Skip to main content

The World's Oldest "Games"

The world’s oldest "games" date back to the first man and the first woman.  And the games they played then are still being played today!

The first is “Hide and Seek”.  But calling it a game, as it was “played” that first time, is rather disingenuous.  It all started like this:  Adam and Eve were created by God and He told them to not do one specific thing. But, as you might have guessed already, they went ahead and did that one thing.  As a result of disobeying God, they felt guilt and shame.  And rather than going to God and ‘fessing up, they actually tried to hide from God. 

Here’s the account as recorded for us:  Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.  But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”  (Gen 3:8-9)

This was really not a game, it was actually life at its worst!  Furthermore, God really wasn’t trying to find them, He knew exactly where they were and why they were there.  But, in a sense, God “played along” with their little game because He wanted them to realize where they were and why they were there.

All that leads to the second game, “The Blame Game”.  See how it was “played” then:

And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”   The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”  (Gen 3:11-12). 

Ouch, blame number one, which was closely followed by blame number two:

Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”  The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”  (Gen 3:13)

It’s also so very disingenuous to call “The Blame Game” a game.  When this “game” is played, there are no winners, only losers.  And the prize for losing is a trophy filled with grief, pain and heartache!

While “Hide and Seek” can be a fun game when played under the right circumstances, the circumstances surrounding the first time it was played were anything but “right” and we’ve felt the consequences ever since.

But on the bright side, whether we are hiding or lost, God seeks us because He loves us and He finds us because He always knows just where we are!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Not Just Idle Words

I own a 25 year old car.  The body might be falling apart but the engine runs great and it idles smoothly.  Such idling is good. Idling can also have to do with spending too much time doing nothing or being without purpose or being engaged in that which is pointless.  Such idling is not good. What if I were to tell you that I know of something that is the about as far as being without purpose as you can get?  Would you want it? Here is that something:  “They are not just idle words for you—they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”  ( Deut 32:47) Other versions of the Bible use some different words for that first phrase in the verse and such can be helpful in assessing how important the words really are: “Not meaningless words…”   “These are not just useless words…”   “No empty word for you…”   “Not unimportant words…”   “Not useless words…”   ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Very Present

I love words that have multiple meanings but the same spelling.  Take the word “present” for example.  You may be thinking of “present”, as in a gift.  Gotta love those! But I’m thinking of “present”, as in existing now or occurring now. I’m also thinking of “present”, as in being at hand. Why those two latter ones, you might ask, why not just go with the gift! Well, I recently read Psalm 46, and here is the first verse:   “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Some theologians suggest the word “present” in this Psalm has the meaning of “well proven”.  I certainly can appreciate that. But I’ve been wondering if “present” could include the meaning of “now existing or now occurring”.  That is, God is exists now and is occurring in our lives. Furthermore, I’ve been wondering if “present” could also include “being at hand”.  That is, God is here, right now, with us.   And with even further wondering, the wo...
Post a Comment
Read more

Strengthen Your Core

Supposedly, it’s all about your core! That is, in today’s world of physical fitness, it’s all about strengthening your core.  Your core refers to the group of muscles that support your spine and pelvis, providing stability and enabling movement. It's not just your abs; it includes your back muscles, pelvic floor, and even your diaphragm. When your core is strong, it helps you maintain balance and stability. It can help prevent back injuries and help you maintain better posture. It can also help with athletic performance by allowing for more efficient movement and power transfer. And there are, of course, appropriate exercises to strengthen your core. But there is another kind of core, one that is known as the inner self. The inner self, as described in the Bible, refers to the spiritual and moral part of a person, distinct from the physical body or outer man. And while our physical bodies are important and we certainly feel every ache and pain resulting from injury or even aging, o...
Post a Comment
Read more