Table of Contents

DAY 1 – Genesis 1-2, Matthew 1

DAY 2 – Genesis 3-5, Matthew 2

DAY 3 – Genesis 6-8, Matthew 3

DAY 4 – Genesis 9-11, Matthew 4

DAY 5 – Genesis 12-14, Matthew 5:1-26

DAY 6 – Genesis 15-17, Matthew 5:27-48

DAY 7 – Genesis 18-19, Matthew 6

DAY 8 – Genesis 20-22, Matthew 7

DAY 9 – Genesis 23-24, Matthew 8

DAY 10 – Genesis 25-26, Matthew 9:1-17

DAY 11 – Genesis 27-28, Matthew 9:18-38

DAY 12 – Genesis 29-30, Matthew 10:1-23

DAY 13 – Genesis 31-32, Matthew 10:24-42

DAY 14 – Genesis 33-35, Matthew 11

DAY 15 – Genesis 36-37, Matthew 12:1-21

DAY 16 – Genesis 38-40, Matthew 12:22-50

DAY 17 – Genesis 41, Matthew 13:1-32

DAY 18 – Genesis 42-43, Matthew 13:13-58

DAY 19 – Genesis 44-45, Matthew 14:1-21

DAY 20 – Genesis 46-48, Matthew 14:22-36

DAY 21 – Genesis 49-50, Matthew 15:1-20

DAY 22 – Exodus 1-3, Matthew 15:21-39

DAY 23 – Exodus 4-6, Matthew 16

DAY 24 – Exodus 7-8, Matthew 17

DAY 25 – Exodus 9-10, Matthew 18:1-20

DAY 26 – Exodus 11-12, Matthew 18:21-35

DAY 27 – Exodus 13-15, Matthew 19:1-15

DAY 28 – Exodus 16-18, Matthew 19:16-30

DAY 29 – Exodus 19-21, Matthew 20:1-16

DAY 30 – Exodus 22-24, Matthew 20:17-34

DAY 31 – Exodus 25-26, Matthew 21:1-22

DAY 32 – Exodus 27-28, Matthew 21:23-46

DAY 33 – Exodus 29-30, Matthew 22:1-22

DAY 34 – Exodus 31-33, Matthew 22:23-46

DAY 35 – Exodus 34-36, Matthew 23:1-22

DAY 36 – Exodus 37-38, Matthew 23:23-39

DAY 37 – Exodus 39-40, Matthew 24:1-22

DAY 38 – Leviticus 1-3, Matthew 24:23-51

DAY 39 – Leviticus 4-6, Matthew 25:1-30

DAY 40 – Leviticus 7-9, Matthew 25:31-46

DAY 41 – Leviticus 10-12, Matthew 26:1-19

DAY 42 – Leviticus 13, Matthew 26:20-54

DAY 43 – Leviticus 14, Matthew 26:55-75

DAY 44 – Leviticus 15-17, Matthew 27:1-31

DAY 45 – Leviticus 18-19, Matthew 27:32-66

DAY 46 – Leviticus 20-21, Matthew 28

DAY 47 – Leviticus 22-23, Mark 1:1-22

DAY 48 – Leviticus 24-25, Mark 1:23-45

DAY 49 – Leviticus 26-27, Mark 2

DAY 50 – Numbers 1-2, Mark 3:1-21

DAY 51 – Numbers 3-4, Mark 3:22-35

DAY 52 – Numbers 5-6, Mark 4:1-20

DAY 53 – Numbers 7, Mark 4:21-41

DAY 54 – Numbers 8-10, Mark 5:1-20

DAY 55 – Numbers 11-13, Mark 5:21-43

DAY 56 – Numbers 14-15, Mark 6:1-32

DAY 57 – Numbers 16-17, Mark 6:33-56

DAY 58 – Numbers 18-20, Mark 7:1-13

DAY 59 – Numbers 21-23, Mark 7:14-8:10

DAY 60 – Numbers 24-27, Mark 8:11-38

DAY 61 – Numbers 28-29, Mark 9:1-29

DAY 62 – Numbers 30-31, Mark 9:30-50

DAY 63 – Numbers 32-33, Mark 10:1-31

DAY 64 – Numbers 34-36, Mark 10:32-52

DAY 65 – Deuteronomy 1-2, Mark 11:1-19

DAY 66 – Deuteronomy 3-4, Mark 11:20-33

DAY 67 – Deuteronomy 5-7, Mark 12:1-27

DAY 68 – Deuteronomy 8-104, Mark 12:28-44

DAY 69 – Deuteronomy 11-13, Mark 13:1-13

DAY 70 – Deuteronomy 14-16, Mark 13:14-37

DAY 71 – Deuteronomy 17-19, Mark 14:1-25

DAY 72 – Deuteronomy 20-22, Mark 14:26-50

DAY 73 – Deuteronomy 23-25, Mark 14:51-72

DAY 74 – Deuteronomy 26-27, Mark 15:-26

DAY 75 – Deuteronomy 28, Mark 15:27-47

DAY 76 – Deuteronomy 29-30, Mark 16

DAY 77 – Deuteronomy 31-32, Luke 1:1-2

DAY 78 – Deuteronomy 33-34, Luke 1:24-56

DAY 79 – Joshua 1-3, Luke 1:57-80

DAY 80 – Joshua 4-6, Luke 2:1-24

DAY 81 – Joshua 7-8, Luke 2:25-52

DAY 82 – Joshua 9-10, Luke 3

DAY 83 – Joshua 11-13, Luke 4:1-32

DAY 84 – Joshua 14-15, Luke 4:33-44

DAY 85 – Joshua 16-18, Luke 5:1-16

DAY 86 – Joshua 19-20, Luke 5:17-39

DAY 87 – Joshua 21-22, Luke 6:1-26

DAY 88 – Joshua 23-24, Luke 6:27-49

DAY 89 – Judges 1-2, Luke 7:1-30

DAY 90 – Judges 3-5, Luke 7:31-50

Welcome to the best thing you can do in a year.

DAY 1 – Genesis 1-2, Matthew 1

All three chapters center on the Creation Story and specifically God’s initiative, direction and guidance as the Creator. These Genesis chapters are two of the most important chapters in all of Scripture. To read and understand these chapters is to lay a strong foundation to understand the rest of Scripture. The two unchanging truths in these chapters are first, all that God created is “good.” Secondly, God created people—us—and He says we are “very good.”

As you read Matthew 1, notice the names listed as part of Jesus’ genealogy. There is an alleged prostitute, a Moabite (a non-Jew) and, most importantly, a man named Abraham. Each of whom tell us about the kind of people God uses to bring about His will. As we meet these people in our Old Testament readings, we will see how God laid the groundwork for the coming of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Ugliness.

DAY 2 – Genesis 3-5, Matthew 2

Ugliness begins in Genesis 3 and stays with every chapter of Scripture until we see a glimpse in Revelation 21 and 22 of a world that once again is without this ugliness.

The ugliness, what the rest of the Bible calls sin, arrives because of Adam and Eve’s rebellion against the will of God. When sin enters the world, it creates an unnatural separation between God and people. This invasion of sin causes all that was created “good” to now be under a curse. Even worse is the entrance of death into the world.

In both readings, death, and specifically death through murder, is a main theme. There is not a more horrific expression of the consequence of sin than the death of one “Image Bearer of God” by the hands of another. It starts with Adam and Eve’s sons, through to the birth of Christ, then into the murder of children (guilty of nothing more than being the wrong age in the wrong town), and continues still today in a magnitude nearly impossible to comprehend.

God uses water to represent this absolute need for being cleansed of sin.

DAY 3 – Genesis 6-8, Matthew 3

The ugliness introduced to the world in Genesis 3 requires a washing, a complete cleaning. In today’s readings, we will see how God uses water to represent this absolute need for being cleansed of sin.

In the Genesis chapters, God sees the world and the evil inclinations of His Image Bearers and decides to use water—a flood—to “baptize” the world and wash it of its ugliness, its sin. Yet, this is only temporary as God Himself knew and expressed in Genesis 8:21. This water baptism does not change a man’s heart; a baptism more significant is required to accomplish this.

In Matthew 3, we are introduced to this more significant baptism, a baptism of God’s Holy Spirit. John’s water baptism reminded the Jews of the story of Noah, but more importantly, it pointed to the washing of sin by the blood of Jesus Christ through the cleansing of His Holy Spirit. God confirms this as Christ came out of His water baptism.

God never changed His original intent for His Image Bearers.

DAY 4 – Genesis 9-11, Matthew 4

Great job getting to Day 4 of your reading schedule. As you read today’s chapters, pray and ask God to speak to you through these words. Ask Him to make the words real and alive both in your mind and in your heart. This is an important prayer as you continue your adventure through the Bible.

God never changed His original intent for His Image Bearers. In Genesis 1 we are called to “be fruitful, multiply and fill the earth.” God reiterates this calling to Noah in Genesis 9, telling him to “multiply on the earth.” Then we come to Genesis 11—the story of the Tower of Babel—where the people once again ignore God’s will. The tower itself is only part of the issue. A bigger, but often overlooked, issue is the peoples’ refusal to be “fruitful and fill the earth.”

This same mission continues for God’s people right down to Jesus’ time when we see Him calling the first disciples. He tells them He will make them “fishers of men.” A job that will require them, one day, to fish for men in “Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and into the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). God’s will for us is to still fill the earth with His Image Bearers, but now it is to be filled with those being restored to their original image through Christ.

The key word is “fulfill.”

DAY 5 – Genesis 12-14, Matthew 5:1-26

The key word is “fulfill.” The Law and the Prophets represent what we call the Old Testament. So Jesus is saying He will not abolish the Old Testament but “fulfill” it. We see this truth in Genesis 12-14 where we read God’s promise to Abram (later to be renamed by God as Abraham) that “all people on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:3b). We know from the first day’s reading Jesus is a descendent of Abraham, thus becoming the fulfillment of this promise. It is through Jesus that the entire world is blessed.

In Genesis 14, we meet a priest of God and a king named Melchizedek, whom Abram gives 10% of his plunder seized, while rescuing his nephew, Lot, from the hands of some local kings. As we know from the book of Hebrews, Melchizedek foreshadows the coming of Jesus who holds the true offices of High Priest and King. Jesus Christ, does not abolish the Law and the Prophets, but fulfills them.

“Do not think I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” Matthew 5:17

God promises Abram multiple times that his offspring will be numerous.

DAY 6 – Genesis 15-17, Matthew 5:27-48

In one place the promise is to be as numerous “as the dust of the earth” (Genesis 13:16).

In today’s reading, the promise is described as being as numerous as “the stars of the sky” (15:5). In the following verse, we read that Abram “believed the Lord, and He credited to him as righteousness.” This is one of those key verses in the Bible because its meaning finds its way into all of Scripture, especially in the New Testament. God will fulfill this promise to Abram through His spiritual offspring—those who “believe the Lord”—not those who are just Abram’s physical descendents.

If we are told in Genesis that “righteousness comes from believing,” Jesus provides a picture of what a righteous person’s life looks like over the next three chapters of Matthew—commonly referred to as the “Sermon on the Mount” (Matthew 5-7). A righteous person will not just believe, but belief will be evident by a life lived as Jesus describes.

The names Sodom and Gomorrah are better known than the story of the two cities behind the names.

DAY 7 – Genesis 18-19, Matthew 6

As we read the Genesis chapters, we understand how the meaning of the words Sodom and Gomorrah came into being. However, it is the conversation that Abraham has with three heavenly beings that is often overlooked. We see multiple requests of Abraham to his visitors that the righteous would not be swept away with the destruction of the wicked in Sodom and Gomorrah. These requests are an honest and persistent prayer to God on behalf of the righteous including his nephew, Lot. This prayer from Abraham is effective as we will see in the story.

This prayer can also be contrasted to the “prayer and fasting” of the hypocrites described by Jesus in Matthew 6. Jesus explains to His disciples that true prayer and fasting will look more like the prayer of Abraham—sincere, honest and focused on others—than that of the hypocrites motivated by appearances and the affirmation of others. Jesus reminds us that effective prayer, as Abraham’s, is rewarded by the Father.

The growth of Abraham’s faith.

DAY 8 – Genesis 20-22, Matthew 7

Outside of Genesis 1 and 2, Genesis 22 may be the most significant and important chapter we have read. Here we see the growth of Abraham’s faith through his obedience to God’s command to sacrifice his son—his only son. The entire story provides an earthly, human picture of what God the Father will do with His one and only Son, Jesus Christ. It is the faith and trust Abraham has in God that brings the story to a satisfying conclusion.

It is the same faith Jesus calls us to in Matthew 7:7-12. He calls us to trust His Father for what we need when we need it. If God provides Abraham a ram just when he needs it, would He not also provide what we need when we need it? We have to, just as Abraham did, put our faith in Him.

Faith displayed by unlikely people.

DAY 9 – Genesis 23-24, Matthew 8

The two readings today, as they did yesterday, center on faith—the faith displayed by unlikely people. In Genesis we see the faith of not only Abraham, but of one of his servants. The servant demonstrates faith through his prayers as he looks for a successful outcome to the mission Abraham has sent him on.

In Matthew, we see the faith of a man with leprosy, a soldier whose servant was sick and many others who came to Jesus in faith for healing of some kind of illness. Of the soldier, Jesus even remarks that “I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith” (Matthew 8:10b).

In contrast, those closest to Jesus—His disciples—show little faith when a storm comes and rocks their boat. Faith, as we see, is not something learned or obtained only by great and spiritual people, but instead, it is a gift of God (Ephesians 2:8) for all who ask.

The next generation of God’s chosen people.

DAY 10 – Genesis 25-26, Matthew 9:1-17

In the Genesis chapters we encounter the next generation of God’s chosen people. Isaac has two sons, both of who will become nations, but only one is chosen to carry on the lineage of God’s people—ultimately the lineage of Jesus Christ. Once again, God surprises us with His decision. He chooses not the natural or expected son (the first-born), but the youngest son as the son He loves (Malachi 1:2-3 & Romans 9:13) and the one for whom the Holy lineage will continue.

Jesus also makes a surprise choice by calling a tax collector, a despised person in Jewish culture, to follow Him (Matthew 9:9) and become one of His disciples. God continues to remind us of His ability and intention to use whomever He chooses, regardless of who they are or where they have come from, to be His followers and lights in this world.

A pattern of deceit in Abraham’s family continues.

DAY 11 – Genesis 27-28, Matthew 9:18-38

With each generation, it seems to grow and have more impact on the lives of his family. Yet, as God would have it, the deceit not only impacts the immediate people of the story, but has widespread implications. He uses those to carry out His plans and affirm His promises. It is part of the continuing pattern of God turning bad situations into something that will advance His Kingdom.

On the other hand, we see no deceit in Jesus as He continues to heal the sick He comes in contact with. Not only does He heal the sick, but He raises the dead—reversing, at least temporarily, the severe consequence of sin, which is death. Jesus is the One we can trust in because there is no deceit, untruth or lie in Him. He advances God’s Kingdom in Spirit and Truth.

The number “12”.

DAY 12 – Genesis 29-30, Matthew 10:1-23

In today’s reading, we are introduced to what becomes an important number in the Bible, the number “12”.

First, we see how God uses a very dysfunctional marriage arrangement to provide 11 sons and a daughter to Jacob. His youngest son at this point is Joseph, who later will have two sons of his own that Jacob will count as his. In the end, Jacob has 12 sons of his own, plus the two from Joseph, for 14. When we read later about the 12 tribes, Joseph is not mentioned since he is represented by his two sons. Levi is not listed because the Levites will not have any land allotment when they arrive to the Promised Land. So, in the midst of the confusing identity of the 12 tribes of Israel, “12” is the important number to remember.

Because of the importance of the number “12” and the 12 tribes representing God’s people, it is no surprise that Jesus chooses 12 disciples. Just as Jacob’s 12 sons were his physical descendents, and the foundation of the nation Israel, Jesus’ 12 disciples become His spiritual descendents and the foundation of His Church, the new people of God.

In good or bad situations we see the God who guides and protects.

DAY 13 – Genesis 31-32, Matthew 10:24-42

Jacob’s situation with his uncle becomes more and more strained, to the point where he decides to leave with all of his family and possessions in the middle of the night. In the midst of his 20 years working for his uncle, and then through his escape, we see God’s protection. Not because Jacob earned it, but because God is assuring His greater plans are fulfilled.

As Jesus sends out the 12 disciples, He reminds them of the difficulties they will encounter because they are His disciples. Yet, as we saw with Jacob, Jesus promises God’s direction and protection for their lives. He reminds them nothing can change what God intends for those He loves.

Jacob returns home from his 20 years of working for his uncle.

DAY 14 – Genesis 33-35, Matthew 11

He meets his brother Esau after sending him load after load of gifts in hopes of appeasing him. Both brothers seemed to have matured since they last met. Jacob used the blessings of God from the previous 20 years to prepare the way for his homecoming. Later, Jacob is renamed Israel. God gives him a familiar command in Genesis 35:11, “be fruitful and increase in number.” Then, God promises that he will be the father of a community of nations as well as kings. Ultimately, he becomes a “father” of Jesus Christ and those who are His spiritual descendents.

Jesus makes it clear that John the Baptist prepared the way for His coming, as Jacob’s gifts prepared his. God chose John the Baptist to prepare and announce the coming of Jesus, the descendent of Jacob and the fulfillment of all that God promises. God always prepares the way for His will to be done, we just need to look and His way will become clear.

Jealousy weaves its way through today’s chapters.

DAY 15 – Genesis 36-37, Matthew 12:1-21

First, we see the jealousy of Joseph’s brothers, the sons of Jacob. They are jealous of Joseph’s dreams concerning their future and the future of their parents. Like children throughout the ages, they also become jealous of the attention Joseph receives from their father. Clearly God is laying the foundation for the next chapter in the story of His people, including using an evil act against Joseph by his brothers.

The Pharisees, like Joseph’s brothers, become jealous of Jesus. Their jealousy for many reasons include, as we see in these verses, the claim of authority Jesus makes over the rules and the law that the Pharisees held so dear. As a result, the Pharisees, like Joseph’s brothers, begin to plot how they might permanently get rid of Jesus. Similar to Joseph’s story, the Pharisees’ plans only helped to fulfill purposes far greater than their own.

Jealousy is an ugly emotion and the actions that follow it can be devastating. Yet God can use the worst that jealousy can bring and turn it into good to the fulfillment of His great purposes.

If jealously was yesterday’s theme, then today’s theme is false accusations.

DAY 16 – Genesis 38-40, Matthew 12:22-50

Joseph faithfully and effectively runs his Egyptian master’s household, yet he is accused by his master’s wife of sexual assault. Joseph’s behavior is nothing close to sexual assault, but instead he honors the relationship and responsibility he has been given as his master’s steward. He stands accused and is thrown into prison. Once again, we will see how this evil is used by God to fulfill His plans.

Jesus, who continues to heal those who are sick and possessed, is accused of working on behalf of Satan. His accusers see His good works and instead of contributing them to God, they contribute them to, ironically, His fallen angel Satan. Jesus’ response (33) is applicable to Joseph’s situation as well—“judge a tree by its fruit.” With no agendas or bias, one can see the true fruit of Joseph and Jesus’ lives—and it was not evil.

The story of Joseph continues with a twist that brings us back to the beginning of his story and the dreams he has.

DAY 17 – Genesis 41, Matthew 13:1-32

We will see Joseph rise up from the depths of prison to become the most powerful man in Egypt under the Pharaoh. This promotion demonstrates, once again, God’s direction and care for Joseph, his family and the nation Israel, which they are becoming. It is a story not about Joseph, but about God’s Kingdom expanding on His earth.

We can now put the story of Joseph and the glimpse of God’s Kingdom into context by reading what Jesus says about His Kingdom in Matthew 13—“the Kingdom of Heaven” chapter as it is called. Over the next two days, as you read this chapter, notice the number of times you will read the words “The Kingdom of Heaven is like…”. Christ shares with His disciples what the Kingdom of Heaven will look like. Do not be confused by the name “Kingdom of Heaven”—the parables show us what the Kingdom will look like, not in Heaven, but here and now on earth.

Joseph and Jesus are not seen for who they really are.

DAY 18 – Genesis 42-43, Matthew 13:13-58

If there is one thing that ties today’s readings together, it is that those closest to Joseph and Jesus do not see either one of them for who they really are.

Their closest family and friends had yet to accept them for the people they were and the positions God had placed them in.

Joseph obviously was a bright and talented person when he lived with his brothers. The brothers either did not see this, or did not want to accept the special gifts God had given Joseph. Later, when his brothers meet Joseph as the second-in-command in Egypt, they did not recognize him, though he recognized them. This was at least in part because it never entered their mind that Joseph could become a person who would be in this type of position.

Jesus, after teaching in His hometown, receives a similar reaction. The people closest to Jesus, those who watched Him grow up, could not grasp there was more to Him than just being a carpenter’s son. They could not accept the reality that was right in front of them. They could not see that Jesus was more than what they believed Him to be.

Comparison between Joseph and Jesus.

DAY 19 – Genesis 44-45, Matthew 14:1-21

Wow, both of these readings are filled with so much for us to grasp and unpack.

As we continue to see the similarities between Joseph and Jesus, we begin to understand that Joseph is what Bible scholars call a “type” of Christ. Types are a representation of something else, in this case, Jesus Christ. As you go through both readings, do your own comparison between Joseph and Jesus. See if you can grasp what makes Joseph a type of Christ.

One quality to look at in today’s reading is the compassion of both men. Ask yourself these questions. From what position does each of these men show compassion? How does each man show compassion? Who do they show their compassion to? Why do they show this compassion? As you answer these questions, you will begin to see why the scholars have called Joseph a Christ-type and why knowing and understanding Joseph helps us better know and understand Jesus.

The Word of the Lord to Abram in Genesis 15:13 is about to come true.

DAY 20 – Genesis 46-48, Matthew 14:22-36

God, through His divine direction, has orchestrated all the pieces for this small extended family to become a great nation over the next four centuries. Not only have the events of these chapters led Jacob and his family to this place, but as we look back to chapter 12, we see God’s providence in bringing about this reality and His plan in making a great nation that God will call His own.

In the Matthew verses, we read about a well-known event—Jesus walking on the water. The perspective that is often overlooked when reading this story is that Jesus was not in the boat in the first place. The reason Jesus was not is because He was making His second attempt at some quiet time with His Father after the death of His cousin, John the Baptist. Jesus’ persistence in having time alone with His Father is a good example for all of us of our need to have time alone with Him as well.

These Genesis chapters are the transition between the story of Abraham’s direct descendents and his descendents, the Israelites, 400 years later.

DAY 21 – Genesis 49-50, Matthew 15:1-20

We will read in this chapter about the story of the Jewish people later in the book of Exodus. In Jacob’s blessing of his sons in chapter 49, we have a summary that provides some insight into the future of each of the tribes of Israel. Joseph articulates to his brothers what and why the things in his life happened, in the concluding verses found in Genesis 50:19-21. Joseph’s summary is accurate but incomplete, for he not only saved his family and the Egyptians of that time, but through him God assured that Jacob’s family was in a place to become a great nation, fulfilling the promise God made to Abraham.

Moving to Jesus, He has a debate (one of many) with the Pharisees about what is clean and what is not. The debates are used by Christ to teach a more significant truth about sin and the human condition. He makes it clear that the waywardness of our life has as its source our own hearts. It is not what we eat or drink that causes us to be unclean, but it is the condition of our heart that produces the wayward behaviors in our life.

In my opinion, the book is usually better than the movie.

DAY 22 – Exodus 1-3, Matthew 15:21-39

This is true of the story of Moses and the exodus of the Jewish people from Egypt. As you read this account, pay special attention to the details. It is in the details that the movies fall short in capturing the story. You will find a man who, by nature, is a rescuer. He sees people in trouble and does what he can to save them. You will also continue to see God working in every situation to bring about His plan by using people who are far from perfect.

The story of Jesus continues as we see one who is perfect in fulfilling the calling God His Father has placed on His life. The calling of being the Grand Rescuer of all people from all times, not just the Jewish people caught up by slavery in Egypt. We see the Grand Rescuer rescue a Gentile girl from the bondage of demon possession when her mom demonstrates great faith. He then feeds 4,000 people who are hungry from three days of listening to Him teach in the wilderness. Unlike Moses, whose work spanned over a few decades, Jesus is still rescuing people today.

The theme in today’s reading is people who lack faith in God and in His Son Jesus.

DAY 23 – Exodus 4-6, Matthew 16

We see Moses, the rescuer, expressing doubt about what God has called him to do. We see the lack of faith in the Israelites who doubt that God will use Moses and Aaron to rescue them from slavery. Then of course, there is the grievous lack of faith by Pharaoh himself who not only doubts God will rescue the Israelites, but more significantly, he doubts that God is God.

Jesus also encounters lack of faith from those close to Him—His disciples and those who are His enemies (as Moses did with Pharaoh). Jesus confronts each case of doubt head-on and challenges people to trust Him. Near the end of the reading, we are given hope that faith is possible when we see the confession of Peter acknowledging, against popular opinion, that Jesus is Christ. It reminds us that, by the grace of God, we can have faith that pleases God.

Many plagues with one common element: Pharaoh’s hardened heart.

DAY 24 – Exodus 7-8, Matthew 17

Though Pharaoh saw the power of God through the acts of Moses and Aaron, he refused to accept them as being from God. Just take a moment to imagine what your home, your neighborhood, your city and your life would be like with any of the plagues mentioned. Not a pretty sight. Now you can begin to grasp just how hard Pharaoh’s heart had become, and there are more plagues to come, followed by an even harder heart.

At the end of Matthew 16, Jesus promises that some of His disciples would “see the Son of Man coming into his kingdom” (16:28). This introduces chapter 17 and what is commonly called the “Mount of Transfiguration.” Jesus takes three of His disciples (Peter, James and John) up a mountain with Him. These three literally witness Jesus coming into His Kingdom as He is transfigured before their eyes. They also witness a meeting between Jesus, Moses and Elijah. Moses represents the Law, which is the old covenant, and Elijah represents the Old Testament prophets, with Jesus being the fulfillment of both and affirming His coming into His Kingdom.

The original request of Moses to Pharaoh was to let the people go out to the desert to celebrate a festival before the Lord.

DAY 25 – Exodus 9-10, Matthew 18:1-20

With the ultimate goal God had in mind, this process was the freedom of His people from their Egyptian masters—including taking away their riches as they left. To bridge the gap between Moses’ request and this ultimate goal, God hardens Pharaoh’s heart so that His power is shown in a way that brings this goal to reality—the deliverance of His people. Once again, we see how God works in,  and through, people and situations to accomplish His will.

Opposite of Pharaoh and his hardened and arrogant heart, Jesus tells us we need to be like little children. We need to humble ourselves like a child to be able to enter His Kingdom. There can be no more contrasting images we will see than the arrogant, hard-hearted Pharaoh and a humble, innocent and trusting child. Jesus continues to turn upside down the perceptions of people concerning His Kingdom and who will be present in it.

The Passover.

DAY 26 – Exodus 11-12, Matthew 18:21-35

Right alongside Genesis 1-3 and Genesis 12, Exodus 11-12 (describing the Passover) stands as two of the most significant chapters we have read.

Their significance comes, as the Genesis chapters do, through the profound theological meaning they provide and the foundation they lay for significant portions of the Biblical story. Without these two Exodus chapters, our task of understanding the rest of Scripture would be limited. First, the Passover provides the foundation for the Jewish sacrificial system we will read about in the weeks to come. Secondly, it provides a foreshadowing of the coming Lamb of God who, once and for all, through His sacrifice and blood takes away the sins of the world.

Jesus not only fulfills the Passover and the sacrificial system, but in the conversation with His disciples, He replaces the ongoing regular need for sacrificing animals for the forgiveness of sin with a different kind of sacrifice. He tells His disciples, in response to a question about how often to forgive, that they are now to give a regular sacrifice of forgiveness just as God has done for them. Forgiving others should be a regular, ongoing part of our lives just as the temple sacrifice had been for the Jewish people.

The “Exodus.”

DAY 27 – Exodus 13-15, Matthew 19:1-15

The story of Moses and the Israelites moves us to the next chapter, a chapter commonly called the “Exodus.”

The exodus from Egypt by the Israelites will become, along with the Passover, the most significant events in the in the history of the Jews. It is so significant, it becomes one of the most important themes weaved through all of Scripture. As the idea of the exodus has deep and significant meaning for Israel, it will later have the same influence on the Church in the New Testament. It will become a symbol of our exodus from the slavery of sin into the Promised Land of salvation.

Jesus confronts questions about divorce in our Matthew reading. He is called upon to explain Moses’ regulations concerning divorce. Jesus does not contradict Moses, instead He takes us back to the Creation Story to show us the original intent for marriage [“the two become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24)]. It is a good reminder of why we are reading the whole Bible in a year—so we can better understand the entire will of God and see how all the chapters relate to the larger story.

“Where will we get food?”

“Are we here in the desert to starve to death or die of thirst?”

DAY 28 – Exodus 16-18, Matthew 19:16-30

“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26

It did not take long for the Israelites to start complaining about the situation God had brought them into. Yet their complaints, though directed at Moses, were really complaints against God. The source of their complaints is a lack of faith that God would provide for them. “All things are possible with God.” This is the lesson the Israelites had still to learn, even after all the incredible miracles God had done for them. It is their lack of faith in God that is at the root of all their problems.

Jesus confronts the same issue in His discussion with the rich young ruler. At the end of Jesus’ answer to the man, He says in order to be perfect, the man would need to give all he had away and to trust that God would now provide what he needed. Not to have faith in his wealth, but in God. Jesus called him to leave his “Egypt” and, like the Israelites, have faith that God would provide everything, including his salvation. For “all things are possible with God.”

The Ten Commandments.

DAY 29 – Exodus 19-21, Matthew 20:1-16

In Exodus 20, we read some of the most well-known and significant words of the entire Bible—what we call the Ten Commandments. We will encounter these words many more times before we finish the Bible. As a matter of fact, as a testament to their significance, they will be repeated in whole and in part throughout the entire Scripture. Notice the activity surrounding the delivery of the Commandments to Israel. The instructions for preparation of receiving them indicate how significant these words are, not just to Israel, but to the entire world. Not just for that time, but for all time to follow.

The significance of the Ten Commandments and the entire Law (we begin to read in Exodus 21), and the fact that they were given to Israel, sits at the foundation of the parable of the Kingdom of God that Jesus gives in the Matthew reading. Jesus shows that blessings come to those He calls to His Kingdom, not based on how hard or long one worked within the Kingdom, but on the graciousness and mercy of God. This new perspective on the Kingdom ran counter to the Jewish perspective of a merit-based relationship with God and opened the door for many to come into the Kingdom.

Laws and regulations given to the Israelites in this moment of history.

DAY 30 – Exodus 22-24, Matthew 20:17-34

From this point forward, through the next few books of the Old Testament, we will be reading several laws and regulations given to the Israelites in this moment of history. Many of them will seem irrelevant to our lives and the world today. Let me encourage you to remember these are God’s words and thus are significant even if we cannot see the significance at the moment. Therefore, let us stick with the reading even if it becomes hard to follow over the next few weeks. God will use what you read to transform your life, maybe in ways you will not see immediately. There are two questions you can ask while reading these sections that will help you better grasp their significance.

1.How do these regulations relate to the Ten Commandments?

2. Can we see principles implied in these regulations that may be applicable to our lives and our world today?

In the Matthew account, we are entering Jesus’ last days of His earthly life. The conflict that leads to His arrest and ultimately His death revolves around, at least to a significant degree, His understanding, teaching and fulfillment of the Law. The Law and all its regulations we will be reading in the Old Testament create the tension that leads to Christ’s death. It points to the importance of not only knowing God’s Law, but understanding it and living aligned with it.

Jewish worship of God.

DAY 31 – Exodus 25-26, Matthew 21:1-22

“Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.” Exodus 24:8-9 (my emphasis)

Focus on these words as you begin your reading today and notice the details of what they say. They are significant for both our Old and New Testament readings which deal with the Jewish worship of God.

We will be presented in detail the “exact” design of the tabernacle the Jews will worship in for a long period of time. Though it may be hard at times to stay with this reading, continue to go back to Exodus 24:8-9 to help remind you that God is concerned with details of how the Jews were to worship and relate to Him. God did this knowing it would be easy for the Jews—like us—to fall into patterns of worship that reflected the pagan culture around them and, in doing so, losing sight of the center of their worship—Him.

With this as a backdrop, we can understand Jesus’ response to what He saw as He entered the Temple during the last days of His life. What He saw was contrary to what God outlined in the Old Testament both in method and spirit. The situation was such a serious departure from what is intended that Jesus took drastic steps to highlight the grievous nature of the situation.

God’s redemptive plan here on earth.

DAY 32 – Exodus 27-28, Matthew 21:23-46

The two readings today provide glimpses into the two ends of the long chapter of Israel. This was the center of God’s redemptive plan here on earth. The Exodus reading in the beginning of this chapter continues to provide us in detail all the necessary ingredients for the lawful worship of God as directed through Moses. We even see the detail of the clothing the priests of God were to wear as they fulfilled their duties in the Tabernacle. This detail points to the importance of the priest in the Jewish worship system.

By the time of Jesus’ life, we are seeing the end of the Israelite chapter of redemptive history. Jesus predicts this end a number of times in different parables. He indicates the end, for example, of the Jewish worship system and that something new was present. The end came because Jesus brought to fulfillment the entire covenant of Moses, making it obsolete and ushering in a New Covenant. As His parables indicate, with this New Covenant begins the start of a new chapter in redemptive history in which there will be different people who would be joining the Kingdom of God.

The Old Testament priest has a significant part in God’s overall design for His relationship with His people.

DAY 33 – Exodus 29-30, Matthew 22:1-22

As we can infer from our reading today, and in much of the reading we will do over the next number of weeks, the Old Testament priests had a significant part in God’s overall design for His relationship with His people. The priests played a mediating role between God and the people. This role is carried out through their responsibilities in the Tabernacle, later in the Temple and in the entire worship system of the Jews. The Tabernacle was the chosen place of God’s dwelling among His people. Because the priest’s work is done in the midst of God’s presence, it answers why so much detail is spent in the Bible describing their role and dress.

We see the importance of “clothing” in the parable Jesus uses to continue to His teaching about the Kingdom of Heaven. In the parable, a king holds a wedding feast in which everyone is invited. One man attends not wearing the proper wedding clothes. Because of this, the king ties him up and tosses him out of the feast. The king represents God and this man comes into His presence with the wrong clothing. Of course, the clothes represent our lives and the righteousness that comes from faith in Christ. When we enter into God’s presence, we need to be dressed in the righteousness of Christ, just as the Old Testament priests had to wear the prescribed clothing when working in the Tabernacle.

The tendency to sin or to fall away from God is what we read about today in the life of the Israelites.

DAY 34 – Exodus 31-33, Matthew 22:23-46

After all the incredible miracles, the display of power and the consistency of His promise fulfilling God’s people, they found themselves breaking faith with Him the moment He seemed absent. This is a very low point in the life and story of Moses and the Israelites. For at the precise time God is revealing to Moses the Ten Commandments, the people are breaking them in dramatic fashion. This is a powerful reminder of our own tendency to forget about God and to live a life inconsistent with His will.

As we are beginning to read through all of the Law and the regulations in the Old Testament, we read about Jesus’ summary of the Law in our New Testament reading. When asked which commandment is the greatest, Jesus provides a direct answer which is foundational in understanding the Law. His answer provides light to His life and His work and the implications for us today.

Moses.

DAY 35 – Exodus 34-36, Matthew 23:1-22

Moses is not only the central character in the Exodus reading, but he also makes an appearance in our Matthew reading.

As we go through both readings, notice the differences between Moses and the Pharisees who have taken Moses’ seat in Jesus’ day.

Ask yourself these questions. What did Moses do for the Israelites? What in turn did the Pharisees do? What is the response we read from the Israelites to Moses’ instruction? How does this compare to the Jew’s reaction in Jesus’ day to the Pharisees and teachers of the Law?

As we have seen, Moses was a rescuer who set God’s people free. He had a special relationship with God and acted on His behalf in doing the work God gave him. The Pharisees, on the other hand, did not rescue—they did not even offer to help the Jews they led. Instead, they loaded up rules and regulations that created bondage, instead of freedom, for the Israelites. Though they sat in Moses’ seat, they did not have the same character as Moses and, therefore, their work did not have the same results.

Design and building of the Tabernacle.

DAY 36 – Exodus 37-38, Matthew 23:23-39

As you read the Exodus chapters, notice the detail described in the design and building of the Tabernacle—including all the material required to complete the project.

There is a strong sense of community involvement and responsibility by all the people in this project. It is the first major work by this young nation that distinguishes them from all the other people. As we read earlier, their enthusiasm resulted in an oversubscription of giving to the Tabernacle. All in all, this was a great place to start their life as a nation of God’s chosen people.

As we read the text in Matthew, which is a continuation of the “seven woes” we read yesterday, we see a different spirit among the Jewish people—especially among the Pharisees and teachers of the Law—compared to the time of the exodus.

The sense of community involvement and commitment to the Tabernacle slid into rule-driven worship instead of a Spirit-filled commitment to the entire Law of God. This included such things as mercy, justice and faithfulness. These additional qualities cannot be regulated, but are the fruit of hearts born of the Spirit.

The Lord commanded Moses.

DAY 37 – Exodus 39-40, Matthew 24:1-22

As the book of Exodus comes to a close and the final details of the new Jewish sacrificial/worship system is set in place, we see the phrase “…just as the Lord commanded Moses” repeated 13 times.

Moses did the work God had given him just as He had commanded. Moses was obedient and diligent in his work to the last detail. The result was that God’s glory filled the Tabernacle; it literally became the place God would dwell among His people until the day His glory would dwell in the person of Jesus Christ.

As the Jews settled down in their land, this Tabernacle was eventually replaced with a Temple structure. In the Matthew reading, we see Jesus predict the destruction of the Temple. The message was that the sacrificial and worship system that we have been reading about in the Old Testament would come to an end. Even though much of Jesus’ words in this section of Matthew are hard to understand, it is clear that God was bringing an end to the old Jewish Temple system and replacing it with a new eternal one.

The new system—which is no system at all—is found in Jesus Christ. He brings to fulfillment and completion the old system of worship with His life, death and resurrection. He ushers in worship that we now experience in “Spirit and in Truth.”

The religious and civil life of Israel.

DAY 38 – Leviticus 1-3, Matthew 24:23-51

We now enter into a stretch of the Old Testament reading that will require some discipline on our part. We will be reading very important, but detailed, information about the religious and civil life of Israel. As we read, we need to work on capturing the larger picture of what is being presented. We need to keep asking ourselves, “why is this important to God and why is it in Scripture as part of God’s Word?” Attempting to answer these questions will help provide perspective as we read and will hopefully keep us engaged all the way through this next stretch. Please know that a little work during this stretch will provide us with a better understanding of the meaning and significance of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ—and that is a good thing.

In our New Testament reading, we read the final half of Jesus’ teaching on what is commonly called the “end-times.” A better name would be “transitional times,” because Jesus is not sharing the end of the story, but an end to a chapter of the story. As Christians, the next chapter should bring us hope because in it all things will be made new again. We only need to remember, as Jesus taught, that we will not know when this “transitional time” will occur so we need to always be ready.

The nature of sin and guilt.

DAY 39 – Leviticus 4-6, Matthew 25:1-30

The detailed description of the sacrificial system we have been reading about has brought us to the point of receiving more detail about the nature of sin and guilt this sacrificial system was to address. It may seem like more than we need to know or think about in terms of sin. As we read these chapters, we should put the emphasis on understanding guilt, sin and the expectations God has set for holiness in our lives. When we begin to grasp our own guilt, we begin to appreciate the ultimate sacrifice of Christ for the atonement of our sin and the washing away of our guilt.

In Matthew, Jesus continues His teaching on the “transitional time” when He returns to earth to consummate His Kingdom. He does this in two parables, each of which gives a different perspective of what our life should look like until His second coming. The two key messages in these parables are “be ready” and “be fruitful while you wait.” This gives us a picture of how our lives need to be until He returns.

The priests and their role through their confirmation by the presence of God’s glory.

DAY 40 – Leviticus 7-9, Matthew 25:31-46

In the Old Testament sacrificial system, the priests were the key players. These descendents of Aaron performed the daily Tabernacle rituals on behalf of the people. They received the charge of following the Lord’s prescribed way of worshipping and relating to Him. Their role was to be the mediator between God and the people as the only ones who could enter into the most holy places of the Tabernacle to perform the most sacred rituals. In our reading today, we see the importance of the priests and their role through their confirmation by the presence of God’s glory.

The One who was to come, to ultimately fulfill the priestly office, is Jesus Christ. He fulfills not only the priestly office, but the prophetic office and, as we read today, the kingly office. Matthew shares the final parable in a series of teachings about the coming of Christ’s Kingdom. This final word from Jesus summarizes all the previous teachings and provides a picture of what we should expect when “His Kingdom comes.” Once again, we are given strong warning to be prepared through the living of a life that pleases Him who is Prophet, High Priest and ultimately King.

Aaron’s two sons, Nadab and Abihu.

DAY 41 – Leviticus 10-12, Matthew 26:1-19

If we have any doubts about the importance for the Israelites to not only worship God, but to do it in the way prescribed, then the point is driven home by the story of Aaron’s two sons, Nadab and Abihu. They both lost their lives because they worshipped God their way instead of His way. This seems to be a harsh punishment and hard to understand. Yet later in the reading, we clearly see God’s high standards for His people when He says, “Therefore be holy, because I am holy” (Leviticus 11:45). The Israelites at that time, and His people today, are to be holy like God. This is the highest possible standard and one that in the end is impossible for us to attain on our own.

We are not left with the hopeless task of living up to God’s high standards as we move into the New Testament. As we read in Matthew today, once again, we see the One who has lived up to God’s standard of holiness. Jesus Christ is in His final days of His earthly life where He is being prepared for the one sacrifice that will fulfill all righteousness and holiness on our behalf. We can meet God’s high standards when, in faith, we clothe ourselves in Christ’s righteousness.

God’s concern for the health of His people.

DAY 42 – Leviticus 13, Matthew 26:20-54

Okay, here is the chapter where most people reading the Bible through in a year begin to fall away. Going through regulations concerning skin infections and mildew are not very inspiring. Yet, if we step back a bit, we see a bigger picture of God’s concern for the health of His people. We see the important role the priests play in assuring the community is not only spiritually healthy, but also physically healthy. Finally, we see the importance God places on the preservation of His people as a nation and part of His greater redemptive plan.

In Matthew, we see this plan coming to completion in Jesus Christ. In the final hours of His life, He will, in obedience, complete the mission He came to earth to fulfill. Notice how those closest to Him begin to splinter away at the moment of victory. In the next couple days of readings, we will not only see Jesus’ sense of abandonment by God, but also the very real abandonment by those people Jesus invested in the most during His ministry.

Priests and teachers of the Law in Jesus.

DAY 43 – Leviticus 14, Matthew 26:55-75

We move from regulations dealing with the identification, response to infectious skin diseases and mildew, onto cleansing and recovery from these conditions. Notice again the critical role the priests play in these situations. Think about the close connection between the priest’s “sacred” work in the Tabernacle and the seemingly less sacred work in community leadership. There may be a closer tie to the two kinds of work than we acknowledge even today.

This is an important thought as we see the priests and teachers of the Law in Jesus’ day make a strong separation between their “sacred” work and the “lesser” work of the rest of the Jewish people. This was at the heart of their justification for breaking the Law and accusing Jesus when we read in Exodus 20:16 “do not bear false witness.” Their goal of preserving their traditions and “sacred” power was more important than faithfulness to the Law. The basis of their accusations against Jesus were for “breaking” the same laws, such as when He healed on the Sabbath. This idea, that a priest’s work was more sacred, granted them license to disobey the same Law that they demanded everyone else to obey. It was a severe departure from their Old Testament role that tightly connected their religious and civil work together.

Social and religious regulations of the Law.

DAY 44 – Leviticus 15-17, Matthew 27:1-31

We continue to read about both the social and the religious regulations of the Law. We once again see God’s concern for both the health and the holiness of His people and their community. In particular, the Day of Atonement continues to remind us of the need for spilled blood from an unblemished animal to cleanse the Jews of their sins. Blood is the key because we are told that “the life of every creature is in the blood” (Leviticus 17:14). The penalty for sin is death; death comes to a creature through the spilling of its life substance—its blood.

This is why the details of the last hours of Christ’s life, which we are reading, are so important. We see, as Judas says of Him, an innocent man, one without defect, was condemned to death. We hear those who seek His death take responsibility for it and His spilled blood. The message is clear; Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of the sacrificial system we have been reading about. His innocent blood pays the price for our sin, not once a year as in the Day of Atonement, but once and for all.

God wants His people to be holy by living differently than the other nations of the world.

DAY 45 – Leviticus 18-19, Matthew 27:32-66

These words, along with the Ten Commandments, drive many of the regulations and laws we read about in today’s readings (and in most of the next few books we will be going through). The Ten Commandments provide the theological principles for these more specific laws. You will be able to connect a specific regulation to one of the Commandments. The social and cultural context the Israelites had lived in, or would be living in, provided the need for clarity and application of these Commandments. The key is God wants His people to be holy by living differently than the other nations of the world.

In Matthew we read, at least on the surface, one of the darkest sections of all the Scriptures—the death and burial of Christ. Notice some of the details Matthew includes in his account. They point to the meaning and significance of this event. Such details as the tearing of the curtain in the Temple and the resurrection from the dead of some holy people, demonstrate the impact of Christ’s death on the cross. Yet we know, unlike the disciples of Jesus’ day, that this is not the end of the story. Death is not victorious in Jesus or in the lives of His people.

“You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I’m bringing you.” Leviticus 18:3

Punishments the Israelites were to carry out for specific sins.

DAY 46 – Leviticus 20-21, Matthew 28

Now we move into the prescribed punishments the Israelites were to carry out for specific sins. The punishments indicate the seriousness of each area of sin. Some behavior carried the penalty of death, such as the worship of false gods and some sexual behaviors. The Scripture does not say it, but it appears that these more serious behaviors are ones that would “spread” and have the most detrimental impact on the whole community. We also begin to grasp why Jesus’ sentence for our sins was death. The penalty for the seriousness of our own sin could only be paid through death of a perfect and righteous man.

In the Matthew reading, we are given this great Hope while living in the midst of the devastating consequences of sin in the world. Though Jesus was perfect, righteous and holy, He died once and for all, for all our sin. Because He himself was perfect, He conquered death and resurrected back to life. We are to clothe ourselves in His righteousness, so in Him, we too, can live a resurrected life today, and ultimately rise and live forever in His consummated Kingdom.

Annual calendar.

DAY 47 – Leviticus 22-23, Mark 1:1-22

God not only instituted the worship and sacrificial system for the Israelites to follow, but also gave them an annual calendar. This calendar is filled with “holidays” designed to remind the Israelites of God’s faithfulness to them. Be it a significant event, such as the Passover, or something more mundane like the annual harvest, each “holiday” provided an opportunity for the Israelites to celebrate and remember God’s goodness. Each festival had the Sabbath integrated into its schedule, signifying the break from their normal routine of life so they could fully engage in each festival.

In the New Testament we begin a new Gospel account of Jesus’ life. Each Gospel will provide us a different perspective on Jesus and the many events of His life. Though it appears at times that the Gospels contradict each other, the truth is that the differences reflect the perspectives of each author. These multiple perspectives provide us a fuller view of Jesus and His life. For example, Mark is known as the “action Gospel.” Notice the number of times words such as “at that time,” “without delay” and “at once” are used in the first 22 verses of Mark. The story of Jesus, in the Gospel of Mark, will move right along.

The importance of the Sabbath and its principles.

DAY 48 – Leviticus 24-25, Mark 1:23-45

The importance of the Sabbath and its principles are brought home in our reading today. God, through Moses, extends the idea of the Sabbath to something more than just a special day of the week. God institutes a Sabbath year where the land will rest from its work. It is followed by what can only be described as a “grand” Sabbath year, a Year of Jubilee, in which a number of significant things were to happen. We are once again confronted with the importance God places on the Sabbath and challenges us by its application to our own lives.

If we are still wondering about the relevance of the Sabbath principle to our own lives, we are confronted in the Gospel of Mark with Jesus’ own priority for solitude and prayer. Mark will highlight this particular aspect of Jesus’ life a number of times before we finish his Gospel. We see Jesus step away from very productive and successful work, such as healing people, to be alone with His Father—a great example of Sabbath rest. If Jesus saw the need to take Sabbath breaks to focus on His relationship with His Father, how much more should we?

Moses summarizes the covenant God has made with the Israelites.

DAY 49 – Leviticus 26-27, Mark 2

This summary includes a list of both blessings for living up to the requirements of the covenant and curses and punishments for not. This summary highlights the truth that the Israelites were not in a legal, but a personal relationship with God. There was to be intimacy between Him and His people. This is made clear in Leviticus 26:12 where God says, “I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people.”

This covenant is fully realized in Jesus Christ. As we read Mark, we see that the Jews experienced this in a very tangible way—God “walking among them” through His Son Jesus. We also see the blessings the people received because Jesus walked and lived among them, including healings and the forgiveness of their sins. These blessings are also a fulfillment of the promises made through Moses to the Israelites for right living within their covenant relationship with God. Because Jesus fulfilled the requirements of the Mosaic covenant, we, through faith in Christ, can experience the promised blessings of a relationship with God as did the Jews of His day.

The 12 tribes who will inherit land in their new country.

DAY 50 – Numbers 1-2, Mark 3:1-21

There is a reason this book we are beginning is called Numbers and it will not take long for us to discover it. We will see there is a natural organization God uses to provide some needed order and stability to the new nation He has created. Much of the organization, as we read today, centers on the 12 tribes who will inherit land in their new country. These 12 tribes continue to be important throughout the rest of the Bible stories including the Gospels.

In our Mark reading, we see when Jesus calls out a handful of people to be His “apostles”—people who would speak on His behalf—He calls out 12. This is no accident since the 12 apostles will be given the responsibility to continue to carry out Christ’s work on earth in His physical absence. And like the head of each of the 12 tribes Moses appointed to provide leadership to Israel, Jesus’ 12 apostles will one day provide leadership to God’s new people—the Church.

The tribe of Levi.

DAY 51 – Numbers 3-4, Mark 3:22-35

The tribe of Levi, which is also the tribe of Moses and Aaron, are not counted as part of the 12 tribes of Israel because they will not be assigned land in their new country. In our reading today we find out why. It is because the Levites were called to do a special work for the Tabernacle. God assigns specific responsibilities to each family within the tribe of Levi. The overall mission for the Levites is to care, maintain, setup, tear down and move the Tabernacle as needed. The amount of movement the Israelites will do over the next few decades will be a very large responsibility.

In light of this importance of family lineage to the Israelites, Jesus begins to add to their definition of family when He is told His mother and brothers were looking for Him. Jesus suggests that what is more important than the family one is born into, is the family of people “who do God’s will.” For, those who do God’s will now will become a part of Jesus’ spiritual family. Jesus does not minimize the importance of our physical family, but instead, elevates the importance of our spiritual family, those like Him, who do God’s will.

Providing a blessing.

DAY 52 – Numbers 5-6, Mark 4:1-20

After a series of prescriptions for different situations God knew the Israelites would face, He provides a blessing that the priests were to give the people on a regular basis. It is a beautiful blessing which reminds the Israelites that God was not just a rule maker and judge, but also a loving, gracious God who wanted His people to be blessed (remember Genesis 12:2-3, Day 5/January 5). Look at the Leviticus 6:24-26 blessing and note the key words—you may want to underline them—that indicate the relationship God intended to have with His people.

In our New Testament text, we read the first parable of Jesus recorded by Mark. In it we learn what a person blessed by God, as Moses described, would look like. Such a person would be like a seed planted in fertile and well-tended soil. This person would grow in their faith in Christ and, as a result, become fruitful on behalf of God’s Kingdom.

Ask yourself these two questions. What are the things I need in my life to make it fertile so I will grow? What things need to be weeded out that hinder me from becoming all that Christ intended?

The 12 tribes provide gifts needed for the operation of the Tabernacle.

DAY 53 – Numbers 7, Mark 4:21-41

Each tribe provides equally the items needed by the Levites to do their work within the Tabernacle. As it was in the first offering made for the collection of material needed to build the Tabernacle, there continues to be a sense of ownership by all the people. These offerings were not given by force, but as part of the community’s worship of God.

This concept of community was an expression of the Kingdom of God described in parables by Jesus. Each parable highlights a different quality of the Kingdom as expressed through the community of His people—the Church. This community is to be a light in a dark world; it should grow, be fruitful and multiply. All of these qualities will be the result not of the plans and will of the community, but through the power and Spirit of God.

When the Tabernacle was completed, a cloud settled on it.

DAY 54 – Numbers 8-10, Mark 5:1-20

The cloud represents the glory of God and His presence in the midst of the Israelites. The Tabernacle, and later the Temple, was the place of God’s dwelling among His people. This is why so much care is taken in the construction and operation of the Tabernacle. It is also why God provided strict rules concerning the priests and the Levites who were responsible for its operation and care.

This all changes with the coming of Christ; He was and is now God’s presence among His people. The response to His presence varies from person to person. In our Mark reading, Jesus heals a demon-possessed man. This man, in response to being healed, wants to follow Jesus and go where He goes. Yet, all the people in the area where this man is from became afraid of Jesus. Instead of wanting to be with Him, they asked Jesus to leave them; they did not want His presence in their lives. We see two reactions to the One God in their presence, reactions which have not changed even today.

Today’s readings are two different faith stories.

DAY 55 – Numbers 11-13, Mark 5:21-43

In Numbers we see the Israelites, after all God has done for them, lacking faith on a number of fronts. At the root of their complaining, questioning of authority and fear is their lack of faith in God. They did not believe in His promises nor trust His words of guidance. They became discontent with what God had provided. In each case the consequences of their lack of faith was severe.

Contrast the difference between the Israelites lack of faith and the faith shown by the two people that cross Jesus’ path in our Mark reading. In both cases the situation is desperate. The two people come to Jesus as their last resort in an effort to be healed and made whole. Their faith is the door in which Jesus walks through to provide them what they are seeking and to have their lives transformed.

When presented with the two options of faith, to have faith in God or to not, the right choice seems obvious, but the decision is always difficult because it involves trust, risk and taking a step toward God and what He has promised.

The consequence for lack of faith.

DAY 56 – Numbers 14-15, Mark 6:1-32

The consequence for lack of faith, especially in the face of God’s miracles, was God choosing to keep His works from being visible to those who do not have it. There are two examples of such consequences in our reading today.

First, the lack of faith by the Israelites that God could deliver them into the land He promised in spite of the appearance of seemingly impossible obstacles. The result was the Israelites would wander as shepherds in the desert for 40 years until an entire generation died. The only two exceptions were the two men who believed that God would deliver the Promised Land into their hands. They would not only live beyond the 40 years, but would settle into the land and receive its blessings.

Even people in Jesus’ hometown did not have faith that Jesus was who He said He was. They did not believe, like the Israelites, in spite of all the miracles He performed in their midst. Miracles in both cases did not create faith. Faith obviously requires something more than miracles to become a reality in one’s life. The result of Jesus’ hometown friends not believing, like the Israelites, was that Jesus did not do many miracles in their presence. Because of this, they did not experience all the blessings others in Israel did.

A mediator between God and us.

DAY 57 – Numbers 16-17, Mark 6:33-56

The reality is we, like the Israelites of both Moses’ and Jesus’ day, need a mediator between God and us. For God is Holy and we, as people, are not.

God, through Moses, provided the Israelites temporary mediators—the priests—who stood between the people and God. This is why they are the only ones who could go into the holiest places in the Tabernacle to perform the sacrifices on behalf of the people. Yet, some people rebelled believing they did not need a mediator. They believed they could have direct access to God just like the priests. The cost of not seeing their own sin and not recognizing their need for a mediator had disastrous consequences.

Compared to Moses’ situation, the response Jesus receives from the people is quite different. Jesus came as the one final and eternal Mediator between God the Father and people. He demonstrates His direct access to the Father through the healings He performs. People accept, at least in part, Jesus’ mediating role and flock to Him from all over the countryside. Do we do the same?

“Clean” and “unclean.”

DAY 58 – Numbers 18-20, Mark 7:1-13

In Moses’ day being “clean” or “unclean” had very specific meaning and application. God provided these regulations to the priests and Levites to remind them of the sacred work they did before a holy God in the Tabernacle. For the rest of Israel, the regulations also reminded them of the holiness of God and their place before Him. In addition, many of the regulations from today’s perspective are common sense health practices that provided safety for the community.

In Jesus’ day, the Pharisees took these specific and purposeful regulations and developed from them a long list of other meaningless regulations. They carried these new regulations out to a degree where the original purpose and intent of Moses’ regulations had been lost. Then the Pharisees used these new, man-made regulations as a standard on which to measure both their own righteousness and the righteousness of others. It led to hypocrisy and Jesus called them out on it, refusing to acknowledge these regulations as any standard for holiness.

A story of humor, irony and drama.

DAY 59 – Numbers 21-23, Mark 7:14-8:10

This story in Numbers is one of the great stories in the Bible. It is full of humor, irony and drama. In it, a donkey sees an angel in the road before his owner who was riding him does. The donkey has the wisdom to know that the trip they were taking was in many ways dangerous. Balaam, the rider and owner, did not have the sense that his donkey did. Yet, when confronted with reality, Balaam changes his course and commits to do and say only what God would command him to. A reality we all have and are confronted with, as Balaam is, is the same decision about our response to Him.

Jesus continues His travels in the country north of Jerusalem visiting many cities and healing many people. Mark continues to provide a picture of Jesus as a man of action, moving from place to place, ministering to people He encounters. Unlike Balaam’s initial purpose of his trip, Jesus’ travel is with a purpose that benefits and blesses God’s people and brings His Kingdom into view.

Worship of false gods.

DAY 60 – Numbers 24-27, Mark 8:11-38

There are a couple of challenging situations we are confronted with as we read Numbers today. Both relate to the worship of false gods, but appear on the surface to be concerned with inter-racial marriage. When we read these chapters closer, we find that the true issue is the worship of false gods and the seriousness in which God treats it. God does not prohibit inter-racial marriage. Consider for a moment that Moses married a Midianite, or that one of Jesus’ ancestors was a Moabite woman named Ruth. The issue in these situations is that the Israelites allowed foreign women to seduce them into the worship of false gods, not the ethnicity of the women.

The temptation to fall away from God can happen to even those closest to Christ, as we see with Peter. One moment Peter boldly declares Jesus to be the Christ the Messiah and, in the next moment, Peter is speaking the words of Satan and not God’s words. It is a reminder that none of us, no matter where we are in our faith journey, are immune from losing sight of Jesus and sinning in the process.

Offerings were a significant part of worship for the ancient Israelites.

DAY 61 – Numbers 28-29, Mark 9:1-29

They are made for the cleansing of sin and any contamination by unclean things, as well as a way to assure one had a right relationship with God. It is this second reason that has fascinating implications for us today. For an ancient Jew to have a right relationship with God, he or she needed to give (offer) something back to God, thus honoring Him. Today we are told by Paul in Romans 12:1 “to offer our bodies as living sacrifices.” God wants us—all of us—this is the offering that builds our relationship with Him.

We have been reading about Moses and his work for a number of weeks. Today, we read about his one and only personal appearance in the New Testament. Jesus takes a few of His disciples up a high mountain and there Jesus meets with Moses and the prophet Elijah. It was in this spot that the disciples received a glimpse of the glorified Christ in His eternal body. Why did He have this conference with these two great Old Testament men? Many scholars believe it shows that Jesus indeed is the fulfillment of both the Law (represented by Moses) and all the prophets (represented by Elijah), thus fulfilling the entire Old Testament.

Israelites revenge on the Midianites.

DAY 62 – Numbers 30-31, Mark 9:30-50

There are difficult stories in the Old Testament like the one we read today about the Israelites revenge on the Midianites. Although it is hard to grasp God’s command to go to war, we know if a person or people cause another to sin, as the Midianites did, it is as severe of an offense as one can make. God hates sin, for it further diminishes His Image Bearers and continues the broken fellowship between Him and His people. But, what He appears to hate even more is the sin that causes others to sin as well.

Jesus reiterates this important aspect of sin and our relationship to others. After sharing with His disciples that if they would welcome children into His Kingdom they would be welcoming Him, He tells them that to do the opposite and cause a child to sin is the worst possible offense. Jesus says that if a person does this, it would be better to die a horrible death and be lost forever than to face the wrath of God. The point is driven home. To sin is bad, but to cause another to sin, especially a child, is horrible and beyond comprehension.

The Promised Land.

DAY 63 – Numbers 32-33, Mark 10:1-31

The Israelites begin to prepare for entering into the Promised Land. They have spent 40 years wandering in the desert, living as nomads, until all who refused to enter the land had died. Entering and then conquering the Promised Land is a new chapter for the nation of Israel, a chapter that in many ways continues even up to this day. Though we have some more reading to do before we enter this chapter fully, we do see a glimpse of the work.

Jesus, in the Mark reading, confronts a number of misguided cultural values the Jews held in His day and turns them upside down. From easy divorce, to the low value of children, to the widely accepted belief that being rich equaled being blessed by God. Jesus applies the truth, as found in Genesis 1 and 2, to each situation and shows that these ideas and their values do not align with God. By doing this, Jesus also shows us how we too should evaluate the beliefs and values of our day and to which standard (God’s standard) we need to evaluate them against.

Preparing for the Promised Land.

DAY 64 – Numbers 34-36, Mark 10:32-52

The Israelites continue to prepare for their entrance into the Promised Land. God provides them the boundaries of this land He is giving them. Then He appoints two leaders, Joshua and Eleazar, along with one leader from each tribe, to divide up the land among the 12 tribes. God, as always, is an orderly God and He provides order for His people.

As Jesus enters into His last week of His earthly life, He heads to Jerusalem. On His way, He has a couple of important conversations with His closest friends, the 12 disciples. One of the conversations has to do with the question of “how do you measure importance and greatness?” Jesus once again turns the culture’s values upside down and tells His disciples that the one who will be the greatest in His Kingdom will first be a servant. Then Jesus tells them, in so many words, “if you don’t believe it then look at me and in particular this last week of my life and you will see what a servant looks like.”

Moses’ summary of some key events.

DAY 65 – Deuteronomy 1-2, Mark 11:1-19

As we begin the last book of what is called the Pentateuch—the first five books of the Bible—we read Moses’ summary of some key events that have happened to the Israelites since they have left Egypt. Notice how Moses highlights the fulfillment of promises God made to Abraham. Promises concerning the land they would occupy and the number of people Abraham’s descendents would grow to. Notice how Moses includes promises God made to other people and how He assures these promises are fulfilled; there would then be no conflict between these promises and the promises He made to Abraham and his descendents.

Just as the Israelites are preparing to enter into the land God promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Jesus prepares to enter Jerusalem. This significant event, not Jesus’ first time in Jerusalem, lays the groundwork for Him to fulfill all the promises God made, not just to Abraham, but to all His people over the ages. Each aspect of His coming and the activities that happen in the following days all point to Jesus as the Promise Fulfiller; the One whom the Jews had been waiting for.

Moses moves into the heart and soul of the people’s relationship with God.

DAY 66 – Deuteronomy 3-4, Mark 11:20-33

Moses’ summary continues in these next couple chapters, speaking in the first person. He recalls God’s leadership and protection in their first battle as a nation against the king of Bashan, the division of the land and the reason why Moses would not be crossing the Jordan River with the people. Then Moses moves into the heart and soul of the people’s relationship with God. There are a number of beautiful statements, all of which apply to us, concerning the need to be obedient to God’s commands, to remember what God has done and to keep God as their only God.

For the Israelites to appropriately live out their relationship with God, they would need the faith that Jesus describes in Mark. Jesus tells His disciples that if they are to do great things for His Kingdom, it will require faith, the kind of faith that “moves mountains.” Just as in Moses’ day, if we, through faith in Jesus Christ, live obediently in our relationship with Him, remembering all He has done for us and assuring we keep Him as our only God, we too can experience the fulfillment of His promises He gave to all His people.

Review of all that God has done for the Israelites since leaving Egypt.

DAY 67 – Deuteronomy 5-7, Mark 12:1-27

Moses continues in his review of all that God has done for the Israelites since leaving Egypt. He reviews the Ten Commandments as well as reiterating the importance of remembering them and passing them to future generations. The review is followed by one of the most important chapters in all of Scripture, Deuteronomy 6. In it we find one of the best summaries of the Law in the Bible; it is also quoted by Jesus. Finally, Moses provides both instructions and encouragement to the Israelites as they enter the Promised Land with the goal of enabling them to conquer it.

As Jesus continues in His last days, He tells a parable that is directed right at His enemies. In an attempt to stop Jesus without creating a riot, His enemies begin to ask Him a series of questions with the goal of discrediting Him. Instead, Jesus not only answers all these questions, His answers condemn His enemies in the places where they are in error. It is a powerful exchange and one that sets up the final showdown between Jesus and those who want to stop Him.

Moses calls the Israelites to not forget their God and all that He has done for them.

DAY 68 – Deuteronomy 8-104, Mark 12:28-44

If they begin to forget, they will then take credit for all the good things that have happened to them. Moses also reminds them of their failures in an effort to keep them humble and focused on God. He concludes with a reminder of continuing to “fear,” or respect, God and to value what He values; values such as caring for the fatherless and the widows—values we are still called to hold today.

Jesus reinforces these values when asked what the greatest commandment was. He answers by quoting a verse we read yesterday in Deuteronomy 6:4-5. He also quotes Leviticus 19:18 as the second-most important commandment. These two commandments measure our relationship to God and then to His people. Jesus provides a contrast between people who did not live out these values and a person who did. The teachers of the Law did not live out these values by not caring for widows, but instead by taking advantage of them. Now compare them to the widow who entered the Temple and gave all she had as an offering out of her love for God.

Moses calls the Israelites to love and obey God by keeping His commandments.

DAY 69 – Deuteronomy 11-13, Mark 13:1-13

In particular, to love God through assuring they do not fall into two sins that will be temptation as they enter the Promised Land. The first temptation was to adopt the form and function of worship of their neighbors. Secondly, the Israelites were not to fall into the sin of worshipping the false gods of their neighbors. Both false worship and false gods would be serious breaches in the Israelites relationship with God and had to be avoided at all costs.

Jesus begins a discussion with His disciples, commonly called the Olivet Discourse because it occurred on the Mount of Olives across from the Temple area. Jesus prepares the disciples for the fact that the way Moses prescribed worship would soon change. The Temple, the center of the Jewish worship system, would be totally destroyed. This would not be a problem for the disciples and the church because Christ fulfilled all the purposes of the Temple and set up a newly prescribed way of worship, one that was in “Spirit and Truth” (John 4:24).

A summary of civil laws and regulations set up to benefit the Israelites.

DAY 70 – Deuteronomy 14-16, Mark 13:14-37

We read in Deuteronomy today a summary of civil laws and regulations set up to benefit the Israelites. These laws were to help the Israelites live in a way that demonstrated to their neighbors the special relationship they had with the true God. This section ends with a review of three festivals the Israelites were to keep, each a reminder of the good things God has done and provided for them.

Jesus continues His Olivet Discourse and His teaching about the destruction of the Temple and then moves to the “end times” and His future return. Admittedly, it is a difficult passage especially in determining where the teaching about the Temple destruction ends and the teaching about the “end times” begins. Yet, in spite of the difficulties, there are three points that Jesus makes clear to His disciples, and to us, about the end times and His second coming. First, we are to be always ready. Second, we are to be watching and looking always for His return. Third, we do these first two things because no one, not even the angels in Heaven, knows when Jesus will come back again.

Offices in Israel as instituted by God.

DAY 71 – Deuteronomy 17-19, Mark 14:1-25

In the Deuteronomy chapters, we have our first glimpse into the three most important offices in Israel as instituted by God. The first office is the priest whose role is to be the mediator between God and the people, offering the prescribed sacrifices on their behalf. The next office is that of the prophet who speaks the words of God to His people. The third is the introduction to the kingly office. Israel will one day have a king, and God prescribed what this king will look and be like.

As we turn to Jesus in Mark, we find the One who fulfills all three of these offices to perfection. Jesus is the last one to hold these offices and He does so into eternity. Jesus is the Prophet, not just because He speaks His Father’s words, but as John 1 says, He is the Word. Jesus is the King of God’s eternal Kingdom. This is why Jesus rode the colt into Jerusalem in Mark 11. We are fast approaching seeing Jesus as our High Priest as He prepares for His ultimate sacrifice, His death on the cross. Every law, every promise and every office given in the Old Testament is completely fulfilled in Christ.

God’s intent was to enable the Israelites to live faithfully in their covenant relationship with Him.

DAY 72 – Deuteronomy 20-22, Mark 14:26-50

Moses continues to outline specific laws and regulations for the Israelites. Once again, we are able to trace each of them back to one or more of the Ten Commandments. We can think of each regulation as a specific application of the broader commandments. This is difficult, at times, since we do not always have the details of the context for these regulations. It becomes hard to line them up with the commandments. A good Bible commentary can help if you are interested. Yet, even without the commentary, we can see that God’s intent was to enable the Israelites to live faithfully in their covenant relationship with Him.

Jesus is living out the final hours of His life as He and His disciples go back to the Mount of Olives to pray. He again tells His disciples to “watch” as He did at the end of the Olivet Discourse (Mark 13), where He tells them to “be ready” and to “keep watch.” This posture of watching is one that Christ calls His disciples, including us, to do. It is a posture of anticipation and readiness for the work of God in  our midst, and ultimately, to Christ’s second coming.

The list of regulations goes on in these next chapters of Deuteronomy.

DAY 73 – Deuteronomy 23-25, Mark 14:51-72

Though many of them have their specific application in Moses’ day, we should see if we can pick away principles that apply to us today. Remember, if we believe the Bible—all of it—is the Word of God, we have to accept there is a reason for each and every verse in it. Ultimately the reason, at least in part, is for our benefit. Our job, through the Holy Spirit, is to discover those reasons and allow them to transform our lives.

Jesus stands accused of breaking the Law and His accusers break the same Law in accusing Him. It is a typical “end justifies the means” approach by the Jewish leaders. The greater irony is that Jesus was the only one in the room who had never broken the Law. He was (and is) the only Law Keeper. Yet, He is accused by law breakers and condemned because of their sin (breaking the Law). Not only is Jesus falsely accused and condemned to die, but one of His closest friends, Peter, denies he even knows Jesus. Before we rush off to judgment of Peter and the Jewish leaders, we need to take a long hard look at each of them to catch a glimpse of ourselves. It was not just their sins that sent Jesus to the cross.

Gifts of first fruits and tithes.

DAY 74 – Deuteronomy 26-27, Mark 15:-26

Moses lays out the regulations for the gifts of first fruits and tithes. These gifts played an important role in the life of an individual Israelite and in the lives of the entire nation. Both gifts acknowledge that all blessings come from God and assure funding for the worship system and the people responsible for carrying out the tasks (the Levites). Finally, these gifts provided for the orphans, widows and the poor among the Israelites. This discussion is followed by two reminders of God’s Commandments and the importance of never losing sight of our responsibilities in our relationship with God.

We move from this snapshot of what life could and should look like to the darkest moment in the history of the world; the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. This dark moment is made more apparent by the inability of Pilate and the crowd to find Jesus guilty of any law, be it Jewish or Roman. Yet, He is sentenced to death. Jesus was an innocent and sinless Man. This “darkest moment” is only a prelude to the greatest moment in the history of the world. This upcoming moment is the moment where we find all of our hope in all God’s promises for ourselves and our world.

Moses’ discourse on the consequences of obeying God and the consequences for disobedience reads like a sermon.

DAY 75 – Deuteronomy 28, Mark 15:27-47

As you read these curses, though they seem harsh, in reality they are just the natural consequences all nations experience when living in a fallen world. These are not supernatural curses, but natural consequences, when supernatural protections (the blessings promised) are removed. When left to the natural course of action in a fallen world, the curses become a reality for the Israelites, like it is for all nations.

This disobedience is really a breaking of faith with God and becomes a pattern for the Israelites and for all people. It is because of this broken faith that Jesus died on the cross. He became the curse—took on all these curses on behalf the Jews and ourselves—so that we could one day experience the blessings promised by God through Moses. We now have the opportunity to put our faith in Christ and have these curses removed in order to experience the blessings promised for eternity.

Renewal of spiritual and life commitments.

DAY 76 – Deuteronomy 29-30, Mark 16

Renewal of spiritual and life commitments are as old as the Old Testament times. In these two Deuteronomy chapters, we read Moses’ challenge to the Israelites to recommit their covenant with God made with their ancestors. The summary of this recommitment (Deuteronomy 30:15) is a choice between “life and prosperity” and “death and destruction.” We are told the choice of “life and prosperity” is not difficult (30:11) because the Word of God “is very near you” (Deuteronomy 30:14). This is the same choice we are still offered today in Christ Jesus.

It is the same choice that Jesus’ disciples and the women had to make when they first found the tomb empty. Did they believe and trust in what Jesus said would come to pass? Would they choose life in Him? Christ’s resurrection provides us with this great hope that we can have spiritual “life and prosperity” and eternal life complete with prosperity when His Kingdom is fulfilled. We, like the Israelites, need to choose this alternative outcome by putting our trust in the Resurrected Lord.

Israelites will still fall away and worship other gods.

DAY 77 – Deuteronomy 31-32, Luke 1:1-2

As Moses’ life is coming to an end, we see God’s sovereignty leaving us with more questions than answers. After the reaffirmation of their covenant with God and all the other things God has done for the Israelites, He tells Moses the Israelites will still fall away and worship other gods. It is a chilling prediction because it means the Israelites will experience all the curses Moses had just warned them would come if they were disobedient. God is never surprised by what happens in the world and works all of it out according to His good purpose and plan.

Just as He does with His plans for the birth of John the Baptist in Luke. It is no accident that John’s father was a priest who would be on duty when his lot would be drawn to enter the altar area of the Temple to perform the rites. Since it was this place in the Temple that the Jews believed the presence of God dwelt, it would be an appropriate place for God’s messenger to tell Zechariah His plan. God uses Zechariah’s unbelief and disobedience to fulfill His plan and to ultimately glorify His name.

Moses’ death.

DAY 78 – Deuteronomy 33-34, Luke 1:24-56

Moses’ last public words to the Israelites are a blessing to them as a nation with specific words for each tribe. We read of his death while he was still strong and vibrant. After his death, it is written that since that day there has been no prophet like Moses, through whom God did so many great things on His behalf and behalf of His people.

Moses was the greatest prophet, at least up until the time written about by Luke. At that time, there are born two prophets who exceed Moses’ greatness, as we will read over the next couple of days. First is John the Baptist, who Jesus says, “among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than he” (Matthew 11:11). He is followed by Jesus Christ, who was and is the greatest Prophet, the fulfillment of all prophets and prophetic promises. This message about Jesus is given to a young woman named Mary whose response on the surface looks a bit like Zechariah’s. On closer examination, we see that Mary has faith in God’s word, through Gabriel, that Zechariah did not have. This is why she is often lifted up as a model of faith for us today.

There is no hesitation on entering the Promised Land with this new generation of Israelites.

DAY 79 – Joshua 1-3, Luke 1:57-80

The theme was to be “strong and courageous,” a message that is repeated often throughout this book—two characteristics the Israelites lacked a generation earlier. The Israelites have a new leader they believe in, Joshua, while allowing God to be their ultimate leader as symbolized by the ark leading the way into the Promised Land. Their faith that God would deliver on His promise spreads to others, including a woman named Rehab. Though she was not an Israelite, she had faith that God would make good His Word.

Similar to the Israelites change in faith over a generation, we see Zechariah’s faith turnaround as well. First, he believes God’s promise of the birth of his son John. Second, Zechariah’s faith grows beyond this belief in a promise to see and embrace the belief that God will fulfill all His promises for His people through the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, who will be the Savior of God’s people and will usher in the inauguration of God’s Kingdom.

Crossing the Jordan River.

DAY 80 – Joshua 4-6, Luke 2:1-24

We read about an event in Joshua that looks very much like an event that occurred around 40 years earlier in Israel’s history. They crossed the Jordan River on dry ground just like their parents and grandparents crossed the Red Sea decades before. There are two differences between the two crossings (other than the bodies of waters). In the first crossing, the Israelites were escaping a land; in the second crossing, they were entering a land. Secondly, their leaders were different—Moses in the first and Joshua in the second. In both cases, the crossings help to cement these men as leaders in the eyes of the people.

Just as an angel spoke to Joshua before their battle with Jericho, a group of angels announce to a group of shepherds the birth of Jesus Christ. It is one of the best know stories in all of Scripture. This announcement sets the stage for Christ’s upcoming ministry and affirms Him as God’s One and Only Son. Jesus’ conquest would be of a different kind than Joshua’s. His conquest would be a spiritual conquest, conquering sin, saving all of God’s people and ushering in the inauguration of God’s Kingdom.

Sin and disobedience.

DAY 81 – Joshua 7-8, Luke 2:25-52

We see in our Joshua reading that the effects of sin and disobedience are on both the person who sins and those around him/her. The reality is sin has consequences, not just for the person who commits the sin, but also to those around that person. Many times, as in our reading today, no one is even aware of the sin except the person who committed it. Like a cancer, God tells Joshua to rid the community of the sin before moving to the next battle.

Luke is the only Gospel that gives us a glimpse into the childhood of Jesus. It is a helpful perspective because it provides us insight into exactly who Jesus was and is. The reading about the Temple, which was the center of the Jewish life and worship, plays a prominent role in Jesus’ childhood. This should not surprise us considering the Temple was the place where God dwelt among His people. Jesus told His parents, this is the place—in His Father’s presence—He is meant to be.

The Gibeonites.

DAY 82 – Joshua 9-10, Luke 3

Joshua and the Israelites have a string of battlefield victories, but we read of a diplomatic “defeat” with the Gibeonites. The Gibeonites, seeing their likely defeat at the hands of the Israelites, create a ruse where they trick the Israelites to sign a treaty of peace with them. The mistake made by Joshua and the Israelites was not that they made a treaty, but that they did not seek God’s direction first. Good intentions and due diligence are not enough for followers of God.

In Luke, we move from Jesus’ childhood to the introduction of John’s ministry and the baptism of Jesus. Take a look at John’s message and notice how it lays the groundwork for Jesus’ ministry. Much of what John tells his listeners, Jesus will repeat in some form or fashion. Both messages call people to acknowledge their need for a Savior to rescue them from their sin and reconcile them to God.

Conquering new land.

DAY 83 – Joshua 11-13, Luke 4:1-32

The Israelites continue their string of military victories conquering new land and taking possession of places promised to them by God. Notice Joshua 11:9 and 15 and what is said about Joshua. These are words that we should all aspire to be said about us—that we do what God directed us to do. Even if, as it says in Joshua 11:18, doing what God has commanded takes a long time, we need to stay with it as Joshua did. This faithfulness of Joshua leads to both blessings for him, and more importantly, blessings for those he was leading.

Yet, the truest model of obedience and faithfulness is Jesus Christ. We see it in His 40 days in the desert where He is tempted at least three times by the Devil. Each temptation represents an area of temptation we all face: trusting ourselves over God, seeking power and all that goes with it over true allegiance to God, and finally, to use God for our plans and needs instead of His. It is because Jesus’ own temptations are like ours that we can go to Him in our time of need, knowing He can help us conquer temptation.

Division and allocation between the tribes.

DAY 84 – Joshua 14-15, Luke 4:33-44

As land is conquered, Joshua oversees the division and allocation between the tribes. Once again, we are reminded of the fact that God is not only a Promise Maker, He is the Promise Keeper. He assures, through Joshua, that Caleb would receive the land his “feet have walked” in Joshua 14:9. After more than 40 years, Caleb finally receives the land that he was confident God would have given the Israelites 40 years earlier.

It was in this same faith that people began to bring the sick to Jesus to be healed. Jesus spends much of His time healing these people even though His main mission was to “preach the good news of the Kingdom of God” (Luke 4:43) to many more people in many other places. Christ healed because He loved those people, but also because it was part of His announcement that the arrival of the Kingdom was within their midst.

Joshua and the Israelites divide the land and conquer.

DAY 85 – Joshua 16-18, Luke 5:1-16

Notice the work seems to be more dispersed and the results are less than what God demanded or expected. In particular, the Israelites either cannot or will not totally remove the Canaanites from these territories. The Canaanites end up living in the midst of the Israelites. This situation will lead to serious issues later on—issues we will read about in our next book—the book of Judges.

Jesus calls His first disciples fishermen. His call is for them to begin fishing for men (apparently they were not very good fishermen). To do this, these men had to leave behind their former lives and follow Jesus. It is a big sacrifice, one that requires trust, but it is no different from what God asked the Israelites to do when leaving Egypt to follow God into the Promised Land. They were to leave behind not only Egypt, but all it represented. In the same way, following Christ always requires us to leave something behind, something that will hinder us from following Him fully, and moving ahead with Jesus as our lead.

Dividing up the Promised Land.

DAY 86 – Joshua 19-20, Luke 5:17-39

As the Israelites finish dividing up the Promised Land between the tribes, the rest of the work of organizing themselves commences. This included providing land for Joshua and his family as well as setting aside towns and cities for use as prescribed by the Law. In many ways this final occupation is a big deal; it is the fulfillment of God’s promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that this land would be theirs. Unfortunately, because the Israelites did not fully complete the task of conquering the land, this end seems more anticlimactic than celebratory.

Just as the Israelites faced resistance in entering the Promised Land, Jesus begins to face resistance in His ministry. From the questioning by the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law concerning Jesus’ authority to forgive sins, to being accused of eating with “tax collectors and sinners,” Jesus faces resistance. The question for us is not whether we will face resistance in following Christ, but how we will handle it when we do. Will we handle it like the Israelites and not complete our work, or be like Jesus and do God’s work in spite of it?

God fulfills His promise.

DAY 87 – Joshua 21-22, Luke 6:1-26

Joshua 21:43-45 are significant verses. They make a statement that we must keep in mind as we read through the rest of the Old Testament. As we continue to read, it will be easy to question whether God did actually fulfill His promises to Israel’s forefathers. Yet, this statement makes it crystal clear that God did completely fulfill His promises—“every one.” What the rest of the Old Testament shows is how the Israelites fail to live up to their end of the covenant and are unable to fully realize God’s promises. The failure is the Israelites, not God’s.

Jesus continues to be challenged at nearly every turn of His ministry. Even when He does something positive such as healing a person (which would be reason for celebration), the leaders accuse Him of breaking the Law on some technical point. These challenges we have read over the last two days are the backdrop for the teaching Jesus will give His disciples on what it means to be His followers. Jesus wants them to be prepared for life as His disciples and will be the subject of our readings over the next few days.

Joshua is in the last days of his life and the last days of his leadership of Israel.

DAY 88 – Joshua 23-24, Luke 6:27-49

He uses this time to remind the Israelites of all that God has done for them through keeping His promises. He also asks them to renew their commitment to God through the covenant they have with Him. It is a powerful exchange between Joshua and the people of the challenges and commitments made to assure the Israelites are faithful to God and His covenant with them.

Just as Joshua challenges the Israelites to live up to God’s standards, we see Jesus continue in His teachings to His disciples to challenge them. These challenges set the bar high for the disciples in terms of how they should live. Jesus summarizes His teachings, much like Joshua did in 23:14-16, with the reminder that in obeying His word, it would be as if the disciples built a house on a rock foundation. To ignore His word would be like building their house on sand, a foundation that cannot hold up even in a rainstorm. Both Joshua’s and Jesus’ challenges are a challenge for us today. Will we strive to live up to God’s word, or will we ignore them to our detriment?

A new chapter of the story of Israel.

DAY 89 – Judges 1-2, Luke 7:1-30

Judges brings us into a new chapter of the story of Israel. In many ways, it sets up the rest of the Old Testament story by being a link between the time of the exodus and the time of the kings. These first two chapters lay the groundwork for what this book is all about. There are key issues mentioned in these chapters that will be found throughout Judges. These issues include the Israelites not completely driving out their enemies—forgetting about God and what He had done for them—and by breaking their covenant with Him. Then, we will see them suffer the consequences for each.

In Luke, we have three portraits of faith. Each gives us insight into faith and Christ’s response to it. The first portrait is of the centurion who demonstrates the kind of faith we are to strive for. Then, there is the widow whose son died—she showed no visible faith—yet Jesus raised her son from the dead. Finally, John the Baptist begins to lose faith in the fact that Jesus is really the Christ. Jesus reassured John, through His disciples, that He is who John believed Him to be. Christ always engages people wherever they are in their faith for their benefit.

Sin to Suffering to Supplication to Salvation.

DAY 90 – Judges 3-5, Luke 7:31-50

Today’s reading in Judges introduces a pattern for the stories that we will read in the rest of Judges. Many scholars and teachers have provided ways for us to remember this pattern. The one I have continued to remember and use goes like this:

Sin to Suffering to Supplication to Salvation.

The Israelites sin by turning from God, thus they experience suffering at the hands of their neighbors. This leads to returning to God, and their prayer to Him, to be rescued. God then sends a “judge” (a leader) to rescue them, thus bringing them salvation. After a period of peace the pattern repeats itself. Watch for it in today’s reading and throughout the rest of the book.

Within Luke we read one of the most moving and yet challenging stories in the Gospels. It is a story of a woman, who acknowledging her own sinfulness, lavishes love on Jesus. She is contrasted by Simon the Pharisee, who is “righteous” yet shows little love or respect for Christ. As a result, the woman’s sins are forgiven and Simon’s are not. What was the difference? Not the need, but acknowledgement of sin. Both the woman and Simon were in need of forgiveness, but only the woman recognized her need and thus received forgiveness.