febuary

Day 32: Sunday, February 1, 2026

Exodus 16:          The Israelites continued to grumble against the LORD and Moses. They had grumbled about the bitter water in chapter 15. In this chapter they grumble about the lack of food and reminisce about the food they had in Egypt. They were more concerned about food than they were thankful about being delivered from bondage! The LORD provided meat for them and something called manna. The manna was provided for them for the entire forty years of their wilderness wanderings. The LORD gave them particular commands concerning the gathering of the manna and this led to the first mention of the sabbath day. The manna was a bread of sorts and Jesus, in John 6:30-35 , refers to Himself as the true manna that came down from heaven. In Joshua 5:12, when the Israelites were about to enter Canaan after the forty years of wandering, the manna ceased. The LORD provided sufficiently for His people.

Exodus 17:         Another time of grumbling occurred as the Israelites again couldn’t find water. The LORD provided water from a rock near Mount Horeb (Mount Sinai). The Apostle Paul wrote in I Corinthians 10:4 that the rock was Christ (Messiah). The Israelites will come to this place again in Numbers 20, but Moses will disobey the LORD and suffer an extreme consequence for it. Joshua is first mentioned in this chapter. He was from the tribe of Ephraim (I Chronicles 7:27). The Israelites fought and won their first military battle. Joshua led them to defeat the Amalekites. 

Exodus 18:         We find the name of Moses’ second son. He was Eliezer. In Exodus 2:22 we were introduced to Gershom, Moses’ first son. Most of this chapter is about Moses meeting with Jethro, his father-in-law, and Jethro counseling Moses. His counsel was given so as to help Moses establish trustworthy men who could assist him in dealing with the people. Moses applied what Jethro had instructed him to do. 

Day 33: Monday, February 2, 2026

Exodus 19:          The LORD will make His presence known on Mount Sinai. Moses is to consecrate the people and also warn them. If the people violated the command of the LORD, they would die. On the day when the LORD made His presence known, the mountain quaked. The LORD was about to give His Law to Moses. 

Exodus 20:          The LORD gave what would become known as the Ten Commandments. There will be over six hundred commandments in the Old Testament, but the Ten Commandments are the foundation for the other commandments that come later. Burnt offerings and peace offerings are mentioned later in the chapter. Burnt offerings were daily offerings made in relation to sins committed. These were completely consumed by fire on the altar and none of the sacrifice was left to be eaten by the priests. The Peace offerings were made in thanks to God and portions of the offering were eaten by the priests. 

Exodus 21:             Additional laws are given in this chapter. Regulations concerning bond-servants are listed. Slavery laws are given. Penalties for violations of laws are also listed. In verse 13 there is mention of places that will be designated for those who unintentionally take a life. In Numbers 35 we will find that these are the cities of refuge. Laws concerning personal responsibilities are given and severe consequences are to be enacted when negligence is shown.  In verses 22-24 a premature birth is mentioned as a result of a conflict between two men, wherein a pregnant woman was struck. The principle is that if any harm was done to the mother or child, the penalty would be commensurate with the offense.  If there was a loss of life to either the mother or child, or both, the guilty man would be executed. Restitution is an important principle regarding violations against the Law. These statutes were given so as to reveal God’s order among His people. Some things, to be sure, will not make as much sense to the modern reader, but all of these statutes point to the ultimate Law-Giver and His rightful execution of penalties when He is disregarded.

Day 34: Tuesday, February 3, 2026

Exodus 22:           This chapter includes information regarding restitution when the Law was broken. The penalties were at least equal to and usually significantly greater than the crimes. God revealed His expectations for His people in that new day and for the future when they arrived in the Promised Land. There was an expectation that those who served as judges over the people would fear and honor God. Two things to note: In verse 16, that was not a situation of rape. It was sexual sin involving seduction, not force. In verse 21, those foreigners who chose to live with the Hebrews were not to be taken advantage of. They were expected, however, to assimilate to the laws and culture of the Hebrew people, not to attempt to have the Hebrews assimilate to their various ideologies.  

Exodus 23:           The opening verses deal with giving testimony in legal matters. False witness, bribery, and perverting justice are serious offenses. The sabbath year and sabbath day statutes are listed. The three annual feasts known as the Pilgrimage Feasts are listed. They are the Feast of Unleavened Bread (associated with Passover), the Feast of the Harvest or Feast of Weeks (associated with Pentecost; Fifty days after Passover), and the Feast of the Ingathering or Feast of Booths (very near the Day of Atonement in the seventh month). The people are reminded of the Promised Land and God’s provision to lead them there. He will set borders in place and the people of the land are to be driven out so that they do not lead the Hebrews away from their devotion to the LORD. The Canaanites were treacherous people who had four centuries to repent and turn to the LORD. The Hebrews driving them out is not genocide. It is right justice on an unholy people who loved their sin.

Exodus 24:           Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and seventy of the elders (see Exodus 18:25 and 19:7) were commanded to ascend Mount Sinai. Moses, however, was the only one allowed to approach the LORD. Moses recorded all of the words of the LORD. Verse 10 tells the reader that Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the elders saw God. This is not contradicted by I John 4:12. These men would have beheld the Lord Jesus, God the Son.  Later, Moses took Joshua up the mountain. Moses was with the LORD for forty days and forty nights. 

Day 35: Wednesday, February 4, 2026

Exodus 25:          The furniture for the Tent of Meeting is listed. Each piece has specific requirements and purposes. There is the Ark of the Covenant with the Mercy Seat on top of it. The Table of Showbread and the Golden Lampstand (Menorah) are listed as well. The drink offering mentioned in verse 29 will symbolize devotion and commitment. 

Exodus 26:          The curtains for covering the sanctuary are detailed. The Tent of Meeting will be forty-five feet in length and fifteen feet wide. The entire sanctuary will consist of two rooms, the inner sanctuary and the holy of holies. A veil will separate the two rooms. The veil that would be in the Second Temple was the one that was torn in two when Jesus died in Matthew 27:51. The inner sanctuary will be thirty feet in length by fifteen feet in width. The holy of holies will be fifteen feet by fifteen feet. The LORD was specific in the measurements and details. The Ark of the Covenant will be placed in the Holy of Holies. 

Exodus 27:         The dimensions and specifications for the bronze altar and outer court are given. The bronze altar will be outside of the Tent of Meeting, but inside of the outer court. The dimensions of the outer court are one hundred and fifty feet in length by seventy-five feet in width. Aaron and his sons will be in charge of taking care of the Tent of Meeting.

Day 36: Thursday, February 5, 2026

Exodus 28:           Specifications for the priestly garments are listed.  There is an ephod, a breastpiece, a robe and a turban. The robe of the ephod will have golden bells on its hem. Later, we will find that the high priest was the only man allowed to go into the Holy of Holies and only on the Day of Atonement. There is a legend stating that the high priest went into the Holy of Holies with a rope tied to him in case the LORD killed him due to irreverence. There is nothing in Scripture that substantiates this story.

Exodus 29:            The consecration ceremony and its sacrifices for those ordained as priests are described. The seriousness of the ceremony is seen in the sacrifices offered and the commitment made by Aaron and his sons. Some additional offerings or movements associated with offerings are listed. The wave offering and the heave offering were not separate offerings, but ways that the offerings were offered. The wave offering was waved by the hands and arms and the heave offering was most likely the motion of lifting an offering to the LORD. Atonement is first mentioned in this chapter. It referred to the satisfactory covering that indicated a sinner being cleansed.

Day 37: Friday, February 6, 2026

Exodus 30:          The Altar of Incense was to be placed inside of the Tent of Meeting. It was different from the Bronze Altar, also known as the Bronze Laver. The specifications for the bronze altar are given later in the chapter. It was to be placed outside of the Tent of Meeting. The Day of Atonement is alluded to. The specifics regarding that day will be listed in Leviticus 16, but we know that it was to be every seventh month on the tenth day.  A census tax was to be collected which would provide the gold and silver for the Tent of Meeting furnishings. That tax was a shekel. A shekel is estimated to be about six grams in weight and the value of about two days’ worth of wages. The furnishings and the men who would serve as priests were to be anointed and consecrated. The LORD was to be treated as holy.

Exodus 31:            The LORD equipped two men to oversee the construction of the Tent of Meeting and its furnishings. Bezalel, from the tribe of Judah was one man. Oholiab, from the tribe of Dan, was the other man. The LORD filled them with the Holy Spirit. Moses was not in charge of the construction, but he would make sure that everything was done according to that which the LORD required. The LORD reminded the sons of Israel to observe the Sabbaths. As He ceased from His work in creation on the seventh day, so also the people were to cease from their labors each seventh day. The chapter concludes with Moses being given two stone tablets with the Ten Commandments written on them. This was during the forty days and nights mentioned in Exodus 24:18.

Day 38: Saturday, February 7, 2026

Exodus 32:           The people grew tired of waiting for Moses to come down from Mount Sinai. They told Aaron to make them a god that would lead them and that they could praise for leading them out of Egypt. Think about how foolish that was. They had already been delivered from Egypt, yet Aaron makes an idol and says that it had led them out of Egypt!  Earlier, they committed to doing all that the LORD had said and the second commandment warned about making idols.  The LORD told Moses that He would destroy them, but Moses prayed and asked Him to spare the people. The LORD refrained from killing them. Something to keep in mind is that God is sovereign and He does not change. He did not literally change His mind in verse 14. Rather, he told Moses of what could happen, but Moses intervened as a priest on their behalf and the LORD did not carry out the executions. God ordained the end and the means. The end was to keep from killing the people. The means were Moses praying and acting as a priest on their behalf. The LORD sent Moses down the mountain with the commandments written on two stone tablets. Upon coming near the camp, Moses threw the stone tablets and they shattered. He destroyed the molten calf that Aaron made and made the people drink the dust of the crushed idol. Some three thousand people died as a result of their idolatry and not repenting.    

Exodus 33:          The time came for the Israelites to leave Sinai and travel to Canaan. There are some generalizations regarding what occurred during their wanderings in the desert. In verse 11, we read that the LORD spoke with Moses face to face. Yet, in verses 20 and 23 we find that no one can see God’s face and live. What is going on here? Keep in mind that God does not contradict Himself. He cannot lie. With earlier incidents of people seeing God, we must consider that the meaning is not as straightforward as we might prefer. No one, other than God the Son, has seen God the Father’s face (John 14:9). Moses had asked the LORD to show him His glory. The LORD would let Moses see a glimpse of His glory, but not His face. That would have been too much for any sinner. One last thing to note about this chapter is verse 15. Moses stated that unless the LORD went before them, they would not move.

Exodus 34:            Moses had to cut two stone tablets like the ones he threw down at the foot of Mount Sinai. He alone was to approach God. The LORD promised to go before the people and drive out other nations. He repeated some of the commandments. The three annual pilgrimage feasts were spoken of again. The LORD promised to protect the lands during those feasts. Centuries later, when the kingdom is divided, King Jeroboam will fail to trust the LORD regarding this promise. He will construct two golden calves to keep the people from going to Jerusalem as the LORD required (I Kings 12:26-33). Moses descended the mountain with the two stone tablets in his hands. His face shone because he had met with the LORD. The people could not look at him and he had to be veiled in such instances. 

Day 39: Sunday, February 8, 2026

Exodus 35:         Some commandments were repeated. The people were charged to give a contribution from their spoils wherein the LORD plundered the Egyptians. The contributions would be used for the Tent of Meeting and the articles of furniture inside and outside of it.

Exodus 36:         The people who were skilled at making the articles came forth. The sons of Israel gave abundantly for the construction of the Tent of Meeting. They gave freewill offerings which were offerings in addition to what was required of them. Bezalel, Oholiab, and the workers did what the LORD required to the exact specifications.

Day 40: Monday, February 9, 2026

Exodus 37:         The articles for the Tent were being constructed. They include the Ark with the Mercy Seat, the Table of Showbread, the Lampstand, and the Altar of Incense (different from the Bronze Altar).

Exodus 38:        The Bronze Altar, the Bronze Laver, and the court were constructed. The amounts of gold, silver, and bronze were counted. The number of men from twenty years of age and older was listed as six hundred three thousand and five hundred fifty. The estimated number was given in chapter 12, verse 37. The number listed in this chapter is specific. 

Exodus 39:         This chapter consists mostly of the priestly garments for the high priest and the other priests. The Tent of Meeting, the furniture for the Tent, and the priestly garments were completed.

Day 41: Tuesday, February 10, 2026

Exodus 40:         In the second year after leaving Egypt, in the first month, on the first day of the month, the Tent of Meeting was erected. All of the furniture was placed where it was designated to be placed. The glory of the LORD filled the Tent of Meeting and the presence of the LORD was manifested in the cloud that settled on it. From Exodus 40:17 and Numbers 1:1, there is exactly one month in which Leviticus will be written.

Leviticus 1:          Burnt offerings and their requirements were given. These were voluntary offerings that would be burned on the Bronze Altar and consume all of the animal offered. Three types of animals were described here, and each of them go from the costliest to the least costly. Those who had herds of cattle were to bring a male (bull) without defect. Those who gave an offering from their flock were to give a sheep or a goat that was a male without defect. For the poorest of the people, they were to offer a bird. These offerings were in relation to atonement and served to remind the people of how costly sin was.

Leviticus 2:          Parameters for the voluntary grain offerings were listed. The grain offerings could be raw or cooked first before being brought to the priests. Unlike the Burnt Offerings, which almost always consumed the animals on the altar, the Grain Offerings benefitted the priests in that they could keep and eat what wasn’t used in the offering. The voluntary offerings were given in thanks to the LORD for who He is and what He provided. They also symbolized the peoples’ commitment to follow Him. 

Day 42: Wednesday, February 11, 2026

Leviticus 3:        The Peace Offering and its requirements were listed. These offerings were voluntary and could be an unblemished male or female animal from the herd or flock. Only parts of the animal were offered on the altar and the giver of the offerings could eat some parts of the sacrifice. The people and priests partook in these offerings in thankfulness to the LORD. The picture was that of sharing a meal with the LORD. 

Leviticus 4:           Unintentional sins were dealt with in this chapter. Those sins were committed in ignorance, yet they still had to be atoned for. In Numbers 15:30-31 stipulations were given regarding intentional sins. The reason that there were no sacrifices required for intentional sins was because such persons were blaspheming the LORD. They did not submit to Him and had no remorse for their sins. The unintentional sins were committed by priests, leaders, and the common people. These sins reminded the people that all of them had inherited Adam’s sin nature and that their disposition was that of sin. This should have pointed them to the LORD and His graciousness toward them. The persons who had no desire to submit to the LORD proved this through intentionally sinning and not having any remorse other than it costing them in some way.

Leviticus 5:          More requirements were given regarding unintentional sins. These pertained to not bearing witness when they had the responsibility to do so. They also included ritual impurities, foolish vows, and the holy things of the LORD. The offerings specifications were listed and those served to remind the people of the consequences and costs of sin. Atonement required offerings to be made and provisions were given for those who could not afford the more costly animals.

Day 43: Thursday, February 12, 2026

Leviticus 6:       This chapter begins with confronting the sinful person who had been unfaithful to the LORD by dishonesty, robbery, extortion, or bearing false witness. Such persons had to make significant restitution which demonstrated their repentance. The remainder of the chapter contains the laws of particular offerings. The Law of the Burnt Offerings was first. The sacrificed animal pieces were to be burned throughout the night. The pieces would be completely consumed by the fire. The Israelites were to see the high cost of their sins against the LORD and one another. They would actually feel how costly sin is. The Law of the Grain Offering had two components. Verses 14-18 describe the general grain offerings which would have leftover portions that could be eaten by the male Levites. Verses 19-23 describe the daily grain offering which was offered twice daily and was to be completely offered up in smoke. None of that grain offering was to be eaten. Verses 24-30 detail the Law of the Sin Offering. Regulations were given so as to ensure that the priests understood the seriousness of their task. Sin offerings that were not taken inside of the Tent of Meeting could be eaten by the male Levites. If any of the blood from a sin offering was taken inside of the Tent of Meeting, it was not to be eaten.

Leviticus 7:          The Law of the Guilt Offering begins this chapter. This offering was offered outside of the Tent of Meeting and what remained could be eaten by the male Levites. Verses 7-10 describe who receives the leftover portions of the offerings given. Most of the remainder of the chapter covers the Law of the Peace Offerings. Severe warnings were given to those who might disregard the LORD’s commands. Such persons were to be cut off from their people. This could imply death or excommunication. They would not be a part of the LORD’s people, nor would they enjoy His benefits. The Israelites were still at Mount Sinai when these laws were given.

Day 44: Friday, February 13, 2026

Leviticus 8:        Chapters 8-10 detail the consecration and ordination of Aaron and his sons as priests. The men are consecrated and their garments are consecrated. The ordination took seven days. The extent of those acts reveal the serious nature of their calling from the LORD. They will stand between the LORD and the people and intercede for the people. 

Leviticus 9:         After the seven-day period of ordination for Aaron as the high priest and his sons as priests, Moses called those men and the elders to present themselves before the LORD at the Tent of Meeting. The whole congregation also gathered. Offerings and atonement would be made. Notice that the high priest had to make atonement for himself before he could act faithfully as a priest on behalf of the people. In Hebrews 5:3 and 7:27, the writer contrasted Jesus against those former priests. Whereas they were sinners who had to continually make atonement for themselves and for the people, Jesus, as the sinless High Priest, had no sin of His own to atone for. He made atonement on behalf of His people one time for all time! Moses and Aaron went inside of the Tent of Meeting and then came outside again. The LORD sent fire to consume the burnt offering and the people humbled themselves before the LORD.

Leviticus 10:          Aaron and his sons had just been consecrated. His two oldest sons, Nadab and Abihu, offered strange fire before the LORD and He took their lives instantly. They did not treat Him as holy and they could have led the Israelites to do the same. The punishment was most severe, but necessarily so. Aaron and his remaining sons were not permitted to publicly mourn Nadab and Abihu. They were commanded to continue in their making offerings and eating, but they did not eat the sin offering. They let it burn up completely. Moses, likely because he feared more death for disobedience, confronted Aaron’s sons, his nephews, because they had let the offering be completely consumed by fire. Aaron, sorrowful and fearful, defended their actions by telling Moses that they could not have eaten the food in a pleasing manner. Moses’ anger subsided.  

Day 45: Saturday, February 14, 2026

Leviticus 11:          Chapters 11-15 primarily address laws of cleanliness and uncleanliness. The laws will detail what animals, birds, water creatures, and swarming things that can be eaten or not eaten. The LORD reminded the people that He had brought them out of Egypt and as He was holy, they were to be holy.
Leviticus 12:         The law of purification for a woman bearing children was given. The purification period was shorter for a male child than it is for a female child. No explicit reason was given for the difference.  This time period freed the mother from ceremonial obligations and allowed her time with her newborn. It had original overtones of what is now called maternity leave.   The mother had an offering obligation as well.  In cases of poverty, a less costly offering was offered. When Mary presented Jesus at the Temple, in  Luke 2, she offered the offering of a poor person.
Leviticus 13:          This chapter began dealing with the issue of leprosy, a serious disease usually concerning the skin. In cases of leprosy or potential leprosy, the LORD gave instructions regarding the infected person and the priests. In certain instances, the person had to be pronounced unclean because of the potential for spreading the disease. In other instances, a leper could be pronounced clean if they were no longer contagious. Even in the cases where a person had to be pronounced unclean, it was for the protection of the congregation. In a spiritual sense, leprosy represented sin and it separated the person from the fellowship of the congregation. When Jesus healed lepers in the New Testament, it was life-changing for those lepers.

Day 46: Sunday, February 15, 2026

Leviticus 14:          Over half of this chapter covers the law of cleansing for a leper who had been pronounced clean. The specific sacrifices would be determined in connection with the leper’s financial options. This revealed that the very wealthy and the very poor were susceptible to leprosy. The remainder of the chapter gave instructions for the future time when the Israelites would enter Canaan and detect a mark of leprosy on their houses. In some instances, the house would be able to be repaired and lived in. In other instances, the house would have to be completely torn down.   

Day 47: Monday, February 16, 2026

Leviticus 15:           Most of the chapter concerns laws of cleanliness and uncleanliness as they pertained to discharges coming from a man or a woman. Those discharges rendered the person ceremonially unclean until they satisfied the purification requirements. These laws served as a protection for the people. If a person did not obey the LORD regarding His laws in this area, they would then become morally unclean as well as ceremonially unclean. The woman that touched the hem of Jesus’ garment in Matthew 9:20, Mark 5:25, and Luke 8:43 would have suffered from what is described in Leviticus 15:25.

Leviticus 16:          The Day of Atonement is described in this chapter. It was the annual day when the high priest would go into the Holy of Holies, but only after he obeyed all of the LORD’s purification requirements. The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) was on the tenth day of the seventh month each year. The high priest was a sinner just as the rest of the people were. He had to make atonement for his own sins before approaching the LORD. In Hebrews 5:3 and 7:27 Jesus is contrasted against all of the high priests of the Levitical Order (also known as the Aaronic Priesthood) in that He had no sin of His own to atone for. Whereas the priests of the Levitical Order had to continually make atonement for the sins of themselves and those of the people, Jesus made atonement one time for all time! His sacrificial work never had to be repeated.

Day 48: Tuesday, February 17, 2026

Leviticus 17:         Laws pertaining to sacrifices are given. Serious consequences are promised to those who do not obey the LORD in regard to the regulations set forth. The warnings were given to the Israelites and to those who left Egypt with them. The foreigners were required to assimilate to the Hebrew laws and culture.

Leviticus 18:         This chapter deals with sins that were sexual in nature. During their four hundred years in Egypt, the Israelites had witnessed abominable sexual acts carried out by the Egyptians (see verse 30). They would also witness those types of sins when they would enter Canaan. The entire chapter dealt with sexual perversions. Those ranged from sexual sins among family members (which had not been prohibited in the times of Adam and Eve), to that of homosexuality and bestiality. The sexual sins listed have not nor will they ever be condoned by the LORD. They remain abominable before Him. Guilty persons, regarding the sins listed, were to be cut off from among their people. This could have meant excommunication from the community, or the sentence of death. 

Leviticus 19:        Various laws are given. In verses 9-10, laws of gleanings are listed. Landowners were required to leave a portion of their fields so that the poor of the land could come and glean from the harvest. This provided food for the poor, but notice that the poor had the responsibility to go and do the work of gleaning in the field. They were not allowed to be lazy by refusing to go into the fields themselves. The people were commanded to love their neighbors as they loved themselves. Love had parameters. Their neighbors were to honor the LORD and His statutes. In I Corinthians 13, the Apostle Paul gave parameters for what love does and does not do. He also stated what love is and what it is not.  Loving one’s neighbor did not include embracing their sins. Loving one’s neighbor included confronting them over their sins in the hope that they would repent and leave their sins.  Verses 33-34 dealt with how to treat strangers. They were to be treated with honesty. The strangers who wanted to live within the defined borders that the LORD gave were responsible to assimilate to the Hebrew laws and culture. 

Day 49: Wednesday, February 18, 2026

Leviticus 20:         The chapter began with warnings to the Hebrews to refrain from sacrificing their children to the false god of Moab named Molech. Chemosh was another name for Molech.  Remember that the Moabites were descendants of Lot’s son, Moab. Lot’s oldest daughter bore him Moab after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Most of the remainder of the chapter dealt with sexual sins and warnings against committing those sins. They had witnessed sexual sins in Egypt and the land where they were going was full of people who had committed the very sins that were listed in this chapter. The LORD had set apart (sanctified) the Hebrews from all other peoples and they were to live according to His statutes. This included resisting the culture and regulations of other nations.

Leviticus 21:          The priests were addressed regarding their purification. The high priest was included in the instructions. Only the men from the tribe of Levi could serve as priests, but not all Levite men were allowed to serve as priests. Certain physical defects prevented some of them from being allowed to serve as priests. The LORD gave the standards and no one was to question or challenge Him. The priestly system was created by the LORD and He alone had the authority to set the standards.

Leviticus 22:          The priests were to treat the LORD as holy. It mattered how they approached Him with the offerings. Instructions were given to the Levites and to the other tribes of Israel. The LORD had set them apart from all other people. They were to live according to His precepts of sanctification (being set apart).

Day 50: Thursday, February 19, 2026

Leviticus 23:         The three Pilgrimage Feasts are listed. Passover is the first holy day and it is immediately followed by the Feast of Unleavened Bread. These were always in the first month. One special exception is listed in Numbers 9:6-12 wherein the Passover could be observed in the second month by certain people. Pentecost was fifty days after the Passover. It was accompanied by the Feast of Weeks and these were in the third month of the year. The Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Booths were in the seventh month. 

Leviticus 24:         Statutes for the Golden Lampstand’s oil were given. An incident occurred wherein an Israelite woman’s son had a conflict with another man. The woman’s son blasphemed God’s Name. The LORD gave the penalty and statute to be followed by future generations for the woman’s son to be stoned to death. Other sins and their punishments were listed. In each case, the penalty for the sin was at least equal to, and sometimes more costly than the sin committed.  

Day 51: Friday, February 20, 2026

Leviticus 25:           Every seventh day was a sabbath day. Every seventh year was a sabbath year. The LORD required the people to observe the sabbath year and trust Him for provisions. Much later in the storyline, after the kingdom divides, the Southern Kingdom (Judah) was taken to Babylon for seventy years. This was, in part, because they failed to remember the LORD and His command concerning the sabbath year (II Chronicles 36:21). Every fiftieth year was the year of Jubilee. Redemption and generosity were to abound in the Jubilee year. The concept of kinsman redeemer was included in the statutes. The person in the position of kinsman redeemer had the lawful right to it, but also the willingness to carry out redemption. Boaz, in the book of Ruth, will be an example of the kinsman redeemer. The ultimate Kinsman Redeemer is God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ!  The treatment of slaves was detailed.  Slavery was a part of life. The Bible gave regulations concerning it. 

Leviticus 26:         Much of this chapter covered the blessings for obedience and the judgments for disobedience. Verse 29 foretold about a severe consequence that would occur when the Israelites did not obey the LORD and He judged them. Some of them would be so hungry that they would resort to cannibalism. The Bible never prescribed this. It only described it. In verse 34, there was also a foretelling of the exile in Babylon that the Southern Kingdom (Judah) would experience over eight hundred years after the time this was written. When the people would sin, there would be judgment. When they repented, there would be restoration. 

Day 52: Saturday, February 21, 2026

Leviticus 27:         The book finished with laws concerning vows. The vows mentioned were those concerning persons, animals, houses, and fields. The people were commanded to be honest in their dealings and to honor the LORD every Jubilee year. All of these commandments were given from the LORD to Moses at Mount Sinai.

Numbers 1:        The events of this chapter took place in the second year after the Israelites left Egypt. It was the second month on the first day of the month. The LORD commanded Moses to take a census of the Israelite men from each tribe, except for the tribe of Levi (the priestly tribe). The count only included the men who were twenty years of age and older and who were able to go to war. Verse 46 indicated that the number of the men was 603,550. Remember from Exodus 1:5 that they arrived in Egypt with a total of seventy people. The LORD blessed them immensely in the four hundred years of bondage. The Levites were not counted in the census. They belonged to the LORD and were responsible for taking care of the Tent of Meeting and its furnishings.

Day 53: Sunday, February 22, 2026

Numbers 2:          The arrangements of the camps were given. The Levites would encircle the Tent of Meeting, which was the center of the camps. On the east side of the Tent of Meeting were the tribes of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. Whenever the LORD would move, those tribes would set out first. On the south side of the Tent of Meeting were the camps of Reuben, Simeon, and Gad. They would follow after the tribes on the eastern side of the Tent. The Levites, with the Tent of Meeting would set out after the camps to the east and south set out. The camps to the west of the Tent of Meeting were from the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin. They would set out after the Levites took down the Tent of Meeting and moved it. Finally, the camps to the north were from the tribes of Dan, Asher, and Naphtali. They would set out last. Over six hundred thousand men of fighting age and ability were counted. The estimate of over two million Israelites is not exaggerated. 

Numbers 3:            The Levites camped around the Tent of Meeting on all sides. Of all of the tribes, only certain men from the Levites could serve as priests among the tribes. The sons of Aaron and their descendants were those men who were allowed to serve as priests from the tribe of Levi. In Genesis 46:11 and Exodus 6:17-19 we found that Levi’s sons were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.  The descendants of Levi’s sons were to assist the priests (sons of Aaron) in their priestly work. The Gershonites were responsible for the tent structure itself. They camped west of the Tent of Meeting. The Kohathites were responsible for the Ark of the Covenant and the other furniture that was inside of the Tent of Meeting. They camped south of the Tent of Meeting. The sons of Merari were responsible for the outer court of the sanctuary. They camped to the north of the Tent of Meeting. Moses, Aaron, and their sons camped east of the Tent of Meeting. There were over twenty-two thousand Levites at that time.   

Day 54: Monday, February 23, 2026

Numbers 4:          The LORD commanded Moses and Aaron to take a census of the men, ages from thirty to fifty years, from the Levite families of Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Those families would assist the priests in moving the Tent of Meeting and its furnishings. Keep in mind that the structure was not very large. Yet, over 8,500 of the men from those families were responsible for their tasks. 

Day 55: Tuesday, February 24, 2026

Numbers 5:          Laws concerning lepers, those with a discharge, and those unclean by touching a dead person were listed. Repentance in guilty persons was accompanied with restitution from them and restoration for them. Most of the chapter dealt with what seems like a strange practice wherein a husband suspects his wife to be unfaithful, but has no direct proof. Interestingly, the instructions served as a protection for her by prohibiting a jealous husband from taking premature vengeance on his wife. She would go to the priest, take an oath, and drink a concoction. If innocent, she was free from accusation. If she were guilty, she would suffer intense pain and be a curse among her people. Priests would not have tolerated a husband who continually brought his wife to them without proof of some kind that he had reason to suspect her to be immoral. The special law was given so as to protect an innocent wife and to protect the tribe in the case of a guilty wife. 

Numbers 6:          Most of the chapter covers what is known as the law of the Nazarite vow. This had the idea of an Israelite man or woman dedicating themselves completely to the LORD. The vow had a time frame and there were specific requirements listed. The prson offered sacrifices as well. The chapter finished with a blessing from Aaron and his sons over the people of Israel. 

Day 56: Wednesday, February 25, 2026

Numbers 7:           The dedication offering for the altar is given by twelve tribes. The tribe of Levi was excluded from this offering. The two half-tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh took the place of their father, Joseph. Each tribe’s designated leader would present his offering on the appointed day. The offering was given over a period of twelve days.  

Numbers 8:            The Levites were to be cleansed and presented to the LORD before their service unto Him. Offerings and atonement were made on their behalf. The sons of Aaron would serve as priests. In chapter 4we found that the sons of Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, from the ages of thirty to fifty, had responsibilities in taking care of the Tent of Meeting when it would be disassembled and then erected each time. The remaining Levite men from the ages of twenty-five to fifty were allowed to assist the priests in their daily work.  

Numbers 9:          The chapter began in the first month of the second year after leaving Egypt. Passover would be observed and a special permission would be given for those who were providentially hindered from being able to observe Passover. They would be allowed to observe it on the fourteenth day of the second month. Those who were able to observe Passover, but failed to do so, would be cut off from the people. According to Exodus 40:17, the Tent of Meeting was erected on the first day of the first month in the second year after leaving Egypt.  The LORD manifested His presence in the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. When the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, the Israelites would remain camped in that place. When the cloud lifted, the Israelites would pack up and follow to where the cloud rested. The Tent of Meeting would be re-erected and the people would camp in that place.  That was the pattern for the forty years of wilderness wanderings. 

Day 57: Thursday, February 26, 2026

Numbers 10:         Moses was commanded by the LORD to make two trumpets that would be used for various signals to the people. On the twentieth day of the second month in the second year after leaving Egypt, the cloud lifted from above the Tent of Meeting. The Israelites and those with them set out by the order given in chapter 2. The Tent of Meeting was taken down and the sons of Gerson, Merari, and Kohath did their respective works. Moses began each of these journeys and settlements with a prayer to the LORD (see verses 35-36).

Numbers 11:          The LORD had provided manna for the people, but they quickly grew tired of it. Some of the foreigners who left Egypt with them were greedy and led the Israelites to complain against the LORD. It wasn’t that He hadn’t provided what they needed. They were not satisfied with what He had provided and wanted something different. They chose to complain rather than to be thankful to Him for what He had provided. Moses also complained to the LORD and asked Him to take his life. The LORD responded by telling Moses of His provisions, but those provisions would be a sign of judgment against the people. The LORD did provide the meat that the people were greedy for, but some of them died as a result of God’s judgment on them. 

Day 58: Friday, February 27, 2026

Numbers 12:           Moses’ siblings, Miriam and Aaron, spoke against him because of his wife. Seeing that Miriam was listed first and that she was the one who would later be judged, it is likely that she was the instigator of this complaint. The LORD responded in judgment against Miriam. She was given leprosy.  Moses, the brother whom she had just slandered, interceded on her behalf. The LORD healed Miriam after seven days. The people set out again. 

Numbers 13:          As the people traveled closer to Canaan, the LORD commanded Moses to send twelve men into Canaan to spy out the land. The men arrived at the time of the first ripe grapes (verse 20), which was in late July to early August. The spies saw that the land was bountiful, but occupied by descendants of Anak, who were part of the Nephilim. The Nephilim (meaning tall or long-necked) apparently were considerably taller and larger than the Israelite men. The men returned after spying out the land for forty days. Ten of the men gave a bad and discouraging report to Moses and the people. They showed them the fruitfulness of the land’s produce, but did not trust that the LORD could or would give the land that He had promised. Caleb, the representative from the tribe of Judah (Messianic tribe), told the people that they could take the land. He trusted the LORD to give them what He had promised. The Israelites response is in chapter 14.

Numbers 14:          The congregation believed the bad report from ten of the spies instead of trusting the LORD. They wanted a new leader, one that would take them back to Egypt. Joshua and Caleb, the two spies who believed the LORD, told the people to believe the LORD for the land. The congregation wanted to execute Joshua and Caleb by stoning them to death. The LORD revealed His glory and told Moses that He would destroy the people and begin a new nation with Moses. This is one of those instances wherein what appears to be the LORD changing His plans is actually the LORD testing His servant. Moses, the leader who has been slandered by his own siblings and rejected by the congregation, interceded on behalf of the people. The LORD did an amazing work in Moses and this chapter reveals more of that sanctifying work. The LORD promised to pardon the people because of Moses’ intercession, but also promised to judge those who repeatedly failed to trust Him. Joshua and Caleb, the two men who the people wanted to execute by stoning, were commended by the LORD. The LORD pronounced judgment on the people because of their failure to trust Him. They would wander in the wilderness for a total of forty years. That was one year for each of the forty days the twelve men spied out the land of Canaan. The congregation responded with confession, but some of them decided to enter into Canaan even though the LORD had just told them that they would wander for forty years before entering Canaan. Moses warned them, but they did not listen. As they attempted to enter Canaan they were routed.  

Day 59: Saturday, February 28, 2026

Numbers 15:          Though it would be several years before they entered Canaan, the LORD told the people of the sacrifices they were to make when they would eventually enter the land. Verses 14-16 indicate that the foreigners who decided to live with the Israelites were to live by the same statutes that the LORD gave to Israel. Statutes concerning offerings were given for the time when they would enter Canaan. The statutes would be for the native Hebrew and the foreigner who chose to live in Canaan. A certain man violated the sabbath and was stoned to death. Tassels were to be worn as reminders to keep the LORD’s commands.

Numbers 16:         Some of the Levites, led by Korah (of the sons of Kohath), rebelled against Moses and Aaron. Two hundred and fifty men in total comprised the rebellion. Those men were recognized leaders and they sought to remove and replace Moses and Aaron. Verse 10 indicated that Korah and the Levities with him sought to be priests even though the priesthood was only for Aaron and his descendants. Remember, the tribe of Levi was the priestly tribe, but only the Levites who were sons of Aaron were called to the priesthood. Moses called for the men to present themselves the following day before the Tent of Meeting. The next day, the LORD opened the ground and it swallowed Korah and all of those with him in his rebellion. The congregation witnessed that judgment of the LORD. Even after the congregation witnessed the LORD’s judgment upon those who rebelled against His chosen leaders, they too rebelled against Moses and Aaron. The LORD inflicted a plague on the congregation and almost fifteen thousand people died as a result of it.  

Psalm 90:            Moses spoke of the LORD as Creator and eternal (verse 2).  The LORD had dealt with Israel justly regarding their sins.  In verse 12, Moses asked the LORD to teach them that they would be wise.  Moses longed for the LORD to return to His people.