Archive for month: May, 2021

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 19:12-22.  Let’s go!

Genesis 19:12-13 (NIV)
12  The two men said to Lot, “Do you have anyone else here–sons-in-law, sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you? Get them out of here,
13  because we are going to destroy this place. The outcry to the LORD against its people is so great that he has sent us to destroy it.”

On verses 12-13:  In Genesis 18:16-33, Abraham kept asking God to spare the city of Sodom if God found 50, 45, 40, 30, 20 or 10 people who are righteous, and God agreed.  The fact that God still went ahead and destroyed Sodom suggests that God did not find anyone righteous in Sodom.  That is because compared to God’s perfect standard of holiness, “no one is righteous, not even one…all have turned away” (Romans 3:10,12). 

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 19:1-11.  Let’s go!

Genesis 19:1-3 (NIV)
1  The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground.
2  “My lords,” he said, “please turn aside to your servant’s house. You can wash your feet and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning.” “No,” they answered, “we will spend the night in the square.”
3  But he insisted so strongly that they did go with him and entered his house. He prepared a meal for them, baking bread without yeast, and they ate.

On verses 1-3:  The fact that Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city of Sodom leads some scholars to believe that Lot was a leader in the city of Sodom.  Lot invites two visitors, who happen to be angels, to rest at his house.  The fact that Lot prepares a meal of bread without yeast suggests that it was quite a rushed meal.  Lot doesn’t seem to go out of his way to serve his visitors lavishly as much as Abraham did for his three visitors in Genesis 18.  Even in how they serve their visitors you can see the difference between Abraham and Lot.  Perhaps Lot’s lesser hospitality was influenced by the self-centered culture of the city he lived in, in which case it shows that sin has this shrinking effect on our heart to love others.  In any event, you can understand why God blessed and used Abraham more than God blessed and used Lot.  How you welcome God into your life will directly impact how much God will bless and use your life.

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 18:1-15.  Let’s go!

Genesis 18:1-10 (NIV)
1  The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day.
2  Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.
3  He said, “If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by.
4  Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree…….

On verses 10b-15:  Upon hearing the Lord say that about this time next year Sarah will have a son, Sarah laughs to herself and thinks sarcastically, “will I now have this pleasure?”  Previously Abraham had laughed at the Lord’s message that Sarah would bear a child at the age of 90 (Genesis 17:17), but his laugh was a joyful laugh fueled by faith, wonder and awe.  Here Sarah’s laugh is not fueled by faith or joy, but by unbelief, skepticism and ingratitude (v13).  Perceiving Sarah’s sarcastic thoughts, the Lord responds by asking, “Is anything too hard for the Lord” (v14).  Afraid, Sarah denies laughing but God confirms that she did laugh (v15).