The Best Bad Honeymoon Story
Memory Verse: 'If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. '
Galatians 5:25
Sermon Sentence: All of our worldly desires leave us empty and disappointed in the light of the morning.
Galatians 5:25
Sermon Sentence: All of our worldly desires leave us empty and disappointed in the light of the morning.
Day 1
Read Genesis 29:1-14
I introduced my kids to one of my favorite movies the other day, “The Princess Bride.” It is one of my favorites because of how funny it is and how it poses to be a good love story. I don’t do too well with the other kinds of love stories that are serious and have the goal of making you feel a lot of emotions. I recently discovered the band Ludo which is famous for their rock love ballads. They write non-serious lyrics to be presented in a non-serious way, but have a great amount of depth to them. It could be fun to look up the band, or watch the movie, but that is not what I am trying to say here. My point is that this is not a “good” love story. It is a love story, but almost presented with a few comical and seemingly exaggerated points that are meant to take you on a ride of working it all out in your mind. Chapter 29 starts with an important line…this is about Jacob’s journey east. Don’t forget where our study has landed us in understanding that the eastward direction is meant the same as a downward spiral. It is not a good thing. It is also important to consider this in contrast to Esau’s “love” story(ies) where he seemed to be marrying everything that moved and made his parents mad.
Love stories are comical. We have a tendency to tell them in flowery language and embellished details with happy endings. That leaves us longing for the fairy tales of our own kind and also with the constant disappointments that come when we don’t get what we dreamed of. Jacob is setting the stage for that. This story won’t go well…so enjoy it while it is sugar-coated and don’t try to figure out all of the specifics, but rather figure out what the writer wants you to hear.
Why do you think this part of the story is worth telling in the grand scheme of where the story seems to be going? Why not just skip this part and say they met and then tell the next story?
How many stories can you name in the Bible with the “love found by a well” theme?
What parts of this story are confusing to you and don’t seem to make sense?
I introduced my kids to one of my favorite movies the other day, “The Princess Bride.” It is one of my favorites because of how funny it is and how it poses to be a good love story. I don’t do too well with the other kinds of love stories that are serious and have the goal of making you feel a lot of emotions. I recently discovered the band Ludo which is famous for their rock love ballads. They write non-serious lyrics to be presented in a non-serious way, but have a great amount of depth to them. It could be fun to look up the band, or watch the movie, but that is not what I am trying to say here. My point is that this is not a “good” love story. It is a love story, but almost presented with a few comical and seemingly exaggerated points that are meant to take you on a ride of working it all out in your mind. Chapter 29 starts with an important line…this is about Jacob’s journey east. Don’t forget where our study has landed us in understanding that the eastward direction is meant the same as a downward spiral. It is not a good thing. It is also important to consider this in contrast to Esau’s “love” story(ies) where he seemed to be marrying everything that moved and made his parents mad.
Love stories are comical. We have a tendency to tell them in flowery language and embellished details with happy endings. That leaves us longing for the fairy tales of our own kind and also with the constant disappointments that come when we don’t get what we dreamed of. Jacob is setting the stage for that. This story won’t go well…so enjoy it while it is sugar-coated and don’t try to figure out all of the specifics, but rather figure out what the writer wants you to hear.
Why do you think this part of the story is worth telling in the grand scheme of where the story seems to be going? Why not just skip this part and say they met and then tell the next story?
How many stories can you name in the Bible with the “love found by a well” theme?
What parts of this story are confusing to you and don’t seem to make sense?
Day 2
Read Genesis 29:15-30
Part of me wants to cheer at this section in the story. Jacob finally gets a piece of what he deserves! But then I also realize that is a pretty unfair sentence and I start to feel like Laban is the worst Jacob. That is all ok to feel in this story, the best that I can tell. We are “east” of Jacob’s family, which was “east” of God’s ideas. So we are pretty far from God’s plans and the things which He smiles on. Maybe a good lesson from this story is that there is no good advice for father-in-laws, marriage, or anything like that. These are bad stories, not stories of model citizens that we want to be like. This sort of chaos is just what happens “east” of God’s presence.
In the sermon, we presented the idea of verse 25 as much deeper than just about this event. This event is the caricature that allows us to process the teaching of the text. All of life’s promises that we spend all of our time, money, and efforts chasing, hoping they will bring us some sort of happiness or joy or acceptance, in the light of morning, are revealed to be nothing more than a deception that we gave way more than we wanted to! The story seems to leave many questions as we try to figure out how Laban could be that crooked, how the room could have been that dark, and how much alcohol could lead to those sort of results…but that is the point. That is what we are finding over and over again in our lives.
What event from your life does this story bring to your mind, maybe where you spent more than you should have or tried harder than it ended up being worth?
What lesson do you learn from this story?
How else does the Bible teach this lesson in another section of the scripture?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
Part of me wants to cheer at this section in the story. Jacob finally gets a piece of what he deserves! But then I also realize that is a pretty unfair sentence and I start to feel like Laban is the worst Jacob. That is all ok to feel in this story, the best that I can tell. We are “east” of Jacob’s family, which was “east” of God’s ideas. So we are pretty far from God’s plans and the things which He smiles on. Maybe a good lesson from this story is that there is no good advice for father-in-laws, marriage, or anything like that. These are bad stories, not stories of model citizens that we want to be like. This sort of chaos is just what happens “east” of God’s presence.
In the sermon, we presented the idea of verse 25 as much deeper than just about this event. This event is the caricature that allows us to process the teaching of the text. All of life’s promises that we spend all of our time, money, and efforts chasing, hoping they will bring us some sort of happiness or joy or acceptance, in the light of morning, are revealed to be nothing more than a deception that we gave way more than we wanted to! The story seems to leave many questions as we try to figure out how Laban could be that crooked, how the room could have been that dark, and how much alcohol could lead to those sort of results…but that is the point. That is what we are finding over and over again in our lives.
What event from your life does this story bring to your mind, maybe where you spent more than you should have or tried harder than it ended up being worth?
What lesson do you learn from this story?
How else does the Bible teach this lesson in another section of the scripture?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
Day 3
Read Isaiah 44:9-20
The next couple of days, I have some fairly comical writings in the Bible that mock the idols of false religions. They can be funny, but they are not funny. Idols are dangerous. I mean, sort of. And that is the point that the Bible keeps going back to over and over again. It is absurd on a strangely comical level to have gods that are not the One True God. That is why the Bible makes fun of them. They can be not funny when people start to find themselves trapped in the worship that leads to death and darkness, like the child sacrifices to Baal. But the danger is not in the god itself, which is really not powerful at all. The danger is in the deception that people can fall for. It is the deception that can lead to death, or any variation of that idea. The comedy can draw us in because we laugh at people for being so delusional and easily miffed, but then the warning is allowed to land in our hearts: that is what we are doing as we spend our resources, make our sacrifices, and choose to give the attention to those things that are not exactly idols, but really seem to be playing the part.
God’s words are important in light of this. They are the anchor points that remind us of the truth and draw us back out of the confusion. We are not to be worshipping them. Who are “they?” Anything or anyone that is not God Almighty that wants our attention or our hearts!
How does this section help you see the idea of idols around your life?
What is God laying on your heart to pay attention to right now?
Why is it important to know that idols are not real or have no real power?
How does this become your prayer today?
The next couple of days, I have some fairly comical writings in the Bible that mock the idols of false religions. They can be funny, but they are not funny. Idols are dangerous. I mean, sort of. And that is the point that the Bible keeps going back to over and over again. It is absurd on a strangely comical level to have gods that are not the One True God. That is why the Bible makes fun of them. They can be not funny when people start to find themselves trapped in the worship that leads to death and darkness, like the child sacrifices to Baal. But the danger is not in the god itself, which is really not powerful at all. The danger is in the deception that people can fall for. It is the deception that can lead to death, or any variation of that idea. The comedy can draw us in because we laugh at people for being so delusional and easily miffed, but then the warning is allowed to land in our hearts: that is what we are doing as we spend our resources, make our sacrifices, and choose to give the attention to those things that are not exactly idols, but really seem to be playing the part.
God’s words are important in light of this. They are the anchor points that remind us of the truth and draw us back out of the confusion. We are not to be worshipping them. Who are “they?” Anything or anyone that is not God Almighty that wants our attention or our hearts!
How does this section help you see the idea of idols around your life?
What is God laying on your heart to pay attention to right now?
Why is it important to know that idols are not real or have no real power?
How does this become your prayer today?
Day 4
Read Exodus 32:1-20
I often laugh at this story. Maybe it is one of those awkward laughs that seem to be at the wrong time, but nonetheless I laugh. Here is the part that gets me: Aaron was left in charge while Moses went to get the Law from God’s own hands. While Moses was up on the mountain setting in stone the relationship and covenant for the people and God, Aaron decided to make his great step up to the plate of leadership move. Fast forward and everyone is naked and dancing around a golden calf, talking about how it is kind of like the god that delivered them from Egypt. That is funny because of how far left of center that scene plays out. I have lots of questions that I wonder about, but most of them would just lead to even more questions. I don’t think the point of this story is the comedic take on it, but the absurdity lends itself to some comedy.
The story is another one that, under all of its layers, is really just a picture of what I struggle with all the time. Israel seems bent on the pattern of making promises to God and then missing the mark of those promises. That is what I find in my life so often. How could Aaron get so far off the mark of leadership here? Probably the same way I find myself constantly giving in to moments that leave me questioning what I was really thinking there.
How do you think the wheels fell off the whole situation with Aaron? What events could have led to something like this?
What do you notice about Moses’ response in standing up for the people?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
I often laugh at this story. Maybe it is one of those awkward laughs that seem to be at the wrong time, but nonetheless I laugh. Here is the part that gets me: Aaron was left in charge while Moses went to get the Law from God’s own hands. While Moses was up on the mountain setting in stone the relationship and covenant for the people and God, Aaron decided to make his great step up to the plate of leadership move. Fast forward and everyone is naked and dancing around a golden calf, talking about how it is kind of like the god that delivered them from Egypt. That is funny because of how far left of center that scene plays out. I have lots of questions that I wonder about, but most of them would just lead to even more questions. I don’t think the point of this story is the comedic take on it, but the absurdity lends itself to some comedy.
The story is another one that, under all of its layers, is really just a picture of what I struggle with all the time. Israel seems bent on the pattern of making promises to God and then missing the mark of those promises. That is what I find in my life so often. How could Aaron get so far off the mark of leadership here? Probably the same way I find myself constantly giving in to moments that leave me questioning what I was really thinking there.
How do you think the wheels fell off the whole situation with Aaron? What events could have led to something like this?
What do you notice about Moses’ response in standing up for the people?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
Day 5
Read Exodus 32:21-35
I am over here laughing at this story again. I know, it is still awkward, but listen to this story! Moses finally confronts Aaron about how things got so far out of control and Aaron tells him he doesn’t have a clue. He just told everyone to give some jewelry and out jumped this golden calf! It was a miracle. Sure Aaron, and a lie. It is absurd to me that he thinks that the real story is so far out there, that this one has to be closer to believable!
Moses steps in between the people and asks for the punishment they deserve to be on him. He is willing to sacrifice himself for the people. Aaron is willing to lie to get out of trouble and throw the people under the bus, while Moses is willing to give himself up for them. Which one do you think looks more like the good leader in this story? God does not accept the life of Moses for the sins of the people. It would not work like that, they would be responsible for their own sins. This pattern would continue until one day a far better Moses would lay His life down for the people
How is Jesus shown as a better Moses in the New Testament?
What does this story teach you about repentance?
How does this become your prayer today?
I am over here laughing at this story again. I know, it is still awkward, but listen to this story! Moses finally confronts Aaron about how things got so far out of control and Aaron tells him he doesn’t have a clue. He just told everyone to give some jewelry and out jumped this golden calf! It was a miracle. Sure Aaron, and a lie. It is absurd to me that he thinks that the real story is so far out there, that this one has to be closer to believable!
Moses steps in between the people and asks for the punishment they deserve to be on him. He is willing to sacrifice himself for the people. Aaron is willing to lie to get out of trouble and throw the people under the bus, while Moses is willing to give himself up for them. Which one do you think looks more like the good leader in this story? God does not accept the life of Moses for the sins of the people. It would not work like that, they would be responsible for their own sins. This pattern would continue until one day a far better Moses would lay His life down for the people
How is Jesus shown as a better Moses in the New Testament?
What does this story teach you about repentance?
How does this become your prayer today?
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