Archive for category: GAMEtime Sharing

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 9:44-57.  For context, we’ll begin at verse 42.  Let’s go!

Judges 9:42-49 (NIV)
42  The next day the people of Shechem went out to the fields, and this was reported to Abimelech.
43  So he took his men, divided them into three companies and set an ambush in the fields. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he rose to attack them.
44  Abimelech and the companies with him rushed forward to a position at the entrance to the city gate. Then two companies rushed upon those in the fields and struck them down.
45  All that day Abimelech pressed his attack against the city until he had captured it and killed its people. Then he destroyed the city and scattered salt over it.
46  On hearing this, the citizens in the tower of Shechem went into the stronghold of the temple of El-Berith.
47  When Abimelech heard that they had assembled there,

On verses 42-49: What a solemn and dramatic way for the feud between Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem to end.  After destroying most of the city and the people of Shechem (v42-45), Abimelech burns the remaining 1,000 citizens of Shechem alive while they are hiding in the stronghold of the temple of El-Berith.  Ironically, this is possibly the same temple where the citizens of Shechem first cursed Abimelech and started their revolt against him (see Judges 9:27).  As verse 57 notes, it’s also an uncanny fulfillment of the curse Jotham enunciated in Judges 9:20 (“let fire come out from Abimelech and consume you, citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo, and let fire come out from you, citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo, and consume Abimelech!”)

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 9:16-29.  Let’s go!
 
Judges 9:16-20 (NIV)
16  “Now if you have acted honorably and in good faith when you made Abimelech king, and if you have been fair to Jerub-Baal and his family, and if you have treated him as he deserves–
17  and to think that my father fought for you, risked his life to rescue you from the hand of Midian
18  (but today you have revolted against my father’s family, murdered his seventy sons on a single stone, and made Abimelech, the son of his slave girl, king over the citizens of Shechem because he is your brother)—
19  if then you have acted honorably and in good faith toward Jerub-Baal and his family today, may Abimelech be your joy, and may you be his, too!
20  But if you have not, let fire come out from Abimelech and consume you, citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo, and let fire come out from you, citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo, and consume Abimelech!”
 
On verses 16-20:  Here Jotham calls out Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem on how they treated his father Gideon and his whole family.  He spotlights how in return for Gideon risking his life to save the Israelites from the hand of Midian, Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem murdered all but two of Gideon’s sons.  Jotham shows how wicked, unjust and dishonorable their actions were.  In a diplomatic way, Jotham gives Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem both a conditional blessing and a conditional curse.  He says that if Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem have acted honourably and in good faith, may Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem have a joyful relationship together (v19).  But if they have not acted honourably and in good faith, may they end up turning on each other and burning one another (v20).

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 8:22-35.  Let’s go!

Judges 8:22-27 (NIV)
22  The Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us–you, your son and your grandson–because you have saved us out of the hand of Midian.”
23  But Gideon told them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The LORD will rule over you.”
24  And he said, “I do have one request, that each of you give me an earring from your share of the plunder.” (It was the custom of the Ishmaelites to wear gold earrings.)
25  They answered, “We’ll be glad to give them.” So they spread out a garment, and each man threw a ring from his plunder onto it.
26  The weight of the gold rings he asked for came to seventeen hundred shekels, not counting the ornaments, the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian or the chains that were on their camels’ necks.
27  Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family.
 
On verses 22-27:  In response to being rescued from the Midianites, the Israelites offer to make Gideon and his descendants their ruler (v22).  Gideon refuses the offer, saying that it is the LORD who will rule over them (v23).  Notice that in verse 22 the Israelites do not credit God as having anything to do with their rescue.  Their focus rather is man-centered.  This shows our sinful tendency as people to want to worship and focus on created things over and above the Creator.  This tendency to worship created things over the Creator is highlighted even more in the verses that follow: Gideon asks the Israelites for gold, makes an ephod with the gold, and the Israelites worship it. 

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 8:1-12.  For context, we’ll start at Judges 7:22.  Let’s go!

Judges 7:22-25 (NIV)
22…The army fled to Beth Shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath.
23  Israelites from Naphtali, Asher and all Manasseh were called out, and they pursued the Midianites.
24  Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down against the Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan ahead of them as far as Beth Barah.” So all the men of Ephraim were called out and they took the waters of the Jordan as far as Beth Barah.
25  They also captured two of the Midianite leaders, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. They pursued the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was by the Jordan.

On 7:22b-8:3:  Having routed the Midianites, Gideon calls on different tribes – Naphtali, Asher and Manasseh (7:23) to pursue the fleeing Midianites.  Gideon also calls on the tribe of Ephraim to take possession of the Jordan River so that the Midianites cannot escape.  In addition, the tribe of Ephraim captures and kills two Midianite leaders Oreb and Zeeb (7:25).  Yet the Ephraimites were not happy with Gideon.  They criticize Gideon for leaving them out when deciding who to send to fight the Midianites at first.  Gideon responds wisely, saying that whatever he and his army had accomplished without the Ephraimites was nothing compared to what the Ephraimites were able to accomplish (v2-3).  Gideon’s gentle and self-effacing answer was enough to appease the Ephraimites.  It’s a reminder that “a gentle answer turns away wrath” (Proverbs 15:1).  When faced with hostility, may you have the wisdom to speak gently so as to minimize trouble for yourself and others.

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 7:1-12.  Let’s go!

Judges 7:1-8 (NIV)
1  Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh.
2  The LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her,
3  announce now to the people, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.'” So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained.
4  But the LORD said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there. If I say, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go; but if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”

On verses 1-8:  God intentionally whittles down the Israelite army from 32,000 to 300.  Why?  God explains it Himself in verse 2: “In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her”.  God wanted the Israelites to know that it was not their own strength that rescued them but God.  So when you are faced with limited resources and wonder why God does not give you more for the moment, remember that God loves to show His power through our limitations.  God loves to take those who are in the minority and do something powerful with them.