Day 1
Happy Monday Arrow Makers! Last week we ended Genesis 31, and now we are starting Genesis 32! In preparation for the lessons to come, let’s read all of Genesis 32 to your Tiny Arrows!
Day 2
After Laban left to go back home, Jacob let the campsite too! Then, when he was traveling, he met some angels of God! Today let’s read Genesis 32:1 and have some pretend play! Pretend your Tiny Arrow is Jacob, and you are the angel, and ask your Tiny Arrow how they would react if they met an angel and act it out with you!
Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him. – Genesis 32:1 NIV
Day 3
Jacob saw all the angels in a camp! Just like he was in a camp! So he named the place Mahanaim, which means two camps! Today let’s read Genesis 32:2 and color the coloring page of the two camps!
When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God!” So he named that place Mahanaim. – Genesis 32:2 NIV
Day 4
Jacob was on his way back to Israel, but he knew he might see Esau his brother, so he sent some men to give him a message! He could not call or put his message in the mail box, he had to send men he could trust to deliver the message to the person he wanted to send it too! Today let’s read Genesis 32:3 and let’s send a message! You can write something down and mail it, email or text someone, or write it down and deliver it to someone nearby!
Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. – Genesis 32:3 NIV
Day 5
Jacob sent men to see his brother Esau. He had left 20 years ago because he had stolen his brothers blessing and Esau wasn’t happy about it! Today let’s read Genesis 32:4 and Genesis 27:30-45 to remember why Jacob left and why he was telling Esau where he had been!
He instructed them: “This is what you are to say to my lord Esau: ‘Your servant Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban and have remained there till now.’” – Genesis 32:4 NIV
Day 6
Jacob sent a message to his brother Esau. He wanted to let him know he was coming home, and that he wasn’t alone! He had cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats and servants! Today let’s read Genesis 32:5 and fill in the missing words on the page!
“‘I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, male and female servants. Now I am sending this message to my lord, that I may find favor in your eyes.’” – Genesis 32:5 NIV
Day 7
Jacob sent messengers to Esau and they came back to Jacob with news! Esau was coming to meet his brother, but he was bringing 400 men with him! Today let’s read Genesis 32:6 and ask your Tiny Arrow how they think Jacob was feeling about Esau coming and with so many people; Happy, scared, upset?
When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.” – Genesis 32:6 NIV
Day 8
Jacob was afraid! His brother was coming with a lot of men! He did not want Esau to come and attack him, so he divided the people and animals into two groups! Today let’s read Genesis 32:7 and grab a handful of small objects to represent people and animals. Place them in a pile in front of you, then one by one place them into two separate piles, demonstrating how Jacob split his camp in two!
In great fear and distress Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups, and the flocks and herds and camels as well. – Genesis 32:7 NIV
Day 9
If Esau came to attack Jacob, Jacob wanted at least half of what he had to be able to escape. He was trying to use one camp as a distraction for the other camp. Today let’s read Genesis 32:8 and explain and act out what distraction means. You can use an object or just your hands to show them how one thing can distract and one thing can move without you noticing!
He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one group, the group that is left may escape.” – Genesis 32:8 NIV
Day 10
Jacob had divided his camp into two groups, and then he prayed! He wanted God’s help! God had helped him with Laban, and now he needed his help with Esau! So Jacob started praying by reminding God what God had told him! Today let’s read Genesis 32:9 and find a verse in the Bible, what is God telling you in that verse? To be strong? To be joyful? If God has told you to do it, He will help you do it!
Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, Lord, you who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’” – Genesis 32:9 NIV
Day 11
We learned last week that Jacob was praying to God because he was afraid of his brother Esau and Jacob reminded God of His promise to him! Then he tells God how thankful he is for what God has done for him! He started with just a staff and now has enough to fill 2 camps! Today let’s read Genesis 32:10 and color the coloring page!
“I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only a staff when I crossed the Jordan, but now I have become two camps.” – Genesis 32:10 NIV
Day 12
Jacob is praying to God about his brother Esau. He is asking Him to save him and his family! When Jacob was afraid, he told God about it! Today let’s read Genesis 32:11 and let’s rework the verse to be something our Tiny Arrows can relate to and pray when they are afraid! Like, “Please save me Lord, from ______, because I am afraid of _______.”
“Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children.” – Genesis 32:11 NIV
Day 13
Jacob is praying to God for protection from his brother Esau and again reminds God about what God has told him! He is standing on God’s promise! Today let’s read Genesis 32:12 and look for a promise God has made to us through His Word that you can stand on! Then write it down so you can remember what it said!
“But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand on the sea, which cannot be counted.’” – Genesis 32:12 NIV
Day 14
After Jacob prayed he spent the night and selected a gift from what he owned for his brother! Today let’s read Genesis 32:13 and have your Tiny Arrow give, share, or make something for you, someone in their family or a friend!
He spent the night there, and from what he had with him he selected a gift for his brother Esau: – Genesis 32:13 NIV
Day 15
Jacob choose animals to give to Esau! He gave him goats, sheep, camels, cows and donkeys! Today let’s read Genesis 32:14-15 and match the names to each animal Jacob wanted to give Esau!
Two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. – Genesis 32:14-15 NIV
Day 16
Jacob had gotten a present ready for his brother Esau and now he is ready to send his servants to deliver it! He separated and put space between the animals. He was sending gifts that would arrive at separate times! Today let’s read Genesis 32:16 and color and cut out the animals. Then have your Tiny Arrow pretend to be the servants and you be Esau! Have your Tiny Arrow deliver the coloring pages to you one by one like a delivery man!
He put them in the care of his servants, each herd by itself, and said to his servants, “Go ahead of me, and keep some space between the herds.” – Genesis 32:16 NIV
Day 17
Jacob had sent messengers to deliver the flocks one by one to Esau, and when they saw Esau they were suppose to tell him that the animals were a gift to him, and Jacob was coming soon, because Jacob knew that Esau would want to know who owned the animals and where they were going. Today let’s read Genesis 32:17-18 and play a guessing game! Let your Tiny Arrow guess where people are going! The people driving in a nearby car, walking by, or play pretend together and make something up!
He instructed the one in the lead: “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘Who do you belong to, and where are you going, and who owns all these animals in front of you?’ then you are to say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift sent to my lord Esau, and he is coming behind us.’” – Genesis 32:17-18 NIV
Day 18
Jacob told all the messengers to do the same thing! He wanted everyone to know what they were suppose to say, and to repeat what they had said! Today let’s read Genesis 32:19 and tell your Tiny Arrow a phrase or a word and see how many times they can repeat it after a few seconds in between each mention. Just like they are repeating the same thing, Esau was meant to hear the same thing more then once!
He also instructed the second, the third and all the others who followed the herds: “You are to say the same thing to Esau when you meet him.” – Genesis 32:19 NIV
Day 19
Jacob wanted to make sure that Esau knew who the gift was from! He wanted Esau to be happy with him! Today let’s read Genesis 32:20 and have your Tiny Arrow give someone multiple gifts. It can be a few snacks, handmade pictures, or something else. Then ask them if they think the person who received the gifts we’re happy to get them! Yes!
“And be sure to say, ‘Your servant Jacob is coming behind us.’” For he thought, “I will pacify him with these gifts I am sending on ahead; later when I see him, perhaps he will accept me.” – Genesis 32:20 NIV
Day 20
Jacob sent all his gifts ahead of him and he decided to spend the night in his camp. He had split the camps into 2, prayed to God and then sent gifts! Today let’s read Genesis 32:21 and ask your Tiny Arrow if they can remember what they did that day, or the day before!
So Jacob’s gifts went on ahead of him, but he himself spent the night in the camp. – Genesis 32:21 NIV
Day 21
Jacob had sent all Esau’s gifts away to be delivered to Esau! Now Jacob’s family is going to follow next, but first they have to cross the Jabbok, a stream of water. So they choose a place where they could cross where the water was not too high! Today let’s read Genesis 32:22 grab a blanket to represent the stream and some toy characters to represent the people. Lay the blanket flat on the ground so there is space on two sides. Then have your Tiny Arrow hold onto all the toys and cross the “stream” until they get to the other side! (Keep this blanket for tomorrow’s lesson too!)
That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. – Genesis 32:22
Day 22
First Jacob sent his family over the water, then everything he owned. Today let’s read Genesis 32:23 and grab a blanket like yesterday and a bag of things (clothes, toothbrush, etc.) and have your Tiny Arrow repeat the same activity as yesterday but with their bag of stuff!
After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. – Genesis 32:23
Day 23
Jacob had sent his family and everything he owned across the stream! Now he is alone! Today let’s read Genesis 32:24 and color the coloring page!
So Jacob was left alone, – Genesis 32:24
Day 24
Jacob was left all alone on the other side of the stream! Then a man wrestled him till daybreak! The man could not win, so he touched Jacob’s hip, hurting his hip! Today let’s read Genesis 32:24-25 and wrestle! Playfully wrestle and challenge your Tiny Arrow to try and touch your hip so they can win! Once they touch your hip, they won!
and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. – Genesis 32:24-25 NIV
Day 25
Jacob and a man were wrestling, and the man only won because he hurt Jacob’s hip! So the man asked Jacob to let him go, and Jacob asked him to bless him first! Today let’s read Genesis 32:26 and play tag, and once you catch the person, they have to bless you! This can be as easy as saying, “I bless you!”
Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” – Genesis 32:26 NIV
Day 26
Jacob and a man wrestled, then Jacob asked the man to bless him, and he asked Jacob his name. Jacob told him his name was Jacob. Then the man said he got a new name! Now his name would be Israel! Today let’s read Genesis 32:27-28 and play a name game with your Tiny Arrow! Ask them their name, then tell them they get a new name, and then give them one!
The man asked him, “What is your name?” “Jacob,” he answered. Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.” – Genesis 32:27-28 NIV
Day 27
Jacob just got a new name—Israel! Then Jacob asked the man his name, but the man would not tell him, but he blessed him! Today let’s read Genesis 32:29 and act out the scene! Have your Tiny Arrow be Jacob and you be the man! Have your Tiny Arrow ask your name, then say “Why do you ask my name?” and then bless them!
Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.” But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there. – Genesis 32:29
Day 28
Jacob got a new name and a blessing! He then called the place Peniel because he thought he had just seen God face to face! Today let’s read Genesis 32:30 and ask your Tiny Arrow what they think Jesus’ face looked like!
So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.” – Genesis 32:30
Day 29
Jacob got a new name, was blessed and named the place he was in Peniel. Then he walked on towards his family, but he was limping because of his hip and where the man had touched him! Today let’s read Genesis 32:31-32 and color the coloring page and circle Jacob’s hip!
The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip. Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob’s hip was touched near the tendon. – Genesis 32:31-32
Day 30
Today let’s reread Genesis 32 and remember the activities and verses we learned!