Category: Leviticus

The Year of Jubilee – Leviticus 25-27 – 2025 Day 153

Published on by kendraskeLeave a comment

Read through the Bible in 2 years: Psalm 119:161-176, Leviticus 25-27

“And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, when each of you shall return to his property and each of you shall return to his clan.”

Leviticus 25:10 ESV

My parents bought the house I was raised in when my sister was three and I was just a baby. They sold it when I got married.

I hadn’t been back to visit my hometown in almost two decades, but shortly after turning fifty, I had the opportunity to go back. Some of my neighbor’s homes had a fresh layer of paint, and the state capital building’s dome had a fresh layer of gold leaf, but underneath not much had changed.

The skywalks connecting the downtown buildings still shielded pedestrians from the Iowa cold. Huge piles of snow still rested in the corners of parking lots. The familiar Arby’s sign still stood beside East 14th street.

It was good to go back and remember what things used to look like, because it helped me remember how greatly other things in my life have changed since I grew up in that big old white house.

  • God has blessed me with four children on earth and two more in heaven.
  • I’ve lived in five different houses and three different states.
  • I’ve written books and recorded videos and shared the gospel with hundreds of people.
  • I’ve traveled to China and Hungary and Russia and Mexico.
  • My oldest two children have gotten married.
  • I’ve become a grandmother.
  • And more important than any of these incredible things, God has given me Himself. He has saved me and transformed me from an evangelical atheist to an evangelical Christian.
50 years

I remember when I celebrated my own year of Jubilee. Fifty trips around the sun. My year of Jubilee was hard in many ways. I was diagnosed with kyphosis and osteoporosis. I began seeing a physical therapist to help my posture, and I suffered my first broken bone – a stress fracture in my right foot.

But it was also very good. Trials bring growth. I’m learning that secret of contentment – that Jesus is my strength and that I need to rest in Him. I’m learning to lean on Jesus – rather than trying to do it all on my own. I’m learning to be faithful. I’m learning that my worth is not in what I do, but in who I am and who I belong to.

Have you celebrated your year of Jubilee yet? Jubilee or not, what would you like to learn this year? I’d love to hear from you. Please leave me a comment.

Heavenly Father, A Jubilee is no celebration without You. Help us to fix our eyes on You, the author and perfector of our faith. Help us to remember who we used to be – so that we can have hearts of gratitude for all that You have done. Help us, though, to remember who You ALWAYS are. Your grace is always with us. You are always good and You are always kind and Your goodness is everlasting. All my life You have been faithful. All my life You have been good. All my life I will sing of the mercies of God. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

King of my Heart / Goodness of God
by Caleb and Kelsey

Keep the Light Burning – Leviticus 24 – 2025 Day 152

Published on by kendraskeLeave a comment

Read through the Bible in 2 years: Psalm 119:121-160, Leviticus 24

One summer morning, while on vacation in Pensacola Florida, my family decided to go see the Blue Angels practice. We got up early and headed out, only to get stuck in a crazy traffic jam unlike anything I’ve seen before. After moving a mile in an hour, we decided we needed to make another plan. We turned left, away from the Navy base, and motored to the Walmart parking lot where we joined a dozen other wanna-be air show watchers.

The air show was scheduled to begin at 10:30, and sure enough at 10:30 we saw a couple planes in the air, but it was nothing particularly earth-shattering. After about 20 minutes of this, out in the heat on an asphalt parking lot, several members of our family decided they’d rather go get a cold drink and a snack from inside Walmart than wait in the parking lot with their heads craned toward the skies.

Blue Angels over Walmart

Minutes after they disappeared inside, the magic began. The planes started flying every which way, roaring through the blue skies.

And they missed it.

Command the people of Israel
to bring you pure oil from beaten olives for the lamp, that a light may be kept burning regularly….
Aaron shall arrange it from evening to morning before the LORD regularly.
It shall be a statute forever
throughout your generations.

Leviticus 24:2-3 ESV

I’m not good at doing things regularly or forever. I like to make plans. I like to start new projects. I struggle at maintaining the commitment once the novelty wears off. That’s one reason why I’m trying so hard to write here every day until I’ve blogged through the Bible.

But, friends, God commands us to be faithful, to keep our lamps burning, evening to morning, day after day, forever. He wants us to pass on our faith to the generations coming after us.

Do we have our eyes fixed on the skies, waiting for His return, and our hearts rooted in His Word that it can be that light to our path and lamp to our feet which He promised for us?

Or are we so busy shopping for cold Cokes and salty chips that we miss the real show?

“Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks.”

Luke 12:35-36 ESV

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.

As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’

Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’

But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut.

Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’

Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

Matthew 25:1-13 ESV

Heavenly Father, You are always faithful. Always. You never change. You never grow tired or weak or weary. You never get bored and give up. You are the perfect example of steadfastness. Help us, Father, to be faithful like You. We can’t keep our lamps burning on our own. Give us the oil of Your Spirit and the living water of Your Word that we may be found faithful. And embolden us to share the good news with others, that they may enter the kingdom with us, to the praise of Your glorious might. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

Give Me Oil in My Lamp – Cedarmont Kids

A Sabbath Rest – Leviticus 23 – 2025 Day 151

Published on by kendraskeLeave a comment

Read through the Bible in 2 years: Psalm 119:81-120; Leviticus 23

“Six days shall work be done,
but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation.
You shall do no work. It is a Sabbath to the LORD in all your dwelling places.”

Leviticus 23:3 ESV

When our children were little, my husband and I began to try to arrange our week such that Saturday became a day for house and yard work, while Sunday was set apart for fellowship and fun. Though it has been hard to be consistent, we saw the value of having a day for church and family and friends.

In the fall of 2021, after a prolonged interruption in regular in-person attendance (Thanks, COVID) our church started hosting a post-service meal and time for congregational sharing. I must admit that I initially complained about the extra work of preparing a dish to share, but this fellowship time has been such a huge blessing to our whole body.

In the spring of 2023, our pastor shared a three-part sermon series on the value of setting apart Sunday as a regular day for rest, renewal, and worship. He explained everything so much better than I can, so please listen for yourself. Here’s a link to the first sermon.

So, what a beautiful reminder here in Leviticus 23 of establishing a regular rhythm of both annual and weekly times for rest, worship, and fellowship.

Heavenly Father, Please help us to be faithful and diligent to work – and to rest – and to do it all in the name of Jesus Christ. We need them both. We need to work, and we need to rest. Help us to offer them both back to You. In the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

Sweetly Resting – SE Samonte

Profaning His Holy Name – Leviticus 21-22 – 2025 Day 150

Published on by kendraskeLeave a comment

Read through the Bible in 2 years: Psalm 119:41-80; Leviticus 21-22

And you shall not profane
my holy name,
that I may be sanctified
among the people of Israel.
I am the LORD who sanctifies you,
who brought you out of the land
of Egypt to be your God:
I am the LORD.”

Leviticus 22:32-33 ESV

Heavenly Father, I am Your child. You have called me by name and I belong to You. You have engraved Your name across my heart, and You have engraved my name in the palm of Your hand. You have brought me out of the land of darkness and slavery to sin, and You have brought me into the land of light and freedom in Your Holy Name. I pray that I will draw others to You by how I live and speak and love. I pray that others will see Your Holiness in me – not only in what I *don’t* do, but also in what I *do* do. I pray that I will love justice and practice kindness and walk humbly with my God. I pray that I will love my neighbor as myself. I pray that I will abstain from sin – from slander, lying, and sexual immorality. I’m a new creation in Christ. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

Refiner’s Fire – Brian Doerksen

Separate – Leviticus 20 – 2025 Day 149

Published on by kendraskeLeave a comment

Read through the Bible in 2 years: Psalm 119:1-40; Leviticus 20

The Israelites were to be a set apart people in Egypt and now they are to be a set apart people in Canaan. God pulled them out of a nation of idol-worshippers, and now He’s sending them into a new nation of idol-worshippers.

God has always been – and will always be – holy. It is His very nature. To be holy, by definition, means to be set apart.

From the beginning of creation God separated. He separated the light from the dark, the water above from the water below, the land from the sea, the day from the night. He made animals of different kinds and He designed the animals to reproduce after their own kinds.

From the beginning of the nation of Israel, God desires His people to be separated from the nations. And when God gave Moses instructions for building the tabernacle, He told Moses to hang a veil to separate the Most Holy Place where the priest would meet with Him. (Exodus 26:33)

Yet, mankind doesn’t like to be separate. We like to mix and mingle. We like to be part of the crowd. We like to fit in.

So God says,

You shall be holy to me,
for I the LORD am holy
and have separated you from the peoples that you should be mine.

Leviticus 20:26 ESV

Heavenly Father, please give us the strength to be separate, to stand out from the crowd. Help us to remember that even when we feel alone, You are with us. Please place like-minded believers into our lives who can encourage us and hold up our arms when we feel weak. We especially pray for our children and other young people who have to learn to swim upstream in a current that wants to pull them down. Make us holy for You, our Creator and Father, are holy. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

Genesis 1:4 ESV — And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.

Genesis 1:6 ESV — And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.”

Genesis 1:14 ESV — And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years,”

Exodus 26:33 ESV — And you shall hang the veil from the clasps, and bring the ark of the testimony in there within the veil. And the veil shall separate for you the Holy Place from the Most Holy.

Refiner’s Fire – Brian Doerksen

Love God. Love people. – Leviticus 17-19 – 2025 Day 148

Published on by kendraskeLeave a comment

Read through the Bible in 2 years:  Psalm 118, Leviticus 17-19

Reading through chapter after chapter of unlawful practices and their consequences can feel irrelevant or confusing, but tucked in their midst is this gem:

Love your neighbor as yourself:
I am the LORD.

Leviticus 19:18b ESV

Matthew, Mark, and Luke, recorded Jesus uttering these very words and Paul and James repeated them in their letters. What if we read all of Scripture through the lens Leviticus 19:18, “love your neighbor as yourself”?

  • Don’t steal. Love your neighbor as yourself.
  • Don’t lie. Love your neighbor as yourself.
  • Don’t commit adultery. Love your neighbor as yourself.
  • Help the poor. Love your neighbor as yourself.
  • Speak encouraging words. Love your neighbor as yourself.
  • Make disciples of every nation. Love your neighbor as yourself.

Do you love God? Then love the people that He made. Remember, they’re created in His very own image.

Heavenly Father, help me to love others the way that You have loved me. Help me to love others as much as I love myself. Help me to do good to others even when they hurt my feelings – because that’s how I want to be treated. Help me to speak the truth and speak it with love. I can’t do it on my own, Lord. Please do it through me. In the name of Jesus, my Lord, Amen.

Mercy – Ben Fuller

A Discharge of Blood – Leviticus 15-16 – 2025 Day 147

Published on by kendraskeLeave a comment

Read through the Bible in 2 years: Psalm 117, Leviticus 15-16

Yesterday I wrote about the Levitical laws about leprosy and Jesus healing the leper… Now we come to Leviticus 15, the Levitical laws about bodily discharges and menstruation and other discharges of blood. Ugh. Well, I’ve never been a leper, but I had times of menstrual uncleanness for over thirty-five years.

First, I was reminded of Genesis 31:34-35 which takes on a whole new depth of meaning in light of these laws (which hadn’t yet been given, at least not in writing). “Now Rachel had taken the household gods and put them in the camel’s saddle and sat on them. Laban felt all about the tent, but did not find them. And she said to her father, ‘Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise before you, for the way of women is upon me.’ So he searched but did not find the household gods.”

But then I was reminded of the woman who had suffered with a discharge of blood for twelve years. You can read her story in Matthew 9, Mark 5, and Luke 8.

“And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased. And Jesus said, ‘Who was it that touched me?’

When all denied it, Peter said, ‘Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!’

But Jesus said, ‘Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.’ And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed.”

Luke 8:43-47 ESV

How lonely she must have been. How desperate for healing. Twelve years is a long, long time. And how terrified she must’ve been that she might get in big trouble for touching the rabbi.

Yet, Jesus was not angry with her for touching Him. Rather He spoke these tender words to her,

“Daughter, your faith
has made you well;
go in peace.”

Luke 8:47
  • Are we tender like that with those who need healing, or do we join in ostracizing them and putting them outside the camp?
  • Do we go to Jesus and grab hold of the fringe of His garment when we need healing ourselves?

Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father, there are men and women in our midst who need healing. Help us to see their need and respond tenderly to them. Help us to introduce them to Jesus, the only one who can heal them. Father, we all need healing in various areas of our life – healing from bitterness, healing from emotional pain, healing from physical ailments. We come to You, the Great Physician, and lay all of our needs at Your feet. Help us to reach out to You and cling tightly to You. It is in the Almighty name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

Touch the Hem – Sam Cooke

He Touched Me – Leviticus 11-14 – 2025 Day 146

Published on by kendraskeLeave a comment

Read through the Bible in 2 years: Psalm 116; Leviticus 11-14

A few years ago, on a Sunday morning, as I was sitting in our church women’s Sunday school class, I was overwhelmed by the deep sense of love and community that I felt from the women gathered there. Earlier that week I had been told that I had a stress fracture in my right foot, and I’d have to use a boot for several weeks until it healed. The women gathered there were all asking about me and listening intently to what I had to say. I felt genuinely seen and heard and cared for.

It’s hard to explain, but it’s something I had never experienced before being a part of the body of Christ. These women loved me for just exactly who I was – not some fake, cleaned-up version of myself … but me.

Reading about the Levitical laws for those afflicted with leprosy broke my heart. Listen to these verses and imagine how that must have felt,

“The leprous person who has the disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head hang loose, and he shall cover his upper lip and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean.’ He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease. He is unclean. He shall live alone. His dwelling shall be outside the camp.”

Leviticus 13:45-46 ESV

And now imagine this scene between a leprous man and Jesus.

When [Jesus] came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him.
And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying,
“Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.”
And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.”
And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

Matthew 8:1-3 ESV

He touched him. He could’ve just spoken a word. He could’ve told him to go wash himself far away in the river … or go roll around in the dust outside the camp … But, no, Jesus touched him. Intentionally.

Jesus didn’t have to worry about becoming unclean.
The leprous man’s disease couldn’t contaminate Him –
and neither can yours.

Jesus came close to me. He touched me and cleansed me and made me whole. Has He done that for you? He can.

Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your loving touch and care for me, a sinner. Thank You for bringing me in from outside the camp, for welcoming me in while I was a stranger, lonely and alone. Thank You for making me a member of Your body, filling me with purpose and meaning and hope for a brighter tomorrow. I pray for the many people in our world who are still living their lives outside the camp. Alone. Please send Christians into their lives to welcome them in and to share the hope of the gospel with them. In the name of Jesus – the Ultimate Welcomer – I pray. Amen.

He Touched Me – Gaither Vocal Band

Would you like to receive my daily blog posts sent directly to your email? Subscribe for free by entering your email below.

✓ Subscribed

Click here for more information about my Read Through the Bible in Two Years plan.

If you would like prayer, please leave a comment below or send me a message. I’m happy to pray for you.

Please like and share.

Drink No Wine – Leviticus 10 – 2025 Day 145

Published on by kendraskeLeave a comment

Read through the Bible: Psalm 115; Leviticus 10

This chapter begins with the death of Aaron’s two oldest sons who foolishly burn “unauthorized” incense to the Lord. Then the Lord tells Aaron,

“Drink no wine or strong drink,
you or your sons with you,
when you go into the tent of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations.”

Leviticus 10:9 ESV

Do you think there’s a connection between alcohol and Aaron’s sons making this foolish choice? I’m not certain, but it sure seems like a reasonable guess.

When I was preparing to teach a study on 1 Timothy 3, I read Chuck Smith’s commentary on 1 Timothy 3:8, “Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine…” Read this very interesting, and timely, excerpt:

“We have a very interesting case in the Old Testament when God commanded Moses to build the tabernacle and He gave him specific instructions as to the materials and the dimensions and the sizes, the whole thing. He gave him his careful instructions in building. Once they had built the tabernacle, had set it up, had set up the altar and the whole framework for the sacrifices, the time came to inaugurate now the temple or the tabernacle worship of God. And so the altar was built, the sacrifice was placed upon it and fire came from heaven and sort of lit the fire of the altar. A supernatural manifestation of God. The presence of God came down, the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. The priest, because of the glory of the Lord, sort of swooned, they weren’t able to stand up.

And in the midst of this moving of God among the people, a couple of Aaron’s sons got excited. And they had little bowls with incense that they were to offer before the Lord and they went in to offer this incense in the excitement of the moment and the fire came from the altar of God and consumed them. And later, God commanded Moses to speak unto Aaron that when they were doing the service to God, they weren’t to drink wine. Made very specific commandments. The intimation is that the two sons of Aaron perhaps had been drinking a little wine and had lost their sense of good judgment. And that is why they were consumed by the fire of God when they sought to offer strange fire before the Lord.”

Chuck Smith – Commentary on 1 Timothy 3-4

And what about Ephesians 5:15-18 ESV? “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,”

I’ll close today’s lesson with Chuck Smith’s prayer from his 1 Timothy 3-4 lesson –

Father, as Your Holy Spirit has again tonight caused us to look in the mirror, to see the truth, to face the reality of what we are, help us, Lord, not to be so foolish as to just go away and forget what we saw. But Lord, I pray tonight that there might be within our heart that renewed commitment to the things of the Lord. Things of the Spirit. Lord, we know that we are in the last days. Many have departed from the faith. Have been caught up with these seducing spirits, following after the flesh, turning away from the things of God. Being drawn into the things of the world. God, help us in these days to be like You. God, give to us a renewed experience in the Spirit that we might walk in the Spirit and live in the Spirit and be led of the Spirit. A new sense, Lord, of spiritual values. The examination of our priorities, our energies going into those things that are going to fail and those things that are going to crumble and those things that are going to be reduced to ashes while we neglect the eternal. Physically fit but spiritually bankrupt. God, may that not be our case. Renew our hearts in the things of the Spirit, our walk and life with Thee. In Jesus’ name, Father, Amen.

One Pure & Holy Passion Passion – Amy Nobles

Would you like to receive my daily blog posts sent directly to your email? Subscribe for free by entering your email below.

✓ Subscribed

Click here for more information about my Read Through the Bible in Two Years plan.

If you would like prayer, please leave a comment below or send me a message. I’m happy to pray for you.

Please like and share.

The Only Sinless Priest – Leviticus 9 – 2025 Day 144

Published on by kendraskeLeave a comment

Read through the Bible in 2 years: Psalm 114; Leviticus 9

“So Aaron drew near to the altar and killed the calf of the sin offering, which was for himself.”

Leviticus 9:8 ESV

Just think – even Aaron, the man chosen by God to be the first high priest, must make an offering for himself. Even he, himself, has sin which must be atoned for. And so do you and I. But Jesus …

“He has no need, like those high priests,
to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins
and then for those of the people, since he did this
once for all when he offered up himself.”

Hebrews 7:27 ESV

Heavenly Father, Thank You for sending Jesus Christ, the only high priest without sin, the only God-man, Your only begotten Son, to come to earth and to die a sinner’s death in my place. He is the only worthy one. His death and resurrection have freed me from my slavery to sin and the penalty of sin: death. Thank You. Thank You. Thank You. I am forever grateful for Your sacrifice. In the Name of Jesus Christ, my Savior and Lord. Amen.

“Is He Worthy?” by Andrew Peterson – Performed by Highrock Church

Would you like to receive my daily blog posts sent directly to your email? Subscribe for free by entering your email below.

✓ Subscribed

Click here for more information about my Read Through the Bible in Two Years plan.

If you would like prayer, please leave a comment below or send me a message. I’m happy to pray for you.

Please like and share.