Thursday 18 May 2017
Luke 3:1-4:13 Summary
Elizabeth’s son, John, proclaimed good news by criticizing the powerful, teaching the people, and baptizing the repentant near the Jordan River. One day Jesus came to be baptized by John, and a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved son.” Jesus was known as the son of Joseph, a descendant of David, of Abraham, of Adam, and of God (3). After the baptism, the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness where he was tempted by Satan for forty days (4).
Sunday 14 May 2017
Friday 12 May 2017
Leviticus 9:1-27:34 Summary
Moses then had Aaron make a sin offering and burnt offering for himself, and a sin offering, burnt offering, peace offering, and grain offering for the people. The people were at the Tabernacle for these offerings and the glory of the Lord appeared to them as a blazing fire (9). Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, had been ordained as priests, but they failed to follow the commands the Lord had given through Moses, so blazing fire shot out from the Lord’s presence and burned them up. Moses then provided further instructions to the priests concerning the consumption of alcohol and various offering practices (10).
The Lord spoke to the people through Moses and Aaron about which animals were acceptable to eat or touch, and provided instructions on how to be purified if someone did touch an unacceptable animal (11). Then the Lord gave Moses instructions for purification after giving birth to a son or daughter, as well as noting that a newborn son was to be circumcised on the eighth day after his birth (12). Then the Lord provided a procedure for identifying skin diseases: an individual was to come to one of the priests who would determine whether the condition was serious; if it was, the individual would be ceremonially unclean and would need to live in isolation outside the camp. The priests were also required to determine whether mildew on fabric was dangerous; if it was, the fabric was to be burned (13). The priests were given a purification ritual for those who had been healed of a skin disease. The priests were also required to determine whether mildew in a house was spreading dangerously; if it was, the house was to be destroyed, and if not, then a purification ritual was to be performed (14). The Lord provided purification rites and regulations for the ceremonial uncleanness that results from an emission of semen, sexual intercourse, and menstruation (15).
After Nadab and Abihu died, the Lord told Moses what was necessary for Aaron to enter the Lord’s presence in the most holy place of the Tabernacle. This included many offerings and rituals of purification for Aaron and for the people, including the selection of a scapegoat by sacred lot which was to be sent out to Azazel in the wilderness. Aaron and the high priests who succeeded him were to perform these ceremonies once a year on a special Sabbath (16).
The Lord gave Moses further regulations about where burnt offerings must be made, why blood must not be eaten (17), with whom sexual intercourse is inappropriate, and why child sacrifice is abhorrent. The people in the land of Canaan had defiled themselves in these ways so the Lord was punishing them by giving their land to the Israelites. But if the Israelites also defiled themselves, they too would be punished with expulsion from the land (18). Then the Lord gave several instructions on topics such as respect for parents, sabbath-keeping, idols, peace offerings, harvesting, theft, oaths, fairness, loving one’s neighbour as oneself, witchcraft, prostitution, food, grooming, and the importance of honesty (19). The Lord told the people that individuals would be punished by death for child sacrifice, consulting the dead, dishonouring parents, and various unacceptable sex acts. Other unacceptable sex acts would receive a less severe punishment. The people in the land of Canaan had defiled themselves in these ways so the Lord was punishing them by giving their land to the Israelites (20).
The Lord gave Moses restrictions for priestly behaviour regarding dead kin, grooming, and prostitution or divorce within their families. The restrictions were tighter for the high priest. Priests with physical disabilities would have their priestly functions greatly restricted (21). Priestly functions were also restricted for those who were unclean. They were not to eat the sacred offerings until they had been cleansed by ceremonial washing. No one outside the priest’s family was permitted to eat the sacred offerings at all. Only animals without defect could be used for the offerings (22). The Lord gave Moses instructions for the people to observe holy days. Each week, they were to observe the seventh day as a day of complete rest. They were also to observe the Passover, the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Harvest Festival, the Festival of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Festival of Shelters at the appointed times with the appointed offerings and practices (23). The people were to provide oil and bread to Aaron and his sons for use in the Temple, an ongoing expression of covenant faithfulness.
One day someone blasphemed the name of the Lord. The Lord then told Moses that blasphemy must be punished by death. The Lord also said that murder required the death penalty, whereas killing an animal would require paying for it in full, and causing an injury would result in the same injury being inflicted on the perpetrator: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. So the people stoned the man who had committed blasphemy (24).
On Mount Sinai the Lord told Moses that the people were to give the land a year of sabbath rest every seven years, and every fiftieth year to observe a year of jubilee where all ancestral land outside of walled cities is returned to its original owners and all Israelite slaves are set free, for the land and the people ultimately belong to God (25). The Lord promised that if the people were obedient they would be blessed–he would be their God and they would be his people–but that disobedience would be met with ferocious anger and eventual exile. But even if they were punished, the Lord would not destroy them completely (26).
The Lord gave Moses instructions about dedications and gifts of people and property to the Lord. One tenth of the produce of the land was to be set apart for the Lord as holy (27).
The Lord spoke to the people through Moses and Aaron about which animals were acceptable to eat or touch, and provided instructions on how to be purified if someone did touch an unacceptable animal (11). Then the Lord gave Moses instructions for purification after giving birth to a son or daughter, as well as noting that a newborn son was to be circumcised on the eighth day after his birth (12). Then the Lord provided a procedure for identifying skin diseases: an individual was to come to one of the priests who would determine whether the condition was serious; if it was, the individual would be ceremonially unclean and would need to live in isolation outside the camp. The priests were also required to determine whether mildew on fabric was dangerous; if it was, the fabric was to be burned (13). The priests were given a purification ritual for those who had been healed of a skin disease. The priests were also required to determine whether mildew in a house was spreading dangerously; if it was, the house was to be destroyed, and if not, then a purification ritual was to be performed (14). The Lord provided purification rites and regulations for the ceremonial uncleanness that results from an emission of semen, sexual intercourse, and menstruation (15).
After Nadab and Abihu died, the Lord told Moses what was necessary for Aaron to enter the Lord’s presence in the most holy place of the Tabernacle. This included many offerings and rituals of purification for Aaron and for the people, including the selection of a scapegoat by sacred lot which was to be sent out to Azazel in the wilderness. Aaron and the high priests who succeeded him were to perform these ceremonies once a year on a special Sabbath (16).
The Lord gave Moses further regulations about where burnt offerings must be made, why blood must not be eaten (17), with whom sexual intercourse is inappropriate, and why child sacrifice is abhorrent. The people in the land of Canaan had defiled themselves in these ways so the Lord was punishing them by giving their land to the Israelites. But if the Israelites also defiled themselves, they too would be punished with expulsion from the land (18). Then the Lord gave several instructions on topics such as respect for parents, sabbath-keeping, idols, peace offerings, harvesting, theft, oaths, fairness, loving one’s neighbour as oneself, witchcraft, prostitution, food, grooming, and the importance of honesty (19). The Lord told the people that individuals would be punished by death for child sacrifice, consulting the dead, dishonouring parents, and various unacceptable sex acts. Other unacceptable sex acts would receive a less severe punishment. The people in the land of Canaan had defiled themselves in these ways so the Lord was punishing them by giving their land to the Israelites (20).
The Lord gave Moses restrictions for priestly behaviour regarding dead kin, grooming, and prostitution or divorce within their families. The restrictions were tighter for the high priest. Priests with physical disabilities would have their priestly functions greatly restricted (21). Priestly functions were also restricted for those who were unclean. They were not to eat the sacred offerings until they had been cleansed by ceremonial washing. No one outside the priest’s family was permitted to eat the sacred offerings at all. Only animals without defect could be used for the offerings (22). The Lord gave Moses instructions for the people to observe holy days. Each week, they were to observe the seventh day as a day of complete rest. They were also to observe the Passover, the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Harvest Festival, the Festival of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Festival of Shelters at the appointed times with the appointed offerings and practices (23). The people were to provide oil and bread to Aaron and his sons for use in the Temple, an ongoing expression of covenant faithfulness.
One day someone blasphemed the name of the Lord. The Lord then told Moses that blasphemy must be punished by death. The Lord also said that murder required the death penalty, whereas killing an animal would require paying for it in full, and causing an injury would result in the same injury being inflicted on the perpetrator: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. So the people stoned the man who had committed blasphemy (24).
On Mount Sinai the Lord told Moses that the people were to give the land a year of sabbath rest every seven years, and every fiftieth year to observe a year of jubilee where all ancestral land outside of walled cities is returned to its original owners and all Israelite slaves are set free, for the land and the people ultimately belong to God (25). The Lord promised that if the people were obedient they would be blessed–he would be their God and they would be his people–but that disobedience would be met with ferocious anger and eventual exile. But even if they were punished, the Lord would not destroy them completely (26).
The Lord gave Moses instructions about dedications and gifts of people and property to the Lord. One tenth of the produce of the land was to be set apart for the Lord as holy (27).
Thursday 11 May 2017
Luke 1:1-2:52 Summary
The angel Gabriel appeared separately to the elderly Elizabeth and to her younger, virginal cousin Mary, and announced that they would both embark on miraculous pregnancies. When Elizabeth gave birth, she named her son John just as the angel had commanded (1). Mary gave birth to her son in a Bethlehem manger, and shepherds arrived to worship him. Eight days later Mary and Joseph named the baby Jesus just as the angel had commanded and took him to the Temple to be circumcised. The Holy Spirit inspired Simeon and Anna, who had been waiting for the Messiah, to take notice of the child; they praised God and prophesied about him. Jesus’ parents went to the Temple for Passover every year. When Jesus was twelve years old his parents lost him at the festival. They found him three days later interacting with the teachers in the Temple (2).
Sunday 7 May 2017
Friday 5 May 2017
Leviticus 1:1-8:36 Summary
The Lord spoke to Moses from the Tabernacle and gave him instructions for a burnt offering. An individual could bring a male sheep, male goat, pigeon, or dove to the priests who would help present the animal as a gift to the Lord. The Lord promised to accept this offering as an act of atonement (1). For a grain offering, one could bring flour without yeast to the priests. A portion would be burned as an offering to the Lord, and the remainder would be given to the priests as food. The Lord promised to accept this offering as a holy gift (2). For a peace offering, one could bring a sheep or goat to the priests. A portion would be burned as an offering to the Lord. Fat and blood of any animal were never to be eaten. The Lord promised to accept this as a food offering (3). For a sin offering for unintentional sins, the high priest could deal with his own sins by bringing a young bull to the Lord. If the community sinned the elders would provide the bull; if one of Israel’s leaders sinned he would provide a young male goat; and if one of the common people sinned he would bring a young female goat or sheep. Through this process the people could be forgiven (4). A sin offering had to be accompanied by confession. Those who could not afford a goat or sheep could instead bring two pigeons or doves, and those who could not afford the birds could instead bring flour. If a sacred object were to be defiled, a special guilt offering would be made, a ram from one’s own flock. In addition to the ram, the person who defiled the sacred object must pay for the loss plus twenty percent. Through this process the people could be forgiven (5). A guilt offering would also be required for theft or false oaths, but the financial penalty would be paid to the person who had been wronged. The priests would be responsible for keeping the fire for the burnt offering burning at all times and for handling the ashes. They also had to eat their share of the grain offering in the Tabernacle.
The Lord then told Moses that in order to ordain Aaron and his sons, a special grain offering was to be made, but it was to be entirely burned up with nothing eaten. The priests also had to eat their share of the sin offering in the Tabernacle (6). Similar rules applied for priests eating the guilt offering. Peace offerings could be made to express thanksgiving or to fulfill a vow. The fat and the blood of any animal were never to be eaten. The breast and right thigh of the peace offering was to be the priests’ portion (7).
Moses then called all the people together and ordained Aaron and his sons as priests. As part of this ritual Moses slaughtered the animals for the sin offering, burnt offering, and ordination offering. Aaron and his sons stayed at the entrance to the Tabernacle for seven days and nights after the ceremony was complete (8).
The Lord then told Moses that in order to ordain Aaron and his sons, a special grain offering was to be made, but it was to be entirely burned up with nothing eaten. The priests also had to eat their share of the sin offering in the Tabernacle (6). Similar rules applied for priests eating the guilt offering. Peace offerings could be made to express thanksgiving or to fulfill a vow. The fat and the blood of any animal were never to be eaten. The breast and right thigh of the peace offering was to be the priests’ portion (7).
Moses then called all the people together and ordained Aaron and his sons as priests. As part of this ritual Moses slaughtered the animals for the sin offering, burnt offering, and ordination offering. Aaron and his sons stayed at the entrance to the Tabernacle for seven days and nights after the ceremony was complete (8).
Thursday 4 May 2017
Mark 16:1-20 Summary
Mary Magdalene went to the tomb with two other women, but instead of Jesus they found an angel! He told them to get Jesus’ disciples and meet him in Galilee, but the women fled for they were afraid. (Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene, to a pair of disciples, and then to the eleven disciples. After Jesus was taken up to heaven, they proclaimed the gospel everywhere.) (16)
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