Week 9

February 24-28
[M] Lev 24-25; Psalm 81; Hebrews 9
[T] Lev 26-27; Psalm 112; Heb 10
[W] Numbers 1-2; Psalm 64; Heb 11
[T] Num 3-5; Heb 12
[F] Num 6-7; Heb 13

Dwell Plan Day 41-45 | CSB | Digital PDF | Printable PDF

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Notes from Jon & Chris

Monday
Leviticus 24:17-23 | An Eye for an Eye | The ancient world was a harsh and violent place, and the law of “an eye for an eye” wasn’t about encouraging revenge, it was about ensuring justice. God gave this law to keep punishment fair, preventing people from taking matters into their own hands and escalating violence. It was meant to guide Israel’s leaders in upholding justice (see Exodus 21:18-19).
But this law wasn’t just about personal behavior; it was about building a just society. Then Jesus came along and took it even further in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:38-42). He taught that in His kingdom, our response to wrongdoing shouldn’t be retaliation, but radical love. Instead of demanding payback, we’re called to serve—even those who hurt us.
That’s not natural, right? But this is exactly what Jesus did for us. While we were still sinners—fully deserving of judgment—He took our punishment on Himself. Instead of an eye for an eye, He gave His life so we could be forgiven. Now, as His people, He calls us to live out that same grace in our daily lives.

Leviticus 25 | Sabbath and Jubilee | For centuries, God’s people ignored His commands about the Sabbath year and the Year of Jubilee—times when the land was supposed to rest, debts were to be forgiven, and people were given a fresh start. Instead of trusting God’s provision, they kept working the land and living as if His commands didn’t matter.
But God wasn’t going to let their disobedience go unchecked forever. When the exile came, He made it clear: “You owe me 70 Sabbath years.” And so, just as they had skipped 70 Sabbath years, they spent 70 years in exile (2 Chronicles 36:20-21; Leviticus 26:33-35). God’s discipline wasn’t random: it was measured, just, and purposeful. The exile wasn’t just punishment; it was God resetting what His people had neglected. But even in judgment, God’s mercy was at work, because after 70 years, He brought His people home with a renewed sense of His presence.

Leviticus 25 | What sort of God is this? And what does this rhythm of years tell us about God’s goals for us? How do you see Jesus in the Jubilee?

Psalm 81:10 | “I am the LORD your God” is something that God says again and again, as if that statement alone explains everything. It also happens frequently in Leviticus. Everything we’re reading is grounded somehow in revealing God’s character as a person. You may not like it, and you might find Him offensive or strange. It doesn’t matter, because He is who He is, now who we wish He would be.  This becomes the ultimate rationale that God says to us, and we can’t go any further, “It’s because of Who I AM,” God says repeatedly. It’s an early form of what Paul says later that “of Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things.” God’s character and personhood ground everything in scripture.

Tuesday
Hebrews 10:12-14 | Do you remember Psalm 110:1? We just read it last week. I love reading the Bible like this and seeing how it’s all woven together.

Hebrews 10:19 | Our access to God isn’t all that stunning to us, unless you’re reading Leviticus at the same time as Hebrews! The wonder and joy of the early Christians must have been infectious and powerful. Having lived under the shadow and dominion of the law, of the tabernacle and all of its rules, of the holiness that means death for sinners–to know that you can just saunter on in to the holy places is mind boggling to them. Draw near! Get in as close as you can!

Leviticus 26-27 | Congrats: you made it through Leviticus. :)

Wednesday
Numbers 1 | We all have lists of people we know, people we’re related to, and people we work with. The lists go on and on in our lives. Our own circle of good friends might be pretty small, but our larger set of contacts, acquaintances, and old friends is bigger than we often realize. And each name means something to us–some memory or connection.
That’s what these lists originally felt like to the first readers! Just imagine if your family was even mentioned in your holy scriptures–wouldn’t that be amazingly affirming? These lists and genealogies don’t mean much to us, but they meant the world to someone at some point (and here’s the kicker) they actually matter to God Himself. He has no regard for how important someone is! His attention, love, and care are the same for the very least person we know. And His attention, love, and care are eternal for each and every individual! That’s the power of an eternal God. He never gets tired and never loses absolute focus on you and your problems and your circle of friends. That’s the promise in these lists.
And it’s also an offer to you and me: bring Him your lists! He loves lists, doesn’t ever get tired of them, and never stops intimately caring about all the folks we intimately care about. It’s truly amazing that all of these anonymous people are mentioned. You may feel anonymous at times: a cog in a wheel, or employee #564539, but to our God, you are precious enough to sing over and redeem. Praise Him!

Psalm 64 | It’s quite important to learn how to complain in a Godly manner. And it’s possible. We need to learn and reproduce the moods, attitudes, and life of true faith. Sometimes that means asking God to stop bad folks from doing bad things. We get to pray for that sort of thing, and God takes it quite personally on our behalf. Go, and in the power of the Spirit, learn to complain the way that pleases God. After all, it is Wednesday!

Hebrews 11 | You’ve been reading the Old Testament for the past six weeks or so. When you read this chapter, ask yourself a question: do you read the Bible the way that the writer of Hebrews does? Do you see the story of constant faith? Can you line up your faith with theirs and see the contrasts and similarities? This chapter is a tour de force in Bible interpretation, inviting us to see all the folks of the Bible as having the same struggles and faith that we ourselves have. Ask the Spirit to give you a “Hebrews 11” view of your Bible!

Hebrews 11:10, 16 | One of the key marks of deep faith is living with a real eternal perspective—not just believing in eternity, but letting that reality shape daily life. Abraham was willing to live as a wanderer, without a permanent home, because he knew his true inheritance in God’s kingdom was just around the corner (Hebrews 11:9-10). In the book of Acts, believers sold their homes and possessions to care for one another, because they understood that their eternal home was coming soon (Acts 4:32-35).
As we read scripture together this year, our hope is that you’ll gain a renewed sense of the inheritance that is yours in Christ. Because through Jesus, you’ve been adopted into God’s family—and that means your future is secure, your hope is certain, and the best is yet to come. 

Thursday
Numbers 3:40 | All of this focus on the “firstborn” can seem culturally odd to us. It isn’t about their culture though, this “firstborn” claim has bigger implications: God’s claim over every firstborn of all the people of God is staking a claim. It’s God previewing for us what is most precious to Him as He is revealing it to us in His word. The “firstborn” from the dead is Jesus Himself. He is the promise that this cultural practice anticipates. The “firstborn” of Adam and Eve was a murderer. That’s what sin creates. God’s “firstborn” is the eternal Son of God, who, when He becomes man, He is then the first among many brothers–because we’re all adopted into the family. These ancient ideas are all a setup: they’re equipping and preparing us to see and believe something that no one could have expected or made up. The scriptures have a wholeness and a unity that is mysterious and remarkable, pointing to their author–the Holy Spirit.

Hebrews 12:2 | This is one of the most incredible verses in all of Scripture because it gives us a glimpse into the very heart of Christ. The cross was brutal. He endured torture, shame, and the full wrath of the Father. The author of Hebrews says, “He endured the cross…” But why? “For the joy that was set before Him…”
So here’s the big question: What was the joy? What made it all worth it? The answer is you. You were the joy set before Him. He went through the suffering of the cross because He wanted you–redeemed, restored, and with Him forever. That’s how much He loves you.
So, the next time you sin and feel flooded with shame, thinking, “God must love me less. There’s no way He still wants anything to do with me,” remember this verse. He didn’t go to the cross reluctantly. Nobody made Him do it. He went joyfully, because you are His joy, His prize, the apple of His eye.

Friday
Leviticus 6:1-21 | The Nazarite Vow | Take a careful look at this section and remember it when we get to the story of Samson in the book of Judges. Samson takes this vow and then breaks pretty much every part of it.

Leviticus 6:22-27 | This blessing will be fully realized when we enter into eternity and God shines his face upon us. I can’t wait.

Hebrews 13:7 | This is the writer’s interpretive principle: Jesus never changes. Therefore, all of the details of the law and the tabernacle and the sacrificial system have power to teach us. Even the way that Jesus was crucified outside the city of Jerusalem is predicted in the rules of the law! You had to go outside the camp in the law to deal with the ugliness of sin and the demands of atonement. In the same way that you had to leave the camp, they also left the city to crucify Jesus. They enacted the law of the atonement sacrifice without even intending to, revealing to us all of these thousands of years later that the events in the Bible simply aren’t fiction. They are a revelation of the consistent saving work of a loving God across all of history.

Week 8

February 17-21
[M] Leviticus 8-11; Ps 110; Hebrews 4
[T] Lev 12-14; Psalm 111; Heb 5
[W] Lev 15-18; Psalm 31; Heb 6
[T] Lev 19-20; Heb 7
[F] Lev 21-23; Heb 8

Dwell Plan Day 36-40 | CSB | Digital PDF | Printable PDF

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Notes from Jon & Chris

Monday
Leviticus 8-10 |There is a drama here that happens across these three chapters. We began Leviticus with details on the offerings. It’s fairly dry stuff at times. It’s hard to keep track of all the differing types of offerings and their purposes. But the story pivots in chapter to 8 to focus on Aaron and his sons. This is extremely important. As you read it, notice how much blood and sacrifice is required just for Aaron and his sons to do their work. It’s a lot, covering them from head to toe, splashed on the altar, sprinkled all over their clothes. This culminates in God responding with fire, dramatically coming from His presence, licking up the offering off the altar. Everyone saw it and had a real worship moment. (Leviticus 9:24)
But then something horrible happens: two of Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, decide to do some of the offerings their own way. The Bible calls it “unauthorized fire”, and they pay for it with their lives–right in front of their dad. And then Moses says to him, and to their uncles, that they’re not allowed to grieve until all of their work of consecration is done.
It’s a grim scene. It makes me pray double for my own sons. It’s what the writer of Hebrews has in mind when he writes that our God is a consuming fire. This isn’t a different OT God of wrath either. Remember Ananias and Saphira? One interpretive help is to see the similarities there: In the book of Acts, God is creating His first church, much like in Exodus, God is creating His people in taking them out of Egypt. When the church is just getting started, there are miracles happening with a heightened sense of redemptive drama. Some of those miracles are also judgments, as in Ananias and his wife. We see the same kind of intensity in the book of Exodus, as the first tabernacle and the first priesthood are just being consecrated. Astounding miracles are happening around them, proving this is God’s work, increasing the redemptive arc and also bringing immediate judgments.
In these moments, what the Bible sometimes calls the “fulness of time,” we actually see ultimate reality breaking into our reality. Eternity is “breaking in” to time and space, in both Exodus and Acts. In those dramatic moments of God’s saving work, the eternal realities of blessing or judgment begin to become more and more visible. They reveal God is at work, and what kind of God He is.

Leviticus 9 | In this chapter, Aaron offers blood sacrifices for himself and the people, and when atonement is made, God’s glory appears, consuming the offering with fire. This points us to Jesus, our perfect High Priest, who shed His own blood on the cross as the ultimate sacrifice to fully atone for sin and bring us into God’s presence. Just like in Leviticus, where the shedding of blood was necessary for forgiveness, Christ’s blood secures our eternal redemption—proven by His resurrection, which shows that His sacrifice was accepted once and for all.

Psalm 110:1 | The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.” Out of all the amazing verses in the Old Testament, this verse is the most frequently quoted Old Testament passage by New Testament authors. It reveals Jesus as the exalted Messiah who reigns at God’s right hand (Matthew 22:44; Acts 2:34-35; Hebrews 1:13). Theologically, it affirms Christ’s divine authority, his ongoing reign, and the certainty of His final victory over the enemy. For us believers, this psalm is a reminder that Jesus is not only our Savior but also our King; ruling now, and ensuring that all things will ultimately be brought into submission to him. It’s incredibly comforting to think that right now, from heaven, Jesus is seated on his throne and ruling the world through his sovereign power.

Psalm 110:1 | Jesus loved this verse especially because it bugged the religious hotshots of the day. No one could explain what the heck David was saying back then. It wasn’t until Christ conquered death and revealed clearly he is the Son of God that this little riddle of a verse started to have clarity.
But don’t only focus on the amazing truth revealed. Notice also the wise way that Christ used spiritual truth. He knew what it meant. He also knew they didn’t. So he’s intentionally being enigmatic, playful, and impossible to pin down. Why? I think he’s hoping they’ll try to figure out his little riddle, and later, it might lead them to faith. It did for some! But also importantly, for us in our day, he’s wisely avoiding letting anyone just put him in a box.
When we depend on the Spirit, we will find the same sort of wisdom that Christ had. It is the wisdom of surprising truth, because when we say the really remarkable stuff the Bible says in some places, it’s just not like anything anyone is posting or saying or teaching in this world. Here’s one I like to share with all sorts of people: God’s advice when you’re around really wealthy people and you want their beautiful things is to imagine there’s a razor being pressed right up against your carotid artery. (Proverbs 23:1-4) That’s how dangerous it is to really want other people’s stuff. The Bible is weird. Move toward its weirdness like Jesus did.

Hebrews 4:12 | For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. This is our memory verse for February, but it could also be our theme verse for the whole year. Take a look at each clause one more time slowly and see the depth of the power of God’s word in our lives. Slowly reread each clause to experience the profound power of God's word in our lives.

Tuesday
Hebrews 5 | Do you see how the author of Hebrews connects the work of Christ with all that we are reading in Leviticus?

Psalm 111 | As you read this wonderful little poem, notice the use of the word “works.” In the Hebrew the same word appears in verses 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 10. But in verse 8 and 10 the ESV uses the English words “performed” and “practice” to translate the word “works.” But that misses a truth of the New Testament scripture, which may have been based on this poem: Remember that Paul tells us we are God’s “workmanship” created in Christ Jesus for “good works” so we can go and do them? This is the language of Ephesians 2:10, revealing that God is at work as we are at work. In this little poem of praise, the poet exalts and praises all of the many works of God, describing their power, faithfulness, and love. Then he connects us to God’s work, encouraging us in praise and adoration to claim our work as God’s in us.

Leviticus 12 | Remember as you read this chapter that is so odd to our ears, that being unclean or in a state of impurity wasn’t about being in a state of sin.

Leviticus 13-14 | The laws about leprosy in Leviticus cover a wide range of skin diseases, not just what we call “leprosy” today. The key idea behind these laws is that impurity spreads—if you touch someone unclean, you become unclean too. For generations, this was the norm in Israel. But then Jesus comes along, and everything changes.
In Luke 5:13 (also recorded in Matthew 8:3 and Mark 1:41), a leper approaches Jesus, desperate for healing. There’s a small but shocking detail—Jesus touches him. On the surface, it’s a beautiful moment: this man, likely untouched for years, feels human contact again. But something deeper is happening. In the Old Testament, impurity spreads outward, contaminating everything it touches. But when Jesus, the source of life and holiness, touches the leper, the opposite happens—instead of Jesus becoming unclean, the leper becomes clean. Instead of death spreading, life flows from Jesus to the sick man. This moment is a picture of the gospel itself. Jesus doesn’t just heal disease; he takes what is unclean, broken, and sinful, and he makes it whole.

Wednesday
Leviticus 16 | This chapter lays out the Day of Atonement, the one day each year when the high priest would enter the Most Holy Place to make a sacrifice for the sins of the people. Two goats were involved—one was sacrificed, and the other, called the scapegoat, was sent into the wilderness symbolizing sin being taken away. This whole ritual was a preview of what Jesus would do for us. As our perfect High Priest, he didn’t just offer a sacrifice—he became the sacrifice, shedding his blood to fully pay for sin once and for all (Hebrews 9:11-12). And just like the scapegoat, Jesus carried our sins away, suffering outside the city, so that we could be brought near to God (Hebrews 13:12). Now, because of Him, we don’t need yearly sacrifices—our atonement is finished, and our redemption is secure.

Psalm 31 | In his desperation, David writes this poem. The ESV translation captures the staccato rhythms of the Hebrew, creating a sense of tension in four imperatives in the first two verses. He then praises God for rescuing him out of their net, and tells God “into your hand I commit my spirit.” (v. 5)
By the Holy Spirit, these lines become the words of Jesus himself to his Father on the cross as he died. This makes this one of the “messianic psalms,” each of which refers somehow to Christ. As words from Jesus’ mouth, they have a special relevance to us. Notice the verse goes on to say “You have redeemed me, O LORD, faithful God.” Christ’s committing his spirit was an act of trust in God’s redeeming faithfulness.
As the poem goes on, we discover just how desperate David has gotten and how vicious his enemies are. Then in verse 20 there seems to be a deepening understanding. He’s become aware that God is his deepest need. His true shelter and safety is in God’s presence–literally the “hiding place of Your Face.” What the Holy Spirit revealed to David and through David, may he also reveal to us.

Thursday
Hebrews 7 | In this section of Hebrews, the author is making the case that Jesus is greater than the Levitical priesthood. There is a lot in here that I’d love to parse out in 20 sermons someday, but for now, I’d like you to notice what he says in verses 25-27. There are two ideas that, when properly understood, should bring us all into a posture of worship and adoration: 
When you went to the temple, a priest would sacrifice an animal on your behalf and maybe say a blessing over you. But this wasn’t a one-time thing; it had to be repeated over and over, year after year. Honestly, that must have been exhausting.
But then Jesus comes along (Hebrews 7:27), and his sacrifice is different—it’s once and done. No need to repeat it, no way to add to it, no way to make it better. It never fades, never wears off, and never needs to be reapplied.
That alone is incredible, but the author of Hebrews gives us one more reason why Jesus is greater than the priests: in the temple, a priest might pray for you, but then you’d move on, and he’d move on, probably never thinking about you again. Jesus, however, never stops interceding for you (Hebrews 7:25). He not only died to save you—he lives to pray for you. Imagine a first-century Jewish person hearing this after a lifetime in the temple system—what an amazing Savior!

Leviticus 19:18 | This little verse is just tucked away in here, but it becomes core to Jesus’ whole teaching. Love your neighbor as yourself. As you read the law, this is what’s at the core of it, the principle that’s being worked out time and time again.
This is what love looks like: we don’t do these awful things to people. But you might have noticed that the morals of the law are squished in with the laws about being clean and unclean and having nasty bodily “discharges.” It just sounds gross–and it is–but remember, nothing in the Bible is sacred except for God. Our stuff, our moral perversity and general slobbiness as humans, is all discussed in the Bible. And it all matters to God. Lots of these specific rules would make so much sense if you knew the original context. These original hearers did. They knew the point that God kept making: you are not like these other people around you. Don’t do the stuff they do; it’s awful. I want you to be different in tons of detailed ways, just to show how different you really are. 

Leviticus 20:1-7 | Child Sacrifice. I don’t want to make this long because I can hardly read this chapter without thinking about why these laws were necessary. All I want to say here is this: remember this chapter for when we get to the later Old Testament books. Verse 23 makes it clear that God wants them to be different from the people around them, but the people of Israel eventually follow their evil neighbors and turn to child sacrifice.

Friday
Leviticus 23 | In his book The Knowledge of the Holy, AW Tozer said, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” Many people envision God as a stern, distant figure—one who saves, yet watches with expectation for failure, ready to judge. This perception paints Him as grumpy, perhaps even unkind.
However, the God revealed in Scripture is entirely different. He is undeniably holy, yet also a God of profound joy and unfailing love. Rather than waiting for our failure, he calls us into his grace, inviting us to know him as he truly is. Look at what we see in this chapter: a God who tells his people, “Here, I have a command for you. Don’t forget to party and celebrate. In fact, build the whole rhythm of your life around these celebrations. And as you do this, remember all that I have done for you and be filled with joy!” Now that’s a God I want to know!

Hebrews 8:5 | Copies and shadows. There’s something so bright and beautiful about heaven, something so shiny and glorious, that all we can really see here are shadows. Shadows are all we can handle. But don’t you just want to peek at what’s behind the curtain? All of those details from Exodus about the tent and all the stuff in it are all pure, eternal, and glorious realities in heaven. Imagination is the servant girl of faith for us here, and the writer of Hebrews is setting us up for a flight of praiseful imagination!
At the same time we’re also being invited to consider the reality of the spiritual. The copies remind us that all of this “spiritual furniture” of heaven is even more real and durable than the couch in your living room. There is another reality, another spiritual dimension, that’s all around us. In some parts of the Bible that’s a warning about spiritual warfare, but here it’s an invitation to every child of God. God’s “home,” which is his Presence, is a place we’re always welcomed to find shelter and fellowship with him. And it’s as close as closed eyes in prayer, crying out to Him in faith. And voila! You’re actually there, before his majesty. That’s what makes Jesus’ promises so much better.

Week 7

February 10-14
[M] Exodus 32-34; Philippians 3
[T] Exodus 35-37; Psalm 26; Phil 4
[W] Exodus 38-40; Hebrews 1
[T] Leviticus 1-3; Psalm 27; Heb 2
[F] Lev 4-7; Heb 3

Dwell Plan Day 31-35 | CSB | Digital PDF | Printable PDF

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Notes from Jon & Chris

Monday
Exodus 32:24 | This might be one of the lamest excuses for sin written in the Bible. You see the same pattern from Adam and Eve–blame someone else! He doesn’t take real responsibility for what happened, and we’re going to see how this works out later: Aaron’s divided faith winds up destroying his family. But, in this moment, here he’s almost comical, until you realize that you’ve done the same sorts of things and played the same sorts of blame games. But what’s so astonishing is how this is a direct contradiction of everything they’ve heard and seen. It’s like the last 31 chapters didn’t even happen or didn’t make a dent in their thinking. Notice though: this is always the story. The disciples act the same way–blundering and misunderstanding the kingdom of God all the time. We should take great courage in this. As God’s people we consistently mess it all up. And as the God of grace, He consistently forgives, repairs, and provides. 

Exodus 32:7-14 | Moses intercedes for the people of God again and again. His prayer argument against God’s judgments makes Moses a preview of Jesus and His intercession. What do we learn? Argue for God’s glory, argue for His protection against a bad reputation, argue from His promises. Argue with Him on His terms and His character. Why else is this story here, but to also teach us how to wrestle with the Almighty? Our Savior is doing this actual work at this very moment. Let’s join Him at the throne.

Exodus 33:11 | True relationship with God is real, personal, and possible. In these ancient stories it’s rarer, but in the coming of Christ and His kingdom, Jesus calls His disciples friends. Moses is a picture of what’s possible for even the littlest faith, because we have the fullness of the Spirit now. Praise Him! 

Exodus 33:18 | “Please show me Your glory,” asks Moses. He meets with God as a friend, he performs miracles in God’s Name, he just spent 40 days and nights on the mountain with God, and what does Moses ask for? Gimme more. Even Moses’s request points to Jesus, because only Jesus could be the true answer to such a cry to God. What a rebuke to our self indulgent hearts–that we can indulge ourselves endlessly in Him. Let’s seek that together in Jesus and ask for it daily. Give us more.

Exodus 33:19 | “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” (NIV)  Remember this verse when we get to Romans 9.

Exodus 34:14 | We think of jealousy as a negative trait, and most folks are probably weirded out when this word is applied to God. But think about what it would mean to lose this attribute of God: What would it look like if God wasn’t jealous over his people? What would it mean if God didn’t care when people sought after idols? It would mean he didn’t love. Real love, of course, goes hand in hand with jealousy. When God says that he is jealous, what he’s really telling us is that he loves us so much that he can’t stand our chasing after lesser gods.

Exodus 34:29 | Moses is shining! When Jesus meets with Moses and Elijah on what we call the “Mount of Transfiguration,” he’s super shiny too. The language of Mark is that He was a brighter and purer light, cleaner than the best detergents could create. Christ is the second Moses! Again and again Moses has these little things in his life that point to Jesus. This is exciting because of the way it ties the whole story of the Bible together, making it one story about God’s love for sinners.
But there’s more excitement here to look for! If Moses can shine like Jesus with God’s Presence on him, what’s possible now? Or rather, what’s impossible for us? You don’t think whole mountains could jump into the sea, do you? Actually, if I stop a moment to remember His glory and power, I realize Twin Peaks and the other 47 hills in this city don’t have a chance. Not if we are a people seeking His face, reflecting His glory, and shining in the great darkness of this generation. Praise Him.

Tuesday
Exodus 35:21 | This is one of the early “offering basket” moments in God’s kingdom. It’s a fundraising program for building God’s house, something we’re all familiar with to this very day. But notice what it says, everyone gave “whose heart stirred him.” There’s something freeing about God’s kingdom–free of manipulation and coercion. God has a love and joy in the giver who gives out of the overflow of their hearts, out of gratitude and thankfulness, out of freedom and worship. Compulsion, guilt trips, and demands are not the way of our Father’s kingdom. These details in God’s ancient laws are little previews of Jesus and the whole New Testament, revealing the inner beauty of what our God builds by faith. He always has.

Exodus 35:31-35 | This little note is so encouraging. What is the work of the Spirit? He actually has two works in us. God gives us the Holy Spirit so we can do holy and good stuff. Quite practically, it is “skill, intelligence, knowledge, and craftsmanship” for Bezalel and Oholiab. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of action!
But notice how important the second part of His work is: they also get filled with the Spirit to reproduce and multiply their work through teaching! That’s also a work of the Spirit, and reveals how we should always seek the Spirit’s fulness.
The Spirit’s fulness isn’t really a spectacular worship event with tons of good feelings. It may have all that or not, but one part of His work at all times is to reproduce and multiply dependence on Him. Let’s all seek the fullest work of the Spirit in this age and this generation: to make Jesus–and His salvation–beautiful to all people. 

Psalm 26 | Some of David’s poems can be difficult to own for ourselves. At times we can’t relate, and some of that is cultural. These are poems that come from a different time and culture, and we can feel the disconnect.
But in this poem, it can feel even worse. David is writing a poem about how good he really is! That certainly doesn’t seem to sound right. Where’s his humility? Where’s his awareness of sin? But here’s where we can grow in spiritual maturity: You can’t take just one slice of David’s poetry and have the whole picture of who he is. He’s a complex and multi-dimensional person, a lot like you and me. His faith (and writing) at times does express his sins, failures, doubts, and complaints as well as his joys, wonder, and thankfulness at the goodness of God. David is a picture of a whole life lived for God, not just part.
In verse three, David tells us his real presuppositions. What he assumes is that he is walking in God’s faithfulness, not his own! So as David lists his good deeds, he’s just giving glory to God. And so the Spirit is teaching us too–revealing to us how to see our good works as works of God. And if they are works of God, they should be celebrated and praised and listed. You and I must do this too at times, especially when we feel so accused in our hearts about our sins and failures. It isn’t really David’s righteousness that he’s talking about, and he knows it. It is God’s steadfast love, right in front of his eyes. 

Philippians 4:4-9 | Memorize this. Ingest it deeply. Let your soul soak in it again and again. Bring it up to God, and ask for the promise it makes to be true. Channel your mind with this instruction on what to think about. Think of your heart, and of your worries and anxieties as things that harden your heart. They make it tough and resistant to God’s love and grace. This is the natural drift of who we are in this world.
But take this lesson from the cheapest cuts of meat off the cow: if you marinate even the most leathery top round, it becomes tender and juicy. Marinating your toughened heart in a text like this, by memorization and meditation on its truth, will soften and tenderize your heart and mind. 

Philippians 4:13 | “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”
This is one of the most misapplied verses in the Bible. This is not a call to strength and power, “I can do whatever I want ‘cause Jesus is on my team.” Look at the context: Paul is talking about suffering for Jesus, and then he says, “I can even suffer for him because he gives me strength.” So, when put in context, this is not a call to strength, but perseverance though suffering for the name of Christ Jesus.

Wednesday
Exodus 38-40 | Blueprints are hard to describe with just words. It isn’t easy to picture all of this stuff they’re making in your mind, so search the internet for “Old Testament Tabernacle” under images. You’ll get to see a whole bunch of guesses about what this big tent actually looked like.
And notice: God’s people are living in tents, therefore God lives in a tent. When God’s people live in houses, then God also lives in a house–called the temple. God is making a point here about His intentions, isn’t He? We all live in bodies of flesh in order to be human, so guess what God’s going to do: He too will live with us in a physical body. And that’s just the part before it gets even better. In a turnabout that exalts His kingdom, we get new bodies in His glory that are even better, so He can fellowship with us forever. Wow. And it all began with camping. Who would have thought? 

Hebrews | Today, we start the book of Hebrews. Tomorrow, we’ll start Leviticus. I want you to think about why the folks who put this plan together did that. The book of Leviticus isn’t a random set of weird sacrifice laws that are completely disconnected from New Testament theology. The law of Moses was fulfilled in Christ and that connection is made most clearly in the New Testament when we read the book of Hebrews.

Thursday
Leviticus | As we jump into Leviticus, please take a look at the Bible project video first. I promise it’s gonna help you see what’s going on here and how it all points us to Christ. Also, as you read this whole section on sacrifices and offerings (Chapters 1-7), ask yourself, “What was the point of this ritual? For sin? Peace? Thanksgiving?”

Leviticus 1-7 | This book is joked about as boring, and it can feel a bit inaccessible. We don’t slaughter animals for offerings in our culture. It’s viewed as distasteful even to slaughter animals publicly. Most of it happens behind closed doors. It offends our sensibilities.
But in Romans 12, we were told to “offer our bodies as living sacrifices.” (NIV) How can you know what that means, unless you learn about what sacrifices are? They show us that God is most holy. They reveal that nothing about us is holy. They reveal how necessary blood is for our rescue from guilt. They show how worship reflects the breadth of our Christian experience, as the sacrificial offerings represent guilt and thanksgiving, sin and peace. Ask the Spirit to show you how to offer up sacrifices of prayer and praise in all of these ways.
In its dry way, this book is slowly revealing just how huge the scope of God’s saving grace really is. Just how far it reaches. What kind of God is this? This book has a secret depth we can begin to see: The cross of Jesus represents all of the offerings combined, and the Spirit creates a “levitical” dimension to our daily worship and walk in repentance and faith.

Leviticus 5:15 | You are responsible before God, for all of the sins you did unintentionally and unknowingly. Think about that the next time you confess your sins to God. There’s an old expression that captures this. “There’s no ‘little sin’ in this world, because there’s no ‘little God’ to sin against.” He is a great and awesome and pure God, and we need a whole lot more forgiving than we’re even aware of. Christ had to die for all of that too. What a savior! Leviticus leads us to treasure Jesus. 

Psalm 27 | A poem for you when you’re scared! A part of being really frightened is getting overwhelmed. Problems and fears loom in your consciousness with a size you can’t manage.
David cuts through this with a beautiful simplicity. He seeks only one thing: to know God, which he describes in three different ways.
This clarity is a lot like the clarity Christ calls us to when He says to seek first the kingdom of God. When Christ teaches this, He goes on to say that everything else will then be added to you.
Notice how consistent the message of God’s love is across Scripture. List how many requests to God come out of this poem in verses 7-12! Gospel simplicity is the foundation for living in life’s complexity.

Hebrews 2:17 | Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
This is one of those verses that you could memorize, think about every day for years, and still not hit the bottom of its depths. Take a minute later today or tomorrow and just read it a few times. Look at all that this verse says about who Christ is and why he became one of us.

Friday
Leviticus 4 | Here is a great note from the NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible: “The promise of forgiveness is fulfilled in Christ’s giving himself as a sacrifice for sin (Rom. 8:3; Heb. 10:1–10).”

Hebrews 3:7-8 | This ancient warning is always in front of us, always a danger, always a call to awaken. There is an urgency about the good news that’s always been a part of it. This life is a window of grace, an open opportunity to know the living God. And in our lives there are particular windows of grace that open up, where God seems more real, and we have a greater desire to follow. Perhaps there’s a church or community that’s inviting you, that’s proving how true it all is. Or it’s a preacher that you connect with, who makes you want to believe. Or it’s an amazing answer to prayer that you just can’t explain other than Jesus.
Hear God say to you through all of these things: If you hear Me speaking–hear it in your heart and see it all around you–don’t resist it, and don’t be proud.
It’s so vital–and such a risk–that the writer of Hebrews quotes Psalm 95 three different times in this chapter and the next: Don’t harden your attitude or thoughts or heart about it. And hear the writer’s urgency about your “today,” because now that we know Christ, the stakes are eternal all around us. And we don’t know when our allotment of “todays” ends.

Week 6

February 3-7
[M] Exodus 16-18; Eph 4
[T] Ex 19-21; Psalm 33; Eph 5
[W] Ex 22-24; Psalm 109; Eph 6
[T] Ex 25-27; Psalm 90; Philippians 1
[F] Ex 28-31; Philippians 2

Dwell Plan Day 26-30 | CSB | Digital PDF | Printable PDF

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Notes from Jon & Chris

Monday
Exodus 16 | Take note at how this narrative shines a light at the gracious character of God. Think about the order of events. First, God saves the people twice (plagues and the Red Sea crossing), they worship him some (chapter 15) and then immediately they start the complaining. If you are a parent, you know the frustration that God must have felt. But instead of taking away iPad time, God blessed them even more and provided bread and quail for them to eat. Take a minute and really think about what this teaches us about His character. When we are awful, he is good. When we let our hearts sink into sin, he is filled with grace.

Exodus 16:20, 27 | We’re going to see this over and over again: very plain and clear instructions are not followed by God’s people. The “rules” don’t really work, and that’s something that these stories prove over and over and over. This becomes the proof for us all–laws and rules just make us want to disobey them and aren't of any use to us, except to reveal just how ruined we really are. The rules worked back then to show us our inability to rescue ourselves, how we can’t even follow simple instructions, and that just demonstrates how it’s all by grace alone. 

Exodus 17 | Make a mental note to remember this story of the Amalakites. It’ll come up again over and over.

Exodus 17:11 | What would your prayer life look like if you knew it had this effect? How would you act if your prayers starting or stopping were the difference between success and failure? Christ Himself takes the lesson–we know that because He’s constantly interceding. This picture of Moses is a picture of Jesus now! But it’s also an encouragement to us in our daily walk–our prayers for our pastors, our leaders, and our communities are just like that of Moses. It’s almost like Moses read Hebrews 4, boldly going to the throne of grace and grabbing it by his hand! 

Ephesians 4:8-10 | The ESV Study Bible has a helpful note on these confusing verses:
“lower regions, the earth: In the incarnation, Christ descended from the highest heavens to the lowest regions (i.e., to the earth), where he suffered, died, and was buried, but where he also defeated death and rose again. He then ascended (Acts 1:9) 40 days later to be seated in the highest heavens at the right hand of the Father (Acts 2:33).”

Tuesday
Exodus 19 I Have you ever wondered how powerful our sin nature is? Think about this. These people who witnessed God at Sinai will soon rebel against him. You’ve probably thought, “If only I could have been there to see something like this…” If you had been there, you’d have rebelled too. You were born with that same sin nature corrupting your very being. While thinking about this can be a massive bummer, it also leads us to see the beauty of the work of Christ. His death and resurrection remade you and the Spirit that lives in you now is even stronger than the sin that held power over you.

Exodus 20-23 | Lots and lots of rules here, with punishments listed. As you read, the death sentence looks pretty common for many sins, which can sound pretty severe. Some of this is context. Compared to other ancient legal codes, it’s actually quite merciful! But it’s also wise to read these laws and punishments as standards to help with judicial thinking. Some interpreters think this represents the maximum sentence permissible, not the required sentence at all times. Each situation had to be measured and judged individually with wisdom. By teaching the maximum sentencing of the law, the rules continue to reveal our need for grace–a grace greater than God’s mercy–as well as the absolute holiness of God.

Exodus 20:3 | “You shall have no other gods before me.” Here is a great bit by Martin Luther from his Larger Catechism. The idea is that this first commandment is the foundation that the others rest on. You can’t break any of the others without also breaking this one.
“Now, I say that whatever you set your heart on and rely on is really your god. The purpose of this commandment is to require true faith and confidence of the heart, which flies straight to the one true God and clings to Him alone. It is like saying, ‘See to it that you let Me alone be your God, and never seek another.’ In other words, ‘Whatever you lack of good things, expect it from Me, and look to Me for it. And whenever you suffer misfortune and distress, crawl and cling to Me. I, yes I, will give you enough and help you out of every need. Only do not let your heart cleave to or rest on any other.’”

Exodus 21 | One of the most common attacks on the scriptures is that they promote slavery. We’ll probably cover this topic in more detail later on, but let’s begin the discussion by noting a few key ideas: 

• First, note the context of these laws is the Exodus–the freeing of the people from slavery. It’s a leap to call a story about the freeing of a people from slavery “pro slavery.”

• Second, these laws were not meant to promote slavery, but to limit it and protect slaves in a time where slavery was the norm and humanity had no chance of eradicating it. When compared to other ancient law codes and cultures, it’s clear that God was moving his people towards a world of justice and love, but that he was doing it one step at a time. In the ancient world, slaves had no rights and were treated as property. These laws prevented that. 

• Third, the ancient world was a brutal and unforgiving world. A lot of slavery was self imposed indentured servitude due to poverty. And in fact, verse 16 specifically prohibits the “stealing of a man,” like we saw in the Transatlantic slave trade. 

• Fourth, slavery was an institution in every single society until the Christian abolitionist movement led by people of faith like Harriet Tubman, William Wilberforce, Frederick Douglass and the like. The way that they applied the idea of the Imago Dei and the inclusion of all mankind into the people of God led to the idea that slavery was evil and needed to be wiped out (we’ll talk more about this when we get to the New Testament epistle of Philemon). 

• Lastly, this isn’t to say that the church has clean hands. The church is filled with sinners shaped by culture more than we realize, and this has held true in church history with the institution of slavery. Some of our faith heroes were people who enslaved others and lived their entire lives with sinful blind spots to Biblical truth in this area (Jonathan Edwards and George Whitfield are examples). We, as the people of God, should own up to our history but at the same time we should appreciate the way that the Bible calls us to love and serve all people. We should be thankful for the truth of the upside-down kingdom of God that will find its pinnacle in the New Heaven and Earth where people from all races and social standings will join in one voice worshipping the Lord for (to borrow a phrase from Tolkien) making all the terribleness of our current world “come untrue.”

If you want to dive deeper into this topic, here are a few resources:
Gavin Ortlund Article (This is probably the best quick read) https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/is-bible-pro-slavery/
Confronting Christianity, Chapter 10, by Rebecca McLaughlin.
Ownership: The Evangelical Legacy of Slavery in Edwards, Wesley, and Whitefield by Sean McGever.
NSBT: Slave of Christ (New Studies in Biblical Theology) by Murray J Harris
The Bible Project - https://bibleproject.com/classroom/exodus-overview-carmen-imes/sessions/20
Andrew Judd Article (https://au.thegospelcoalition.org/article/bible-slavery/)

Exodus 21:23-25 | As we read the law and its many rules, look for the principles. The inner principles of God’s morality tell us about Him and the way the world really works. These few verses bring up a principle that all of these laws and rules are based on–this is the principle of restitution here–and as we look at the greater principle of justice it describes, we realize we have the basis for how the cross would work: There can be a payment for a crime or a loss or a sin as long as that payment is equal to or greater than the original loss. Christ’s payment in His righteous obedience and sacrificial blood meets the requirements of equity in the law. God is consistent and so is His rescue of sinners.

Wednesday
Exodus 24:10-11 | Dinner with God in His presence! This wouldn’t happen again until Jesus sat down with His disciples. That’s how we know this elders’ dinner is truly a promise of life in and with and before God! A little tasting sample of the coming marriage supper of the Lamb!

Ephesians 6:17-18 | “The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, and praying at all times in the Spirit” Paul is teaching that Spirit filled prayer is prayer that uses the word of God. That’s the sense of the grammar in those verses, and the repetition of the word Spirit. This is meant to encourage you–pray the way the Bible shows you to pray! Use its teaching to inform and shape and embolden your prayer life. This is a direct response to spiritual warfare around you and against you. Reading the Bible in a year is also meant to sharpen your prayer life! The sword play of reading our Bibles makes our prayers watchful and informed as we learn more about who God is and what He is like.

Thursday
Exodus 25-27 | As you read each one of these sections, ask yourself how each one of these aspects of the Tabernacle points to Jesus. Remember that the Old Testament is filled with images and patterns that are meant to point the people of God to the coming of Jesus.

Philippians 1:21-24 | I love the depth of faith that we see with Paul in these verses. “I’d rather die than live ‘cause if I die, I get to see Jesus face to face. But if he wants me to live a little longer to do more ministry, I guess that’s okay too.” What an amazing example of how the gospel gives us a new perspective on life and death!

Psalm 90 | This is the only poem by Moses in the Psalms. When you read it, think about his long life, his frustrations and failures as a leader, his passion for God, his suffering for his own mistakes, and his discouragement as the leader of God’s people. This poem has a lot of longing in it, as well as a sense of how short life is. This is the poem of an old and faithful servant of God as he considers his own life and what will remain after he’s gone. Learn from his wisdom. It was hard earned and filled with the Spirit.

Friday
Exodus 29:20 | This is where Aaron and his sons are consecrated for their priestly ministry. Two things to note as you read. First, all of this preparation and sacrifice and consecration–it all happens right before Aaron goes and leads the people to worship the golden calves. Yup. Right after learning all of this, Aaron goes and worships an idol. It’s like none of this ever even happened. Like God hadn’t spoken and appeared in fire and smoke on the mountain, saying that idolatry is the very first thing you must not do. Crazy.  But that’s why you have verse 20. Because, secondly, Aaron and his boys get the sacrificial blood on their right ear, their right thumb, and their right big toe. What’s the point of that? They are covered by the sacrificial blood, literally and figuratively head to toe, to signify a complete forgiveness for the whole person. And that’s exactly Aaron’s deepest need, because he’s going to quickly discover that he’s a failure too. The need is clear in our Bibles from the very start: our sinful condition is that bad and only a complete rescue will work. That’s the story of Exodus and Romans–the good news that God loves sinners and He provided a complete sacrifice to save us. 

Exodus 31:3 | This is the first time folks are filled with the Spirit in the Bible! Notice this–it isn’t about a charismatic experience or a spiritual high. It’s about being able to do stuff, to make things that are beautiful, to make art for worship! Not only does this make art holy, it teaches us that the Holy Spirit is, above all things, practical. We need Him for the most basic actions of obedience and faith! Inviting the Holy Spirit into your life and heart is an invitation to action!

Week 5

January 27-31

[M] Exodus 1-3; Gal 5
[T] Ex 4-6; Gal 6
[W] Ex 7-9; Psalm 105; Ephesians 1
[T] Ex 10-12; Eph 2
[F] Ex 13-15; Psalm 114; Eph 3

Dwell Plan Day 21-25 | CSB | Digital PDF | Printable PDF

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Notes from Jon & Chris

Monday
Exodus 3:14 | One of the strangest and most spiritually ironic stories comes out of this verse. In this book, in 17 chapters or so, we’re going to be introduced to the ten commandments. They’re pretty famous and well known, but one of those commandments is specifically about God’s Name. You’re not to speak God’s Name in a vain way—as a worthless thing. This is an old usage of the word “vain” to mean something empty and meaningless. This word is also used to describe idols! The ancient scribes, who copied the Old Testament by hand, were very religious. But being “religious” in the bible isn’t a compliment. It means being more about rules than about relationships - especially a relationship with God. Anyway, they were overachievers and wanted to do extra “homework” on this commandment, just to be sure that they would obey it. (Nevermind that God said not to add or to take away from His law; see Deuteronomy 4:2.) So, what’s the best way to make sure that no one uses God’s Name wrong? Misspell it! Yes, that’s right, they intentionally misspelled God’s name so folks would see God’s Name and not accidentally say it. If they did, they would be saying it wrong and thereby not disobey it. Sounds kind of clever, doesn’t it? They took the vowels from the word Adonai, which means master, and put them into God’s personal Name. To this day, when the bible is read in the synagogue the reader says out loud “ADONAI” when they see God’s Name misspelled, to keep up the ancient tradition. But get this, those scribes were so thorough in their religiosity, we actually have no records of God’s Name in the Hebrew with the original spelling! Imagine that, the one word we don’t know how to spell in our bibles is God’s Name! Here’s the irony though. By rejecting Jesus, the religious Jews who didn’t accept Him (remember that many did) missed the same personal relationship with God the same way they missed it  in changing the spelling of God’s personal Name! It’s just a religion to those who make up silly rules, it isn’t personal or intimate. It’s more of a game of holiness than any personal transformation. What the scribes couldn’t see, was that God offering His personal Name was the invitation to know Him as a Person. Misguided religious zeal does what it always does, it hides the beautiful grace that moves an eternal love.

Galatians 5:12 | If you want to know how upset Paul is about religious “rules” instead of grace, you just need to read this verse. He’s telling them they aren’t going far enough on this whole circumcision thing. They aren’t committed enough. If you’re going to obey the law, you better go all the way. Please cut the whole thing off! Paul tells it like it is, but more importantly, this reveals how strongly and violently we are to oppose all self righteousness, including our own! 

Galatians 5:16 | There’s something in the core of our faith that is utterly supernatural. You want victory over the desires of your flesh? Walk by the Spirit! How do you get more of the Spirit? How do you walk in step with the Spirit?  You ask Jesus and look for it. It’s unnatural from beginning to end. Praise Him!

Tuesday
Exodus 4:21 | Take notice in the next handful of chapters of the back and forth between God hardening Pharaoh's heart and Pharaoh hardening his own heart. It brings up the question, “Who is doing the hardening?” Here is an excerpt from the note in the Biblical Theology Study Bible that doesn’t go in-depth but helps us not lose perspective:
“But, however we resolve the problem of Pharaoh’s heart, two important points must be remembered: (1) The main concern in this section of the book is to demonstrate that the Lord, not Pharaoh, is ultimately in control, as indicated by the recurring phrase “as the Lord had said” (7:13; 8:15, 19; 9:12, 35). (2) God’s sovereign control of these affairs does not absolve Pharaoh of blame because, like all sinners, he remains fully responsible for his refusal to obey God (Rom 9:16–18).”

Wednesday
Psalm 105 | I love the way this reading plan connects Psalms to the readings of historical situations. We just read about the plagues in Egypt, and now we get to Psalm 105.  This Psalm is a prayer of remembrance that points the hearts of the people back to the work of God in Exodus. I think there is an encouragement here, not just in the content of the Psalm, but in the form. It’s so easy to pray as if we are the center of the gospel story. But we aren’t at the center. God is. What would your prayer life look like if you spent more time praying like the author of this Psalm? Maybe give it a try. Sit down for a few minutes and just thank and praise God for his work (both in the stories of scripture and in your own lived experience)

Ephesians 1 | As we dive into the book of Ephesians (just like we did with Galatians), I want to share an encouraging thought with you: remember, we’re here to read, not to scrutinize every single word. It's easy to get caught up in the pressure of "I have to catch every detail," and let that turn into feelings of inadequacy.

Take a moment to consider this: when Martyn Lloyd Jones preached through Ephesians, he covered chapter 1 in 37 sermons! That just goes to show how much depth there is in these epistles. So, as you read, focus on the bigger picture, and give yourself the freedom to revisit the details later on.

Ephesians 1:3 | These “heavenly places” are only referred to in Ephesians and there’s a reason for that. Ephesus had the temple of Artemis. Its claim to fame was a statue of Artemis, made from a meteor. Literally they thought they had a god who had fallen out of heaven! So, in answer to that and to encourage the Christians who had to live in this town, around this super popular worship spot, Paul mentions our blessing and our position “in heavenly places.” After this verse he mentions it 4 more times - Ephesians 1:20, 2:6; 3:10; and 6:12. Don’t fear the “gods” who come from heaven, in Jesus you’re already seated there! This also teaches us to read Paul carefully. He isn’t rambling in his letters, he’s carefully encouraging and teaching folks in practical ways that apply to their situation. That’s real pastoral care. 

Thursday
Exodus 12 | The Passover: This is the clearest instance in the Old Testament of God sovereignly ordaining an event to come to pass in order to create patterns to teach his people. In Biblical studies, we call this “Typology.” There is a small idea that points to a bigger one. In Exodus 12, a lamb dies, and blood is painted on the doorposts in order to let judgment and death pass over the households of the people of God. The lamb typology is developed all throughout the Old Testament until it finds its peak in the life and death of Christ. Take a look at what John the Baptist says, “The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’” (John 1:29) Or think about how the death of Jesus took place at Passover. Or think about the lamb imagery all through Revelation (don’t worry… we’ll get there eventually). This idea is so crucial to our faith. A lamb dies, and his blood covers the people of God so that they avoid the judgment of God. What happens in Exodus 12 with the Passover lamb is important. What happens with the Lamb of God the foundation of our salvation.

Exodus 12:7 | Blood on the door, staining the jambs and dripping from the lintel. Again and again, it’s all about the blood. Gory and visceral, it reaches into the guts of life and connects our God and our rescue with the most elemental things of this world. So much blood, so much sin and judgment, so much grace for sinners. This is all preaching and shouting “Jesus!” How will God not judge us? He will pass over our sins because of the cross, stained and dripping with the blood that rescues us all. This makes their faith the same faith as our faith, trusting in God for a sacrifice that could deliver from judgment. These folks are our brothers and sisters, just with a much shorter Bible! Same salvation, different day!

Exodus 12:38 | “A mixed multitude also went up with them, and very much livestock, both flocks and herds.” In this middle of all this exciting stuff about plagues, Passover, and exodus is this weird little, often overlooked, but crucially important verse. We live in a world of sinful division, racism, and clan mentality. The ancient world was the same way. That’s the way of Babylon. But the way of the kingdom is upside-down. So, if Babylon is about sinful division, the kingdom of God is about unity. We see this clearly in Acts 2 at Pentecost and then fleshed out in the rest of the New Testament, especially in Revelation, where the army of the Lamb is comprised of people from every nation and tribe. But what I want you to see is that this image doesn’t start in Acts 2; it begins in the Old Testament. We see it here: the group that left Egypt and headed to Sinai wasn’t just made up of ethnic Hebrews. It was a mixed-up group of people. In his book From Every People and Nation: A Biblical Theology of Race (which I highly recommend), the theologian and Bible scholar J. Daniel Hays makes the case that this group included Hebrews, Egyptians, and dark-skinned African Cushites. He says that from the beginning of the Exodus, what glued the people of God together wasn’t ethnicity, but theology. As we move into the sections of the Torah about the law, and later into the history and prophets, keep this in mind. The Old Testament Covenant was always meant to chip away at the structures of racism and tribalism that are produced by the human heart until the New Testament Church comes along to smash its very foundations.

Friday
Exodus 13:21–22 | And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.

When Moses met God at the burning bush, God was in the fire. Here, a pillar of fire leads the people around the desert. In a little bit, we will read about the fire of God’s presence at Sinai. Then we’ll see the fire of God at the dedication of the Tabernacle in the wilderness, and in a few hundred years, at the dedication of Solomon’s temple. When the ancient people thought of the presence of God, they thought of this fire. But it was always localized. If you wanted to be near God, you needed to head up to the temple in Jerusalem. 

Maybe you can see where I’m headed with this? Think about Acts 2:3 “And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.” In the Old Testament, the fire is way over there somewhere. But after the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, and the coming of the Spirit in Acts 2, the very presence of God indwells his people. We are all walking temples, carrying around the Spirit of God everywhere we go. I’ve always wondered how the Exodus generation could be such blockheads after witnessing the plagues and the fire of God and all that cool stuff. But now they’re all dead, and thery’re all probably wondering how I can be such an idiot when I carry around that fire and the presence of God the Holy Spirit in my very soul. Ironic, isn’t it?

Exodus 13:22 | It’s so easy to think, “Wow, if I saw a pillar of fire or smoke, I’d believe all of this stuff easily!” But you’re telling on yourself when you think things like that. You think it’s about seeing. It’s isn’t about proof, or even seeing someone rise from the dead. If your heart is dead, you’ll just explain it away and won’t believe. The only way to understand anything is by the Spirit. Period. So you're telling on yourself more deeply than you think. In effect, you’re saying “I’m clever enough and wise enough to see those amazing things and realize it’s got to be God. I wouldn’t need any help if I saw wonders like that.” And that’s just proud independence—you know—the kind that God opposes. Ask Him to enlarge your faith today!

Ephesians 3:14-21 | Paul can’t do his theology in the abstract. Not at all, because it’s all real to him. His “theology” is totally devotional, popping out of his writing in prayer and praise in every letter he wrote. In fact, his goal is that we would experience God the way he does—it’s what he prays for! This is your homework this next week: pray this prayer for yourself and others around you for a whole week. See what it does to your “theology”!

Week 4

January 20-24
[M] Genesis 41-42; Mark 16
[T] Gen 43-44; Psalm 24; Galatians 1
[W] Gen 45-46; Psalm 108; Gal 2
[T] Gen 47-48; Psalm 25; Gal 3
[F] Gen 49-50; Gal 4

Dwell Plan Day 16-20 | CSB | Digital PDF | Printable PDF

Notes from Jon & Chris

Monday
Genesis 41 | Christ’s kingdom is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Look at Joseph, he’s a living example of how the last will be first in God’s kingdom. God exalts the lowly and the humble, but opposes the proud.

Genesis 42:6 | The brothers bow down in fulfillment of Joseph’s dream in chapter 37.

Mark 16:7 | “…and Peter…” Imagine the shame and guilt that has flooded into Peter’s heart at this point. Peter has denied the Lord and now he’s dead. He’s probably hopeless and lost. But then, the angel tells the women, “Go and tell everyone that Jesus has resurrected. And make sure that you especially tell Peter.” What an amazing picture of grace. This was God’s way of telling Peter that, “You messed up but I’m not done with you yet.”

Mark 16:9-20 | Here is the note from the Biblical Theology Study Bible that explains what’s going on with the ending of the Gospel of Mark:“Scholars almost universally agree that this section is a later attempt, perhaps by a second-century scribe, to rectify the perceived problem of v. 8 (see note on v. 8). The earliest and best manuscripts do not have these verses; they are unknown to a number of early church fathers; and the vocabulary and style differ from the rest of Mark.”

Tuesday
Genesis 44:33-34 | “Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the boy as a servant to my lord, and let the boy go back with his brothers. For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I fear to see the evil that would find my father.” 
This verse is the pinnacle moment in this whole section of Genesis. Joseph isn’t pulling all these pranks on his brothers because he is starting a hidden camera YouTube channel. He’s doing all of this as a test of character. And here, with the life of Benjamin on the line, we see that the character of the brothers is not what it was before. Years ago, they sold Joseph into slavery to get rid of him. Now, Judah is willing to give up his own life to save his brother. Their hearts have been changed. They have been transformed by YHWH.

Psalm 24 | The poetry here is beautiful, as David personifies the gates of the city and commands them to open for God. This poem is about ascending up the hill to go to the tabernacle, but then it switches on you. God is the one entering in, the King of Glory! What a promise of intimacy with God and hope in His glory and power. The idea that God walks through gates like a human isn’t just metaphorical, it is a promise of the God who becomes human to live with us. This is the God who enters into our world, and we are His dwelling place now. What a picture this becomes of the church and our own hearts!

Galatians 1:5-6 | Notice Paul’s startling use of contrasts here in his prose. “Glory to God forever and ever. Amen.” is classic Paul: he’s writing and praising at the same time. He can’t write theology without doing the work of praising God. But look at the stark contrast his worship creates. “I’m astonished that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you in the grace of Christ.” His worship of God and praise of His grace is a foil, dramatically revealing how contrary to God’s glory their distorted gospel truly is. This is good writing, where the grammar and word choices reveal how true abandonment of the gospel is a rejection of God’s eternal glory.

Galatians 1:8 | Paul takes the gospel very seriously. This word for accursed in Greek has crept into the English language: it’s the word anathema, which has come to mean in the dictionary “something wholly contrary to one's beliefs or values.” In Greek it’s a stronger word with a more desperate sense: “something delivered up to divine wrath, dedicated to destruction and brought under a curse.” It’s something faithful preachers have been saying ever since: the good news is good news because God loves sinners and only requires trust in Him for salvation. It is that free and that good and that complete. Anyone who says different, even me, don’t listen to them.

Galatians 1:10 | Good pastor tattoo, but it applies to all of us. It’s binary: a or b. You can please humans or you can please God. You can’t do both and be Christ’s servant. Period. I think I need this tattooed on my heart!

Galatians 1:24 | “And they glorified God because of me.” It’s interesting how many of us have taken the path of Oprah-self-help stuff. We make resolutions every January, we write affirmations on mirrors, we read books about habits, we diet, and we do all kinds of these things. And there is nothing inherently wrong with improving ourselves, but I think it’s very easy to put all of our energy on temporal improvement. If you lose weight, that’s great. But eventually, your body is going to die and be eaten by worms. If you manage your schedule well, that’s a good thing. But eventually, all that you accomplish will fade away and in a generation or two you will be forgotten and nobody will remember that you were a super organized person.
I love Paul’s attitude in this section of Galatians. He’s excited about one thing: that his life led to the glory of God. Spending time working to glorify the name of God is a pursuit that impacts eternal things. I’m sure that he was organized, and with all of his walking around the Mediterranean world, I’m sure he was in great shape. But he doesn’t put any real value or trust in that. All he values is the glory of God.

Wednesday
Galatians 2:11-14 | Peter (Cephas) knew Jesus personally. He ate with him after the resurrection. He was filled with the Spirit at Pentecost. He healed people. He brought a woman back from the dead. And then he fell into sin and had to be confronted by Paul. Don’t ever get to the point where you let your guard down. You will battle sin until you see Jesus face to face. Until then, wage war.

Thursday
Genesis 48:14-20 | Israel blesses the younger brother. He’s keeping the pattern going with the upside-down kingdom of God.

Psalm 25:7 | Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions, according to your steadfast love remember me
Also, maybe, remember not the sins of my not-so-youth.

Psalm 25:11 | For your name’s sake, O Lord, pardon my guilt, for it is great Look at the reason David gives when he asks for grace. We are so selfish that we think our salvation is all about us. But the scriptures consistently tell us that even our salvation is more about the glory of God than it is about us.

Galatians 3:3 | This makes a good memory verse. It’s short and to the point, and the point is always relevant. We all get started by faith and by the Spirit. That’s how we become Christians! We trusted in Christ and the Holy Spirit did His work in rebirth. But there’s a detour we can take right here, a wrong turn in our walk with God. We can imagine “God has done this amazing thing in me, and now I have all the tools I need to go and live a holy life, I just need to follow the rules and be righteous.” It’s a bit naive and an easy error. God did this wonderful thing for me, and now I need to do good things for Him. That makes sense to our flesh, our worldly point of view. But what Paul is saying is: this is wrong. It’s proud independence and totally contrary to the heart of grace. There is no earning any longer. None! And there is no independence either. None! The Spirit who began new life in us is the same Spirit who sustains that new life in us! It’s grace upon grace for us. 

Friday
Genesis 49:10 | A whole bunch of foreshadowing is going on here: predicting the character and experience of God’s people centuries later. Each tribe of Israel is described in Jacob’s blessing his sons.  Notice how Jacob is prophetic specifically about Judah. He’s predicting that the royal line will come out of him,  as it will in David. But if we look more closely, we see how the promise is too big—this is a scepter that never leaves Judah— and we know it did in 587 BC. This is a messianic prophecy, hinting at a king who is coming, a king greater than any other king. 

Genesis 50 | The patriarchs make a lot of fuss about where they’re buried. It isn’t superstition or preference or tradition driving that. They are supposed to remember God’s promises. Egypt is not their home and never really will be. This is another consistent theme of God’s kingdom we see over and over again. We are sojourners here, and this world is not our home. God has prepared a place for us in heaven, just like He did for His people in Palestine. By being buried in the land that God had promised to their descendants, they were claiming those promises. It’s an entirely different way to live, setting our eyes and hopes on a city whose builder and maker are God. It’s the way God’s people have always lived. 

Genesis 50:20 | As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.
This is a pattern that we see in scripture. God uses the evil of humanity to bring out his ultimate purpose. Here, the brothers meant evil against Joseph, but God used this to save everyone in the land from starvation. This pattern finds its ultimate fulfillment in Christ.
In Acts 2:23, Peter echoes this idea “…this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.” Just as the brothers meant evil against Joseph, the people meant evil against Jesus. But even the evil in this world in under the sovereignty of God, and the plan for his glory and our salvation will be accomplished.

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Week 3

January 13-17
[M] Genesis 28-29; Mark 11
[T] Gen 30-31; Psalm 11; Mark 12
[W] Gen 32-34; Psalm 145; Mark 13
[T] Gen 35-37; Psalm 12; Mark 14
[F] Gen 38-40; Mark 15

Dwell Plan Day 11-15 | CSB | Digital PDF | Printable PDF

Notes from Jon & Chris

Monday
Genesis 28:6-9 | Even when Esau tries to do what pleases his mom and dad, he misses the mark. He thinks he gets it, by now going to get a wife from extended family, but that isn’t what they really want. Even his best efforts are still wrong. You will see this kind of “missing the mark” in folks who are trying to be religious, but not out of faith. This is here to create questions in our hearts. Do we have real faith?

Genesis 29:15-25 | If you have time listen to this Tim Keller sermon.

Mark 11:9-10 | Hosanna actually means “save us” which is quite an ironic thing for all of these folks to be shouting. That’s what He’s doing, saving them—even though these same voices will be shouting “crucify Him” in a few days. He answers both cries in His sacrifice. God will not be mocked, He accomplishes everything—even through, and despite, and in our cursing souls.

Mark 11:12-26 | This passage is what we call a “Mark Sandwich.” The technical term is chiasm. A chiasm involves two stories. The author takes one story, splits it in half, and jams another story in the middle, in order to make a point. Here, the story of the fig tree is split with the cleansing of the temple as the meat of the sandwich. The fig tree was a national symbol of Israel (kinda like a bald eagle for the USA). So Jesus curses the fig tree. Cleanses the temple. Then the fig tree is dead. The religion of Israel was always meant to point to Christ. Now that he was here as the true and better lamb of God, it was no longer necessary.

Tuesday
Genesis 30 | Multiple Wives? It is very important not to confuse the didactic with the descriptive. Or to put it more plainly, don’t confuse the parts of the Bible where we are taught the law and will of God with the parts of the Bible that simply describe what happened with sinful people. In the teaching parts of scripture, it’s clear that God’s plan for marriage is for a loving relationship between a woman and man (see Ephesians 5:22-33). In the narrative parts of scripture, in every instance where someone goes along with the cultural norm in the ancient world of having multiple wives (or concubines), it goes horribly wrong. It happens here with Jacob’s sons. It happened with Abraham (Sarah and Hagar). And it’ll happen with David and Solomon too.

Genesis 31 | Where does success come from? And when it comes, what do we do with the problems it creates? How do we handle jealousy in God’s kingdom? These are the kinds of questions that are presented to us. Prosperity brings liabilities and jealousies. We should not be surprised by this sort of thing. But Jacob does everything he can to do the right thing and to be a blessing to Laban, even though Laban is using him. God protects and blesses Jacob anyway. We can see these kinds of dynamics at work, where our labors are taken advantage of, as folks get rich off of our diligence. Don’t be afraid of that stuff. Trust God’s promise to Jacob which also comes to you, reiterated and doubled down on by Jesus: “I will be with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Mark 12:13-40 | In the ancient Near East, there was this method of debate that was very similar to our modern rap battles. Two theologians or scribes would debate in front of the crowd and the crowd would decide when it was over and who won. This section is one of those theological rap battles, and Jesus clearly comes out on top.

Mark 12:36 | Jesus quotes Psalm 110:1. This is the single most quoted or alluded to Old Testament verse in the New Testament. The apostles really loved this verse.

Wednesday
Genesis 32 | Jacob gets a new name from God: Israel. Jacob means “liar” and Israel means  “one who wrestles with God.” What kind of character arc is Jacob on here? He leaves this encounter wounded for the rest of his life. This reminds me of the wounds that Christ bears even after His resurrection. The ways that God wounds us in our intimacy with Him are precious, they are wounds that shine into eternity with God’s glory. There are parts of our brokenness here in this world that are going to mark us, and the way they mark us and the way we carry them, these all point to the glory and work of Jesus in us. 

Genesis 34  | This chapter is extraordinarily sad. G.K. Chesterton once said, “It is surprising that people have rejected the doctrine of original sin because it is the only doctrine that can be empirically verified.” We see that clearly here.
This is also a bit of foreshadowing. The people of God would again and again use the covenant, which had as its sign circumcision, as an excuse for being wicked. The judgment on them is obvious, taking the very sign of God’s loving relationship with them, and using it as a surprise tactic to destroy others. The people of God haven’t materially changed all that much, have we?

Mark 13 | The Olivet Discourse is one of the more confusing and misinterpreted passages in the scriptures. Remember, we aren’t after an exhaustive knowledge in our 2025 read-through. Don’t feel bad that this is confusing. Just read it through prayerfully and let your questions sit there. That’s ok.
However, if you want to dive in a little more and have some free time today, the late great theologian R.C. Sproul preached this passage in two sermons.
https://learn.ligonier.org/sermons/mark-olivet-discourse-part-1
https://learn.ligonier.org/sermons/mark-olivet-discourse-part-2

Thursday
Genesis 35 | Jacob does an idol inventory and gets rid of them all—and this is long after he’s expressed faith and worship. He sees the idols as obstacles now, as something offensive and impure. He tolerated them before, but now he’s repenting. This describes something we all need to be doing, especially as we grow in Christ and begin to see, as we draw close to Him, what really offends Him in our lives.

Genesis 36 | There’s a lot of these lists coming in the Bible, endless names and genealogies that mean nothing to us. Why do we read these then? It’s a reminder: These lists meant something very practical to the original readers. They explain the politics and complex relationships all around them in Palestine. There are ongoing stories all around them and the point is this: God is also God of those who don’t know Him or follow Him. And every person is important, however anonymous they seem. Their generations are under His care in every detail. What these lists do for us is remind us of our own lists. You could write up a list too, of everyone you know and everyone you’re somehow related to. God cares for that list as much as the one here in Genesis! If we can read these ancient lists and know they’re in God’s word, how much more can we also pray through our own lists of people and hope for God’s work in them! Pray through your lists—lists please God!

Genesis 37 | Joseph must have been so annoying as a teenager, so much so that even his dad has to tell him off. It creates quite a character arc for “daddy’s little favorite,” doesn’t it?

Psalm 12 | Be encouraged that the words you’re reading, they’re perfect words. But notice that the poet doesn’t teach the purity of God’s word to win an argument. Not at all! The purpose of God’s inspiration of Scripture is so the needy and the pushed down have sure and certain promises! The perfections of God’s words are the great personal treasure of those who need God’s promises the most!

Mark 14 | Jesus has been predicting horrible things will happen to Him, and time after time the disciples don’t get it. They’re mystified and confused. How is it then, that this anonymous woman anoints Him for burial? How does she get it? One of the glories of God’s kingdom is how He reveals things to the folks no one is listening to, who no one feels are important. What an invitation to seek the work of God’s Spirit in us, even if we’re nobodies!

Friday
Genesis 38 | This chapter takes a break in the Joseph story to give us this incredibly disturbing story of Judah and Tamar. As we read this story, a big question arises, “Why include this here? What’s the point of this story?” Well, there is a lot here, but the big idea can be seen at the end of the chapter. 
Tamar has twins from prostituting herself with her father-in-law, Judah. And following the pattern of God’s upside-down kingdom, it’s the second twin, not the first, who is blessed. That second boy was named Perez. He was an ancestor of Boaz, the great-grandad of King David. And even more importantly, he is listed in both Matthew 1:3 and Luke 3:33 as an ancestor of Christ himself. And so, again, we see that God is faithful to use sinful people and circumstances to bring about a fulfillment of Genesis 3:15. Through the sinful descendants of Eve, a redeemer would come and put this broken world back together. 

Genesis 39 | Frequently in Joseph’s story, even as things go very wrong for him, God blesses him. God gives him favor in everything he does. This idea of God’s favor is very powerful, and it creates a longing in those who know God: to seek the favor of our God above everything else. Joseph is a picture of that, to encourage us to seek first God’s kingdom and all of these other things—they will be added to you. He’s an ancient picture of what Christ would teach about His kingdom! Track the way Joseph humbly walks, serves, and loves. He’s a picture of flourishing, faith, and faithfulness in a place of idolatry and immorality. He’s a sojourner who invests himself in where God has put him, a model to us and for us in our walk of faith. We have so much more than he did, knowing our favor with God is something secured by Jesus at the cross. Let’s walk in that favor everywhere we go!

Week 2

January 6-10
[M] Genesis 16-18; Mark 6
[T] Gen 19-20; Psalm 1; Mark 7
[W] Gen 21-23; Psalm 107; Mark 8
[T] Gen 24-25; Psalm 4; Mark 9
[F] Gen 26-27; Mark 10

Dwell Plan Day 6-10 | CSB | Digital PDF | Printable PDF

Notes from Jon & Chris

Genesis 16-27 | Notice the cycles of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They’re all very different in personality, but there are striking similarities in their actions and stories. The Bible is giving us a multi-generational perspective, so we can see how sins and character flaws, as well as faith and growth in grace, are passed on from generation to generation. We also see other patterns. Some kids embrace the faith, some not so much. It describes how normal our own family dysfunctions and blessings really are.

Genesis 18:1-16 | Many of us have heard the expression “be kind to visitors, some have entertained angels without knowing it.” Well, this is where that expression comes from, this strange visit of three men, who are described as somehow representing the actual presence of God Himself. But it gets even stranger—we’re given an insight into God’s thinking! The text describes an internal debate that God seems to be having. Some of this is anthropomorphic. That’s a fancy word for saying God is just portraying Himself like a human in order to connect with us and help us understand. This happens a lot in the Bible. It’s God’s form of baby talk, stooping down to speak in words and ideas that are easy for us to understand. Even so, we’re peeking into the mysteries of why God does things. There’s also a promise in this: somehow a human can actually be God speaking to us. That’s something to remember.  But it’s also an even bigger promise and hint of God’s intentions—He would become a human!

Genesis 18:22 | This is an amazing text when you know the Hebrew and the Masoretic tradition—which is the ancient Jewish tradition of handling the Bible. The text actually originally read like this (which is noted as a kind of footnote called a “toqueni sopherim.”) “The LORD remained standing before Abraham.” The ancient Jewish scribes felt that this idea of God standing in front of Abraham sounded wrong and impious. God doesn’t stand in front of us, we stand in front of Him! This makes God sound like a common house servant. Our modern translations continue the tradition of translating it according to the Jewish scribes for two reasons. First because the first English translators didn’t know about the Masoretic tradition. They didn’t understand the way they footnoted things. Secondly, even though we know now, most scholars agree that we should stay consistent with the Jewish traditions out of respect and consistency with the history of translations. But is that right? I’m not so sure. God taking the attitude and position of a servant is exactly what Jesus does. Seems like this is an ancient promise of God becoming human in Jesus again!

Mark 6:20 | I’ve always loved this little note—that king Herod loved to listen to John, even though he couldn’t really understand anything he was saying! I’ve had that happen in ministry, and this little verse has always given me hope. It’s also given me insight. The gospel sometimes does attract people who don’t believe, even if they don’t have the Holy Spirit or faith. That can be a bit confusing to a pastor, when someone is interested, but only superficially. You think it’s the Spirit, but then later on you realize they’re just curious about stuff they don’t understand. 

Genesis 19 | This is one of the most infamous parts of the scripture. There are a few ways Modern Westerners handle the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. The first temptation is to judge God. “I think he went too far.” The second temptation is to mythologize this passage. “It never really happened, it’s more like Aesop’s fables.” Both of those reactions to this passage force us to lose the purpose of this narrative in the storyline of scripture. 

What do we learn here, then? Three things. First, God hates sin. He’s not just annoyed by it. He hates it. Like we all hate the Dodgers level of hate. Second, he is right to judge sin. We don’t get to tell God what to do about sin. He is God, and we are not. But third, if you mythologize this story or tell God he is wrong, you miss out on the fullness of salvation. This passage teaches us about the depth of what Jesus went through on the cross. God hates sin, and he will judge it. But the good news is that Christ took all of that wrath in a real moment in history as he hung from a Roman cross. And so we look at this story and say, “The sin that God hates so much has roots deep in my heart. I deserve what these folks received and more. But I won’t face the wrath of God because I have a savior. A redeemer. A substitute. Thanks be to God!”

Genesis 19:30-38 | This is a morally repulsive and disgusting story about incest. So why is it in the Bible? One obvious reason is how it explains the beginnings of the two nations that God’s people would face many centuries later. It’s an origin story. But there’s something else here. God’s people, God’s faithful, all have problems. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are shown with their warts and faults. Here’s a basic principle for reading your Bible: there’s nothing sacred or holy in the Bible except for God. Our sinful wickedness and the awful things people do are all talked about and described. There’s nothing sacred about humans in their sins, and the Bible doesn’t flinch from speaking the truth.

There’s also a further implication for us to see, an insight into the larger Old Testament context. These surrounding nations, who don’t really know God or follow Him, they’re all just crazy wicked and disturbing. What’s the point of telling us this? God is showing to us just how bad it gets when you don’t know or follow Him. How did these two girls think of sleeping with their dad and think it was a good plan and okay? Look at where they lived. This was the state of morality of the town they lived in, the one that just got annihilated. They had seen this sort of stuff already. Ugh. These girls were raised in it. It's a mercy to be born in any culture that’s been influenced by biblical morality. Once you go outside of those boundaries, things get morally dark and weird pretty darn quick. That’s not to say that biblically influenced cultures aren’t awfully wicked themselves. They certainly are—it just can get a whole lot worse than you think. 

Genesis 20:7 | Abraham is a prophet! Isn’t that cool! Who knew?

Psalm 1 | I love the word delight in this Psalm. Here is the problem: sometimes doing our reading plan, being in scripture, and meditating on God’s word feels more like work than delight. What gives? J.I. Packer wrote a book on prayer and the tagline was “From duty to delight.” That works with scripture too, not just prayer. There is this idea that on the other side of duty lies delight. It’s like when you first start working out or eating healthy (or so I’ve heard from people who do those two things). Eventually, they get to a place where missing a day working out is a massive bummer. 

I’ve done a reading plan almost every year for the last handful of years. As someone who has done this a bunch, I just want to encourage you as you enter into week 2 of 52. At some point soon, you’ll say to yourself “Is this worth 20 minutes every day?” I promise that if you stick with it and read the scriptures to commune with God and not just for information, there is an overwhelming sense of delight on the other side of the duty and work.

Genesis 22 | This story seems nuts until you realize that God stayed the hand of Abraham and Isaac’s life was spared, but if you fast forward a few thousand years, on the same mountain, God was in a similar position, but the life of his son wasn’t spared. Remember that the Bible has been providentially ordered with patterns of small to great. This story is more than a test of faith. It’s a pattern guided by the hand of God to help his people understand better what Jesus did for them on the cross.

Psalm 107 | This poem has a more easily seen structure than many of the Psalms. Verses 1-3 are an intro and verses 33-43 are a kind of conclusion. In between, in verses 4, 10, 17, and 23 the poet talks about four different kinds of folks in four different situations. Wanderers, rebels, fools, and travelers. Each one suffers and finds an answer in God’s grace. Each one is told to be thankful to God for His grace. Guess the only question we’re supposed to ask ourselves is which one are we?!

Mark 8:17-18 | And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember?”

It’s really easy to read about how dumb the disciples were and how Jesus was constantly correcting them and think, “If that was me…” The truth is, if you were there, you’d do the same stupid things. You’d be at least as dumb as they were. Your heart is blinded by sin too. The real difference isn’t you. The real difference is that you live on this side of Pentecost. You have been given access to the Spirit who gives what Jonathan Edwards called “A divine and supernatural light.” So instead of being smug and judgmental, we should all be filled with thankful hearts for the Spirit of God who lives within us.

Mark 6:30-43; 8:1-9 | Why the repetition? Critical scholars, who don’t believe in inspiration, think these early writers got similar stories confused. When Christ explains the two feedings in Mark 8:20, they say that’s just the writer explaining away why both stories are included. But these scholars aren’t really listening to Jesus’ question in 8:21, are they? What is the point of Jesus feeding so many thousands several times? He’s asking them if they get the point. “Do you not yet understand?” This is the same sort of miracle that the people of Israel experienced in the desert! And the implication—Jesus is that same God! Do you understand that yet?

Mark 8:31 | Notice this: Jesus doesn’t tell them about His suffering, death, and resurrection until they’ve realized who He really is. That’s what Peter just did here. This is something to remember, that we all progress in truth which leads to a deeper understanding later, when we can handle it. Be patient with folks. People can’t really understand spiritual things until God shows it to them. And when that happens, there’s always more to grow into and understand. Even here Peter’s understanding is not complete in any way, but it’s a start. Let’s all look and pray for a start, both in ourselves and in others!

Mark 8:36 | God’s special verse of grace for over achievers and those who love success!

Genesis 24:47 | God’s people have worn nose rings! Should we start a new Christian trend?! 

Genesis 25:23 | “…the older shall serve the younger.” 

Here in Genesis, we see that God is very intentional in teaching his people that his Kingdom is not like Babylon (the kingdom of this world). In a culture where primogeniture was the way of life (where the older brother was the head of the family and the most important), God keeps on choosing the younger. Abel was younger than Cain. Isaac was younger than Ishmael. Here, Jacob is younger than Esau. David was the runt of the litter. Solomon wasn’t the firstborn. He does this to show his people that his ways are not our ways.

We’ll read more about this principle in our Mark passage for today (If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.) The ultimate example of this is Christ himself. The way he saves his people and defeats death is by giving his life. He is raised up by lowering himself. He brings life by dying. He wins by losing. The kingdom of God is (from the perspective of our world) completely backward and upside-down.

Mark 9:24 | Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

This is my favorite prayer in the whole Bible. It's so honest and it’s so relatable. 

Mark 9:29 | You’ll read this again and again in your Bible “some manuscripts add” or some version of that footnote. We have thousands of ancient hand written copies of these books. Much much more than any other ancient documents—most ancient books have ancient copies in the single digits. So we’ve got a lot of data! This includes extra phrases in some of those copies at times and this is one of those times. Don’t be alarmed! It doesn’t affect the meaning anyway. I always include it, because it seems to point out how extra measures are sometimes necessary in our faith. This isn’t works: fasting is a deep dependence on God, not a righteous act. When we face a problem that ordinary stuff doesn’t work for, we have to double down. Remember, fasting is just a way of praying with your body to our God. 

Mark 9:42 | Some things seem to really tick Jesus off a lot. We should pay careful attention to those kinds of things, don’t you think?

Mark 10:27 | Did you know that this idea of God doing the impossible is only expressed in the New Testament? That doesn’t mean the Old Testament doesn’t teach it, it just does it by example! (Parting seas, raising dead kids, manna in the wilderness, etc.) Jesus is just expressing with new clarity just how powerful God really is. He’s preparing them for how He’s going to show them that truth in his death and resurrection!

Mark 10:45 | Memorize this verse!

Week 1

December 30 - January 3
[M] Genesis 1-2; Psalm 19; Mark 1
[T] Gen 3-5; Mark 2
[W] Gen 6-8; Psalm 104; Mark 3
[T] Gen 9-11; Mark 4
[F] Gen 12-15; Psalm 148; Mark 5

Dwell Plan Day 1-5 | CSB | Digital PDF | Printable PDF

Notes from Jon & Chris

Help for reading Genesis | The best thing for Genesis is to just read it and get familiar with it. The Bible is full of genres of literature that we don't encounter much in our modern world. It's fantastical non-fiction. It doesn't claim to be a fairy tale or a bunch of myths about the origins of the universe. It claims to be God's words to us about our origins. Is it all of it literal? Is it meant to be figurative? Those are important questions, but before we get to them, read the text and suspend your disbelief. You've heard and were taught many theories and ideas about how it all got started—how the universe came to be and how life began. Make your reading more about getting the right info. Read now to know what it says before you start asking how accurate it is.

And just so you know, I do take it to be accurate. I don't think we understand all of it and the glimpse it gives us of an ancient world, but I think it's all true. But I believe that's possible because God is real. The miraculous and fantastic is not explained by science, but it’s also not disproved. The miraculous and fantastic is not a bug in our faith, it's a feature. And if I do find something that I think sounds unbelievable, I just assume there's something I don't understand yet. I can trust my heavenly Father. 

But remember also that the Bible isn't a science book—it's pre-scientific. That doesn't mean it's not true; it just means that it isn't concerned with physical explanations or the details of human history in a modern sense. It isn't written with those ideas in mind. It's about God and His plan and His character. Because of this, you also need spiritual wisdom as you read. The Holy Spirit, who filled and inspired these writers, is absolutely necessary for understanding and trusting the Bible. Always pray before and while reading! It's a spiritual practice, not just a religious duty. 

As you read, write down questions you can ask me over coffee! It's one of my favorite things to do: to talk about Scripture and its truth. There's going to be plenty of questions you'll have, so save them up and ask me about them!

Psalm 19 | A few years ago, I read the whole Bible in three weeks (humble brag…). One of the things I noticed while reading all 66 books so fast was how much of the Bible builds on and connects to other parts. One of the reasons we chose the five-day reading plan for our churches, as opposed to other great reading plans, is that we love the way it’s organized. On day 1, we begin with the creation story in Genesis 1-2, and instead of reading Psalm 1 next, we jump to Psalm 19 because it’s a song that begins with the worship of YHWH for his work of creation.

We encourage you to pay attention to these connections all year as you move through the reading plan. Try to note how the Bible is layered and builds on previous sections. It is amazing how the God who inspired all of these words masterfully put it all together.

Psalm 19 | Note how the writer compares how creation talks and how the Bible talks. How do you compare them?

Mark | Look for eyewitness details in Mark that are striking. Also, notice the word "immediately" used again and again. What sort of narrative style is the writer going for here? Why do you think Mark gives so little introduction?

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