Weekly Bible Reading – Week 06
You have finished most of the book of Exodus and just finished looking at the source of many of the images that will constantly be returned to over and over again as we explore the Bible. Freedom from slavery, the parting of the Red Sea, trembling before the mountain of God, the giving of the covenant law, and the tabernacle. This week, we will close the book of Exodus after seeing the people completely blow it even while Moses is still up on the mountain. Moses steps in as intercessor and pleads with God for the people. This is another theme that will be echoed forward even into the New Testament. But the center of the readings this week is in Exodus 34 where we see the one verse that the Bible internally quotes or refers back to more than any other. That is Yahweh’s description of his name and character in Exodus 34:6-7 to Moses.
The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”
And then we step into Leviticus. For many readers, this feels like hitting the brakes. The pace slows. The instructions multiply. The sacrifices repeat. But Leviticus is not a detour. It is a zoomed-in look at one central question: How can a holy God live in the midst of a sinful people? If Exodus is about God moving in, Leviticus is about what it means to live with Him there. And if you read it carefully, you will find that Christ is everywhere. He is the priest, the sacrifice, the mediator, and the clean one who makes the unclean dwell safely in God’s presence. So don’t get bogged down in the details, see Christ as glorious through them.
Daily Readings
Day 39 – Exodus 28–29: These chapters focus on the priesthood, especially the garments and consecration of Aaron and his sons. Every detail matters because the priest represents the people before God and God before the people. The clothing is not about fashion, but about God’s glory and this high calling. The ordination ceremony shows that access to God requires cleansing, sacrifice, and divine appointment. As you read, notice how intentional God is about who stands in His presence and on what terms. This prepares us to see just how remarkable it is when Christ becomes our great High Priest.
Day 40 – Exodus 30–32: Here we move from sacred instructions to shocking rebellion. God gives directions for incense, anointing oil, and the final furnishings of worship, and then Israel immediately breaks covenant by crafting the golden calf. The contrast is jarring and intentional. Human hearts are quick to replace the invisible God with something manageable. Yet even in judgment, mercy breaks through as Moses intercedes for the people. This section reminds us that God’s holiness is real, but so is His willingness to forgive through a mediator.
Day 41 – Exodus 33–35: After the golden calf, the question hanging in the air is whether God will stay with His people at all. These chapters answer that question with grace. God renews His presence, reveals His character, and invites Israel forward again. Moses asks to see God’s glory, and God proclaims His name as merciful, gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. The people respond with renewed obedience and generosity. Failure does not have the final word. God’s presence does.
Day 42 – Exodus 36–38: Now the tabernacle begins to take physical shape. These chapters describe the construction of the tent, furnishings, and courtyard, often repeating earlier instructions almost word for word. This repetition is not accidental. It shows Israel’s obedience and careful attention to God’s design. God is not vague about how He is to be approached. The dwelling place of His glory is built exactly as He commanded. What was once only a pattern is becoming a place where heaven and earth will meet.
Day 43 – Exodus 39–40: Exodus closes with the completion of the priestly garments and the assembly of the tabernacle. Then comes the climactic moment. The glory of the LORD fills the tabernacle so completely that Moses cannot enter. God has moved in. He now dwells among His redeemed people and guides them by His presence. This is the goal of redemption. Not just freedom from slavery, but life with God in their midst. This final image sets the stage for everything that follows.
Day 44 – Leviticus 1–4: Leviticus opens by slowing everything down and drawing our attention to sacrifice. Burnt offerings, grain offerings, peace offerings, sin offerings. Each one teaches something about God, sin, and restoration. These sacrifices are not about earning favor, but about maintaining fellowship with a holy God. They show that sin is serious, but atonement is possible. As you read, remember that these rituals are shadows. They point forward to a sacrifice that will not need to be repeated.
Day 45 – Leviticus 5–7: These chapters continue to unfold the logic of sacrifice, focusing on guilt offerings and the priest’s role in handling holy things. The repetition reinforces the lesson. Sin affects everything. Holiness matters in ordinary life. God makes a way for forgiveness, but He does not treat sin lightly. Over time, the weight of these sacrifices should make you long for something greater and more complete. That longing is intentional. It prepares us to see the beauty of Christ’s once-for-all offering.
Exodus does not end with Israel standing tall in victory, but with God drawing near. The glory of the LORD fills the tabernacle and takes up residence in the midst of His redeemed people. That is the true climax of the book. Redemption is not merely escape from bondage, but restored fellowship. God does not save Israel so they can wander independently in freedom. He saves them so He can dwell with them. The cloud and the fire settling over the tabernacle signal that heaven has, in some real sense, come down to earth. This image becomes a theological anchor point that the rest of Scripture will keep returning to and expanding.
Leviticus presses into the tension created by that reality. If a holy God is going to live in the middle of a sinful people, something must be done about sin, impurity, and disorder. The sacrifices, priesthood, and laws of holiness are not arbitrary rules but gracious provisions. They teach Israel that God’s nearness is both a gift and a danger. Leviticus shows that access to God requires mediation, cleansing, and blood, yet it also reveals God’s deep desire to remain with His people. Every sacrifice whispers that the system itself is not enough. It is temporary, repetitive, and anticipatory, quietly pointing forward to a greater priest and a greater sacrifice who will finally make God’s dwelling with humanity secure.
That longing is answered in Christ. When the Gospel writers call Jesus Immanuel, “God with us,” they are deliberately echoing the tabernacle and temple imagery. In Christ, God does not merely dwell in a tent among His people; He takes on flesh and walks among them. Jesus becomes the true meeting place between heaven and earth. He is the priest who mediates, the sacrifice that cleanses, and the presence of God embodied. What the tabernacle symbolized and Leviticus safeguarded, Christ fulfills and completes. Through Him, God does not withdraw His presence but expands it, pouring His Spirit into His people so that they themselves become dwelling places of God.
The story does not end there. Scripture’s final vision is not humanity escaping the world to reach God, but God descending to dwell permanently with His redeemed creation. The heavenly Jerusalem comes down, and the dwelling place of God is with humanity forever. There is no temple there because the Lord Himself is present, unhindered and unmediated. From the tabernacle in the wilderness, to Christ among us, to God dwelling eternally with His people, this theme runs like a golden thread through the Bible. God’s great purpose has always been the same: not simply to forgive sin, but to live with His people in restored, joyful communion.