{"id":16225,"date":"2021-06-14T20:00:11","date_gmt":"2021-06-15T03:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/genesis_28_1-22-copy\/"},"modified":"2021-06-13T16:13:43","modified_gmt":"2021-06-13T23:13:43","slug":"genesis_29_1-14","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/genesis_29_1-14\/","title":{"rendered":"Joy and Strength to Move Forward"},"content":{"rendered":"

Genesis 29:1-14 Click here for Bible Verses<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is Genesis 29:1-14.\u00a0\u00a0Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

Genesis 29:1 (NIV)<\/em><\/strong>
\n1\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse 1:\u00a0\u00a0The original Hebrew for the words \u201cJacob continued on\u201d are literally \u201che lifted up his feet\u201d, which is a unique expression that some scholars believe implies Jacob moving along happily.\u00a0\u00a0Why did Jacob have \u201chappy feet\u201d?\u00a0\u00a0It\u2019s because he had encountered the Lord in the previous chapter.\u00a0\u00a0What can we learn from this?\u00a0\u00a0When you spend time in God\u2019s presence, it will tend to give you the joy \u2013 happy feet, if you will \u2013 to continue on with your journey.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0Even though you may face uncertainties concerning your future as Jacob did, an encounter with God and time in His presence can change your perspective and give you joy to move forward amid the uncertainty.\u00a0\u00a0So make it your habit to draw close to God regularly and experience Him.<\/p>\n

Genesis 29:2-3 (NIV)<\/em><\/strong>
\n2\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0There he saw a well in the field, with three flocks of sheep lying near it because the flocks were watered from that well. The stone over the mouth of the well was large.<\/em>
\n3\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone away from the well’s mouth and water the sheep. Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 2-3:\u00a0\u00a0Jacob comes across a well covered by a large stone.\u00a0\u00a0Why was a stone placed over the well?\u00a0\u00a0Apparently to protect the well from unwanted thieves and animals.\u00a0\u00a0Let the stone over the well be a reminder that we need to protect what is precious to us.<\/p>\n

Genesis 29:4-6 (NIV)<\/em><\/strong>
\n4\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Jacob asked the shepherds, “My brothers, where are you from?” “We’re from Haran,” they replied.
\n5\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0He said to them, “Do you know Laban, Nahor’s grandson?” “Yes, we know him,” they answered.
\n6\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Then Jacob asked them, “Is he well?” “Yes, he is,” they said, “and here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep.”<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 4-6:\u00a0\u00a0By God\u2019s grace, it turns out that the shepherds who were resting by the well with their sheep knew Jacob\u2019s uncle Laban, and that Rachel, the daughter of uncle Laban, just happened to be approaching with her sheep.\u00a0\u00a0It reminds us of Genesis 24 when Abraham\u2019s servant was looking for a wife for Isaac and happened to meet Rebekah at a well.\u00a0\u00a0God\u2019s timing is always perfect.\u00a0\u00a0He works in ways that we don\u2019t always see.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Genesis 29:7-10 (NIV)<\/em><\/strong>
\n7\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0“Look,” he said, “the sun is still high; it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture.”
\n8\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0“We can’t,” they replied, “until all the flocks are gathered and the stone has been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will water the sheep.”<\/em>
\n9\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess.
\n10\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0When Jacob saw Rachel daughter of Laban, his mother’s brother, and Laban’s sheep, he went over and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle’s sheep.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 7-10:\u00a0\u00a0Jacob was puzzled as to why the shepherds would let their flocks lie near the well but not water them.\u00a0\u00a0Jacob tries to push them to water their flocks (v7) but the shepherds respond that they usually wait until all the flocks are gathered (i.e. all the shepherds have arrived with their sheep) and the large stone blocking the well has been rolled away.\u00a0\u00a0It\u2019s not clear if this was because (1) the shepherds were being lazy, (2) the stone was too big for them to roll away themselves without the help of other shepherds, or (3) their etiquette and customs required that they wait till all the shepherds arrived before they would move the stone and feed their flocks together.\u00a0\u00a0My guess is that it\u2019s probably (1) or (3).\u00a0\u00a0Whatever the reason, it\u2019s not until Rachel the shepherdess arrives with her father\u2019s sheep that anyone tries to move the stone (v9).\u00a0\u00a0Jacob sees Rachel and the sheep and then moves (singlehandedly apparently!) the stone away from the mouth of the well and waters Rachel\u2019s sheep (v10).\u00a0\u00a0It\u2019s amazing what the presence of a beautiful woman can do to a man sometimes!<\/p>\n

Genesis 29:11-14 (NIV)<\/em><\/strong>
\n11\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep aloud.
\n12\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0He had told Rachel that he was a relative of her father and a son of Rebekah. So she ran and told her father.
\n13\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he hurried to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his home, and there Jacob told him all these things.
\n14\u00a0<\/span><\/sup>\u00a0Then Laban said to him, “You are my own flesh and blood.”\u00a0After Jacob had stayed with him for a whole month,\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 11-14:\u00a0\u00a0Kissing was the common way in Jacob\u2019s time of greeting one\u2019s relatives.\u00a0 So don\u2019t read too much romance into Jacob kissing Rachel (v11), since Laban would also kiss Jacob two verses later (v13).\u00a0\u00a0That said, Jacob is overcome with emotion when he finds his relatives in Paddan Aram and thus he \u201cbegan to weep aloud\u201d (v11).\u00a0\u00a0It was likely a bitter-sweet moment for Jacob to find Rachel and Laban and to begin staying with them (v14).\u00a0\u00a0On one hand Jacob was undoubtedly relieved to have found his relatives.\u00a0\u00a0On the other hand, Jacob probably thought back to missing his mom and dad, and maybe even his brother.<\/p>\n

What can we learn from this?\u00a0 For me it’s a reminder that\u00a0the journey that God has for us requires that we leave our comfort zone, at least for a period of time<\/strong>.\u00a0 In some cases, though not all, it might specifically involve, for a period of time, being away from our family, whether figuratively or literally, in order discover something else that God has for us.\u00a0 Do not misunderstand me.\u00a0 I’m not in any way saying that you should look to leave your family.\u00a0\u00a0What I’m saying is that when you look at the lives of Abraham, Sarah, Rebekah, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Ruth, and of course Jesus himself, the path that each of them would go on involved, at least for a period of time, that they be apart from their family in order to experience something else that God had for them.\u00a0 If that happens to be a part of your story too, not because you tried to leave your family intentionally but because of circumstances that you didn’t initiate, then you wouldn’t be the first to experience that.<\/p>\n

Heavenly Father, thank You that with You there is joy to move forward, even when our past is marked by pain and even when the future is full of uncertainty.\u00a0\u00a0Thank You that You know the plans You have for every person reading this, plans to prosper them and not to harm them.\u00a0\u00a0Thank You that Your timing is perfect, as You work in ways we cannot see until later.\u00a0\u00a0Thank You that with our lives You are writing a greater story than anything we could write ourselves.\u00a0\u00a0In Jesus\u2019 name, AMEN!<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is Genesis 29:1-14.\u00a0\u00a0Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

Genesis 29:1 (NIV)
\n1\u00a0\u00a0Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples.<\/p>\n

On verse 1:\u00a0\u00a0The original Hebrew for the words \u201cJacob continued on\u201d are literally \u201che lifted up his feet\u201d, which is a unique expression that some scholars believe implies Jacob moving along happily.\u00a0\u00a0Why did Jacob have \u201chappy feet\u201d?\u00a0\u00a0It\u2019s because he had encountered the Lord in the previous chapter.\u00a0\u00a0What can we learn from this?\u00a0\u00a0When you spend time in God\u2019s presence, it will tend to give you the joy \u2013 happy feet, if you will \u2013 to continue on with your journey.\u00a0\u00a0Even though you may face uncertainties concerning your future as Jacob did, an encounter with God and time in His presence can change your perspective and give you joy to move forward amid the uncertainty.\u00a0\u00a0So make it your habit to draw close to God regularly and experience Him.<\/p>\n

Genesis 29:2-3 (NIV)
\n2\u00a0\u00a0There he saw a well in the field, with three flocks of sheep lying near it because the flocks were watered from that well. The stone over the mouth of the well was large.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16227,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16225","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gametime-sharing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16225","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16225"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16225\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16226,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16225\/revisions\/16226"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16227"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16225"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16225"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16225"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}