Congratulations on reaching the second month of the Bible Tour! I hope you’re finding a steady rhythm in your daily reading and that the weekly notes are proving helpful along the way. If certain themes or images keep catching your attention, don’t miss the quick links to brief overviews—they’re bite-sized and designed to enhance your understanding and encourage further reflection in less than a minute. Also, as you start a new book of the Bible, look out for the updated Book Backgrounds. These concise introductions unpack key themes, offer valuable context, and encourage you to reflect on how each book points to Jesus and his kingdom in unique ways. May your reading bring fresh discoveries of deep riches in the God-breathed book. Enjoy the journey!

For those who like to read from a hard copy of your Bible, there is a printable version of the readings here – February Readings.

Week 1: 29 January – 4 February

OT – Exodus 16-32

Bread from heaven and water from the rock represent God’s provision of both Word and Spirit. The staff of spiritual authority brings victory in battle and the names of Moses’s children speak of his pilgrimage experience. He comes to meet God on the mountain. The people are not to touch the mountain but must see that God is speaking to Moses from heaven. He receives the Ten Commandments and other various laws. God insists that altars be of simple, uncut stone, giving some hint of the kind of worship God wants. Later, those called to be priests and other leaders accompany Moses up the mountain where he receives instruction about the Tabernacle, the priests who serve there, and the craftsmen who make and adorn it. These things are to teach us principles about our spiritual worship and life as the house of God. The key is that it is all to be done according to the pattern given by God on the mountain.

Jan. 29: Exo 16-18;  Jan. 30: Exo 19-21; Jan. 31: Exo 22-23; Feb. 1: Exo 24-26; Feb. 2: Exo 27-28; Feb. 3: Exo 29-30; Feb. 4: Exo 31-32

NT – Matthew 19:1–23:12

Jesus continues to challenge his listeners. He challenges their thinking about God’s covenant with them and the Law concerning marriage and divorce. The rich young ruler thinks he might get eternal life by obeying all the Law but Jesus exposes the issues of his heart. Even the disciples are challenged but the key is in understanding that all things are possible with God. He continues to challenge people’s thinking about the Kingdom. The parable of workers shows that entry into it is by God’s grace, not our work. He also turns typical thinking about authority on its head – in line with his different kingdom. As he enters Jerusalem, being careful to fulfil prophecy, he continues to challenge the religious leaders – clearing the temple, and receiving praise from children. The parables of the evil farmers and the great feast are clearly about the religious leaders’ rejection of God’s servants (the prophets) and his son. Jesus is taking the Kingdom from the Jewish leaders and giving it to a people who’ll produce its fruit. The religious leaders try to trick them but he catches them out with a question that points to his divine sonship.

Jan.29: Matt 19:1-12; Jan 30: Matt 19:13-20:16; Jan 31: Matt 20:17-21:11; Feb 1: Matt 21:12-32; Feb 2: Matt 21:33-22:14; Feb 3: Matt 22:15-33; Feb 4: Matt 22:34-23:12

Week 2: 5-11 February

OT – Exodus 33 – Leviticus 7

Despite God’s judgment on the people for making an idol of a golden calf, Moses intercedes for them and God goes with them. He assures Moses of his Presence and shows him his glory. When he comes down the mountain he has to veil his face because he reflects the glory. God commands them to be faithful to him, to serve no foreign gods. He instructs them about the building of the Tabernacle and the crafting of the priests’ clothing. All of these are rich in symbolism (we’ll return to them in our reading of Hebrews in the NT). As we begin Leviticus, there is much about offerings and sacrifice. These point to our worship but also to the idea of our salvation coming through the death of a substitute. When they follow God’s instruction about worship properly it results in his Presence with them. When they don’t, it ends in death.

Feb. 5: Exo 33-34; Feb. 6: Exo 35-36; Feb. 7: Exo 37-38; Feb. 8: Exo 39-40; Feb. 9: Lev 1-3; Feb. 10: Lev 4-5; Feb. 11: Lev 6-7

There is a book background to Leviticus here.

NT – Matthew 23:13–26:46

We have seen how Jesus has continually challenged the religious leaders but now he really lets them have it! He calls them hypocritical, pretentious, blind guides, obstacles to entering the Kingdom, legalists, externalists and killers of God’s messengers. Jesus shows his compassion for Jerusalem but its religious leaders will be judged. He then goes on to warn of signs of the future and the end times. His meaning isn’t always clear, as sometimes he seems to be speaking of the fall of Jerusalem that was going to happen in AD 70, and sometimes something much more apocalyptic. Much of this can be explained when we understand that prophecy can be fulfilled multiple times, culminating in an ultimate fulfilment. One clear thing is that the gospel of the Kingdom will be preached through all the world before the end comes. Jesus develops the idea of being ready through the parables of the ten virgins and the three stewards. He then goes on to speak of the key issue being the judgment that will come at the end. The unfolding of the end of his life then begins with the Last Supper, his betrayal, his arrest, his trial and Peter’s denial.

Feb 5: Matt 23:13-39; Feb 6: Matt 24:1-31; Feb 7: Matt 24:32-44; Feb 8: Matt 24:45-25:13; Feb.9: Matt 25:14-46; Feb 10: Matt 26:1-30; Feb 11: Matt 26:31-46

Week 3: 12 – 18 February

OT – Leviticus 8-22

When offerings for worship follow God’s instructions, it results in God’s Presence being manifested and in the blessing of his people. When ‘strange fire’ is offered, God kills the priests! There are various laws about what counts as clean and unclean as God teaches the importance of purity. He provides them with various means of becoming ritually purified to underscore this message about holiness. Central to the whole book is the Day of Atonement – a key to understanding our salvation. As well as the scapegoat who bears the sin of the people, this annual offering of blood for sin by the High Priest foreshadows Christ’s work on the cross. There is a strong emphasis on Aaron not being able to see the Presence and glory of God beyond the veil. Under the new covenant of course we are all able to go right into his Presence. Various laws show the importance of the blood and, again, the need to be holy because God is holy. This means living differently from those around us because we are set apart for God. The laws affect personal and social morality as well as those specifically for the priesthood and ceremonial regulations.

Feb. 12: Lev 8-10; Feb. 13: Lev 11-12; Feb. 14: Lev 13-14; Feb. 15: Lev 15-16; Feb. 16: Lev 17-18; Feb. 17: Lev 19-20; Feb. 18: Lev 21-22

NT – Matthew 26:47 – Mark 1:45

After Jesus’ arrest, Judas hangs himself. Jesus is put on trial and admits to Pilate that he is a King. The dark parody of the crown of thorns and the taunts of Roman soldiers ironically underlines this. At his death on the cross, the very earth itself is affected. The curtain in the temple is torn in two, to show that, by his death on the cross, Jesus has made the way open for us to come into the Presence of God. He rises again of course, and his great commission to his disciples is a restating of God’s original plan. Making disciples of all nations will fill the earth with people like him. As we start the gospel of Mark we note John the Baptist preparing the way for Jesus, and the promise of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. After Jesus’ own baptism, he calls his disciples, drives out demons and heals the sick. The crowds that follow him mean he often has to stay in secluded places.

Feb 12: Matt 26:47-56; Feb 13: Matt 26:57-75; Feb 14: Matt 27:1-26;  Feb 15: Matt 27:27-66; Feb 16: Matt 28; Feb 17: Mark 1:1-15 Feb 18: Mark 1:16-45

There is a book background to Mark here.

Week 4: 19 – 25 February

OT – Leviticus 23–Numbers 7

Leviticus is about holiness, being separated, set apart, pure. The Sabbath is a day set apart, a holy day. It is a day of rest and points to the fact that our salvation is based on God’s work, not ours. It is also a day of worship, as are all the Festivals that are recounted. They are a means of remembering what God has done for them on their pilgrimage. The Year of Jubilee and the whole idea of redemption, of being set free through the paying of a price, points to our salvation. Jesus pays the price to set us free. Leviticus ends with a reminder of the blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. Numbers begin with the numbering and organizing of the camp. Again the priority of holiness is emphasized as only the Levites, the tribe set apart for God, can handle the things of the Tabernacle. There are more laws regarding cleanliness and personal morality. The Nazirite vow also underscores the idea of being set apart for God. Worship is primary as each tribal leader brings the gifts to the altar.

Feb. 19: Lev 23-24; Feb. 20: Lev 25-26; Feb. 21: Lev 27; Num 1; Feb. 22: Num 2-3; Feb. 23: Num 4; Feb. 24: Num 5-6; Feb. 25: Num 7

There is a book background to Numbers here.

NT: Mark 2:1–5:43

Jesus continues to upset religious leaders, by claiming to forgive sins, associating with sinners, failing to fast, and by healing on the Sabbath. They therefore plot to kill him. Jesus indicates a new order is emerging through him that will replace the old covenant that these religious leaders think they represent. It is indicated by his parable of the new wine and new cloth. The beginning of the new covenant people is represented by the choosing of twelve apostles (as there had been twelve tribes in the old covenant people) and by dealing with Satan – the tying up of the strong man. The mysteries of this new order, the Kingdom of God, are gradually being revealed to the disciples through parables but not everyone will understand. The parables about seeds point to life and power of the Kingdom, and its growth from seeming insignificance. Jesus shows the power of his new order by his authority over the wind and waves, and over demons.

Feb 19: Mark 2; Feb 20: Mark 3:1-19; Feb 21: Mark 3:20-4:9; Feb 22: Mark 4:10-20; Feb 23: Mark 4:21-41; Feb 24: Mark 5:1-20; Feb 25: Mark 5:21-43

Please note that the readings for the last few dates in February will be included in the March Readings.