It's almost inevitable that those programs sooner or later bring up the topic of gambling. We heard one recently on radio from a deceased Southern Baptist pastor, that admittedly made us do some serious thinking. We've linked to it for you to hear and consider, and we may analyze it here in a future post.
But here's one point from that message that was eye-opening for us:
But as for you who forsake the Lord and forget my holy mountain, who spread a table for Fortune and fill bowls of mixed wine for Destiny.... - Isaiah 65:11
Some people go to the poker table or casino hoping for the perfect cards to make a big gain. They hope to have "good fortune." Or as the Contemporary English Version translates verse 11, they offer food and wine "to the gods you call 'Good Luck' and 'Fate'".
The Hebrew word for "fortune" in that verse is gad. Veteran Bible students know that's also the name of one of Israel's 12 tribes....
Leah's servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son. Then Leah said, "What good fortune!" So she named him Gad. - Genesis 30:10-11
The problem with this child was that Jacob should have been receiving children from his wife. (In fact, Leah was one of his two wives, but that's not our issue here.) What Leah considered "really lucky" (CEV) actually was outside the will of God (Genesis 2:24).
So if you're putting your hopes simply on having good luck in a poker room, you're leaning on "gad" -- when you really should put your hope in God. Because God says this of "gad"....
Your luck will end! I will see to it that you are slaughtered with swords. You refused to answer when I called out; you paid no attention to my instructions. Instead, you did what I hated, knowing it was wrong. - Isaiah 65:12 (CEV)
Does this verse describe you? Are you hoping for a lucky streak to turn around your life? God warns from the Bible that's the wrong approach - and he can punish it severely. It's better to lean on God. We'll explain how to do that in our next post.
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