Category: Two-Year-Bible-Reading

Keep the Light Burning

Published on by kendraskeLeave a comment

Read through the Bible in 2 years: Leviticus 24

Earlier this week 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.

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
Blue Angels over Walmart
Give Me Oil in My Lamp – Cedarmont Kids

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.

A Sabbath Rest

Published on by kendraskeLeave a comment

Read through the Bible in 2 years: 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.

To bring us to the present, our pastor recently shared a 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.

Profaning His Holy Name

Published on by kendraskeLeave a comment

Read through the Bible in 2 years: 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.

Love God. Love people.

Published on by kendraskeLeave a comment

Read through the Bible in 2 years: Leviticus 17:1-19:18

Reading through chapter after chapter of unlawful practices and their consequences can feel irrelevant or confusing, but tucked square in the middle these chapters of Leviticus is this gem:

Love your neighbor as yourself:
I am the LORD.

Leviticus 19:18b ESV

What if we read all of Scripture through the lens Leviticus 19:18 – love your neighbor as yourself?

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

Do you love God ? Is He your Lord?

Then you will love the people that He made, the people He created in His 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.

The Day of Atonement

Published on by kendraskeLeave a comment

Read through the Bible in 2 years: Leviticus 16

The Hebrew word “kaphar” (atonement) is used over a dozen times in Leviticus 16. According to Strong’s concordance, kâphar is “a primitive root (specifically with bitumen); figuratively, to expiate or condone, to placate or cancel:—appease, make (an atonement, cleanse, disannul, forgive, be merciful, pacify, pardon, purge (away), put off, (make) reconcile(-liation).”

Kaphar means “to cover” like covered with pitch or covered with hair … Hence to cover one’s sins.

The first time it appears in the Bible is in Genesis 6:14, “Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch.”

The Lord is going to appear in the Most Holy Place in a cloud over the Mercy Seat (verse 2) so Aaron and the priests who will follow after him must be covered – with a cloud of incense and with the blood of animals. The people, too, need to have a covering – an atonement – year after year “because of all their sins”. (Leviticus 16:34)

I was reminded of these New Testament passages about covering.

“Blessed are those
whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
and whose sins are covered;”

Romans 4:7 ESV

“Above all,
keep loving one another earnestly,
since love covers a multitude of sins.”

1 Peter 4:8 ESV

Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father, We all need the blood of Jesus to cover our sins. I pray that when You look at me You see Jesus. I pray that You will see His life shining out of mine. My own good deeds are merely filthy rags, unable to cover my own sin. In my own flesh, I can never approach You, yet by the death of your son I have been made holy. I pray that You would use me to share this good news with others. I pray that I would love others earnestly – remembering that love covers a multitude of sins. In the name of Jesus, my atoning sacrifice, I pray. Amen

A Discharge of Blood: Leviticus 15 meets Luke 8

Published on by kendraskeLeave a comment

Read through the Bible in 2 years: Leviticus 15

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.

I’ve never been a leper, but I’ve had plenty of times of menstruation over the past thirty-plus 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, in writing at least. “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

Published on by kendraskeLeave a comment

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

Last 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 found 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 said the 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. 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

Drink No Wine?

Published on by kendraskeLeave a comment

Read through the Bible: 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 sure, but it sure seems like a reasonable guess.

In fact, just yesterday I was preparing to teach a study on 1 Timothy 3, so I was reading 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 own 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.

The Only Sinless Priest

Published on by kendraskeLeave a comment

Read through the Bible in 2 years: 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

Unity in the Body of Christ

Published on by kendraskeLeave a comment

Read through the Bible in 2 years: Leviticus 8

At the consecration of Aaron and his sons, the Lord tells Moses to assemble all the congregation at the entrance of the tent of meeting, so they can see this blessed event.

Moses washes Aaron and his sons with water and dresses them in their sacred robes and ephods and turbans. Moses pours anointing oil onto their heads as well as on the tabernacle and the altar and its utensils.

And he poured some of
the anointing oil on Aaron’s head and anointed him to consecrate him.

Leviticus 8:12 ESV

This passage reminded of Psalm 133.

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the LORD has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.

Psalm 133:1-3 ESV

Dear Heavenly Father, what a beautiful gift it is to dwell in unity with my brothers and sisters in Christ. I pray for unity within my local body of believers as well as unity of purpose in the global body of Your church. I pray that our unity would dwell within Your truth and holiness. Make us Your priests, anointing and washing others in the water of the Word and the gospel of Jesus Christ. By the grace of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.

There is One Gospel by City Alight