The Bridge Church of the Nazarene
Sunday, July 18, 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.* 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
https://www.facebook.com/groups/bridgenaz/
Sunday 9:45 AM
Sermon Title: Beckygate (Gen 24:1-67)
Gen 24:1-67
24:1 Abraham was old, and well advanced in age. Adonai had blessed Abraham in all things.
2 Abraham said to his servant, the elder of his house, who ruled over all that he had, “Please put your hand under my thigh.
3 I will make you swear by Adonai, the God of the sky and the God of the land, that you shall not take a woman concerning my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live. 4 But to my land, and to my relatives, you will go and take a woman concerning my son Isaac.”
5 The servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I bring your son again to the land from which you came?” 6 Abraham said to him, “Take care not to bring my son there again….”
7 Adonai, the God of the sky—who took me from my father’s house, and from the land of my birth, who spoke to me, and who swore to me, saying, ‘I will give this land to your offspring’—he himself will send his agent before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. 8 If the woman isn’t willing to follow you, then you shall be clear from this oath to me. Only you shall not bring my son there again.” 9 The servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter. 10 The servant took ten of his master’s camels, and departed, having a variety of good things of his master’s with him. He arose, and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor.
11 He made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time that women go out to draw water.
12 He said, “Adonai, the God of my master Abraham, please give me success today, and show loyalty to my master Abraham. 13 Here I am, standing by the spring of water. The daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. 14 Let it happen, that the young lady to whom I will say, ‘Please let down your pitcher, that I may drink,’ then she says, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink,’—let her be the one you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown loyalty to my master.” 15 Before he had finished speaking, sure enough, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with her pitcher on her shoulder.
16 The young lady was very beautiful to look at, a virgin. No man had known her. She went down to the spring, filled her pitcher, and came up. 17 The servant ran to meet her, and said, “Please give me a drink, a little water from your pitcher.” 18 She said, “Drink, my lord.” She hurried, and let down her pitcher on her hand, and gave him a drink. 19 When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will also draw for your camels, until they have finished drinking.” 20 She hurried, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again to the well to draw, and drew for all his camels. 21 The man gazed at her silently, to know whether Adonai had made his journey successful or not.
22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a ring of gold weighing a half shekel, and two bracelets for her hands weighing ten shekels of gold, 23 and said, “Whose daughter are you? Please tell me: Is there room in your father’s house for us to stay the night?”
24 She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.” 25 She said moreover to him, “We have both straw and feed enough, and room to lodge in.” 26 The man bowed his head, and bowed to Adonai. 27 He said, “Blessed be Adonai, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his loyalty and his faithfulness toward my master. As for me, Adonai has led me on the way to the house of my master’s brothers.” 28 The young lady ran, and told her mother’s house about these words.
29 Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban. Laban ran to the man outside, to the spring. 30 When he saw the ring, and the bracelets on his sister’s hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, “This is what the man said to me,” he came to the man. There he was, standing by the camels at the spring.
31 He said, “Come in, blessed one of Adonai. Why do you stand outside? For I myself have prepared the house, and a place for the camels.” 32 The man came into the house, and he unloaded the camels. He gave straw and feed for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. 33 Food was set before him to eat, but he said, “I will not eat until I have spoken my message.” Laban said, “Speak.”
34 He said, “I am Abraham’s servant.
35 Adonai has blessed my master greatly. He has become great. Adonai has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male servants and female servants, and camels and donkeys. 36 Sarah, my master’s wife, bore a son to my master when she was old. He has given all that he has to him.
37 My master made me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife concerning my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live, 38 but you shall go to my father’s house, and to my family, and take a wife concerning my son.’ 39 I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’
40 “He said to me, ‘Adonai, before whom I walk, will send his agent with you, and will make your way succeed. You shall take a wife for my son from my family, and from my father’s house. 41 Then you will be clear from my oath, when you come to my family. If they don’t give her to you, you shall be clear from my curse.’
42 I came today to the spring, and said, ‘Adonai, the God of my master Abraham, if now you are indeed making my way succeed, in which I go, 43 here I am, standing by this spring of water. Let it happen, that the girl who comes out to draw, to whom I will say, “Please give me a little water from your pitcher to drink,” 44 then she tells me, “Drink, and I will also draw for your camels,”—let her be the woman whom Adonai has appointed concerning my master’s son.’
45 Before I had finished speaking in my heart, sure enough, Rebekah came out with her pitcher on her shoulder. She went down to the spring, and drew. I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’ 46 She hurried and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink.’ So I drank, and she also gave the camels a drink. 47 I asked her, and said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him.’ I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her hands. 48 I bowed my head, and worshiped Adonai, and blessed Adonai, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the right way to take my master’s brother’s daughter for his son.
49 Now if you will show loyalty and faithfulness to my master, tell me. If not, tell me, that I may face toward the right, or toward the left.”
50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered, “The matter has gone out from Adonai. We are unable to speak to you bad or good. 51 Here is Rebekah, before you. Take her, and go, and let her become the wife concerning your master’s son as Adonai has spoken.”
52 When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed himself down to the ground to Adonai. 53 The servant brought out jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave precious things to her brother and her mother. 54 They ate and drank, he and the men who were with him, and stayed the night. They rose up in the morning, and he said, “Send me away to my master.” 55 Her brother and her mother said, “Let the young lady stay with us a few days, at least ten. After that she will go.”
56 He said to them, “Don’t hinder me, since Adonai has made my way succeed. Send me away that I may go to my master.” 57 They said, “We will call the young lady, and ask it from her mouth.” 58 They called Rebekah, and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” She said, “I will go.”
59 They sent away Rebekah, their sister, with her nurse, Abraham’s servant, and his men. 60 They blessed Rebekah, and said to her, “Our sister, may you be the mother of thousands of ten-thousands, and let your offspring possess the gate of those who hate them.” 61 Rebekah arose with her ladies. They rode on the camels, and followed the man. The servant took Rebekah, and went his way.
62 Isaac came from the way of Beer Lahai Roi, for he lived in the land of the Negev.
63 Isaac went lamenting in the field in the early evening. He lifted up his eyes and looked, and sure enough, there were camels coming. 64 Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she got off the camel. 65 She said to the servant, “Who is this man who is walking in the field to meet us?” The servant said, “It is my master.” She took her veil, and covered herself.
66 The servant told Isaac all the things that he had done.
66 The servant told Isaac all the things that he had done.
24:1 Abraham was old, and well advanced in age. Adonai had blessed Abraham in all things.
2 Abraham said to his servant, the elder of his house, who ruled over all that he had, “Please put your hand under my thigh.
3 I will make you swear by Adonai, the God of the sky and the God of the land, that you shall not take a woman concerning my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live. 4 But to my land, and to my relatives, you will go and take a woman concerning my son Isaac.”
5 The servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I bring your son again to the land from which you came?” 6 Abraham said to him, “Take care not to bring my son there again….”
7 Adonai, the God of the sky—who took me from my father’s house, and from the land of my birth, who spoke to me, and who swore to me, saying, ‘I will give this land to your offspring’—he himself will send his agent before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. 8 If the woman isn’t willing to follow you, then you shall be clear from this oath to me. Only you shall not bring my son there again.” 9 The servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter. 10 The servant took ten of his master’s camels, and departed, having a variety of good things of his master’s with him. He arose, and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor.
11 He made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time that women go out to draw water.
12 He said, “Adonai, the God of my master Abraham, please give me success today, and show loyalty to my master Abraham. 13 Here I am, standing by the spring of water. The daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. 14 Let it happen, that the young lady to whom I will say, ‘Please let down your pitcher, that I may drink,’ then she says, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink,’—let her be the one you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown loyalty to my master.” 15 Before he had finished speaking, sure enough, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with her pitcher on her shoulder.
16 The young lady was very beautiful to look at, a virgin. No man had known her. She went down to the spring, filled her pitcher, and came up. 17 The servant ran to meet her, and said, “Please give me a drink, a little water from your pitcher.” 18 She said, “Drink, my lord.” She hurried, and let down her pitcher on her hand, and gave him a drink. 19 When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will also draw for your camels, until they have finished drinking.” 20 She hurried, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again to the well to draw, and drew for all his camels. 21 The man gazed at her silently, to know whether Adonai had made his journey successful or not.
22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a ring of gold weighing a half shekel, and two bracelets for her hands weighing ten shekels of gold, 23 and said, “Whose daughter are you? Please tell me: Is there room in your father’s house for us to stay the night?”
24 She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.” 25 She said moreover to him, “We have both straw and feed enough, and room to lodge in.” 26 The man bowed his head, and bowed to Adonai. 27 He said, “Blessed be Adonai, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his loyalty and his faithfulness toward my master. As for me, Adonai has led me on the way to the house of my master’s brothers.” 28 The young lady ran, and told her mother’s house about these words.
29 Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban. Laban ran to the man outside, to the spring. 30 When he saw the ring, and the bracelets on his sister’s hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, “This is what the man said to me,” he came to the man. There he was, standing by the camels at the spring.
31 He said, “Come in, blessed one of Adonai. Why do you stand outside? For I myself have prepared the house, and a place for the camels.” 32 The man came into the house, and he unloaded the camels. He gave straw and feed for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. 33 Food was set before him to eat, but he said, “I will not eat until I have spoken my message.” Laban said, “Speak.”
34 He said, “I am Abraham’s servant.
35 Adonai has blessed my master greatly. He has become great. Adonai has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male servants and female servants, and camels and donkeys. 36 Sarah, my master’s wife, bore a son to my master when she was old. He has given all that he has to him.
37 My master made me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife concerning my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live, 38 but you shall go to my father’s house, and to my family, and take a wife concerning my son.’ 39 I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’
40 “He said to me, ‘Adonai, before whom I walk, will send his agent with you, and will make your way succeed. You shall take a wife for my son from my family, and from my father’s house. 41 Then you will be clear from my oath, when you come to my family. If they don’t give her to you, you shall be clear from my curse.’
42 I came today to the spring, and said, ‘Adonai, the God of my master Abraham, if now you are indeed making my way succeed, in which I go, 43 here I am, standing by this spring of water. Let it happen, that the girl who comes out to draw, to whom I will say, “Please give me a little water from your pitcher to drink,” 44 then she tells me, “Drink, and I will also draw for your camels,”—let her be the woman whom Adonai has appointed concerning my master’s son.’
45 Before I had finished speaking in my heart, sure enough, Rebekah came out with her pitcher on her shoulder. She went down to the spring, and drew. I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’ 46 She hurried and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink.’ So I drank, and she also gave the camels a drink. 47 I asked her, and said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him.’ I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her hands. 48 I bowed my head, and worshiped Adonai, and blessed Adonai, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the right way to take my master’s brother’s daughter for his son.
49 Now if you will show loyalty and faithfulness to my master, tell me. If not, tell me, that I may face toward the right, or toward the left.”
50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered, “The matter has gone out from Adonai. We are unable to speak to you bad or good. 51 Here is Rebekah, before you. Take her, and go, and let her become the wife concerning your master’s son as Adonai has spoken.”
52 When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed himself down to the ground to Adonai. 53 The servant brought out jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave precious things to her brother and her mother. 54 They ate and drank, he and the men who were with him, and stayed the night. They rose up in the morning, and he said, “Send me away to my master.” 55 Her brother and her mother said, “Let the young lady stay with us a few days, at least ten. After that she will go.”
56 He said to them, “Don’t hinder me, since Adonai has made my way succeed. Send me away that I may go to my master.” 57 They said, “We will call the young lady, and ask it from her mouth.” 58 They called Rebekah, and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” She said, “I will go.”
59 They sent away Rebekah, their sister, with her nurse, Abraham’s servant, and his men. 60 They blessed Rebekah, and said to her, “Our sister, may you be the mother of thousands of ten-thousands, and let your offspring possess the gate of those who hate them.” 61 Rebekah arose with her ladies. They rode on the camels, and followed the man. The servant took Rebekah, and went his way.
62 Isaac came from the way of Beer Lahai Roi, for he lived in the land of the Negev.
63 Isaac went lamenting in the field in the early evening. He lifted up his eyes and looked, and sure enough, there were camels coming. 64 Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she got off the camel. 65 She said to the servant, “Who is this man who is walking in the field to meet us?” The servant said, “It is my master.” She took her veil, and covered herself.
66 The servant told Isaac all the things that he had done.
66 The servant told Isaac all the things that he had done.
Bottom Line
Never underestimate the enduring damage of 1 lie.
Never underestimate the enduring damage of 1 lie.
Word of the Week
Malebolge: Dante’s 8th level of the unrighteous underworld.
Malebolge: Dante’s 8th level of the unrighteous underworld.