Year in the Bible
Week Nine: Living in Community with God and Others
This week, we move from the end of Leviticus, filled with its rules and laws, to a focus on communal festivals and the treatment of others, and into the beginning of Numbers, where Israel continues its journey through the wilderness and prepares a new generation for the future promised land. These readings explore what it means to live as God's people: caring for one another, practicing justice, worshiping together, and trusting God's presence along the way. In Hebrews, we see how the writer reinterprets many of these Old Testament themes in light of Jesus, as our great high priest, offering a new way into God's presence and inviting us to live lives shaped by faith, hope, and love.
This Week's Readings: Leviticus 24–27; Numbers 1–7; Hebrews 9–13; Psalms 64, 81, 112
Read, Reflect, and Discuss
This week's discussion centers on Leviticus 25:8–17, Hebrews 10:19–25, and Hebrews 11.
As you reflect on these passages, consider:
- What are your initial reactions to this week's readings?
- What surprised you, challenged you, bothered you, or sounded like good news?
- Leviticus introduces the Year of Jubilee, a time of restoration, freedom, and the return of property. What does this vision of economic justice and a fresh start say about God's hopes for community?
- Numbers begins with a census and detailed instructions for how the Israelites are to organize themselves around God's presence. What does it mean to belong to a community shaped by worship, shared responsibility, and care for one another?
- Hebrews describes Jesus as the one who makes a new covenant and offers himself once for all. How does this shape your understanding of forgiveness, grace, and our relationship with God?
- Hebrews 10 encourages believers to hold on to hope and keep meeting together to encourage one another. Why do you think community is so important to a life of faith? Where have you experienced that kind of encouragement?
- Hebrews 11 describes faith as the assurance of things hoped for, even when we cannot see what lies ahead. What does faith look like when you are living with uncertainty?
- Hebrews 13 calls us to show hospitality, remember those who are suffering, and care for others. Which of these practices feels especially important in our world right now?
- What else stood out to you in these readings, or what questions are you still carrying?
Going Further
Explore Bible Project resources on Leviticus and Hebrews along with the Lutheran Seminary's Enter the Bible.
Through Christ, we are invited to approach God with confidence, hold on to hope, encourage one another, and put our faith into action through generosity, hospitality, and love.
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