Day 59 (Leviticus 4:1-5:13 | Mark 10:13-31 | Psalm 27:9-14)

Day 59
Leviticus 4:1-5:13
(4 | 5:1-13)

God gives Moses a bunch of instructions regarding offerings for sin atonement. God acknowledges that his commandments are difficult to follow. People will eventually mess up. These sacrifices were how to make it up to God when that happens. As I said yesterday, sacrificing animals might seem barbaric, but it's an act of obedience. The existence of sin atonement did not, however, mean that the Israelites needn't heed the laws.

Another important thing to come out of this is an understanding of what Jesus did and why he did it. God demands unblemished animals as sacrifices. If the Jews are his people, how much more would the sacrifice of an unblemished and blameless Jew mean than the sacrifice of an animal? God knows that his laws are difficult to follow, and downright impossible without him in your life. Even with God we all mess up.

The Law was designed as an instrument to help us get closer to God. He knew it wouldn't work, so he established a way for people to be forgiven for messing up. In Jesus, God satisfies his own demands for atonement.

Mark 10:13-31
(10:13-31)

Jesus tells us we need to be like children - child-like, not childish! By that I think Jesus means we need to continue to be awe-struck by the size and majesty of God in the same way as a child is overwhelmed by the size of its parents relative to it. The desire to please one's parents, and fear of displeasing them also plays a role here.

But I feel the main characteristic Jesus wants us to adopt here is the one of lowliness; children were, and still are to a certain extent, fairly low in society - they did as they were told, or else. Jesus wants us to serve one another - to act in the interest of God and of others before our own.

Again we hear the story of Jesus telling a rich man to sell all his stuff and give to the poor, and of the rich man's crestfallen response. The most important aspect of the story is his saying that all this is possible only with God in your life.

Psalm 27:9-14
(27:9-14)

Verse 14: Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. I'm not sure if this was meant to edify the psalmist, or if the psalm was intended to encourage others, but it's sound advice. When all around you is going to pot, it's difficult to see God, and you can grow impatient at his perceived lack of movement. Just take David's advice; wait on the LORD.

Day 58 (Leviticus 1-3 | Mark 9:33-10:12 | Psalm 27:1-6)

Day 58
Leviticus 1-3
(1 | 2 | 3)

The start of Leviticus here deals with offerings and the protocol behind them.

Burnt offerings and fellowship offerings involve the slaughter of a young animal from your flock. The burnt offering must be a male without defect. It can be from your herd of cows, flock of sheep or goats, a dove or a pigeon. The fellowship offering can be either male or female, but it has to be without defect.

Day 57 (Exodus 39-40 | Mark 9:1-32 | Psalm 26:1-12)

Day 57
Exodus 39-40
(39 | 40)

The priestly garments for Aaron and his sons are made next. When they saw the robes, they must've wondered what on Earth they'd done to deserve them, especially the High Priest's garments. So much work had gone into making them, and so many people had volunteered the materials to be used.

For more on the garments, go here.

Day 55 (Exodus 35-36 | Mark 7:31-8:13 | Psalm 25:16-22)

Day 55
Exodus 35-36
(35 | 36)

Moses starts by explaining the Sabbath rules; work for six days, rest on the seventh. No work is to be done on the seventh day, not even lighting a fire, upon pain of death.

Day 54 (Exodus 33:7-34:35 | Mark 7:1-30 | Psalm 25:8-15)

Day 54
Exodus 33:7-34:35
(33:7-23 | 34)

Moses has another tent of meeting (all lower case) outside the Israelite camp which he uses to meet with God. Moses begs God to travel with the Israelites to the Promised Land. (In yesterday's passage, God said he wouldn't travel with them for fear of destroying them in anger.)

Day 53 (Exodus 31:1-33:6 | Mark 6:30-56 | Psalm 25:1-7)

Day 53
Exodus 31:1 - 33:6 
(31 | 32 | 33:1-6)

God names two men - Bezalel and Oholiab - as two craftsmen he has given the ability to do the work he requires. He says he has given various other men the ability to complete these works too. God also declares that the Israelites are to keep the Sabbath holy - they are to do this by abstaining from work on the Sabbath. The punishment for anyone caught breaking this law is death.

Day 51 (Exodus 27-28 | Mark 5:21-6:6a | Psalm 24)

Day 51
Exodus 27:1-28:43
(27 | 28)

The instructions for the tabernacle's furnishings continue; this time for the altar, its huge courtyard and the lampstand (and the oil needed for it). The instructions continue to include the priestly clothing for Aaron and his sons. As the head priest, Aaron's clothing is much more ornate and elaborate than that of his sons.

Day 50 (Exodus 25-26 | Mark 4:30-5:20 | Psalm 23)

Day 50
Exodus 25:1-26:37
(25 | 26)

God tells Moses to get the Israelites to commence a huge undertaking. He tells him to get the Israelites to make him a sanctuary so he could dwell among them. He gives Moses very specific and detailed instructions on how the sanctuary and its furnishings should be made, and which materials should be used to make it.

Day 49 (Exodus 23-24 | Mark 3:31-4:29 | Psalm 22:22-31)

Day 49
Exodus 23:1-24:18
(23 | 24)

More laws are revealed to Moses. The first set of laws are to do with justice; specifically they're to do with corruption and avoiding injustice. The next set of laws are headlined as the Sabbath laws, probably because they both follow the same theme - six on, one off. The first law says that you should sow and work a field for six years, and leave it for the seventh to allow the poor somewhere to sow and harvest. In the same way, you're only to work six days and take the seventh off. This is to allow your animals and workforce time off to refresh themselves and recover.

Day 47 (Exodus 19-20 | Mark 1:29-2:17 | Psalm 22:12-21)

Day 47
Exodus 19:1-20:26
(19 | 20)

Exactly three months after leaving Egypt, the Israelites enter the Desert of Sinai, and set up camp in front of the mountain, Mount Sinai.

Day 46 (Exodus 17-18 | Mark 1:1-28 | Psalm 22:1-11)

Day 46
Exodus 17:1-18:27
(17 | 18)

Despite the fact that the LORD had already demonstrated his faithfulness to the people of Israel through the provision of manna, the Israelites get in an argument with Moses, again about the lack of water available to drink. Again, the Israelites blame Moses for the fact their lives are lacking something.

Day 45 (Exodus 15-16 | Matthew 28 | Psalm 21:8-13)

Day 45
Exodus 15:1-16:36
(15 | 16)

It's amazing how quickly a crowd's opinion can change. At the start of chapter 15, the Israelites are singing praise to God. At first, it seems a bit odd; the Israelites seem to be rejoicing that their Egyptian pursuers had been drowned. But then the song goes on to glorify God for the way he saved the Israelites, and demonstrates the Israelites' confidence in him for the future.

Day 43 (Exodus 11-12 | Matthew 27:11-44 | Psalm 21:1-7)

Day 43
Exodus 11:1-12:51
(11 | 12)

The LORD tells Moses of the final plague he will bring against Egypt; the plague on the firstborn. Moses reports to Pharaoh that unless the Israelites are allowed to leave, the LORD will go throughout the land at midnight, and every single firstborn son throughout Egypt - from the firstborn son of the Pharaoh to the firstborn of the cattle -  will die. However, the LORD will distinguish between Egyptians and Israelites. No one will be harmed amongst the Israelites.

Day 42 (Exodus 9-10 | Matthew 26:69-27:10 | Psalm 20)

Day 42
Exodus 9:1-10:29
(9 | 10)

Aaron and Moses put a simple request to Pharaoh: let the Israelites go out into the desert to worship the LORD their God. God hardens Pharaoh's heart, and he refuses, and continues to refuse the request. So God brings a succession of plagues against Egypt. Four of the plagues were in yesterday's passage; the plagues of blood, frogs, gnats and flies.

Day 41 (Exodus 6:13-8:32 | Matthew 26:47-68 | Psalm 19:7-14)

Day 41
Exodus 6:13-8:32
(6:13-30 | 7 | 8)

God commands Moses and his brother Aaron to take the Israelites out of Egypt. The lineage of Moses and Aaron is explained, and it is demonstrated that they are great-grandsons of Levi. Interestingly, when the heads of the families of the Israelites in Egypt are named, only three tribes are named; Reuben, Simeon and Levi. Now, I'm not sure if this is meant to demonstrate that these three tribes were ahead of the rest of the tribes. If not, it seems strange to only mention these three tribes.

Day 39 (Exodus 1-3 | Matthew 26:1-30 | Psalm 19:1-6)

Day 39
Exodus 1:1-3:22
(1 | 2 | 3)

Towards the end of Genesis when the nation of Israel (Jacob and his family) head to Egypt, it is already a fairly large group; Jacob's eleven sons, their wives and their children number seventy in total. Joseph, the twelfth son, and his family are already established in Egypt, but still add to the number of Israelites in Egypt. By the time the first generation of Israelites in Egypt have died, the number of them has increased massively. So when a new Pharaoh comes to power, he's afraid of them. He's unaware of Joseph and everything he did for Egypt. What he is aware of is the number of foreigners living in his land, and the fact that their number just keeps increasing. He's afraid they do not have any loyalty to their host nation.

Day 38 (Job 40:3-42:17 | Matthew 25:14-46 | Psalm 18:43-50)

Day 38
Job 40:3-42:17
(40:3-24 | 41 | 42)

After God's questions to Job in yesterday's passage, Job is predictably shocked. He replies that he is unworthy of responding, and tries to leave it at that.

Day 37 (Job 38:1-40:2 | Matthew 24:32-25:13 | Psalm 18:37-42)

Day 37
Job 38:1-40:2
(38 | 39 | 40:1-2)

As soon as Elihu finishes speaking, God enters the conversation. The first thing he says is, "who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you and you shall answer me" (38:2-3), and the last thing he says is, "will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!" This must've been absolutely terrifying for Job!

Day 35 (Job 33-34 | Matthew 23 | Psalm 18:25-36)

Day 35
Job 33:1-34:37
(33 | 34)

Elihu starts by saying they're the same; both he and Job have been brought up from the clay. So they should not fear each other. Elihu then asks, legitimately, how Job can say that God doesn't answer prayers. He says that God does answer, it's just that people might not realise it. He goes on to say that God does redeem men when they don't deserve it because he doesn't want them cast into the pit any more than they want to be.

Day 34 (Job 30-32 | Matthew 22:15-46 | Psalm 18:16-24)

Day 34
Job 30:1-32:22
(30 | 31 | 32)

In chapter 29, Job went on about how people used to respect him. In chapter 30, he speaks about how people treat him now, after his apparent fall from grace. He laments the fact that God doesn't seem to be answering his cries for help. But in all this, and throughout chapter 31, he continues to insist he is innocent.