“May 22–28. Genesis 24–33: The Covenant Is Renewed,” Come, Follow Me: Living, Learning, and Teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, for Sunday School (2017)
“May 22–28. Genesis 24–33,” Come, Follow Me for Sunday School
May 22–28
Genesis 24–33
The Covenant Is Renewed
Studying Genesis 24–33 and recording your spiritual impressions will help you receive revelation on the needs of your class.
Improving Our Teaching
Center your teaching on doctrine. As you invite class members to share, make sure you continually bring the discussion back to the foundational doctrine in the scriptures. You can do this by asking your students to read the scripture block in advance, focusing your discussions on the scriptures, and asking class members to share their testimony of true doctrine. (See Teaching in the Savior’s Way, 20–21.)
Invite Sharing
How can you encourage class members to share insights and experiences they had as they studied these scriptures individually and with their family? You could invite a class member to come prepared to share a family home evening experience they had while using material in this week’s study outline in Come, Follow Me for individuals and families. What can members share with each other to encourage other families to study the gospel together?
Teach the Doctrine
Eternal marriage is worth great effort and sacrifice.
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The accounts in Genesis 24 and 29 demonstrate qualities a person should develop as he or she prepares for marriage. For example, in Genesis 24:12 we learn about being guided by prayer, and in Genesis 24:19 we learn about giving extra effort in service. What other principles can be found in these chapters? List these principles on the board.
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Ask class members what qualities they have seen in their spouse, their parents, or other married couples that have made for a happy marriage. Invite a married couple to share any advice they have about how to find the right person to marry. Then adapt the activity above by asking class members to find principles about courtship and marriage they would like to pass on to others.
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The experiences of finding wives for Isaac and Jacob highlight the importance of marrying in the covenant—what we would today call temple marriage or eternal marriage. Invite class members to read Genesis 24:1–3 and 28:1–5. Why was it important for Isaac and Jacob to marry in the covenant? To help class members learn about why eternal marriage is essential to exaltation, read together President Russell M. Nelson’s statement about marriage in “Additional Resources.” What can we do to prepare for or strengthen an eternal marriage? Why is marriage essential to exaltation? (see Mark 10:6–9; 1 Corinthians 11:11; D&C 131:1–4; 132:19–22; “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2010, 129).
Choosing things of eternal value brings eternal joy.
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To help the class review the story of Jacob and Esau, consider doing an activity like the following: Divide the class into pairs. Give one person in each pair a list of words that relate to Esau, and give the other person a list of words related to Jacob (for example lists, see “Additional Resources”). Invite each class member to give clues to help his or her partner guess the words on his or her list. As a class, review several of the scripture references and discuss principles we can apply from the story of Jacob and Esau.
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What are some eternal blessings that people trade for “pottage” today? What do we learn from the experience of Elder Robert C. Gay in “Additional Resources”?
The Abrahamic covenant is given to Isaac and Jacob.
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As a review, write the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant on the board: an eternal posterity, the priesthood, a land inheritance, the gospel, and eternal life (see Genesis 17:1–8; Abraham 2:9–11). Invite class members to ponder these promises as they read how the Lord renewed the Abrahamic covenant with Isaac and Jacob in Genesis 26:3–4 and 28:10–15. Today these promises, which are possible because of Jesus Christ, are available to everyone through temple ordinances (see D&C 2; 131:1–4; 132:19–22). You could invite class members to share their testimonies of the sealing ordinance and the importance of this covenant in their lives.
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Sing together or read “Nearer, My God, to Thee” (Hymns, no. 100), and compare the words in each verse with the account in Genesis 28:9–22. Help class members recognize that Beth-el means “house of God.” How does the temple help us draw nearer to God?
Encourage Learning at Home
To inspire class members to read Genesis 37, 39–41, which contain the account of Joseph in Egypt, tell them that this account can give them strategies to resist temptation. Encourage them to look for these strategies as they read.
Additional Resources
Choosing things of eternal value brings eternal joy.
Use the following lists of words to review the story of Jacob and Esau:
|
Esau |
Jacob |
|---|---|
|
Twins (25:23–24) Hairy (25:25) Hunter (25:27) Pottage (25:30) Birthright (25:31–34) Forgiveness (33:1–15) |
Birthright (25:31–34) Blessing (27:18–29) Ladder (28:10–15) Temple (28:16–22) Wrestle (32:24–26) Israel (32:28) |
Celestial marriage is essential to exaltation.
President Russell M. Nelson taught:
“Marriage between a man and a woman is sacred—it is ordained of God. I also assert the virtue of a temple marriage. It is the highest and most enduring type of marriage that our Creator can offer to His children.
“While salvation is an individual matter, exaltation is a family matter. Only those who are married in the temple and whose marriage is sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise will continue as spouses after death and receive the highest degree of celestial glory, or exaltation. A temple marriage is also called a celestial marriage. Within the celestial glory are three levels. To obtain the highest, a husband and wife must be sealed for time and all eternity and keep their covenants made in a holy temple” (“Celestial Marriage,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2008, 92).
“Would you sell your soul for a nickel?”
Elder Robert C. Gay told the following story:
“As I was growing up, my parents assigned me chores around the house and paid me an allowance for that work. I often used that money, a little over 50 cents a week, to go to the movies. Back then a movie ticket cost 25 cents for an 11-year-old. This left me with 25 cents to spend on candy bars, which cost 5 cents apiece. A movie with five candy bars! It couldn’t get much better than that.
“All was well until I turned 12. Standing in line one afternoon, I realized that the ticket price for a 12-year-old was 35 cents, and that meant two less candy bars. Not quite prepared to make that sacrifice, I reasoned to myself, ‘You look the same as you did a week ago.’ I then stepped up and asked for the 25-cent ticket. The cashier did not blink, and I bought my regular five candy bars instead of three.
“Elated by my accomplishment, I later rushed home to tell my dad about my big coup. As I poured out the details, he said nothing. When I finished, he simply looked at me and said, ‘Son, would you sell your soul for a nickel?’ His words pierced my 12-year-old heart. It is a lesson I have never forgotten” (“What Shall a Man Give in Exchange for His Soul?” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2012, 34).