The Bridge Church of the Nazarene
Sunday, Oct 24, 2021
Aloha. The Bridge currently meets at Oahu Veterans Center in Foster Village (1298 Kukila St, Honolulu, HI 96818) at 9:45am. *NOTE: For federal holidays that fall on Sundays, OVC is closed and we meet online only. *NOTE: Currently, on the last Sunday of each month, we meet at a park or for a service project instead of at OVC. See Facebook or Newsletter for details. We look forward to seeing you in person! For those who can't make it at this time and location, we will broadcast church service online on Sunday morning at 9:45am at: BridgeNaz.org Please join us for worship, prayer, and a message from Pastor Michael! Mahalo and God bless!
Locations & Times
The Bridge
1298 Kukila Pl, Honolulu, HI 96818, USA
Sunday 9:45 AM
Sermon Title: Learning To Swim (Gen 30:25-31:18)
Gen 30:25-31:18
25 When Rachel had borne Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away, that I may go to my own place, and to my country. 26 Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me go; for you know my service with which I have served you.”
27 Laban said to him, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, stay here, for I have learned through divinization that Adonai has blessed me for your sake.” 28 He said, “Appoint me your wages, and I will give it.”
29 Jacob said to him, “You know how I have served you, and how your livestock have fared with me. 30 For it was little which you had before I came, and it has increased to a multitude. Adonai has blessed you wherever I turned. Now when will I provide for my own house also?”
31 Laban said, “What shall I give you?” Jacob said, “You shall not give me anything. If you will do this thing for me—let me return—then I will tend your flock and guard it. 32 I will pass through all your flock today, removing from there every speckled, spotted, and black sheep, and the speckled and spotted goats. This will be my hire.”
33 “My righteousness will speak for me from this point on. When you come (later) about this hiring that is before you, (remember): Every goat that is not speckled and spotted and every sheep not black that is with me will be considered stolen.”
34 Laban said, “Well, let it be according to your word.” 35 That day, Laban took away the male goats that were streaked and spotted, and all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, and all the sheep with white spots, and all the black ones among the sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons. 36 (Then Laban) set three days’ journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob tended the rest of Laban’s flocks.
37 Jacob took to himself rods of fresh poplar, almond, and plane tree, peeled white streaks in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods. 38 He set the rods which he had peeled opposite the flocks in the gutters in the watering-troughs where the flocks came to drink.
They conceived when they came to drink. 39 The flocks conceived before the rods, and the flocks produced streaked, speckled, and spotted (offspring).
40 Jacob separated the lambs. And he set the faces of the (solid) flocks toward the streaked and all-black sheep in Laban’s flock. He put his own droves apart, and didn’t put them into Laban’s flock. 41 Whenever the stronger of the flock conceived, Jacob laid the rods in front of the eyes of the flock in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods; 42 but when the flocks were feeble, he didn’t put them in. So, the feebler were Laban’s, and the stronger Jacob’s. 43 The man increased very, very much, and had large flocks, female servants and male servants, and camels and donkeys.
31:1 Jacob heard Laban’s sons’ words, saying, “Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s. He has obtained all this wealth from that which was our father’s.”
2 Jacob saw the face of Laban, and sure enough, he did not regard him as before. 3 Adonai said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers, and to your birthplace, and I will be with you.” 4 Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field to his flock, 5 and said to them, “I see your father’s face, that it is not toward me as in former days; but the God of my father has been with me. 6 You know that I have served your father with all of my strength. 7 Your father has deceived me, and changed my wages ten times, but God didn’t allow him to hurt me. 8 If he said, ‘The speckled will be your wages,’ then all the flock bore speckled. If he said, ‘The streaked will be your wages,’ then all the flock bore streaked. 9 Thus God has taken away your father’s livestock, and given them to me.
10 During mating time of the flock, I lifted up my eyes, and saw in a dream, and look, the male goats which leaped on the flock were streaked, speckled, and grizzled. 11 The agent of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am.’ 12 He said, ‘Now lift up your eyes, and look, all the male goats which leap on the flock are streaked, speckled, and grizzled, for I have seen all that Laban does to you. 13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you vowed a vow to me. Now arise, get out from this land, and return to the land of your birth.’”
14 Rachel and Leah answered (Jacob), “Is there still any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house? 15 Aren’t we considered foreigners by him? For he has sold us, and has also used up our silver. 16 For all the riches that God has taken away from our father are ours and our children’s. Now, everything that God has said to you, do.” 17 Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives on the camels, 18 and he took away all his livestock, and all his possessions, which he had gathered, including the livestock that he had gained in Paddan Aram, to go to Isaac his father, to the land of Canaan.
25 When Rachel had borne Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away, that I may go to my own place, and to my country. 26 Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me go; for you know my service with which I have served you.”
27 Laban said to him, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, stay here, for I have learned through divinization that Adonai has blessed me for your sake.” 28 He said, “Appoint me your wages, and I will give it.”
29 Jacob said to him, “You know how I have served you, and how your livestock have fared with me. 30 For it was little which you had before I came, and it has increased to a multitude. Adonai has blessed you wherever I turned. Now when will I provide for my own house also?”
31 Laban said, “What shall I give you?” Jacob said, “You shall not give me anything. If you will do this thing for me—let me return—then I will tend your flock and guard it. 32 I will pass through all your flock today, removing from there every speckled, spotted, and black sheep, and the speckled and spotted goats. This will be my hire.”
33 “My righteousness will speak for me from this point on. When you come (later) about this hiring that is before you, (remember): Every goat that is not speckled and spotted and every sheep not black that is with me will be considered stolen.”
34 Laban said, “Well, let it be according to your word.” 35 That day, Laban took away the male goats that were streaked and spotted, and all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, and all the sheep with white spots, and all the black ones among the sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons. 36 (Then Laban) set three days’ journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob tended the rest of Laban’s flocks.
37 Jacob took to himself rods of fresh poplar, almond, and plane tree, peeled white streaks in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods. 38 He set the rods which he had peeled opposite the flocks in the gutters in the watering-troughs where the flocks came to drink.
They conceived when they came to drink. 39 The flocks conceived before the rods, and the flocks produced streaked, speckled, and spotted (offspring).
40 Jacob separated the lambs. And he set the faces of the (solid) flocks toward the streaked and all-black sheep in Laban’s flock. He put his own droves apart, and didn’t put them into Laban’s flock. 41 Whenever the stronger of the flock conceived, Jacob laid the rods in front of the eyes of the flock in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods; 42 but when the flocks were feeble, he didn’t put them in. So, the feebler were Laban’s, and the stronger Jacob’s. 43 The man increased very, very much, and had large flocks, female servants and male servants, and camels and donkeys.
31:1 Jacob heard Laban’s sons’ words, saying, “Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s. He has obtained all this wealth from that which was our father’s.”
2 Jacob saw the face of Laban, and sure enough, he did not regard him as before. 3 Adonai said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers, and to your birthplace, and I will be with you.” 4 Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field to his flock, 5 and said to them, “I see your father’s face, that it is not toward me as in former days; but the God of my father has been with me. 6 You know that I have served your father with all of my strength. 7 Your father has deceived me, and changed my wages ten times, but God didn’t allow him to hurt me. 8 If he said, ‘The speckled will be your wages,’ then all the flock bore speckled. If he said, ‘The streaked will be your wages,’ then all the flock bore streaked. 9 Thus God has taken away your father’s livestock, and given them to me.
10 During mating time of the flock, I lifted up my eyes, and saw in a dream, and look, the male goats which leaped on the flock were streaked, speckled, and grizzled. 11 The agent of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am.’ 12 He said, ‘Now lift up your eyes, and look, all the male goats which leap on the flock are streaked, speckled, and grizzled, for I have seen all that Laban does to you. 13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you vowed a vow to me. Now arise, get out from this land, and return to the land of your birth.’”
14 Rachel and Leah answered (Jacob), “Is there still any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house? 15 Aren’t we considered foreigners by him? For he has sold us, and has also used up our silver. 16 For all the riches that God has taken away from our father are ours and our children’s. Now, everything that God has said to you, do.” 17 Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives on the camels, 18 and he took away all his livestock, and all his possessions, which he had gathered, including the livestock that he had gained in Paddan Aram, to go to Isaac his father, to the land of Canaan.
Word of the Week
Talmud: An important book in Judaism on laws, rules, and traditions.
Talmud: An important book in Judaism on laws, rules, and traditions.
Bottom Line
Nothing’s yours or of your doing; it’s all from God.
5 Questions
1. The title of this week's sermon was "Learning to Swim." Pastor shared the story about how he learned to swim (the hard way!) versus how he taught his kids to swim (paid lessons...the easy way). How did you learn to swim? What was it like? Or, have you not learned and, if not, why?
2. The Jewish work called the "Talmud," contains rules, laws, and traditions. One of the rules/laws says, "A father is obligated to teach his son how to swim." That, of course, can refer to actual swimming, but there's a deeper point: There's a tension in life when it comes to striking the balance between protecting those we care about from struggle and letting them learn as they go through struggle. Ever had to let someone you care about go through struggle or learn the hard way? What was that like for you and for them?
3. This week's story, which has mystified interpreters, scholars, and pastors for generations, is very much connected to last week's story. In last week's passage, we read about Leah tricking Rachel with mandrakes. Pastor's view was that Leah was essentially letting Rachel learn the hard way, that fertility (or anything) comes from God and God alone. Likewise, Jacob skinned poplar branches and tricked Laban with them. He did it for the same reason: To show Laban that fertility (or anything) comes from God and God alone. What takeaways or questions did you have with regard to this story?
4. Two additional things Pastor touched on:
A) He said "Don't be a bunch of Labans." What did he mean by that? And,
B) He talked about failure in relation to "Open Loop Living" versus "Closed Loop Living." What's the difference? Is one more beneficial than the other in our lives?
5. The Bottom Line this week was "Nothing’s yours or of your doing; it’s all from God." When you hear that, how does it make you feel? What does it make you think about? Do you agree or disagree?
Nothing’s yours or of your doing; it’s all from God.
5 Questions
1. The title of this week's sermon was "Learning to Swim." Pastor shared the story about how he learned to swim (the hard way!) versus how he taught his kids to swim (paid lessons...the easy way). How did you learn to swim? What was it like? Or, have you not learned and, if not, why?
2. The Jewish work called the "Talmud," contains rules, laws, and traditions. One of the rules/laws says, "A father is obligated to teach his son how to swim." That, of course, can refer to actual swimming, but there's a deeper point: There's a tension in life when it comes to striking the balance between protecting those we care about from struggle and letting them learn as they go through struggle. Ever had to let someone you care about go through struggle or learn the hard way? What was that like for you and for them?
3. This week's story, which has mystified interpreters, scholars, and pastors for generations, is very much connected to last week's story. In last week's passage, we read about Leah tricking Rachel with mandrakes. Pastor's view was that Leah was essentially letting Rachel learn the hard way, that fertility (or anything) comes from God and God alone. Likewise, Jacob skinned poplar branches and tricked Laban with them. He did it for the same reason: To show Laban that fertility (or anything) comes from God and God alone. What takeaways or questions did you have with regard to this story?
4. Two additional things Pastor touched on:
A) He said "Don't be a bunch of Labans." What did he mean by that? And,
B) He talked about failure in relation to "Open Loop Living" versus "Closed Loop Living." What's the difference? Is one more beneficial than the other in our lives?
5. The Bottom Line this week was "Nothing’s yours or of your doing; it’s all from God." When you hear that, how does it make you feel? What does it make you think about? Do you agree or disagree?