dad, Isaac, liked the meat he used to catch and kill.
[Isaac licks his lips, rubs his tummy, and puts his arm around his boy.]
So he was Isaac’s favourite.
His name was Esau, because he was hairy.
[Esau points to his hairiness and gives thumbs up.]
He was also called Edom, because he was red.
[Esau shows his redness and gives a wink.]
But the younger Son was smooth skinned.
[Jacob walks out rubbing his clean haven face.]
He liked peace and quiet, and to stay at home.
So he was Rebekah’s favourite.
[Rebekah puts her arm around Jacob’s shoulder and smiles. Then Rebekah and Jacob walk stage left, but stand at the baptismal font waiting, watching and listening. Esau and Isaac are left on stage right.]
What’s more, he was quite cunning.
[Jacob now rubs his hand together, looking cunning.]
He was quite happy to pull people’s leg.
[Jacob pretends he is pulling a leg, and laughs.]
To deceive them.
So he was called ‘Jacob’.
Because Jacob, when roughly translated means, ‘leg puller!’
Now, Isaac had grown very old.
He could no longer see.
And Isaac knew God’s word that he said so long ago.
[VOICE OF GOD]
“The older will serve the younger”.
[Isaac Looks up as if remembering God’s word.]
[NARRATOR]
And Isaac knew that Esau had married Canaanite women.
[Isaac hunches over and sits down.]
They didn’t worship YHWH.
[Isaac shakes his head with displeasure at that thought.]
But Isaac loved Esau.
Esau was his favourite.
Isaac still wanted to give Esau, not Jacob, his blessing, the blessing that his Father Abraham had given him.
So Isaac called Esau his firstborn and said.
“Esau, come here!"
[Isaac repeats.]
“I’m an old man!"
[Isaac repeats.]
“I don’t know when I am going to die.”
[Isaac repeats.]
“Take your bow and arrow."
[Isaac repeats.]
“Catch and kill me some meat."
[Isaac repeats.]
“Cook it with that special recipe that I love."
[Isaac repeats.]
“And bring it to me, so that I can eat it, and bless you in God’s sight.”
[Isaac repeats.]
So Esau went hunting.
[Esau walks off to hunt some game. Meanwhile, Isaac nods off and falls asleep.]
Now, all this time, Rebekah had been listening.
[Rebekah and Isaac move to centre stage.]
So Rebekah said to Isaac,
“Jacob, I heard what your father said."
[Rebekah repeats.]
“He wants to bless Esau, not you!"
[Rebekah repeats.]
“Now listen to me, do what I say!
[Rebekah repeats in a bossy voice.]
“Go to the flock."
[Rebekah repeats.]
"Choose for me some young juicy animals."
[Rebekah repeats.]
"I will cook them with the recipe your father loves."
[Rebekah repeats.]
"And then you will take them to him."
[Rebekah repeats.]
"And he will bless you instead of Esau.”
[Rebekah repeats.]
Jacob liked the idea, but could see a problem.
So Jacob said,
“Mum, Esau is hairy."
[Jacob repeats.]
"I am smooth."
[Jacob repeats.]
"All dad’s got to do is touch me."
[Jacob repeats.]
"Then he will know it’s me, Jacob, the deceiver."
[Jacob repeats.]
"Then he will curse me, not bless me!"
[Jacob repeats.]
But his mum said,
“Look, I’ll worry about the curse."
[Rebekah repeats.]
"You just do what I say!"
[Rebekah repeats.]
"Hurry up!”
[Rebekah repeats.]
So Jacob dutifully went and did what he was told.
[Rebekah and Jacob exit into the vestry.]
And his mum cooked the meat with the recipe his dad loved.
And she took Esau’s best clothes, and put them on Jacob.
And she took the animal skins and put them on Jacob’s arms and neck.
And she sent Jacob in with the food to his father.
[Jacob re-enters wearing Esau’s clothes, animal skins, and carrying a plate of food.]
And Jacob said, “I’m here, father!”
[Jacob repeats, looking slightly dodgy, uncertain.]
And Isaac said, “Who are you, my son?”
[Isaac repeats.]
And Jacob replied,
“I am Esau, your firstborn son."
[Jacob repeats.]
"I’ve done what you told me."
[Jacob repeats.]
"Please eat the yummy meat."
[Jacob repeats.]
"I’ve cooked it just right."
[Jacob repeats.]
"You’ll love it."
[Jacob repeats.]
"Then you can bless me."
[Jacob repeats.]
Now, Isaac might have been blind, but he’s not stupid.
He became suspicious. He asked:
“How did you catch it so quickly, my Son?"
[Isaac repeats.]
And Jacob, quick as a flash, answered,
“The LORD your God enabled me to catch it.”
[Jacob repeats.]
But Isaac was not convinced, so he said:
“Please come close, my son."
[Isaac repeats.]
"I want to touch you."
[Isaac repeats.]
"I want to see whether you are my son Esau or not."
[Isaac repeats.]
So Jacob came close to Isaac.
[Jacob approaches Isaac.]
And Isaac touched Jacob’s hands.
[Isaac touches Jacob’s hands.]
And of course, they were hairy.
So Isaac was confused.
He said:
“The voice is the voice of Jacob. But the hands are the hands of Esau.”
[Isaac repeats.]
And he asked again,
“Are you really my Son, Esau”
[Isaac repeats.]
“And Jacob, of course lied, and said, “Yes, I am”
[Jacob repeats.]
So Isaac said,
“Bring me the meat you caught me."
[Isaac repeats.]
"The meat you’ve cooked with the special recipe."
[Isaac repeats.]
"The meat I love."
[Isaac repeats.]
"Then I’ll eat it, and bless you.”
[Isaac repeats.]
And Jacob brought the meat.
[Jacob brings the plate. Isaac pretends to eat.]
And he even brought wine.
[Jacob brings wine.]
And Isaac drank.
[Isaac drinks.]
Now, Isaac still wasn’t sure whether this was Jacob or Esau.
The voice was dodgy, sure.
It sounded like Jacob up to his old tricks.
But the meat was just like he loved it.
And the hands, they were hairy exactly like Esau.
Maybe Esau had a cold?
Isaac had one last test.
“Come here, son, and kiss me”
[Isaac repeats.]
So Jacob came close and kissed his father.
And Isaac smelled the smell of Esau’s clothes.
And when he smelled Esau’s clothes, he was sure it was Esau.
Because this was a long time before deodorant.
And Sarah’s washing powder couldn’t get rid of those deep down odours.
And Isaac said:
“Mmmmm"
[Isaac repeats.]
“The smell of my son."
[Isaac repeats.]
“The odour of Esau."
[Isaac repeats.]
“That wild, woolly smell.”
[Isaac repeats.]
“May everything that God promised Abraham come to you.”
[Isaac repeats, holding his hands over Jacob.]
“May you be master of your brother”
[Isaac repeats, holding his hands over Jacob.]
And then Jacob left Isaac.
[Jacob leaves Isaac, Isaac once again nods off to sleep.]
Now, no sooner than Jacob left Isaac, then Esau returned from hunting.
[In walks Esau with a dead soft toy, he pulls the arrow out of the soft toy, puts it on a plate.]
And he got the meal ready for his father.
He cooked the meat according to the special recipe his father liked.
And he went to his Father and said,
“Here I am, Father.
[Isaac startled, wakes up, Jacob repeats]
“I’ve caught and prepared the meat just the way you love."
[Jacob repeats]
“Now get up and eat it, so you can bless me."
[Jacob repeats]
And Isaac said to his son,
“Who are you?”
[Isaac repeats.]
And Esau said:
“I am your son, your first born son, Esau.”
[Esau repeats.]
Then Isaac trembled violently.
[Isaac trembles violently.]
And Isaac said:
“Who was it then who hunted meat before you?"
[Isaac very upset, repeats.]
“And brought it to me before you came?"
[Isaac very upset, repeats.]
“And I ate all of it?"
[Isaac very upset, repeats.]
“And I blessed him?"
[Isaac very upset, repeats.]
“Yes, and he will now surely be blessed!"
[Isaac very upset, repeats.]
And Isaac wasn’t the only one upset by this.
When Esau heard these words, he let out a loud and bitter cry:
“Bless me. Me, too father."
[Esau repeats, beginning to panic.]
"Bless me as well."
[Esau repeats.]
And Isaac said:
“Your brother came deceitfully and stole your blessing."
[Isaac very upset, repeats.]
“I have no blessing left for you.”
[Isaac very upset, repeats.]
And Esau said:
“Isn’t he rightly called ‘Jacob’."
[Esau beside himself, wails in repeat.]
“He has deceived me these two times."
[Esau beside himself, wails in repeat.]
“He took my birthright."
[Esau beside himself, wails in repeat.]
“Now he has taken my blessing."
[Esau repeats.]
And Esau was furious.
[Esau have a little tantrum.]
He hated Jacob.
Esau said to himself.
“Soon my Father will be dead."
[Esau repeats]
“Then I will kill Jacob.
[Esau repeats, then he leaves.]
So Esau felt a bit better, now that he planned to kill Jacob.
Now Rebekah heard about Esau’s plan.
Now Isaac was the head of the house.
But Rebekah was the neck.
She could turn the head any way she wanted.
So she got Isaac to send Jacob to her hometown.
[Rebekah comes, wakes up Isaac. Rebekah whispers into Isaac’s ear. Then stands behind Isaac.]
So Isaac called Jacob to him.
“Jacob, come here!”
[Isaac repeats, Jacob comes to Isaac.]
“Go to your mother’s family's house."
[Isaac repeats.]
“Marry one of your uncle's daughters."
[Isaac repeats.]
“And may God bless you."
[Isaac repeats.]
“May you be very productive."
[Isaac repeats.]
“May you become a great nation of peoples."
[Isaac repeats.]
“And may God give you all the blessings he promised Abraham."
[Isaac repeats.]
So Jacob went away.
[Jacob goes into the vestry.]
And after 20 years he came back.
[Jacob returns with a long beard]
And he was very productive
Not with one wife.
[One wife comes out.]
Not with two wives
[Second wife comes out.]
Not with three wives.
[Third wife comes out.]
But with four wives.
[Fourth wife comes out.]
And together they had 12 sons.
And these sons became the 12 tribes of Israel.
Even though all that family had sinned.
God was kind to them.
And it was through Jacob that God was fulfilling his promises to Abraham.