Day 72 Bible Readings – Luke 1: 18-20 (ESV)

Leviticus 26: 14-46, Leviticus 27: Luke 1: 1-25, Psalm 42: 7-11

Luke 1: 18-20 (ESV)

“And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.”

In verses 18-20, we read about Zechariah’s questions and doubts to the Angel Gabriel and the results of his doubt. Zechariah was a devoted man to God, but when the Angel Gabriel gave him news of the upcoming birth of his son we see his doubts. Elizabeth, Zachariah’s wife, was old and for her to birth a son would have been a miracle. Even though Zechariah was a devoted man to God, he couldn’t believe what the Gabriel had told him. Zechariah and his wife had probably spent years praying for a son, so to have a son now in their old age would have been unbelievable. I can understand Zechariah’s doubts because he had probably given up on ever having a son, and to have his prayers answered now must have seemed crazy. Zechariah needed a sign, even though the Angel Gabriel speaking to him was not enough of a sign. I felt bad for Zechariah in these verses because I so understand his doubt. He didn’t want to be disappointed again, even though it was a miracle in and of itself that the Angel Gabriel was speaking to him. The news of his son having such a prominent role in the coming of the Messiah must also have seemed to be unbelievable to Zechariah. Zechariah was punished with muteness for his doubts, but God was still merciful to him because Elizabeth still became pregnant. In these verses we see an example of how even devoted people have doubts about God in their life, and of God’s mercy for these people despite their doubts.

Day 71 Bible Readings – Leviticus 25: 23 (ESV)

Leviticus 25, Leviticus 26: 1-13, Mark 16, Psalm 42: 1-6

Leviticus 25: 23 (ESV)

“The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine. For you are strangers and sojourners with me.”

In verse 23 from Leviticus 25, God reminds Moses and the people of Israel that everything belongs to God including the land. God also tells us to remember we are strangers and sojourners on his land. I love this verse because it is a reminder that earth is not our home, and that our true home is in heaven with God. If we are citizens of heaven, then while we are on earth it means we are totally dependent on God because we are sojourners on his land. Being citizens of heaven also means that our life on earth is transient, so our dependence on God for guidance to follow his divine plan becomes even more important. I like the idea of thinking myself a sojourner on God’s land, because then it makes sense that I need to follow God’s rules and plan for myself on his land.

Day 70 Bible Readings – Leviticus 23: 5-6 (ESV)

Leviticus 23 & 24, Mark 15: 33-47, Psalm 41: 7-13

Leviticus 23: 5-6 (ESV)

“In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight, is the Lord's Passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread.”

In verses 5 and 6 from Leviticus 23, God tells Moses that the people need to celebrate Passover, which a feast to commemorate God delivering the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt. God then tells Moses that they need to celebrate the Feast of the Unleavened Bread. The Feast of the Unleavened Bread happens the day after Passover, which is to commemorate how quickly the people of Israel had to flee Egypt. Because they had to leave in a hurry there was no time for bread to rise so it could be baked. So the people made bread that was made without rising, which they call unleavened bread.

One of the Biblical commentaries I read noted that Christ was crucified on the day that the people would have celebrated Passover. The last supper took place on the night before the Passover feast. Christ was buried the next day, which is on day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Christ would have also been resurrected during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Christ was the Passover lamb for the people when he was crucified. In 2025 Easter falls on the last day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and I love how we will be celebrating both feasts that God commanded in Leviticus.

Day 69 Bible Readings – Mark 15: 24 (ESV)

Leviticus 21 & 22, Mark 15: 1-32, Psalm 41: 1-6

Mark 15: 24 (ESV)

“And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take.”

In verse 24 from Mark 15, we read about how the Roman guards crucified Jesus and divided his garments by casting lots. In my Bible study I read that verse 24 fulfilled the prophecy that was mentioned in verse 18 from Psalm 22; “they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.” I love how the life and crucifixion of Jesus was prophesied in the Old Testament. It ties the Old and New Testaments together, and the lineage of Christ to King David and the tribe of Judah. Removing Christ’s garments also represented Jesus being stripped of his earthly identity so when Jesus died, we could be clothed in his blood and cleansed from our sins. I also read in my Bible study that this verse also shows how the Roman soldiers were concerned about earthly concerns compared to Christ who was concerned about his mission to fulfill God’s will with his death and eventual resurrection. I love how this small detail about the difference between the Roman soldiers and Christ show how up until the end, Christ was sinless and always focused on the doing the will of his father. Christ is truly the example of how we need to be focused on following God’s plan for our life.