Sunday School Lesson Plan on Isaac, Rebekah and Marriage in the Covenant

This lesson is on Marriage in the Covenant, and covers topics important in Genesis 24-29 in the Old Testament of the Bible. This correlates directly with lesson ten in the Old Testament Gospel Doctrine Sunday School Class of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This lesson plan can be used by Sunday School or other church group teachers, Bible study groups, or individuals to enrich their study of the Bible.

Materials:

Scriptures (The Old Testament)

Teacher's Manual (Old Testament Gospel Doctrine, available from Distribution Centres of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or your ward library.

Chalkboard or Whiteboard

"Presidents of the Church Speak on Temple Marriage", New Era, June 1971

"Marriage is Essential to His Eternal Plan" by Elder David A. Bednar, Liahona, June 2006

To briefly review the previous lessons and introduce this week's topic, I asked the class the following questions. Depending on your class, you may want to write them on the board before starting the lesson. First, remind the class that we have been learning about Abraham for several weeks now.

What was Abraham like?

What do we know about Sarah, Abraham's wife?

What do you think their relationship was like?

Discuss with the class and give them a chance to express their ideas.

Through both their actions and words, Abraham and Sarah taught their son, Isaac, the importance of family and marriage. Sarah died before Isaac was married, and Abraham was growing very old. Abraham really wanted to make sure than his favoured son, Isaac, was married in the covenant before he died. Because the people who lived around them were not of their faith, Abraham sent his most trusted servant to go find Isaac a suitable wife. (See Genesis 24:2-9.)

Isaac was no longer a young man by this point. He was 40 years old when he married Rebekah (Genesis 25:20). The reason that Isaac had not yet married was because he would not settle for just a marriage; he was waiting to be married in the covenant.

What does it mean to be 'married in the covenant'? Ask class. (According to page 41 of the manual, "the phrases marriage in the covenant, eternal marriage, and temple marriage are often used interchangeably.") Ask someone to read quote #1 (The Joseph Fielding Smith quote from "Presidents of the Church Speak on Temple Marriage about marriage as an "eternal principle")

The servant was guided by the Lord to find Rebekah, a wife that was not only righteous, but also the right companion for Isaac. (See Genesis

What do we know about Isaac? (Ask the class. Answers could include that he was a man of great faith, that he honoured his parents, etc.)

What do we know about Rebekah? (Some points you may want to discuss are: she was a relative and was raised in the gospel (Genesis 24:47, ); she was kind and generous, as shown when she gives a stranger and his camels water to drink-this was a physically demanding and time consuming task (Genesis 25:45-46); it was her choice to go and marry Isaac because she trusted the Lord's plan for her (Genesis 24:56-58); she was exceptionally beautiful (Genesis 26:7); she was a woman of prayer and faith who received revelation (Genesis 25:22-24).

We don't know very much about their marriage, but the few glimpses of them together that we have in the scriptures can teach us much about successful marriages. We read of their first meeting and marriage in Genesis 24:63-67, and among other things we learn that "he loved her."

In his talk on marriage, Elder Bednar invites us all to ask ourselves, "In my own life, am I striving to become a better husband or wife, or preparing to be a husband or a wife?" What qualities make a good spouse? How can we develop these traits?

If you have time to use it, there's a lot of great content in this talk, so you can use as much of it as you have time.

Just like it emphasised that Isaac loved Rebekah, we are told to love our spouses. See Ephesians 5:25 and Titus 2:4.

Close with these two scriptures: D&C 132:15 about worldly marriage and 132:19-20 about eternal marriage. Speak from your heart about the importance of and blessings of eternal marriage.