Tag: Through the Bible in a year.

February 16, read through the Bible in a year.

Today there are three chapters.

February 16: Matthew 21, Leviticus 17, Leviticus 18 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

Matthew 21 starts with the triumphal entry, and that begins what is called the “holy week” Jesus rides in on an unbroken colt. In Jerusalem Jesus cleanses the temple and throws out the money changers. The spiritual leaders were offended that people sang “Hosanna in the highest” at the triumphal entry, even little children sang it. Then comes the story of the withering fig tree, the symbol of Israel. The spiritual leaders also questioned Jesus authority. Instead of giving an answer Jesus gave two parables, the one about the two sons and the parable about the wicked tenants. Moving on Jesus quotes scripture by saying :The stone  the builders rejected has become the cornerstone” meaning that the kingdom of God will be inherited by another people.

Leviticus 17 deals with the sanctity of blood and why eating of blood is forbidden.

Leviticus 18 defines the laws of sexual morality, and especially to stay away from Molech,  which involves sexual orgies, pass through the fire and child sacrifices.

February 15, read through the Bible in a year.

Today there are three chapters.

February 15: Matthew 20, Leviticus 15, Leviticus 16 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

In Matthew 20 Jesus gives the parable of the workers in the vineyard, that God is always fair even when we don’t think so. Then he predicts his death. Then then tha mother of Zebedee’s sons asks Jesus to have her sons be the seated with Jesus in the kingdom of heaven, but that is only for the Father to decide. The other disciples got angry, but Jesus admonished them all that the kingdom of heaven is to be a servant. After that Jesus heals two blind men.

Leviticus 15 deals with bodily discharges.

Leviticus 16 is the apex of Leviticus and  tells of all the things Aaron must do on the day of atonement to atone for the sins of himself and the people during the past year.

February 14, read through the Bible in a year.

Today there are three chapters.

February 14: Matthew 19, Leviticus 13, Leviticus 14 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

Matthew 19 is relatively short but contains some of the most important aspects of life, such as marriage and divorce. “What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put asunder.” Then the jewel “Let the little children come to me…” After that a rich young ruler asks what good thing he must do to get eternal life. Jesus answer “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God,” in other words impossible. But cheer up, “with God all things are possible.” And God’s pecking order is not economic or based on power. Instead, sometimes “the first shall be last, and the last shall be first.” There are many idioms in the English language taken from the Bible. Yet the origin is not allowed to be mentioned in public schools. Ponder that.

Leviticus 13 and Leviticus 14 deal with leprosy and mildew and what to do with both. Things like that are complicated.

February 13, read through the Bible in a year.

Today there are four chapters.

February 13: Matthew 18, Leviticus 10, Leviticus 11, Leviticus 12 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

Matthew 18. To the question “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Jesus called a little child. Then he expands the question and elaborates on the subject of sin. This chapter also contains the parable of the lost sheep, which leads naturally into the subject of reconciliation and church discipline. Jesus also promises that “where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them”. And then comes the parable of the unmerciful servant.

In Leviticus 10 two of Aaron’s sons are killed by fire for violating God’ command. But Aaron’s uncle has two sons and together with two other sons of Aaron they became the new priests and the rest of the chapter deal with how they should behave.

Leviticus 11 deals with clean (kosher) and unclean food and clean and unclean animals. (Locusts and grasshoppers are o.k.)

Finally Leviticus 12 is a short chapter and it deals with purification after childbirth.

February 12, read through the Bible in a year.

Today there are four chapters.e

February 12: Matthew 17, Leviticus 7, Leviticus 8, Leviticus 9 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

Matthew 17 begins with the transfiguration. Then the disciples try to heal a boy with epilepsy but fail. Jesus heals him immediately. The disciples could not do it because they had so little faith. Jesus also predicts his death, and the tax collectors come to Peter to collect the temple tax. Jesus solves this by telling peter to go fishing and from the first fish he catches he will take the four drachma coin  swallowed by the fish. That did take care of the tax for both Peter and Jesus.

Leviticus 7 defines the guilt offering and the peace(fellowship) offering. It furthermore forbids the people to eat fat or blood. In a fellowship offering the priest must get his share, and the share is specified.

Leviticus 8 goes into some length how  the ordination of Aaron and his sons was done.

In Leviticus 9 the priestly ministry begins.

February 10, read through the Bible in a year.

Today there are four chapters.

February 10: Matthew 15, Leviticus 1, Leviticus 2, Leviticus 3 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

In Matthew 15 Jesus defines what defiles a person. It is not what he eats, but what comes out of his mouth. Ceremonial cleansing is just for show. Jesus then went to Caananite territory, the region of Tyre and Sidon where he met a Caananite woman with a sick daughter. She had so great faith that Jesus healed her daughter from afar. Jesus went back to the sea of Galilee and did many other miracles. Large crowds followed him, and there he fed 4000. This time they had seven loaves of bread and a few fishes. This time there were only seven baskets of leftovers, they had been without food for three days.

Leviticus 1 tells of how the burnt offering shall be performed.

Leviticus 2 specifies the grain offering, and

Leviticus 3 deals with the peace or fellowship offering.

February 9, read through the Bible in a year.

Today there are four chapters.

February 9: Matthew 14, Exodus 38, Exodus 39, Exodus 40 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

Matthew 14 tells about John the Baptist being beheaded. It is interesting that most people know the name of the daughter of Herodias, but it is not in the Bible. There is another Salome in the Bible, but she was a follower of Jesus. After learning of the beheading of John the Baptist Jesus tried to withdraw from the people, but they kept following him, and so came the feeding of the 5000 out of five loaves of bread and two small fishes. After all were satisfied they picked up twelve baskets of leftovers. Jesus dismissed the crowd, made the the disciples go in a boat to travel to the other side of Lake Genesareth, and then after Jesus had prayed alone he joined them by walking on the water. A very interesting read.

Exodus 38 retells of how the altar of burnt offerings made, the basin for washing, the courtyard around the tabernacle and all the materials used.

Exodus 39 retells how the priestly garments are made, the ephod, the breastplate, the bells and pomegranates, the mitre and undergarments and finally the words “Holy to the LORD” to be fastened to the priest’s turban.

And in Exodus 40 the tabernacle is finished, the Priests installed and finally God blessed the tabernacle with His presence when the Glory of the LORD filled it. That is the end of the book of Exodus.

 

 

February 8, read through the Bible in a year.

Today there are three chapters.

February 8: Matthew 13, Exodus 36, Exodus 37 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

Matthew 13 tells of many parables on the Kingdom of heaven: The sower, the wheat and tares, the mustard seed and the yeast, the hidden treasure, the pearl of great worth and the fishermen and the net. Then Jesus explains what the parables mean to his disciples. The parables were well received, except in his own hometown, about which Jesus said: ” Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor”.

Exodus 36 describes how the tabernacle was built.

Exodus 37 tells of the Ark with its cherubim, the table, the lampstand and the altar of incense.

February 7, read through the Bible in a year.

Today there are three chapters.

February 7: Matthew 12, Exodus 34, Exodus 35 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

In Matthew 12 Jesus proclaims he  is the Lord of the Sabbath and healed a man with a withered hand. Since this was on a Sabbath it was considered blasphemy. Jesus continued to heal in secret, but the Pharisees said he did it by Beelzebub (lord of the flies). Jesus answer? “A Kingdom divided against itself will not stand.”  Jesus also says “he that is not with me is against me.” There is no middle ground, and there is a sin that cannot be forgiven: Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Continuing on Jesus says that the only sign given will be the sign of Jonah. Finally Jesus in a way rejects his own mother and brothers by pointing to his disciples and saying: “Here are my mother and brothers, for whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother”.

After breaking the two stone tablets, Moses in Exodus 34 has to go back up the mountain and write the words of God on two new tablets. Then God repeats much of the same that was said in previous chapters, even reiterating the Covenant, but it ends with the radiant face of Moses because Moses had spoken with God.

Exodus 35 is a more detailed repeat of Sabbath regulations, materials for the tabernacle and who were the leaders of the building of the tabernacle.

 

February 6, read through the Bible in a year.

Today there are three chapters.

February 6:  Matthew 11, Exodus 32, Exodus 33 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

In Matthew 11 the followers of John ask if Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus answers back that John is Elijah, sent to prepare the way. Jesus despairs of the current generation, but promises: “Come to me…. my yoke is easy and my burden is light”.

In Exodus 32 Moses has come down from the mountain and what does he find? The Golden Calf and the people in orgies singing and dancing. Moses gets so angry he throws down the two tablets with God’s commandments, and they break in pieces. Then he pleads with God not to destroy His people.

In Exodus 33 God tells the Israelites to leave the place. take off all the ornaments and go to the promised land. Moses established the tent of meeting, and there he asks to see God. God promises Moses he would see His back hiding “In the cleft of the rock”