Archive for month: March, 2020

Hi GAMErs,

Today we begin our look at 1 Peter, a letter written by the apostle Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples, probably around 64 A.D. to Christians scattered everywhere throughout five Roman provinces.

On verses 1-12:  When you read this passage, keep in mind the context within which Peter is writing this letter.  In approximately 64 A.D., Christians in the Roman Empire are going through severe persecution.  Emperor Nero has launched, or is just about to launch, a widespread movement to capture and destroy Christians.  He would become famous for setting Christians on fire as human torches for his dinner parties and feeding them to lions in the coliseum.  With this background of great persecution in mind, read verses 1 to 12 and you will find that they come alive with so much more meaning and relevance.  Likewise, if you have ever been bullied, ostracized, or excluded by others, may you find encouragement from this letter by Peter.

Hi GAMErs,

Now onto today’s passage. Today’s passage is Job 42:1-17.  Let’s go!
 
Job 42:1-2 (NIV) 
1  Then Job replied to the LORD: 
2  “I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted.

On verses 1-6:  Job has now abandoned his previous push to challenge God on His justice (v2).  He now admits to speaking of things that he had no ability to understand (v3).  Job had heard about God all his life, but now, having heard God speak personally, he experiences God’s presence in a powerful and unprecedented way.  In response to encountering God, all Job can do is see how small and unholy he is.  Job repents of his pride before God (v4-6).

What can we learn from this? 

1.We were made not just to hear about God but to experience Him personally.

Hi GAMErs,

Now onto today’s passage. Today’s passage is Job 41:1-34.  Let’s go!
 
Job 41:10 (NIV) 
10  No one is fierce enough to rouse him. Who then is able to stand against me?
 
On verses 1-34:  For one whole chapter, God talks about the leviathan.  What is the leviathan and why is God talking about it? 

The leviathan is described as a powerful marine animal that is violent, not easily captured or tamed, armed with fearsome teeth (v14), and who is impervious to attacks with various premodern combat weapons (v26).   In the past scholars surmised that perhaps the leviathan was a sea monster, a whale, or a marine dinosaur.  Today, many scholars believe that the leviathan is a giant crocodile, since “the crocodile fits God’s description of the leviathan’s back (v13, 15-17, 23), teeth (v14), chest and undersides (v24, 30) and its churning of the waters (v31-32)” (The Bible Knowledge Commentary).  If the leviathan is a giant crocodile, then the references to it being fire-breathing (v19-21) might be an exaggeration for effect.