The Listener’s Bible Commentary

Backstory and Overview of Numbers  

Numbers continues the story of Israel after the exodus out of Egypt. Israel has camped at Mt Sinai for about a year. God has made a covenant with them and they have agreed to it. They have received God’s instructions and laws and built a sacred royal tent for God. It’s now time to prepare Israel to move to the promised land. 

The book of Numbers covers 40 years and it moves from the first generation of those who came out of Egypt in the exodus to the second generat...

Leviticus, Holiness, and Using the Commentary for Discipleship | Fall 2026 Update

In this Listener's Commentary update, John talks about: 

BIBLE READING GUIDE - FREE EBOOK - Get the free eBook, Bible in Life, to help you learn how to read and apply the Bible well: https://www.listenerscommentary.com  

GIVE -  The Listener’s Commentary is a listener supported Bible teaching ministry made possible by the gen...

Leviticus 25-27, pt. 2

The topic of chs. 25-27 can be thought of as “holiness in the land.” Israel has been camped at Mt. Sinai for about a year and it is almost time to march out. When they move into the land of promise, settle there, and build houses and have land to farm, what does it look like to live as God’s holy people then and there? That is the big theme of these chapters. 

In this recording, we survey chapters 26-27. Leviticus 26 records the blessings for keeping the covenant and the curses for vio...

Leviticus 25-27, pt. 1  

The topic of chs. 25-27 can be thought of as “holiness in the land.” Israel has been camped at Mt. Sinai for about a year and it's almost time to march out. When they move into the land of promise, settle there, and build houses and have land to farm, what does it look like to live as God’s holy people then and there? That is the big theme of these chapters. 

In this recording, we consider Leviticus 25, which deals with how to treat the land, workers, and deal with debt (the sabba...

Leviticus 23-24  

Leviticus 23-24 continues the theme of ritual holiness. We have to be careful not to think of this as “mere rituals that don’t really matter.” Our modern instinctive dislike of rituals in the West prompts us to think like that. But the rituals and instructions of Leviticus 23-24 matter for Israel's overall life as a people distinct and different from the nations -- as God’s holy people, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. 

So in the whole section of Leviticus 21-24 the main question is, what does it look like to res...

Leviticus 21-22  

Leviticus 21-22 provided special instructions for the priests. Leviticus 18-20 were addressed to the entire congregation of Israel and dealt mostly with holiness in everyday life. Since Israel as a whole is set apart for the Lord (=holy) to be a holy nation, chapters 18-20 detailed some of the ways they had to be distinct and different from the nations personally, socially, and ritually. 

But here in Leviticus 21-22 we shift to the priests. Since they are set apart as a special holy class within the nation, these chapters describe some of the ways...

Special Study: How Do the Laws of Leviticus (and the rest of the Torah) Apply Today?  

Some of the Laws of the Torah seem easy to apply. For example, love your neighbor as yourself is found in Leviticus 19:18. Others feel foreign. The very next verse tells us not to wear a garment woven of two kinds of fabric (Leviticus 19:19). There are plenty of laws that seem strange or even impossible to keep in modern culture. So how do such laws apply today?

In this special study we show why one common approach--breaking the laws into ci...

Leviticus 18-20  

Leviticus 18-20 is usually called "The Holiness Code." It details God's instructions to Israel for holy living in routine matters of everyday life. Holiness mean different, distinct, set apart for God's purposes. If Israel is going to be a holy nation (cf. Exodus 19:6), then they need to be different from the nations around them. They must be holy as God is holy. 

BIBLE READING GUIDE - FREE EBOOK - Get the free eBook, Bible in Life, to help you learn how to read and apply the Bible well: https://www.listenerscommentary.com  

GI...

Why does the Bible say not to eat meat with blood in it? 

Leviticus 17 answers that question by focusing on the sacredness of blood. God gave animal blood for the purpose of atonement. Therefore, now that the tabernacle is operational, the only legitimate sacrifices are those offered at the tabernacle, and all meat must have blood drained from it. 

BIBLE READING GUIDE - FREE EBOOK - Get the free eBook, Bible in Life, to help you learn how to read and apply the Bible well: https://www.listenerscommentary.com  

GIVE...

Leviticus 16  

Leviticus 16 records the instructions for the Day of Atonement celebration. This annual day of fasting and worship provided atonement for the Tabernacle and for all the sins of Israel. It finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus whose death provided full and final cleansing from sin. 

BIBLE READING GUIDE - FREE EBOOK - Get the free eBook, Bible in Life, to help you learn how to read and apply the Bible well: https://www.listenerscommentary.com  

GIVE -  The Listener’s Commentary is a listener supported Bible teaching ministry made possi...

Leviticus 11-15, pt. 3

Leviticus 11-15 gives Israel instructions for ritual purity, so that they can honor God by drawing near to his sacred tent in a ritually pure state. These chapters make clear what causes ritual impurity and what they need to do in order to be clean again. All of this is part of God's covenant with Israel. 

This recording wraps up these instructions by looking at the instructions on ritually defiling infestations in houses and bodily discharges. It these gives some theological reflections that helps us see why these laws matter and how t...

Leviticus 11-15, pt. 2  

Leviticus 11-15 gives Israel instructions for ritual purity, so that they can honor God by drawing near to his sacred tent in a ritually pure state. These chapters make clear what causes ritual impurity and what they need to do in order to be clean again. All of this is part of God's covenant with Israel. 

This recording focuses on Leviticus 12-14 which deals with ritual purity in matters pertaining to the body: childbirth and various skin diseases.  

BIBLE READING GUIDE - FREE EBOOK - Get the free eBook...

Leviticus 11-15, pt. 1  

Why does the Bible say not to eat pork? What about all the food laws of the Bible? 

Leviticus 11-15 gives Israel instructions for ritual purity, so that they can honor God by drawing near to his sacred tent in a ritually pure state. These chapters make clear what causes ritual impurity and what they need to do in order to be clean again. 

This recording focuses on Leviticus chapter 11 which deals with clean and unclean foods.  

BIBLE READING GUIDE - FREE EBOOK - Get the free eB...

Leviticus 8-10  

Leviticus 8-10 recounts the opening ceremonies for the Tabernacle, and it's important to remember where we’re at in the story of the Pentateuch (Torah). 

The Israelites have come out of Egypt and they’re camped at the foot of Mt. Sinai. God has instructed them to build a sacred tent for him, so he can dwell among them. They have now done that. They just got the tabernacle set up!

Then God has moved in… his glory came down from the mountain and moved into the tabernacle. And his glory and holine...

Leviticus 4-7   

In Leviticus 1-7, God is giving Moses instructions for the 5 main sacrifices for Israel's worship at the Tabernacle. Chapters 1-3 details the first three. Leviticus 4-6 detail the next two, the sin (or better, purification) offering and the guilt or restitution offering. 

These two offerings are very similar. It even says in these chapters “the guilt offering is like the sin offering.” They both deal with inadvertent wrongdoing that needs atonement. The key difference is that guilt offerings are for matters where restitution or repayment can be made as well.

Also include...

Leviticus 1-3  

Leviticus opens like this: “Then the Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying…” This makes it clear that it is continuing the story revealed in Exodus. Exodus ended like this: 40:34 -35 - Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

So while Leviticus is a separate book in our bibles, it’s still the same sto...

Ritual Purity and Atonement in Leviticus 

Reading Leviticus can feel very foreign... we might even say it's weird. And a huge part of that is because all the rules about clean and unclean. These rules rules are addressing the state of ritual purity and ritual impurity. 

Ritual impurity in the Ancient Near East (ANE) was a status rendering a person temporarily unfit to enter sacred spaces (temples) or interact with the divine. Think of it like proper protocol for entering the sanctuary and approaching the Holy…. there are just things you don’t do when approac...

Introduction to Leviticus  

For most of us, Leviticus is a challenging read! If Exodus was more challenging than Genesis, Leviticus ramps it up even further. The first seven chapters are procedures for sacrifices. Later,  there’s all sorts of teaching about clean and unclean foods and about behaviors that lead to ritual impurity and what to do about all that. A lot of the material in Leviticus is specifically for the priests, almost like a procedures manual. 

And it all feels so…. weird and foreign (which it because it is!).  

So in this recording...

The Majesty of God, Leviticus, and Other News | Spring 2026 Update

When spending lots of time in Exodus and Leviticus you can't miss the majesty and holiness of God. But at the same time, there's the mercy and intimacy of God. Let's reflect on that. 

Here's a link to the sermon from Acts 5 that I mention in this update: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WK7JrNb9Ays&pp=0gcJCQQLAYcqIYzv

Leviticus starts next week! So I share a few thoughts on Leviticus matters, plus a few other updates. 

BIBL...

Special Study: Slavery in the Torah   

Laws concerning slavery appear in several places in the Torah (the Pentateuch). This can be troubling, since slavery is a persistent human evil. In this special study of The Listener's Bible Commentary, we give one guiding principle and six considerations that help us hear the slavery laws as the were intended to be heard.

Our goal here is to prevent misunderstanding and promote a more full and accurate understanding because it’s too easy and too common for people to read what the Bible says through the lens of our...

Exodus 35-40

In this section of the Bible book of Exodus, the tabernacle is built and the priestly garments are made. Since the covenant has been renewed, it’s time to build the tabernacle, fashion the priestly garments, and get everything ready for God to move in. 

God gives his Spirit to two men, Bezalel and Oholiab, so that they can lead the project and the people respond with great generosity and dedication. They complete the tabernacle, all its furnishings, and the priestly garments exactly as the Lord had instructed Moses. 

And at the...

Exodus 32-34, pt. 2  

These chapters recount the famous "golden calf" incident, where Israel convince Aaron to set an idol in the form of gold bull and they worship it as their god who led them out of Egypt. In a real, sense this is the fall of Israel. 

What makes it even more tragic and offensive is that they have just entered into their covenant with Yahweh less than 2 months ago and now they have violated that covenant. When Moses throws down and breaks the two tablets of the covenant, that action embodies what Israel has...

Exodus 32-34, pt. 1  

These chapters recount the famous "golden calf" incident, where Israel convince Aaron to set an idol in the form of gold bull and they worship it as their god who led them out of Egypt. In a real, sense this is the fall of Israel. 

What makes it even more tragic and offensive is that they have just entered into their covenant with Yahweh less than 2 months ago and now they have violated that covenant. When Moses throws down and breaks the two tablets of the covenant, that action embodies what Israel has...

Exodus 28-31  

In Exodus 28-31 God give Moses the instructions for the priests clothing and for their ordination service. Then he gives the plans for the final few items needed for the tabernacle. The section ends with God handing Moses the two tablets containing the words of the Covenant.

BIBLE READING GUIDE - FREE EBOOK - Get the free eBook, Bible in Life, to help you learn how to read and apply the Bible well: https://www.listenerscommentary.com  

GIVE -  The Listener’s Commentary is a listener supported Bible tea...

Exodus 25-27  

The main theme of the whole last section of Exodus - chapters 25-40 - is God presence in the midst of the Israelites. And the center of that is a specially designed royal tent where God will come to dwell right in the middle of the camp. We call this tent the Tabernacle. 

In chapters 25-27 God begins giving Moses the blueprints for the Tabernacle. 

BIBLE READING GUIDE - FREE EBOOK - Get the free eBook, Bible in Life, to help you learn how to read and apply the Bible...

Exodus 24  

Exodus 24 recounts the covenant ratification ceremony between God and Israel. Moses reads the "Book of the Covenant" and the people agree to obey all that God has said. The Moses, Aaron, and representatives of the people partake of a covenant meal in God's presence, and Moses enters God's presence to receive instructions for the Tabernacle so God can move in among the people. 

BIBLE READING GUIDE - FREE EBOOK - Get the free eBook, Bible in Life, to help you learn how to read and apply the Bible well: https://www.listenerscommentary.com  ...

Exodus 21-23 

This is sometimes referred to as "The Book of the Covenant" because that is what it is called in Exodus 24:7-8, although that probably also includes Exodus 20. We need to remember that these regulations reflect “God’s ways in Israel’s days” (as one author puts it). These instructions are part of God’s covenant with this particular nation, Israel.

God is accommodating himself to their culture... These are case laws (notice the format of these regulations: “if this… then that”). This is simply acknowledging aspects of ordinary life and offering regulations for it… it’s not comm...

Special Study: Covenant

In Exodus 19-24, God makes a covenant with Israel. The idea of "covenant" is central to not only the book of Exodus but also the entire Bible. So in this special study we explore the concept of covenant in regards to the Sinai covenant and how it relates to the new covenant in Christ. 

BIBLE READING GUIDE - FREE EBOOK - Get the free eBook, Bible in Life, to help you learn how to read and apply the Bible well: https://www.listenerscommentary.com  

GIVE -  The Li...

Exodus 19-20  

These chapters are pivotal in book of Exodus. Israel arrives at Mount Sinai, where God meets with them and enters into a covenant with them. Because of that, these chapters are also pivotal in the history of Israel and the entire Bible. 

God describes their status and vocation in Exodus 19:3-6: 

3 And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “This is what you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the E...

Exodus 15:22-18:27  

These chapters of Exodus recount Israel's journey from the Red Sea to Mount Sinai. It includes five snapshots from that journey which show Israel's continual unbelief that's acted out in grumbling and complaining and pining to return to Egypt. 

The five snapshots are:

1. Near dehydration - 15:22-27

2. Fear of Starvation - 16:1-36

3. No more water - 17:1-7

4. Fighting Amalek - 17:8-16

5. A Father-in-Law's Advice - 18:1-27  

BIBLE READING GUIDE - FREE EBOOK - Get the free eBook, Bible in Life, t...

Exodus 13:1-15:21  

In this section of the book of Exodus, Moses recounts:

-the ceremony for offering and redeeming the first born in Israel

-the parting of the Red Sea and crossing on dry land 

-Moses' and the Israelite's victory song, celebrating God's salvation

BIBLE READING GUIDE - FREE EBOOK - Get the free eBook, Bible in Life, to help you learn how to read and apply the Bible well: https://www.listenerscommentary.com  

GIVE -  The Listener’s Commentary is a listener supported Bible teac...

Exodus 12  

 Now the Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 2 “This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year for you. 3 Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, ‘On the tenth of this month they are, each one, to take a lamb for themselves, according to the fathers’ households, a lamb for each household. 4 Now if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his neighbor nearest to his house are to take one according to the number of persons in them; in...

Exodus 5-11

In this session of The Listener's Commentary, we look at the famous 10 plagues story.

Israel is suffering under the heavy hand of Egyptian oppression. God has heard their cries, remembered his covenant, and called Moses to be the deliverer. And Moses finally agrees to go.

He has met his brother Aaron and together they have returned to Egypt to confront Pharaoh… and it’s really a confrontation between God, Pharaoh and the gods of Egypt. The plagues we see in these chapters aren’t random. They are about who is the true G...

Exodus 5-11

In this session of The Listener's Commentary, we begin looking at the famous 10 plagues story.

Israel is suffering under the heavy hand of Egyptian oppression. God has heard their cries, remembered his covenant, and called Moses to be the deliverer. And Moses finally agrees to go.

He has met his brother Aaron and together they have returned to Egypt to confront Pharaoh… and it’s really a confrontation between God, Pharaoh and the gods of Egypt. The plagues we see in these chapters aren’t random. They are about who is the tr...

Exodus 1-4

This is part 1 of the book of Exodus, the part we called the birth and early years of Moses in the backstory to Exodus. 

-Exodus opens in a way that links it to Genesis … a recap of the sons of Jacob and the death of Joseph. 

-Israel has increased and multiplied and filled the land and Pharaoh sees that as a problem.

-Moses is born and raised in Pharaoh's household.

-Moses flees Egypt, settles in Midian, and marries a Midianite. 

-God appears to Moses in a bur...

Backstory to Exodus

In order to help you read Exodus well, this session of The Listener's Commentary explores the backstory and overview of the book of Exodus. When was it written? Why was it written? What is Exodus about? 

BIBLE READING GUIDE - FREE EBOOK - Get the free eBook, Bible in Life, to help you learn how to read and apply the Bible well: https://www.listenerscommentary.com  

GIVE -  The Listener’s Commentary is a listener supported Bible teaching ministry made possible by the generosity of people like you...

Spanish Version Now Available, and More! | Update January 2026

BIBLE READING GUIDE - FREE EBOOK - Get the free eBook, Bible in Life, to help you learn how to read and apply the Bible well: https://www.listenerscommentary.com  

GIVE -  The Listener’s Commentary is a listener supported Bible teaching ministry made possible by the generosity of people like you. Thank you!

Give here:  https://www.listenerscommentary.com/give  

STUDY HUB - Want more than the audio? Join the study hub to access articles, maps, charts, pic...

Genesis 48-50  

These chapters conclude the book of Genesis. Key points included are:

BIBLE READING GUIDE - FREE EBOOK - Get the free eBook, Bible in Life, to help you learn how to read and apply the Bible well: https://www.listenerscommentary.com  

GIVE -  The Listener’s Commentary is a listener supported Bible teaching ministry made possible by the generosity o...

Genesis 37-47  

These chapters recount the well-known story of Joseph being sold into slavery and his eventual reconciliation with his brothers. 

BIBLE READING GUIDE - FREE EBOOK - Get the free eBook, Bible in Life, to help you learn how to read and apply the Bible well: https://www.listenerscommentary.com  

GIVE -  The Listener’s Commentary is a listener supported Bible teaching ministry made possible by the generosity of people like you. Thank you!

Give here:  https://www.listenerscommentary.com/give  

STUDY HUB - Want mor...

Genesis 34-36  

This section transitions from Isaac to Jacob. It narrates:

-the tragic treatment of Jacob's daughter Dinah and the horrendous revenge by her brothers. 

-God's reaffirmation of his promise to Jacob and Jacob's complete loyalty to Yahweh 

-the death of Isaac 

-the family line of Esau

BIBLE READING GUIDE - FREE EBOOK - Get the free eBook, Bible in Life, to help you learn how to read and apply the Bible well: https://www.listenerscommentary.com  

GIVE -  The Listener’s Commentary...