Archive for category: GAMEtime Sharing

Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is Nahum 3:1-19.  Let’s go!

Nahum 3:1-15, 19 (NIV) 
1  Woe to the city of blood, full of lies, full of plunder, never without victims!
2  The crack of whips, the clatter of wheels, galloping horses and jolting chariots!
3  Charging cavalry, flashing swords and glittering spears! Many casualties, piles of dead, bodies without number, people stumbling over the corpses–……

On verses 1-15, 19:  Here in these verses Nahum describes with vivid imagery the destruction that Nineveh would experience.  In verses 8-10 Nahum compares Nineveh to Thebes of ancient Egypt and how despite all of its power and prosperity, the city still fell.
You might be asking, “How could God be so cruel to Nineveh?”  Keep these things in mind:

God had already shown mercy to Nineveh before, having warned the people of Nineveh in the past.  After initially repenting, the Ninevites eventually returned to being a centre for great wickedness and “endless cruelty” (v19), refusing to take seriously God’s warnings and God’s mercy.

Hi GAMErs,

Today we begin the book of Nahum.   Let’s go!

Nahum 1:1 (NIV) 
1  An oracle concerning Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.

On verse 1:  Here is some background info on the book of Nahum that you may find helpful:
According to many scholars, the book of Nahum was written between approximately 663 and 612 B.C. 
Not much is known about Nahum.  Nahum was a prophet who came from the village of Elkosh.  The whereabouts of the village of Elkosh are not known, although some scholars suggest that it is actually in Capernaum where Jesus would begin his ministry.  Capernaum literally means village of Nahum”.   

Nahum’s name means “comforter”.  This may seem odd given the doomy and gloomy message Nahum has here for the city of Nineveh.  That said, the book of Nahum also contains important words of comfort for Nahum’s own people of Judah.

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Jude 1:8-16.  In the following passage, Jude will describe five ways that you can put your foot in your mouth – that is, five ways that you can do damage (especially to yourself) with your words.  The first one is in verse 8, the other four are in verse 16.  Let’s go!

Your words are powerful.  Here Jude describes five ways that you can put your foot in your mouth – that is, five ways that you can do damage (especially to yourself) with your words.

Jude 1:8-10 (NIV) 
8  In the very same way, these dreamers pollute their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial beings. 
9  But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 
10  Yet these men speak abusively against whatever they do not understand; and what things they do understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals–these are the very things that destroy them.

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Micah 7:14-20.  Let’s go!

Micah 7:14-20 (NIV) 
14  Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your inheritance, which lives by itself in a forest, in fertile pasturelands. Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead as in days long ago.

On verse 14:  Previously Micah focused on the rod of God’s discipline (Micah 6:9), but now Micah ends his book by talking about the staff of God’s tender leadership.  Here Micah prays and invites God to shepherd His people.  He describes God’s people as a flock living “by itself in a forest, in fertile pasturelands”, meaning that God has assigned a special and exclusive place for His people filled with blessings.  The glory that His sheep will enjoy will be like in Israel’s most glorious days of old.

What can we learn from this?  God is a shepherd who disciplines with His rod and who tenderly leads with His staff.  When we follow our Shepherd, He leads us to an ancient place of blessing that we could never get to ourselves.  You’re always best off following your Shepherd.

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Micah 6:1-16.  Let’s go!

Micah 6:1-5 (NIV) 
1  Listen to what the LORD says: “Stand up, plead your case before the mountains; let the hills hear what you have to say. 
2  Hear, O mountains, the LORD’s accusation; listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth. For the LORD has a case against his people; he is lodging a charge against Israel. 
3  “My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me. 
4  I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. I sent Moses to lead you, also Aaron and Miriam. 
5  My people, remember what Balak king of Moab counseled and what Balaam son of Beor answered. Remember [your journey] from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the LORD.”

On verses 1-5:  Micah sees a vision of the Lord.  In this vision, like an attorney in a courtroom speaking to a jury, the Lord speaks to the mountains about his case against Israel (v1-2).  The Lord then addresses Israel directly, asking what it is that God has done to burden them (v3) and recalling His goodness to them: