Author Archive for: meiling

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 21:1-14.  As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.  See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 

1 Kings 21:1-14 (NIV)
1  Some time later there was an incident involving a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. The vineyard was in Jezreel, close to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.
2  Ahab said to Naboth, “Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth.”

On verses 1-14:  In these verses we see Ahab’s selfishness and Jezebel’s cunning in full bloom. Ahab wants to take the vineyard of another man, Naboth.  This vineyard was a precious family property that Naboth’s parents had given to him.  It was likely Naboth’s main source of income, whereas Ahab merely wanted to use it for a vegetable garden.  When Naboth refuses to sell the vineyard to Ahab, Ahab sulks. Ahab’s wife Jezebel devises an evil and elaborate plan to call a fast (using religion as a means to do evil) and have two scoundrels falsely accuse Naboth of cursing God and the king. 

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 20:35-43.  As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.  See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 

1 Kings 20:35-36 (NIV)
35  By the word of the LORD one of the sons of the prophets said to his companion, “Strike me with your weapon,” but the man refused.
36  So the prophet said, “Because you have not obeyed the LORD, as soon as you leave me a lion will kill you.” And after the man went away, a lion found him and killed him.

On verses 35-36:  This is an odd story, but what can we learn from it?  When you don’t obey God’s Word, you become vulnerable to the attack of the enemy, whom the Bible describes elsewhere as a lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).  As strange as God’s Word might sometimes seem to finite people like us, God’s Word is there for our protection.  We’re much better off trusting in God’s Word than trusting in ourselves.

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 20:13-22.  As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.  See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

1 Kings 20:13-22 (NIVToday’s passage is 1 Kings 20:23-34.  As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.  See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 

1 Kings 20:23-34 (NIV)
23  Meanwhile, the officials of the king of Aram advised him, “Their gods are gods of the hills. That is why they were too strong for us. But if we fight them on the plains, surely we will be stronger than they.
24  Do this: Remove all the kings from their commands and replace them with other officers.

On verses 23-34:  The officials of Ben-Hadad King of Aram had no idea whom they were dealing with.  They assumed that the reason why the outnumbered Israelites unexpectedly defeated the Arameans at the first battle was because the Israelites were experienced at fighting in the mountains. 

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 20:1-12.  As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.  See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 

1 Kings 20:1-12 (NIV)
1  Now Ben-Hadad king of Aram mustered his entire army. Accompanied by thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots, he went up and besieged Samaria and attacked it.
2  He sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, saying, “This is what Ben-Hadad says:
3  ‘Your silver and gold are mine, and the best of your wives and children are mine.'”

On verses 1-12:  Ben-Hadad king of Aram, together with his entire army and 32 other kings (most likely rulers of smaller neighbouring city states), besiege Israel’s capital city of Samaria.  Ben-Hadad tells Ahab in verse 3, “Your silver and gold are mine, and the best of your wives and children are mine.” (In the Nintendo International Version, Ben-Hadad says “All your base are belong to us.”  I’m kidding.)