Archive for category: GAMEtime Sharing

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).

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 17:1-14.  Let’s go!

Genesis 17:1-8 (NIV)
1  When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless.
2  I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.”
3  Abram fell facedown, and God said to him,
4  “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations.
5  No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.
6  I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.
7  I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.
8  The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.”

On verses 1-8:  Previously God made a covenant (a legally binding promise) to Abram in Genesis 15, promising to give Abram the land from the Nile to the Euphrates (Genesis 15:18).  Now, in addition to God telling Abram to walk before Him and be blameless (v1), God confirms His covenant with Abram and gives the covenant more definition, like a sculpture getting more and more refined by its sculptor.  Here God confirms that the covenant includes Abram being the father of many nations (v4), with Abram’s name changing to Abraham (meaning “father of many”) (v5).  God also confirms that the covenant is an everlasting one for all of Abraham’s descendants (v7) ad that God is giving to Abraham and his descendants the whole land of Canaan (v8). 

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 15.  Let’s go!

Genesis 15:1 (NIV)
1  After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”

On verse 1:  In the previous chapter, Abram refused to take any material goods from the King of Sodom, even after he had rescued the people of Sodom from Kedorlaomer.  After Abram refused to receive any reward from the King of Sodom, now the Lord comes to Abram in a vision, saying, “I am your very great reward”.  What can we learn from this?  The greatest reward, the greatest treasure we can have is to know God personally and have His presence in our lives.   

God says another thing to Abram here after Abram’s victory over Kedorlaomer in battle.  He says, “I am your shield.”  In other words, the reason why Abram was able to go into battle against a more powerful enemy and come out unscathed is because God was protecting Abram.  Similarly, you and I face Satan, an enemy more powerful than us, but God is our omnipotent shield against the enemy.  Jesus’ blood shed on the cross shields us from all further accusations that Satan would want to hurl at us.  Jesus protects us from God’s wrath against our sin.  The Lord was Abram’s shield.  He is your shield too.

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 14:1-12.  Let’s go!

Genesis 14:1-12 (NIV)
1  At this time Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goiim
2  went to war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar).
3  All these latter kings joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (the Salt Sea).
4  For twelve years they had been subject to Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled…….

On verses 1-12:  These verses describe a war between two alliances of kings.  On one side we have Kedorlaomer king of Elam, the strongest king in the region plus three other kingdoms allied with him (Shinar, Ellasar, and Goyim).  On the other side, we have an alliance of five kingdoms consisting of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zebooi, and Bela/Zoar.  At the Valley of Siddim, these two alliances battle, resulting in Kedorlaomer’s alliance defeating Sodom and Gomorrah.  As part of their victory over Sodom and Gomorrah, Kedorlaomer’s alliance kidnaps Abram’s nephew Lot, since Lot was a resident of Sodom (v12).

What can we learn from this?  These verses are setting the stage for Abram to come to Lot’s rescue and defeat Kedorlaomer, which we will read about in the next verses.  For now it is worth noting that if Kedorlaomer had just taken the goods and food of Sodom and Gomorrah as plunder and had left Lot untouched, Abram would never have gone to fight Kedorlaomer and defeat him.  Apparently Kedorlaomer’s greed may have been his undoing.