March 28 (Numbers 35–36; Psalm 80; Acts 3)

Summary

Through the ESV Bible in a Year with Jackie Hill Perry

Episode Date: March 28, 2026
Readings: Numbers 35–36, Psalm 80, Acts 3

---

Episode Overview

This episode features daily scriptural readings as part of Crossway’s “Through the ESV Bible in a Year” podcast, read and occasionally commented on by Jackie Hill Perry and the Crossway team. On March 28, the episode covers:

• Numbers 35–36: God’s instructions on Levitical cities, cities of refuge, and inheritance laws among the tribes of Israel.
• Psalm 80: A communal lament praying for God’s restoration of Israel.
• Acts 3: The healing of the lame man at the temple and Peter’s sermon to the astounded crowd, declaring Jesus as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.

The passages trace God’s concern for justice, mercy, and faithfulness to covenant promises, while highlighting Jesus as the awaited Messiah.

---

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Numbers 35–36: Cities of Refuge and Inheritance Laws

(00:01–06:38)

• Provision for the Levites:
  God commands Israel to set aside 48 cities (six as cities of refuge) for the Levites, proportionally donated by each tribe.

  “Command the people of Israel to give to the Levites some of the inheritance of their possession as cities for them to dwell in.” (00:05)

• Cities of Refuge:
  Purpose is to provide protection for those who unintentionally kill, ensuring justice and process before punishment.

  “The cities shall be for you a refuge from the avenger, that the manslayer may not die until he stands before the congregation for judgment.” (01:30)

• Justice and Responsibility:
  Distinction between murder and accidental killing, consequences for each, and the importance of witness testimony:

  “If anyone kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the evidence of witnesses. But no person shall be put to death on the testimony of one witness.” (04:59)

• Inheritance Safeguards:
  Specific scenario addressed for daughters of Zelophehad: daughters who inherit land must marry within their tribe to prevent loss of inheritance between tribes.

  “Every daughter who possesses an inheritance in any tribe… shall be wife to one of the clan of the tribe of her father, so that every one... may possess the inheritance of his fathers.” (05:45)

2. Psalm 80: Plea for Restoration

(06:41–08:24)

• Appeal to God as Shepherd:
  Beginning with a call for God to hear and act, using the image of God as the shepherd of Israel:

  “Give ear, O shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock, you who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth...” (06:50)

• Repeated Cry for Restoration:
  The refrain recurs three times:

  “Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved.” (06:55, 07:16, 08:19)

• Visual Imagery of Israel as God’s Vine:
  Describes Israel as a vine God transplanted from Egypt, now suffering and needing divine intervention.

  “You brought a vine out of Egypt… Why then have you broken down its wall so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit?” (07:25–07:45)

3. Acts 3: Healing at the Beautiful Gate and Peter’s Sermon

(08:24–End)

• Miraculous Healing:
  Peter heals a man lame from birth at the temple gate, employing the authority of Christ rather than material means:

  Peter: “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have, I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” (08:44)

• Public Astonishment and Peter’s Explanation:
  The crowd’s awe provides Peter the opportunity to clarify the source of healing:

  Peter: “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this… as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk?... The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob… glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate…” (09:17–09:41)

• Christ as Fulfillment of Prophecy:
  Peter explicitly connects Jesus to the Old Testament expectation:

  “And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance… But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled.” (10:05)

• Call to Repentance and Blessing:
  Peter urges his listeners to repent so that “times of refreshing may come”, declaring Jesus as the prophet like Moses and the one through whom “all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

  “Repent, therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord...” (10:13)

---

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Justice and Mercy (Old Testament Law):

  “But if he pushed him suddenly without enmity… the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood in accordance with these rules.” (03:45)

• On God’s Covenant Faithfulness:

  “You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your father, saying to Abraham, ‘and in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’” (11:35)

• On God’s Power to Heal:

  “And leaping up, he stood and began to walk… walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him…” (09:01)

---

Suggested Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamps | |---------------------------------------------|-----------------| | Numbers 35–36 (Levitical Cities, Inheritance Law) | 00:01–06:38 | | Psalm 80 (Lament and Plea for Restoration) | 06:41–08:24 | | Acts 3 (Healing at the Beautiful Gate; Peter’s Sermon) | 08:24–end |

---

Tone and Style

The language of the episode is faithful to the ESV translation, reverent, and instructional, encouraging thoughtful reflection on justice in the community, God’s faithfulness and mercy, and the continuity between Old and New Testament revelation culminating in the person and work of Jesus.

---

For listeners, this episode offers a rich integration of law, lament, and gospel proclamation, highlighting God’s redemptive work in ancient Israel and its fulfillment in Christ.

Transcript

[Narrator/Reader]

A reading from the Book of Numbers. The Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab, by the Jordan, at Jericho, saying, command the people of Israel to give to the Levites some of the inheritance of their possession as cities for them to dwell in. And you shall give to the Levites pasture lands around the cities. The cities shall be theirs to dwell in. And their pasture land shall be for their cattle and for their livestock and for all their beasts. The the pasture lands of the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall reach from the wall of the city outward a thousand cubits all around. And you shall measure outside the city on the east side 2000 cubits, and on the south side 2000 cubits, and on THE west side 2000 cubits, and on The north side 2000 cubits. The City being in the middle. This shall belong to them as pasture land for their cities. The cities that you give to the Levites shall be the six cities of refuge which where you shall permit the manslayer to flee. And in addition to them, you shall give 42 cities. All the cities that you give to the levites shall be 48 with their pasture lands. And as for the cities that you shall give from the possession of the people of Israel, from the larger tribes you shall take many, and from the smaller tribes you shall take few, each in proportion to the inheritance that it inherits, shall give of its cities to the Levites. And the Lord spoke to Moses saying, speak to the people of Israel and say to them, when you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, then you shall select cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person without intent may flee there. The city shall be for you a refuge from the avenger, that the manslayer may not die until he stands before the congregation for judgment. And the cities that you give shall be your six cities of refuge. You shall give three cities beyond the Jordan and three cities in the land of Canaan to be cities of refuge. These six cities shall be for refuge for the people of Israel and for the stranger and for the sojourner among them. That anyone who kills any person without intent may flee there. But if he struck him down with an iron object so that he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death. And if he struck him down with a stone tool, that could cause death, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death. Or if he struck him down with a wooden tool, that could cause death and he died, he is a murderer. The Murderer shall be put to death. The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death. When he meets him, he shall put him to death. And if he pushed him out of hatred. Or hurled something at him lying in wait, so that he died. Or an enmity struck him down with his hand so that he died, then he who struck the blow shall be put to death. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him. But if he pushed him suddenly without enmity, or hurled anything on him without lying in wait, or used a stone that could cause death, and without seeing him, dropped it on him so that he died, though he was not his enemy and did not seek his harm, then the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood in accordance with these rules. And the congregation shall rescue the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood. And the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge to which he has fled. And he shall live in it until the death of the high priest, who is anointed with the holy oil. But if the manslayer shall at any time go beyond the boundaries of his city of refuge to which he fled. And the avenger of blood finds him outside the boundaries of his city of refuge. And the avenger of blood kills the manslayer, he shall not be guilty of blood. For he must remain in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest, the manslayer may return to the land of his possession. And these things shall be for a statute and rule for you throughout your generations, in all your dwelling places. If anyone kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the evidence of witnesses. But no person shall be put to death on the testimony of one witness. Moreover, you shall accept no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death. But he shall be put to death. And you shall accept no ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge. That he may return to dwell in the land before the death of the high priest. You shall not pollute the land in which you live. For blood pollutes the land. And no atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is shed in it. Except by the blood of the one who shed it. You shall not defile the land in which you live in the midst of which I dwell. For I, the Lord, dwell in the midst of the people of Israel. The heads of the fathers, houses of the clan of the people of Gilead. The son of Machir, son of Manasseh from the clans of the people of Joseph, came near and spoke before Moses and before the chiefs, the heads of the fathers houses of the people of Israel. They said, the Lord commanded my Lord to give the land for inheritance by lot to the people of Israel. And my Lord was commanded by the Lord to give the inheritance of Zelophehad, our brother, to his daughters. But if they are married to any of the sons of the other tribes of the people of Israel, then their inheritance will be taken from the inheritance of our fathers and added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry.

[Commentator/Respondent]

So it will be taken away from

[Narrator/Reader]

the lot of our inheritance. And when the jubilee of the people of Israel comes, then their inheritance will be added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry, and their inheritance will be taken from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers. And Moses commanded the people of Israel according to the word of the Lord, saying, the tribe of the people of Joseph is right. This is what the Lord commands concerning the daughters of Let them marry whom they think best only they shall marry within the clan of the tribe of their father. The inheritance of the people of Israel

[Commentator/Respondent]

shall not be transferred from one tribe

[Narrator/Reader]

to another, for every one of the people of Israel shall hold on to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers. And every daughter who possesses an inheritance in any tribe of the people of Israel shall be wife to one of

[Commentator/Respondent]

the clan of the tribe of her

[Narrator/Reader]

father, so that every one of the people of Israel may possess the inheritance of his fathers. So no inheritance shall be transferred from one tribe to another. For each of the tribes of the people of Israel shall hold onto its own inheritance. The daughters of Zelophehad did as the Lord commanded Moses from Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah. The daughters of Zelophehad were married to sons of their father's brothers. They were married into the clans of the people of Manasseh, the son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in the tribe of their father's clan. These are the commandments and the rules that the Lord commanded through Moses to the people of Israel. In the plains of Moab, by the

[Commentator/Respondent]

Jordan, at Jericho,

[Narrator/Reader]

A reading from the Book of Psalms to the choirmaster according to Lilies, a testimony of Asaph, a

[Commentator/Respondent]

psalm Give ear, O shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock, you who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, stir up your might and come to save Us. Restore us, O God. Let your face shine that we may be saved. O Lord, God of hosts. How long will you be angry with your people's prayers? You have fed them with the bread of tears and given them tears to drink. In full measure you make us an object of contention, for our neighbors and our enemies laugh among themselves. Restore us, O God of hosts. Let your face shine that we may be saved. You brought a vine out of Egypt. You drove out the nations and planted it. You cleared the ground for it. It took deep root and filled the land. The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches. It sent out its branches to the sea and its shoots to the river. Why then have you broken down its wall so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit? The boar from the forest ravages it, and all that move in the field feed on it.

[Narrator/Reader]

Turn again.

[Commentator/Respondent]

O God of hosts, look down from heaven and see. Have regard for this vine, the stock that your right hand planted, and for the Son whom you made strong for yourself. They have burned it with fire, they have cut it down. May they perish at the rebuke of your face. But let your hand be on the man of your right hand, the Son of Man, whom you have made strong for yourself. Then we shall not turn back from you. Give us life, and we will call upon your name.

[Narrator/Reader]

Restore us, O Lord, God of hosts,

[Commentator/Respondent]

let your face shine, that we may be saved.

[Narrator/Reader]

A reading from the Book of Acts

[Commentator/Respondent]

Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a man lame from birth, was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate, to ask alms of those entering the temple. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, look at us. And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, I have no silver and gold, but what I do have, I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God, and recognized him as the one who sat at the beautiful gate of the temple and asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. While he clung to Peter and John. All the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon's. And when Peter saw it, he addressed the people, men of Israel, why do you wonder at this? Or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate when he had decided to release him. But you denied the holy and righteous one and asked for a murderer to be granted to you. And you killed the author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. And his name by faith in his name has made this man strong, whom you see and know. And the faith that is through Jesus, has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all. And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. But what God foretold, by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. Repent, therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets. Long ago, Moses said, the Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people. And all the prophets who have spoken from Samuel and those who came after him also proclaimed. These days you are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your father, saying to Abraham, and in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.