March 7: Numbers 25:1 – Numbers 26:65

Baal Worship at Peor – Numbers 25

• While Israel is living in Shittim, some of the men begin having sexual relations with women from Moab. They take part in sacrifices to the Moabite gods, yoking themselves to Baal of Peor.
• God's anger is kindled and he instructs Moses to have the judges put to death (kill and impale) those under their authority who had joined in worshiping Baal.
• One of the people of Israel brings a Midianite woman to his family in the sight of Moses and all of the people. When Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, sees this, he grabs a spear and goes after the man. He impales the man, also driving the spear into the woman's belly, and the plague on Israel stops. Even so, twenty-four thousand people have died.

The Zeal of Phinehas

• God tells Moses that Phinehas has turned back His wrath by being jealous with God's jealousy and that He gives him a covenant of peace for making atonement for Israel.
• The name of the slain man is Zimri (a Simeonite) and the slain woman Cozbi.
• God tells Moses to strike the Midianites down.

Census of the New Generation – Numbers 26

• After the plague, God tells Moses and Aaron to take another census of the people of Israel, men twenty years and older.
• The tribe of Reuben includes these clans: Hanochite, Palluite, Hezronite, and Carmite (43,730 men).
• The tribe of Simeon includes these clans: Jemuelite, Jaminite, Jakinite, Zoharite, and Shaulite (22,000 men),
• The tribe of Gad includes these clans: Zephonite, Haggite, Shunite, Oznite, Erite, Arodite, and Arelite (40,500 men).
• The tribe of Judah includes these clans: Shelanite, Perezite, Zerahite, Hezronite (Perezite subclan), and Hamulite (Perezite subclan) (76,500 men).
• The tribe of Issachar includes these clans: Tolaite, Puite, Jashubite, and Shimronite (64,300 men).
• The tribe of Zebulun includes these clans: Seredite, Elonite, and Jahleelite (60,500 men).
• The tribe of Manasseh includes these clans: Makirite clan, Gileadite, and Gileadite subclans Iezerite, Helekite, Asrielite, Shechemite, Shemidaite, and Hepherite (52,700 men).
• The tribe of Ephraim includes these clans: Shuthelahite, Bekerite, Tahanite, Eranite (Shuthelahite subclan) (32,500 men).
• The tribe of Benjamin includes these clans: Belaite, Ashbelite, ahiramite, Shuphamite, Huphamite, Ardite (Belaite subclan), and Naamite (Belaite subclan) (45,600 men).
• The tribe of Dan includes these clans: Shuhamite (64,400 men).
• The tribe of Asher includes these clans: Imnite, Ishvite, Beriite, Heberite (Beriite subclan), and Malkielite (Beriite subclan) (53,400 men).
• The tribe of Naphtali includes these clans: Jahzeelite, Gunite, Jerezite, and Shillemite (45,400 men).
• The total number of men ages twenty and older is 601,723. God tells Moses to divide the land among the tribes, giving the larger tribes more land than the smaller ones.
• The tribe of Levi includes these clans: Gershonite, Kohathite, and Merarite. The subclans include: Libnite, Hebronite, Mahlite, Mushite, and Korahite. The number of male Levites age one month and older is 23,000, but they are not included in the registration because they are not given land allotment. 
• None of these people counted were counted in the previous registration taken by Moses and Aaron since God had said that they would all die in the wilderness. The only ones who survived were Joshua and Caleb. 

March 5: Numbers 19:1 – Numbers 21:35

Laws for Purification – Numbers 19

• God tells Moses to have the people bring a red heifer (with no defect and on which a yoke has never been placed) and give it to Eleazar. He will take it outside the camp and sacrifice it, then sprinkle some of its blood toward the front of the tent of meeting seven times. It should then be burned along with cedarwood, hyssop, and scarlet yarn. The priest and anyone else involved will then bathe and wash their clothes. The ashes (of this sin offering) will then be used for cleansing unclean people.
• Instructions are given for uncleanness after touching a dead body, and for using ashes from the sin offering, water, and hyssop to cleanse unclean people and their belongings. Unclean people are to be cleansed on the third and seventh days, and then they will be clean. Those who do not cleanse themselves will be cut off from the people.

The Death of Miriam – Numbers 20

• In the first month, Miriam dies in Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin, and is buried there.

The Waters of Meribah

• The Hebrew people complain to Moses and Aaron because they have no water. Moses and Aaron fall on their faces before the Lord at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and God tells Moses to assemble the people and tell the rock before them to yield water for the people and cattle.
• Moses does as instructed, but instead of speaking to the rock to bring water, he hits it with his staff (as he did in Exodus 17). For this disobedience, God tells Moses that he will not bring the people into the Promised Land.

Edom Refuses Passage

• Moses sends messengers to the king of Edom (the people descended from Esau), asking that he and the Hebrew people be allowed passage through the land. He assures the king that they will not go through fields or vineyards, and will not take water from any wells, only following the King's Highway.
• The king refuses them passage, and comes against them with a large army. Israel turns away.

The Death of Aaron

• The Hebrew people journey from Kadesh to Mount Hor. There God tells Moses to bring Aaron and his son Eleazar up onto Mount Hor and place Aaron's garments on Eleazar, because Aaron will die there. Moses does as instructed, and Aaron dies on the mountain top. Moses and Eleazar return to the people belong, and Israel weeps for thirty days.

Arad Destroyed – Numbers 21

• When the Canaanite, the king of Arad, hears that Israel is coming, he fights against them and takes some captive. Israel vows that if the Lord will give over the king and his people to their hand, they will destroy the cities (Deut. 20 states that Canaanite cities that resist Israel will be destroyed). The Lord gives over the Canaanites, and Israel destroys their cities.

The Bronze Serpent

• Israel sets out toward the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. The people complain about being in the wilderness with no food or water, and the Lord sends fiery serpents among the people. They bite the people, and many people die.
• The people go to Moses, repent for their sins, and ask Moses to pray to God to take away the serpents. Moses prays, and God tells him to take a serpent of bronze and place it on a pole, and that when whoever has been bitten sees it, he will live. Moses does as instructed.

The Song of the Well

• Israel journeys on. When they reach Beer, God tells Moses to gather people together at a well. The Hebrew people sing of the well, and then move on, ending up in the valley by the top of Pisgah, in the region of Moab.

King Sihon Defeated

• Israel sends messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, asking to pass through their land. Again they say they will stay only on the King's Highway, but Sihon refuses and gathers all his people against Israel. The Hebrew people defeat them and take possession of their land. The Hebrew ballad singers sing of their victory.

King Og Defeated

• Israel lives in the land of the Amorites, and Moses sends out spies to Jazer, and they capture the villages there. The Israelites then head up toward Bashan, and King Og comes against them. They defeat him and his people and take possession of their lands as well.

March 4: Numbers 16:1 – Numbers 18:32

Korah's Rebellion – Numbers 16

• Several men (Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and On) gather together 250 chiefs of the congregation and come against Moses and Aaron, telling them that they have gone too far and asking what right they have to act like they are better than anyone else (since they all belong to God).
• Moses falls on his face before them, then tells them that tomorrow morning God will make it known who belongs to Him. He points out that they are already chosen by God since they are Levites, and would they now want to take the priesthood as well. He concludes that they are revolting against God, not him and Aaron. He summons Dathan and Abiram, but they refuse to come to him, claiming he has not fulfilled his word to take them into the Promised Land.
• Moses becomes angry and tells God not to accept their grain offerings. He then tells Korah and the others that they must come the next day and prepare incense burners.
• The next morning the men burn the incense and stand at the entrance to the tabernacle. They rile up the people against Moses, and God descends as a cloud and tells Moses and Aaron to move away because He's going to destroy all of them.
• Moses begs God to not be angry with all the people because of one man's sins, and God has Moses instruct the people to get away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Moses does this, and the people obey. The three men come to the doors of their tents with their families, and Moses announces that if the ground swallows up theses men, the people will know the men sinned against the Lord.
• The splits open, swallowing the men and their families, their belongings and tents, and anyone who stood with them. The earth closes up over them, and the people flee. Fire blazes forth from God and burns up the 250 men offering incense.
• God tells Moses to instruct Eleazar the priest to take the incense burners and hammer the metal into a thin sheet to overlay the altar. The bronze is hammered as instructed and placed on the altar to remind the people that no one who is not a Levite should enter the Lord's presence to burn incense.
• The next morning, the people begin grumbling about Moses and Aaron. Moses and Aaron go to the entrance of the tabernacle, and God tells them to get away from the people so he can instantly destroy them. Moses instructs Aaron to get an incense burner, light it, and carry it among the people to purify them, but the plague still kills 14,700 people. 

Aaron's Staff Buds – Numbers 17

• God tells Moses to get from the people twelve staffs, one from each tribe, and write the name of the tribe's chief on the staff. They are then to place the staffs in the tent of meeting before the testimony, and the staff of the man God chooses will sprout. The next morning, Aaron's staff has sprouted with blooms, buds, and almonds.
• Moses brings out the staffs and hands them to the men they belong to. God then tells Moses to put Aaron's staff back before the testimony as a sign for rebels. The people of Israel claim they are "undone" (ruined) and question if they will all die.

Duties of Priests and Levites – Numbers 18

• God tells Aaron that the Levites will be responsible for any offenses related to the sanctuary or the priesthood. He instructs Aaron to bring his relatives (the Levites) to the tent of meeting to assist them, but they must not go near the sacred items. Only the priests are to perform the sacred duties.
• God instructs that Aaron and his sons are in charge of the holy offerings (grain, sin, and guilt) and that they are to eat of them. Everything that Israel sets apart for the Lord will also belong to them, including the firstborns (which will be redeemed). They will receive no land, because God is their allotment, and the Levites will receive compensation for their service (they will received one-tenth from all people's donations).
• From that day on, no Israelites except for priests and Levites may approach the Tabernacle or they will die. The Levites can present their tenth as a sacred offering to the Lord, and it will be acceptable as their own offering. They are cautioned not to treat the holy gifts as common, or they will die.

March 3: Numbers 14:1 – Numbers 15:41

The People Rebel – Numbers 14

• The people raise a great cry and grumble against Moses and Aaron, asking why God has brought them out of Egypt and the wilderness to die at the hands of those who inhabit the Promised Land. They question whether it would be better to return to Egypt, and plot to choose a new leader.
• Moses and Aaron fall on their faces before the people. Joshua and Caleb tear their clothing and claim that the Promised Land is an exceedingly good land, and that if the Lord delights in His people, He will bring them into it. They claim that the land's inhabitants will have their protection removed from them, and that the Hebrew people shouldn't fear them because God will be with them. The Israelites want to stone them.
• God asks Moses how long the people will despise Him and not trust Him, then says He will strike them with a pestilence, disinherit them, and make of Moses a nation much more mighty than they are.

Moses Intercedes for the People

• Moses points out that if God wipes out the Hebrew people, their enemies will hear of it and claim that the people died because the Lord could not bring His people into the land He swore to them. Moses asks God to remember His claim that He is slow to anger. abounding in steadfast love, and forgiving of iniquity, and he begs God to pardon the people's iniquities.

God Promises Judgment

• God agrees to pardon the Israelite's behavior, but warns that none of the people who have seen His signs yet have put Him to the test will be able to enter the land God promised to their forefathers. God will bring Caleb into the land, and his descendants will possess it. He tells Moses that since the Amalekites and Canaanites dwell in the valleys, the Israelites are to set out for the wilderness by way of the Red Sea.
• God tells Moses and Aaron to instruct the people that all of them who have grumbled against the Lord will not be permitted to enter the Promised Land. The only ones allowed to enter the land will be Joshua and Caleb and the Israelite children. The rest will die in the wilderness, and their children will be shepherds in the wilderness for forty years due to their parents' faithlessness.
• The ten spies who grumbled against the Lord die of a plague sent by God.

Israel Defeated in Battle

• The people mourn greatly. They get up early in the morning and go into the hill country, saying they will now go to the land the Lord promised them.
• Moses instructs them not to disobey the Lord (as God has said they will not enter the Promised Land) because if they do, God will allow them to be destroyed by their enemies. The people ignore Moses' words, and the Amalekites and Canaanites defeat them and pursue them to Hormah.

Laws about Sacrifices – Numbers 15

• God tells Moses to again tell the people about how they are to make their sacrifices when they come into the Promised Land. In addition to the various offerings (see Leviticus 1–7), these now must be accompanied by appropriate quantities of meal, oil, and wine. When they reach the land, they are also to bake a loaf of bread and present it to the Lord.

Laws about Unintentional Sins

• God tells Moses to again tell the people how they are to atone for sins done unintentionally, without the knowledge of the congregation (see Leviticus 4).

A Sabbathbreaker Executed

• While in the wilderness, the Hebrew people find a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath. He is brought to Moses and Aaron, and God tells them that the man is to be put to death. He is stoned to death outside the camp.

Tassels on Garments

• God tells Moses to instruct the people to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a cord of blue on the tassel of each corner. The tassel is to remind them of the commandments of the Lord.

March 2: Numbers 11:1 – Numbers 13:33

The People Complain – Numbers 11

• The Hebrew people complain, and God hears them. His anger is kindled, and the fire of the Lord burns among them and consumes some of the outlying parts of the camp. The people appeal to Moses, and he prays to God. The fires then die down.
• The people again complain, this time that they want meat, fruits, and vegetables to eat (instead of the manna they are always given).
• Moses hears the people weeping at the doors of their tents. The anger of the Lord blazes hotly, and Moses is displeased. He asks God why he has not found favor with Him and gives an account of everything he had done as instructed. Moses begs God for meat for the people, claiming he cannot bear the burden he has been given alone.

Elders Appointed to Aid Moses

• God tells Moses to gather for Him seventy of the elders of Israel and bring them to the tent of meeting, and He will come down and talk with them there. God tells Moses that He will take some of the Spirit placed on Moses and place it on the elders. Moses is then to tell the people to consecrate themselves, for tomorrow they will eat meat. They will have meat for a month, until they are tired of it, because they have rejected the Lord.
• Moses does as instructed. The Lord comes down in a cloud and rests upon the seventy elders, and they prophesy, but they do not continue doing it.
• The Spirit rests on Eldad and Medad, who are still in the camp. They prophesy in the camp, and a man comes to the tent of meeting to tell Moses. Joshua tells Moses to stop them, but Moses refuses, saying he wishes all the men would receive the Spirit of the Lord. Moses then returns to the camp.

Quail and a Plague

• A wind blows in, bringing quail  from the sea. The people gather the quail for a day and a half and spread it for themselves all around the camp. Because of their greed, God's anger is kindled, and He strikes the people with a plague. The people then journey on to Hazeroth.

Miriam and Aaron Oppose Moses – Numbers 12

• Moses has married a Cushite woman, and Miriam and Aaron speak against him. The Lord hears their complaints, and calls Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to the tent of meeting. There, He comes down as a pillar of cloud, stands at the entrance, and calls Aaron and Miriam to Himself. He points out that He trusts Moses completely and questions why they weren't afraid to criticize Moses, then leaves.
• When the cloud removes from over the tent, Miriam is leprous. When Aaron sees this, he apologizes and begs Moses to ask God to heal her. Moses does so, but God tells him that she should be shamed for seven days. So she is put out of the camp for seven days, and the people don't march until she is brought back into the camp. They then set out for the wilderness of Paran.

Spies Sent into Canaan – Numbers 13

• God tells Moses to send spies into the land of Canaan—twelve men, one from each tribe. The spies are:
1. Shammua, from the tribe of Reuben
2. Shaphat, from the tribe of Simeon
3. Caleb, from the tribe of Judah
4. Igal, from the tribe of Issachar
5. Hoshea (Joshua), from the tribe of Ephraim
6. Palti from the tribe of Benjamin
7. Gaddiel, from the tribe of Zebulun
8. Gaddi, from the tribe of Mannaseh
9. Ammiel, from the tribe of Dan
10. Sethur, from the tribe of Asher
11. Nahbi, from the tribe of Naphtali
12. Geuel, from the tribe of Gad
• Moses sends the men into the Negeb to get an overview of the land and its people and fruits. The men spy the land from the wilderness of Zin to Rehob, then into the Negeb. In the Valley of Eschol, they cut down a branch with a single cluster of grapes and carry it on a pole. They also gather figs and pomegranates. 

Report of the Spies

• After forty days, the spies returned to Moses in the wilderness of Paran. They bring word to the Hebrew people that the land "flows with milk and honey, and with this fruit," but that the people who dwell there (the Nephilim, Hittites, Jebusites, Amalekites, Amorites, and Canaanites) are strong and the cities are large and fortified.
• Caleb quiets the people and insists that they should go and occupy the land, because they are well able to overcome it. The other spies (aside from Joshua) insist that they would not be able to overcome the inhabitants there.

February 27: Numbers 2:1 – Numbers 3:51

Arrangement of the Camp – Numbers 2

• God tells Moses how the camps are to be set up. The tribal divisions will camp beneath their family banners on all four sides of the camp.
• The tribes of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun will be on the east side of the tabernacle and will lead the way whenever Israel travels to a new camp.
• The tribes of Reuben, Simeon, and Gad will be on the south side of the tabernacle and will be second in line whenever Israel travels to a new camp. The Levites will follow them, carrying the tabernacle.
• The tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin will camp on the west side of the tabernacle and follow the Levites whenever Israel travels to a new camp.
• The tribes of Dan, Asher, and Naphtali will camp on the north side of the tabernacle and will be the last in line whenever Israel travels to a new camp.

The Sons of Aaron – Numbers 3

• The sons of Aaron are given: Nadab and Abihu (who died when they offered an unauthorized sacrifice), Eleazer, and Ithamar.

Duties of the Levites

• God tells Moses that the Levites will take care of the tabernacle, and will belong to Him. 
• Moses is instructed to list the sons of Levi by their fathers' houses and clans: Gershon (clans Libni and Shimei), Kohath (clans Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel), and Merari (clans Mahli and Mushi). 
• The Gershonites camp on the west, guarding and carrying the coverings, hangings, and entrance screens of the tent and courtyard. The Kohathites camp on the south, guarding and carrying the items within the tabernacle sanctuary. The Merarites camp on the north, guarding and carrying the structural components of the tent and court. Moses and the priests camp on the east, guarding the tabernacle and protecting Israel.

Redemption of the Firstborn

• God tells Moses to list all the firstborn males of the people and animals of Israel. Total number of men and boys over one month old is 22,273.
• God tells Moses that the Levites are His (reserved as substitutes for the firstborns), and there are 273 more firstborn sons of Israel than Levites, so Moses is to collect five shekels of silver for each of the extra 273 men to redeem them, and give the money to Aaron and his sons.

February 24: Leviticus 23:1 – Leviticus 25:23

Feasts of the Lord – Leviticus 23

• God tells Moses to instruct the Hebrew people that they are to celebrate His holy feasts:

1. The Sabbath: The people are to work for six days and rest on the Sabbath.
2. The Passover: On the fourteenth day of the first month, Passover is to be celebrated.
3. The Feast of Firstfruits: When the people come into the Promised Land, they are to celebrate this feast. It begins with waving sheaves and ends with burnt offerings.
4. The Feast of Weeks: It begins fifty days after the sheaf of the wave offering is brought to the priests, and is celebrated to recognize the Lord as the giver of all crops.
5. The Feast of Trumpets: On the first day of the seventh month, the trumpet is blasted and the people prepare for the most holy month of the Hebrew calendar.
6. The Day of Atonement: On the tenth day of the seventh month, the people are to afflict themselves and present a food offering to the Lord.
7. The Feast of Booths: On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, the people are to begin a weeklong feast celebrating their salvation from Egypt. No work is done so the people can worship the Lord.

The Lamps – Leviticus 24

• God tells Moses to instruct the people to bring pure oil from beaten olives for the lamp so that the light can be kept burning regularly (evening to morning).

Bread for the Tabernacle

• The people are to bake twelve loaves of fine flour, with two-tenths of an ephah in each loaf. The loaves are to be arranged in two piles of twelve on the table in the tent of meeting. Every Sabbath they will be arranged on the table, and Aaron and his sons will eat of it.

Punishment for Blasphemy

• The son of an Israelite woman and an Egyptian man blasphemes God's name and is brought to Moses. God tells Moses to bring the man out of the camp, let all who heard him curse lay their hands on his head, and then have the people stone him to death. Moses is then to tell the people that blasphemers will be put to death.

An Eye for an Eye

• God gives the decree that whoever takes a human life is to be put to death. Injuries are to be punished by repeating the injury on the offender—an eye for an eye, etc. This applies to both the native and the sojourner.

The Sabbath Year – Leviticus 25

• God tells Moses to instruct the people that when they come into the Promised Land, they are to work the land for six years and the seventh year will be a Sabbath year for the land.

The Year of Jubilee

• On the fiftieth year in the Promised Land, they will sound the trumpet on the Day of Atonement and celebrate the Year of Jubilee. People would be returned their lands, those who had sold themselves as indentures would be released and sent home, and the land would not be worked for the forty-ninth and fiftieth year. (This law prohibited the amassing of large estates, which would reduce many of the people to tenant status).

February 22: Leviticus 17:1 –19:37

The Place of Sacrifice – Leviticus 17

• God tells Moses to instruct Aaron, his sons, and the Hebrew people that if anyone (including strangers who sojourn among them) slaughters a lamb or goat either in camp or outside camp, they are to bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting to be offered as a sacrifice (this was to prevent men from worshiping goat demons). Anyone who violated this law was to be cut off from the people.

Laws Against Eating Blood

• God instructs that no person from the house of Israel (or those who sojourn among them) are to eat blood. If they do, they will be cut off from the people. This is because the blood is what makes atonement by the life. If any person does eat blood, he will bathe himself and wash his clothes and be unclean till evening. If he does not bathe and wash, he will bear his iniquity.

Unlawful Sexual Relations – Leviticus 18

• God tells Moses to instruct the people that they are not to do as the people of Egypt or the people of Canaan do. They are to follow God's laws instead. The people are not to "uncover the nakedness" (have sexual relations) with family members, have sexual relations while the woman is menstruating, commit adultery, have sexual relations with members of the same gender, or have sexual relations with animals. Those who do these things will be cut off from the people.

The Lord Is Holy – Leviticus 19

• God tells Moses to remind the people of these things: They are to be holy because He is holy. They are to honor their parents, keep the Sabbath, and not worship idols. When offering sacrifices, they are to eat of them on the day of sacrifice or the day after only.

Love Your Neighbor as Yourself

• When the people reap their harvest, they are to leave some of the field unreaped and not gather the gleanings; this way the poor and the sojourner will have food. They are also not to steal, deal falsely with one another, or oppress each other. They must deal justly in court and not take vengeance or hold a grudge. They are to love their neighbors as themselves.

You Shall Keep My Statutes

• God continues his statues, saying that the Hebrew people are not to crossbreed domesticated animals or weave with two different types of cloth. When they come into the Promised Land, they are not to eat of the fruit trees for the first three years; they are to offer the fruit as a praise offering to God in the fourth year, then in the fifth year they may eat of the fruit.
• The people also may not interpret omens or tell fortunes, round the hair on their temples or the edges of the beard, or make cuts on the body or tattoo themselves for the dead.
• They are to follow all God's statutes.

February 21: Leviticus 14:33 – Leviticus 16:34

Laws for Cleansing Houses – Leviticus 14:33–57

• God tells Moses and Aaron that when they come to the land of Canaan, He will put a case of leprous disease in a house there. The priest will go and inspect the house and then close it up for seven days if the disease is deeper than on the surface, then he will inspect the house again. If the disease has spread, they will take the affected stone and throw them in an unclean place, and remove all the plaster and dump that in an unclean place. The house will be replastered.
• If disease again breaks out in the house, the house will be broken down and its materials taken to an unclean place. If the disease has not spread, the house will be declared clean. The house will be cleansed using two small birds, cedarwood scarlet yarn, and hyssop.

Laws about Bodily Discharges – Leviticus 15

• God gives Moses instructions about bodily discharges, including serious cases of male discharge, emission of semen, emission of semen with sexual intercourse, female menstruation, and cases of serious female discharge. After their cleansing per God's instructions, the unclean people are to bring two turtledoves or two pigeons to the priest, one for a sin offering and one for a burnt offering. The people will then be considered clean.

The Day of Atonement – Leviticus 16

• After the death of Aaron's sons, God tells Moses to instruct Aaron not to come into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat that is on the ark, so that he won't die, because God will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat. Aaron is told to come into the Holy Place with a bull from the herd for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. He will dress as instructed in the holy linen garments and take from the people two male goats, one for a sin offering and one for a burnt offering.
• Aaron will offer the bull as a sin offering for himself and his house, then take the two goats and cast lots over them, one for God and one for Azazel. The goat on which the lot fell for God will be used as a sin offering, and the other will be sent away into the wilderness of Azazel.
• Then Aaron will go into the ten of meeting, take off his special garments, bathe, and put on his previous clothing. He will offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering for the people to make atonement for all.
• It will be a statute that on the tenth day of the seventh month, the people will do no work and will celebrate the day of atonement. The priest, wearing his holy linen garments, will make atonement for the holy sanctuary, the tent of meeting, the altar, the priests, and all of the people.

February 20:Leviticus 12:1 – Leviticus 14:32

Purification after Childbirth – Leviticus 12

• God gives Moses instructions for purification after childbirth. If the child is male, the woman is unclean for seven days, and on the eighth day the child will be circumcised. She will continue her purification for thirty-three days. If the child is female, the woman is unclean for two weeks, then she will continue her purification for sixty-six days.
• After her purification is complete, she is to bring to the priest a year-old lamb for a a burnt offering and a pigeon or turtledove for a sin offering (or if she cannot afford a lamb, she can bring two turtledoves or pigeons). The priest will make atonement for her, and she will be clean.

Laws about Leprosy – Leviticus 13

• God tells Moses that if a person develops a leprous disease, he is to be brought to Aaron or one of the priests. The priest will look at the skin, and place him in quarantine if necessary or declare him unclean. The same is true for other skin diseases.
• Leprous people must teat their clothing and let their hair hang loose. They are to cover the upper lip and cry out, "Unclean, unclean!" For as long as the person is unclean, they must live alone outside the camp.
• Instructions are given for handling leprous disease in a garment. If the disease spreads on the garment, it will be burned, but if it doesn't spread, it can be washed. If the area does not clear, the garment is to be burned.

Laws for Cleansing Lepers – Leviticus 14

• God gives Moses instructions for cleansing lepers (after the disease has gone). After the purification ceremony (involving two clean birds, hyssop, cedarwood, and scarlet yarn), the person will wash his clothes, shave all his hair, and bathe, then he may return to camp. On the seventh day, he will do the same, and then he will be clean.
• On the eighth day, the man will bring to the priests two male lambs, one ewe lamb, a grain offering, and one log of oil. If the man is poor, he will bring to the priests one male lamb, a grain offering, a log of oil, and two turtledoves or pigeons. The priest will make the offerings, and he will then be clean.

February 19: Leviticus 9:1 – Leviticus 11:47

The Lord Accepts Aaron's Offering – Leviticus 9

• On the eighth day, Moses calls Aaron and his sons and the leaders of Israel. He tells Aaron to take a bull calf for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering and offer them to the Lord. He then tells Aaron to instruct the people to take a male goat for a sin offering, a calf and a lamb for a burnt offering, an ox and a ram for a peace offering, and grain mixed with oil for a grain offering. Moses then tells Aaron to make the offerings as atonement for the priests and the people. Aaron does as instructed.
• Afterward, Aaron lifts his hands and blesses the people, then he and Moses go into the tent of meeting. When they come out, they bless the people, and the glory of the Lord appears. A fire consumes the burnt offering on the altar and the fat pieces, and the people shout and fall on their faces.

The Death of Nadab and Abihu – Leviticus 10

• Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu put fire in their censers, lay incense in them, and offer unauthorized fires before the Lord. The fire comes out from before the Lord and consumes them, burning them to death.
• Moses calls on Mishael and Ezaphan, sons of Aaron's uncle, and has them take the bodies out of the camp. He then tells them, Aaron, and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar not to show mourning, lest they die, and they do as instructed.
• Moses tells Aaron and his remaining sons to take the grain offering and eat of it, and that they are to eat the breast and thigh that is waved with their sons and daughters.
• Moses questions about the goat of the sin offering and learns it was burned up. He angrily questions Eleazar and Ithamar why they didn't eat of it as they were commanded. Aaron intervenes, telling Moses that because of the events of the day, they didn't feel safe performing the ritual. Moses approves because he sees Aaron's fear of the Lord.

Clean and Unclean Animals – Leviticus 11

• The Lord tells Moses and Aaron to instruct the people which animals they may and may not eat. They are allowed to eat whatever parts the hoof and is cloven-footed and chews the cud. They may eat all that is in the waters that has fins and scales. They may not eat certain birds and insects. They are also not to eat certain ground animals such as certain lizards and moles.
• By touching any of the unclean animals, the people will become unclean, and if an unclean animal falls into water, the water is also unclean. 

February 18: Leviticus 7:1 – Leviticus 8:36M

The Priests and the Offerings – Leviticus 7

• Laws are given for the guilt offering. It is to be killed in the same place in the burnt offering, and its blood will be thrown on the sides of the altar. All its fat will be burned on the altar as a food offering to the Lord, and all the priests will eat of it. The priest who offers the guilt offering (or burnt offering) will have it.
• Laws are given for the peace offering. If it is for a thanksgiving, it should be unleavened loaves mixed with oils, unleavened wafers mixed with oil, or loaves of fine flour mixed with oil. The flesh of the peace offerings must be eaten on the day of the sacrifice. If it is a vow offering or a freewill, offering it can also be eaten the next day. On the third day, whatever is left must be burned.
• If a man eats of the flesh of the sacrifice while an uncleanness is on him, he will be cut off from the people.
• God tells Moses to instruct the people not to eat any fat or blood; people who eat these things will be cut off from the people. Moses is also told that when people bring peace offerings, the fat is to be burned and the meat is to be for Aaron and his sons.

Consecration of Aaron and His Sons – Leviticus 8

• Moses takes Aaron and his sons, their garments, the anointing oil, and the bull of the sin offering and the two rams and the basket of unleavened bread, and assembled the congregation at the entrance of the tent of meeting. Moses washes the men with water and dresses them in their garments, then uses the anointing oil to anoint the tabernacle, and all that was in it.
• Aaron and his sons sacrifice the bull and rams in the way God directed Moses, then offer the unleavened bread. Moses anoints Aaron and his sons, then tells him to boil the flesh at the entrance to the tent of meeting and eat of it. They are not to go outside the entrance for seven days (until the ordination is complete). Aaron and his sons do as commanded.

February 17: Leviticus 4:1 – Leviticus 6:30

Laws for Sin Offerings – Leviticus 4

• God tells Moses that if an anointed priest sins (bringing guilt on the people), he should offer a bull from the herd as a sin offering. The man will bring the bull to the entrance of the tent of meeting, lay his hand on the bull's head, and then kill the bull. The priest will then take some of the bull's blood and sprinkle it in front of the veil of the sanctuary seven times. The priest will put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense, and the rest of the blood will be poured at the base of the altar. All that fat, the kidneys, and the long lobe of the liver will be removed from the bull and burned on the altar, while the rest of the bull will be carried to the ash heap outside the camp and burned on a wood fire. The same is to happen if the entire congregation of Israel sins unintentionally.
• If a leader sins unintentionally, he will bring a male goat without blemish to the tent of meeting, lay his hand on the goat's head, and then kill the goat. The priest will put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense, and the rest of the blood will be poured at the base of the altar. All of the animal's fat will then be burned on the altar.
• If a common person sins unintentionally, he will bring a female goat without blemish to the tent of meeting, lay his hand on the goat's head, and then kill the goat. The priest will put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense, and the rest of the blood will be poured at the base of the altar. All of the animal's fat will then be burned on the altar. If he brings a lamb instead, it will be a female lamb, and it will be prepared in the same way as the female goat.
• If a man unknowingly fails to give testimony, preventing justice from being done, or if he touches an unclean animal or human uncleanness, or if he utters a rash oath, when he realizes his sin, he must bring a female from the flock (either a lamb or goat) for atonement. If he cannot afford a lamb, he is to bring two turtledoves or two pigeons, and if he cannot afford two turtledoves or two pigeons, he must bring an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering.

Laws for Guilt Offerings – Leviticus 5 and 6

• God tells Moses that if a man commits a breach of faith and sins unintentionally in any things of the Lord, he will bring a ram without blemish from the flock for a guilt offering. He will make restitution and add one-fifth, and he will be forgiven.
• God tells Moses that if a man deceives his neighbor of deposit or security, or through robbery, or if he has oppressed his neighbor or found something lost and lied about it, he must restore what was lost in full and add one-fifth to it. He will then bring a ram to the priest for a guilt offering, and he will be forgiven.

The Priests and the Offerings

• God tells Moses that Aaron and his sons must keep the fire burning in the hearth of the altar all night long, and in the morning they will burn wood on it for the offerings. For grain offerings, Aaron's sons will offer them before the Lord in front of the altar. They will take a handful of the flour with its oil and frankincense, and burn it. The rest of the grain offering will be for Aaron and his sons to eat after baked without leaven. Every male among the children of Aaron may eat of it,
• God tells Moses of the offering to be made by Aaron and his sons at the inauguration of the priesthood. A tenth of a ephah of flour will be mixed with oil and cooked on a griddle. All of it will be burned, and none of it will be eaten.
• God tells Moses of the sin offering to be made by Aaron and his sons (the remainder not burned on the altar). The animal is to be killed where the burnt offering is made, and the priest who makes the offering will eat it in the holy place. Whatever touches its flesh will be made holy, and if any of its blood is splashed on a garment, it will be washed. The earthenware vessel in which it was boiled will be broken (or scoured and rinsed if the vessel was bronze). All the priests may then eat of it, and none of the blood is to leave the holy place.

February 16: Numbers 8:1–26; Numbers 9:1–14; Leviticus 1:1–17; Leviticus 2:1–16; Leviticus 3:1–17

The Seven Lamps – Numbers 8

• God tells Moses to instruct Aaron to set up the seven lamps in front of the lampstand. Aaron does as instructed.

Cleansing the Levites

• God tells Moses to take the Levites from among the people and cleanse them. They are to do this by sprinkling them with the water of purification, then to have them shave their bodies and wash their clothing and themselves. They are then to take a bull from the herd and its grain offering mixed with oil, and another bull from the herd as a sin offering. They are to assemble all of Israel at the tent of meeting, bring the Levites before them, have the people lay their hands on the Levites, and then have Aaron offer them as a wave offering from the people.
• The Levites will then lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and offer one as a sin offering and one as a burnt offering to make atonement for the Levites. They will then be set before Aaron and his sons, offered as a wave offering to the Lord.
• God continues, telling Moses that the Levites will be His—they will now be the firstborns consecrated to Him instead of the firstborns of the people. God states he has given the Levites to Aaron and his sons to do the service of Israel at the tent of meeting and to make atonement for the people of Israel.
• The Levites purify themselves from sin and wash their clothes, and Aaron makes atonement for them. The Levites then go to do their service in the tent of meeting.

Retirement of the Levites

• God tells Moses that the Levites, from twenty-five years upward, will come to do duty in the service of the tent of meeting. At the age of fifty-five years, they will retire from their service but may minister to their brothers by keeping guard in the tent of meeting.

The Passover Celebrated – Numbers 9

• In the wilderness of Sinai, God speaks to Moses in the first month of the second year after Israel had come out of slavery in Egypt. He tells Moses to have the people celebrate the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month, at twilight. The people of Israel do so.
• There are some men who are unclean (through touching a dead body) and could not keep the Passover, and they come to Moses and Aaron. When they tell Moses what has happened, Moses goes to God to see how the situation should be handled.
• God tells Moses that unclean people are to keep the Passover on the fourteenth day of the second month. They are the keep the Passover in the same way as first instructed, and if a sojourner is among them and will keep the Passover according to its statutes, he may do so.

Laws for Burnt Offerings – Leviticus 1

• God gives Moses instructions for how burnt offerings are to be made. 
• If the burnt offering is from a herd, it shall be without blemish and brought to the entrance to the tent of meeting. There, the man will lay his hand on its head and it will be accepted to make atonement for him. He will kill the bull before the Lord, and Aaron's sons will throw the blood against the sides of the altar at the entrance to the tent of meeting. The man will then flay the burnt offering and cut it into pieces, and Aaron's sons will arrange all but the entrails and legs (which they will wash with water) on the altar and burn it. The same will be done with an offering from the flock.
• If the burnt offering is birds, it should be turtledoves or pigeons. The priest will wring off the heads and burn them on the altar. The blood will then be drained out on the side of the altar, and the bird's crop and its contents will be thrown beside the altar on the east side. The priest will tear of the wings but not sever it completely, then burn it on the altar.

Laws for Grain Offerings – Leviticus 2

• When grain offerings are made, they will be of fine flour. After mixing the some grain with frankincense, it will be brought to Aaron's sons to be burnt as a food offering to the Lord. The rest of the grain will be for Aaron and his sons.
• If a grain offering baked in the oven is brought, it will be unleavened loaves or wafers with oil. Part of the offering will be burned on the altar and the rest will be for Aaron and his sons.

Laws for Peace Offerings – Leviticus 3

• If a peace offering is from the herd, it will be sacrificed in the same way as a burnt offering, except the fat covering the entrails and the kidney will be removed, along with the long lobe of the liver. Then the animal will be burnt on the altar.
• If a peace offering is a lamb, it will be sacrificed in the same way as a peace offering from the herd, except the whole fat tail will be removed as well. If the peace offering is a goat, it will be prepared and burnt in the same way as the peace offering from the herd. 
• God makes it clear that the fat is the Lord's, and is never to be eaten, neither is blood.

February 14: Exodus 39:32 – Exodus 40:38; Numbers 9:15–23

Making the Priestly Garments – Exodus 39:32–43

• The work on the tabernacle was finished, and the Hebrew people did all that was commanded of them. They bring everything they've made to Moses, and he blesses them.

The Tabernacle Erected – Exodus 40

• God tells Moses to erect the tabernacle and set up all the furniture on the first day of the month. They are to consecrate it and all its furniture with anointing oil, as well as the altars and utensils. They are then to bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting, dress them in the holy garments, and anoint them.
• Moses does as the Lord instructs.

The Glory of the Lord

• The cloud covers the tent of meeting and the Lord fills the tabernacle. Moses is not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud is there. Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud is taken up from over the tabernacle, the people set out, and when it is not taken up, they stay where they are. The cloud was on the tabernacle by day, and by night a fire was in it.

The Cloud Covering the Tabernacle – Numbers 9:15–23

• At the command of the Lord (the taking up of the cloud), the people set out, and at the command of the Lord (the cloud settling over the tabernacle), the people stay.

February 11: Exodus 32:1 – Exodus 34:35

The Golden Calf – Exodus 32

• When Moses delays in returning from Mount. Sinai, the Hebrew people go to Aaron and demand that he make gods for them because they don't know what's become of Moses. Aaron tells the people to bring him their gold jewelry. When they do, he makes a golden calf.
• Aaron builds an altar before the golden calf and declares that the next day will be a feast day for the Lord. They offer burnt and peace offerings and have a feast.
• God tells Moses to go down to the people because they have corrupted themselves by making a golden calf. He tells Moses to leave Him so He can destroy the people and make a great nation from Moses.
• Moses implores God to remember His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God relents in His desire to destroy the people.
• Moses leaves God's presence with the two tablets. When he and Joshua near the camp, they hear the people singing and then find them dancing. Moses throws the tablets at the bottom of Mount Sinai, breaking them, and then burns the calf, grounds it to powder, and makes the people drink water mixed with the powder.
• Moses questions Aaron, and Aaron explains what happened. Moses stands in the camp and calls to him all who are on the Lord's side. All the sons of Levi gathered around him, and he sends them out to kill their "brother," "companion," and "neighbor." They do as instructed, killing about three thousand men.
• The next day, Moses addresses the people with their great sin and then returns to the top of Mt. Sinai to try to atone for them. God sends him back so he can lead the people to the place He had told Moses about, sending an angel before them. He warns Moses that when He comes, He will visit their sin upon them. He sends a plague on the people.

The Command to Leave Sinai – Exodus 33

• God tells Moses to take the people and depart for the land He had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He states He will send his angel before them and will drive out the peoples there, but He won't go among them because they are stiff-necked and He'd destroy them.
• The people mourn, and take off their ornaments as God instructs.

The Tent of Meeting

• The tent of meeting is set up outside camp, and when Moses goes out to it, God descends as a pillar of cloud that stands at the entrance to the tent as He speaks with Moses inside. The people stand in the doors of their tents and worship. Joshua remains in the tent of meeting when Moses returns to the camp.

Moses' Intercession

• Moses asks that God not send them to Canaan if He will not go with them. God agrees to go with them, and Moses asks that He show him His glory.
• God tells Moses that he cannot see His face, but there is a place where he will put him in the cleft of a rock, cover him with His hand, and pass by him.

Moses Makes New Tablets – Exodus 34

• God tells Moses to cut two stone tablets like the first ones and He will rewrite them. Moses does as instructed and goes up onto Mount Sinai early in the morning. The Lord descends as a cloud and proclaims His grace and mercy but that He must "visit" iniquity on those who deserve it. Moses bows down to worship and asks that if he has found favor in God's sight, that God would go in the midst of them and forgive them.

The Covenant Renewed

• God tells Moses he is making a covenant with the people, and tells him He will drive out the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites from their land. The Hebrews are not to make a covenant with them, but to tear down their altars. He tells them not to make any idols of cast metals, and instructs them to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread, consecrate the firstborns to Him, keep the Sabbath, and bring God the first fruits. 
• Moses writes all this on the tablets. He stays on the mountain top for forty days and nights.

February 10: Exodus 29:1 – Exodus 31:18

Consecration of the Priests – Exodus 29

• God gives instructions for anointing Aaron and his sons as priests. The priests' clothing and turban are placed on Aaron and anointing oil is to be poured on his face. His sons will then be brought in and placed in their priests' garb.
• A bull without blemish is to be brought before the tent of meeting, and Aaron and his sons place their hands on it. They will then kill the bull at the entrance of the tent, place some of its blood on the horn of the altar, and pour the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. The fat covering the entrails, the long lobe of the liver, and the kidneys are to be burned on the altar, while the flesh and its skin and dung are taken outside the camp and burned as a sin offering.
• They then take a ram (the ram of sacrifice), lay their hands on it, and then kill it. Its blood is thrown against the sides of the altar, and then they cut the ram into pieces and burn it on the altar as a food offering to the Lord.
• They are then to take another ram (the ram of ordination), lay their hands on it, and kill it. Part of its blood is put on the tips of Aaron's right ear and his sons' ears, and on the tips of their right thumbs and right great toes. Some of the blood will be thrown against the sides of the altar, and some sprinkled on Aaron and his sons' garments, along with anointing oil.
• The fat of the ram is then to be taken and used to make one loaf of bread and one cake of bread, and one wafer. They are placed in the hands of Aaron and his sons and waved before the Lord in an offering, then burnt on the altar as a food offering to God.
• The flesh of the ram of ordination should be burned in the Holy Place, and they will eat of it and the bread in the basket at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Aaron and his sons are to be ordained for seven days, sacrificing a bull as a sin offering each day.
• Instructions for sacrifices are given—one lamb in the morning and one in the evening each day. God says He will dwell among them in the tent of meeting and be their God.

The Altar of Incense – Exodus 30

• God gives instructions for building an altar of acacia wood on which to burn incense. It is to be overlaid with gold and then placed in front of the veil that is above the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is above the testimony.
• Aaron will be instructed to burn incense on it every morning and at twilight, and he will make atonement on the horns of the altar once a year.

The Census Tax

• God tells Moses that when he takes a census, that each person age twenty or older shall give a shekel for the service of the tabernacle.

The Bronze Basin

• God tells Moses they are to make a basin of bronze for washing, and place it between the tent of meeting and the alter. Aaron and his sons will wash their hands and their feet with its water whenever they go near the altar to burn a food offering to the Lord.

The Anointing Oil and Incense

• Instructions are given for making an anointing oil, and they are to anoint the tent of meeting, the ark of the testimony, the table and its utensils, the lampstand and its utensils, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering and its utensils, and the basin and its stand. They are then to anoint Aaron and his sons.

Ohaliab and Bezalel – Exodus 31

• God tells Moses that He has called by name Bezalel and filled him with His spirit to devise artistic designs. He has also appointed Ohaliab and other men to build all of these parts of the tent of meeting.

The Sabbath

• God tells Moses to instruct the people of Israel that they are to keep the Sabbath, and that whoever profanes it will be put to death. When God is finished speaking, He gives to Moses the tablets of the testimony.

February 9: Exodus 25:1 – Exodus 28:43

Contributions for the Sanctuary – Exodus 25

• God tells Moses to have the Hebrews (those who wish to) take up contributions of gold, silver, fine fabrics and yarns, oils for lamps, etc. They are then to make a sanctuary for God to dwell in, exactly as He tells them to make it.

The Ark of the Covenant

• God instructs Moses to have the Hebrew people build an ark of acacia wood and overlay it in gold. He gives exact instructions for how to make it, and tells them to put into it the testimony that He will give them. He then instructs them to make a mercy seat and place it on top of the ark.

The Table for Bread

• God instructs Moses to have the Hebrew people build a table of acacia wood and overlay it with gold. They are then to make plates and dishes for incense as well as bowls to pour drink offerings into. They will set the bread of the Presence on the table before God regularly.

The Golden Lampstand

• God instructs Moses to have the Hebrew people make a lampstand (resembling a large menorah) of pure gold.

The Tabernacle – Exodus 26

• God instructs Moses to have the Hebrew people make the tabernacle, including curtains of goats' hair for a tent over it. They are to place the ark of the covenant in the Most Holy Place.

The Bronze Altar – Exodus 27

• God instructs Moses to have the Hebrew people make the altar of acacia wood and overlay it with bronze.

The Court of the Tabernacle

• God gives instructions for making the court of the tabernacle.

Oil for the Lamp 

• God commands that the Hebrew people bring pure beaten olive oil for the light so the lamp can be regularly set up to burn. Aaron and his sons will tend it from evening till morning.

The Priests' Garments – Exodus 28

• God tells Moses to summon Aaron and his sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar to serve as priests. He instructs how to make their garments and accessories. They are to make a breastpiece of justice and bind it to the ephod, which Aaron will wear on his heart when he goes into the Holy Place. He will bear the judgment of the people on his heart before the Lord regularly.
• The people are instructed to make a signet bearing the words "Holy to the Lord" for Aaron to wear on his turban, and to make a checker-print coat and undergarments for him to wear in the Holy Place.

February 6: Exodus 16:1 – Exodus 19:25

Bread from Heaven – Exodus 16

• Israel journeys on from Elim and ends up in the wilderness of Sin, between Elim and Sinai (about two months after they left Egypt). The people all grumble against Moses, saying that at least in Egypt they had food.
• The Lord tells Moses that he will rain down food from heaven, and tells them they are to bring in only what they can eat in one day, except on the sixth day they can bring in enough for two days. He and Aaron tell the people that the food will be on the ground—meat in the evening and bread in the morning. When Aaron tells the people what Moses instructs him to, the glory of the Lord appears in a cloud.
• In the evening quail covers the camp, and in the morning a flake-like food (manna). Moses tells them to gather only an omer per person so none is left over, but they do not listen. The food that is leftover breeds worms and stinks. Moses becomes angry with them for disobeying.
• The people go out on the seventh day to try to gather the food, even though God told them not to do so since the Sabbath is a day of rest, and God asks Moses how long the people will refuse to keep His commandments and laws.
• The people of Israel will eat manna for forty years, until they come to the land of Canaan.

Water from the Rock – Chapter 17

• Israel moves on from the wilderness of Sin and camps at Rephidim, but there is no water for them to drink there. They grumble against Moses again, asking why he has brought them out of Egypt to die in the desert.
• Moses cries out to God, telling Him that the people are on the verge of stoning him. God tells him to go before the people with some of the elders, taking his staff, and strike a rock and water will come from it. He does as instructed and water flows.
• Amalek comes and fights with Israel, and Moses tells Joshua to choose men and fight him. Joshua does and commanded, and Moses, Aaron, and Hur watch from a hilltop. Whenever Moses holds his hands up, Israel prevails, but when he lowers his hands, Amalek prevails. Aaron and Hur hold up Moses' arms, and Joshua's men overwhelm Amalek's.
• Moses builds an altar to the Lord and names it "The Lord is My Banner."

Jethro's Advice – Chapter 18

• Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, hears about all God has done for Moses and Israel (Moses had sent Zipporah and their sons, Gershom and Eliezer, back to Jethro). Jethro takes Zipporah, Gershom, and Elizer and goes to meet Moses in the wilderness. There he rejoices for all the Lord has done to Egypt for Israel's sake and burns offerings to Moses's God.
• Jethro sees how Moses sits before the people and questions him. Moses tells him that he helps them with their disputes using God's statutes and commands. Jethro tells him what he's doing is no good and will certainly wear him out. Jethro suggests Moses select upright men from among Israel and make them judges, then have the people take smaller issues to them and larger issues to Moses.
• Moses does as Jethro suggested, and Jethro returns to his own country.

Israel at Mount Sinai – Exodus 19

• Israel reaches the wilderness of Sinai and camps before the mountain. Moses goes up onto the mountain to God. God tells him to tell the people that they have seen what He has done, so they should obey His voice and keep His commands, and if they do they will be His treasured possession. Moses tells the people, and they agree.
• God tells Moses to have the people consecrate themselves and be ready for the third day, because He will come down from Mount Sinai to meet them. He instructs that they must not go up into the mountain or touch it.
• Moses goes down from the mountain and tells the people, and they do as instructed.
• On the third day, there is thunder and lightning, and a thick cloud forms on a mountain and a loud trumpet blast sounds. The people are scared, but Moses brings them out of camp to meet God. God calls Moses up onto the mountain and tells him to go down and warn the people not to look at Him. Moses tells Him they cannot come closer (come onto the mountain), and God instructs him to go down and bring Aaron up but have the people and elders stay below. Moses does as instructed.

February 4: Exodus 10:1 – Exodus 12:51

The Eighth Plague: Locusts – Exodus 10

• God again sends Moses and Aaron to Pharaoh. He has hardened the hearts of Pharaoh and his servants so He can show to Moses' son and grandson how He has dealt harshly with the Egyptians and the signs He has done, that they might know He is God.
• Moses and Aaron ask Pharaoh how long he will refuse to humble himself and tells him to let the Egyptians go. They also tell him that if he doesn't, God will plague Egypt with locusts.
• Pharaoh's men tell Pharaoh to let the Hebrews go and question if he doesn't yet understand that Egypt is ruined. Pharaoh still refuses.
• Moses stretches out his hand over Egypt, and the land is plagued with locusts. They eat all the plants and trees in the country.
• Pharaoh calls for Moses and Aaron, and claims he has sinned against God and begs them to plead with God to remove the plague. Moses does so, and the Lord sends a strong wind that drives the locusts into the Red Sea. Still, Pharaoh does not let the people go.

The Ninth Plague: Darkness

• God tells Moses to stretch out his hand over the land, and darkness falls over the land for three days (except in Goshen).
• Pharaoh tells Moses to take the people but leave the livestock, and go serve their God in the wilderness. Moses tells him the livestock must go with them so they have animals to sacrifice.
• Pharaoh refuses, and tells Moses to leave his presence and to never come into his presence again, because Moses will die if he does.

A Final Plague Threatened – Exodus 11

• God tells Moses He will send one more plague on the Egyptians and that afterward Pharaoh will let them go and drive them away completely. He tells Moses to have the Hebrew people ask their Egyptian neighbors for silver, gold and clothing, which they do, and the Egyptians give them what they ask for.
• Moses tells the Hebrews that about midnight all the firstborns of Egypt will die and that Pharaoh will release the Hebrew people.

The Passover – Exodus 12

• God tells Moses and Aaron to tell the Hebrews that on the tenth of the month they will take either a sheep or goat lamb, keep it until the fourteenth of the month, and then sacrifice it and place its blood on the lintel and doorposts of the house. They are then to eat its roasted flesh along with unleavened bread and bitter herbs that night. They are to burn any of the meat that returns, and to eat it with their belts fastened, their sandals on their feet, and their staffs in their hands. He tells them to keep this as a feast to the Lord.
• The Hebrews are then to eat unleavened bread for seven days and hold a "holy assembly" on the first and seventh days.
• Moses instructs the people of Israel to do everything that God has instructed, and the people obey.

The Tenth Plague: Death of the Firstborn – Exodus 13

• At midnight God strikes all of the firstborns throughout Egypt. Their is great sorrow in every household, and Pharaoh summons Moses and Aaron and tells them to take their people and leave Egypt.

The Exodus

• The people of Israel leave Rameses and journey to Succoth (about six hundred thousand men, along with women and children) with their livestock. At this time the Hebrews had been in Egypt for 430 years.
• God gives more instructions about the Passover feast, and the Hebrews do just as the Lord commanded.