Archive for category: GAMEtime Sharing

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 19:31-43.  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!

2 Samuel 19:31-40 (NIV)
31  Barzillai the Gileadite also came down from Rogelim to cross the Jordan with the king and to send him on his way from there.
32  Now Barzillai was a very old man, eighty years of age. He had provided for the king during his stay in Mahanaim, for he was a very wealthy man.
33  The king said to Barzillai, “Cross over with me and stay with me in Jerusalem, and I will provide for you.”
34  But Barzillai answered the king, “How many more years will I live, that I should go up to Jerusalem with the king?

On verses 31-40:  King David was so appreciative of the way Barzallai took care of him when he was in Mahanaim (v32).  So King David invites Barzillai to cross over to Jerusalem and let David take care of Barzillai in his old age (v33).  But rather than crossing over and stay with David in Jerusalem (v34-36), Barzillai requests that David extend that favour to his servant Kimham instead (v37).  David promises to do so, saying, “Kimham shall cross over with me, and I will do for him whatever you wish.  And anything you desire from me I will do for you.” (v38)

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 19:1-15.  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! 

2 Samuel 19:1-15 (NIV)
1  Joab was told, “The king is weeping and mourning for Absalom.”
2  And for the whole army the victory that day was turned into mourning, because on that day the troops heard it said, “The king is grieving for his son.”
3  The men stole into the city that day as men steal in who are ashamed when they flee from battle.
4  The king covered his face and cried aloud, “O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!”

On verses 1-15:  It was a complicated situation for David.  On one hand, he had just lost his son.  On the other hand, because that son had committed the highest act of treason and was bent on killing the king, David did mobilize his troops to go to war against that son.  So while it was natural and expected for David to grieve for his son, it was complicated by the fact that Absalom was an enemy whose death, under normal circumstances, would have been a cause for rejoicing.

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 18:1-18.  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! 

2 Samuel 18:1-4 (NIV)
1  David mustered the men who were with him and appointed over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.
2  David sent the troops out–a third under the command of Joab, a third under Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and a third under Ittai the Gittite. The king told the troops, “I myself will surely march out with you.”
3  But the men said, “You must not go out; if we are forced to flee, they won’t care about us. Even if half of us die, they won’t care; but you are worth ten thousand of us. It would be better now for you to give us support from the city.”
4  The king answered, “I will do whatever seems best to you.” So the king stood beside the gate while all the men marched out in units of hundreds and of thousands.

On verses 1-4:  David organizes his troops and volunteers to personally march out with them, but David’s men tell David, “You must not go out…Even if half of us die, they won’t care; but you are worth ten thousand to us.” (v3)  So David stands beside the gate while his troops go out and fight Absalom’s army in the forest, many of them giving their lives for David’s cause (v4-8).  

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 17:1-14.  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! 

Are you one who struggles with procrastinating or meeting deadlines?  Today’s passage, 2 Samuel 17:1-14, contains a valuable lesson for you.  Let’s go!

2 Samuel 17:1-14 (NIV)
1  Ahithophel said to Absalom, “I would choose twelve thousand men and set out tonight in pursuit of David.
2  I would attack him while he is weary and weak. I would strike him with terror, and then all the people with him will flee. I would strike down only the king
3  and bring all the people back to you. The death of the man you seek will mean the return of all; all the people will be unharmed.”
4  This plan seemed good to Absalom and to all the elders of Israel.

On verses 1-14:  Now that Absalom had taken over the throne in Israel, Absalom’s attention turned to how he should eliminate his father David completely.  Ahithophel advises Absalom to stage an immediate and focused attack against David that same night, using a relatively small force of 12,000 men to pursue and strike down David alone while leaving all of David’s followers unharmed.  Ahithophel’s thought was that Absalom should strike now while David and his men were still weary and weak from fleeing Jerusalem.

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 16:1-14.  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! 

2 Samuel 16:1-8 (NIV)
1  When David had gone a short distance beyond the summit, there was Ziba, the steward of Mephibosheth, waiting to meet him. He had a string of donkeys saddled and loaded with two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred cakes of raisins, a hundred cakes of figs and a skin of wine.
2  The king asked Ziba, “Why have you brought these?” Ziba answered, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on, the bread and fruit are for the men to eat, and the wine is to refresh those who become exhausted in the desert.”

On verses 1-8:  As David continues his journey into exile, David meets Ziba, the servant of Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth.  Ziba brings a surprisingly large supply of donkeys, bread, cakes and wine to help David and his men on their journey.  When David asks Ziba where his crippled master Mephibosheth is, Ziba replies that Mephibosheth didn’t join David because Mephibosheth sees David’s exile as his opportunity to have David’s kingdom transferred back to him and his family (v3).