Through the ESV Bible in a Year with Jackie Hill Perry

Episode: March 4 (Leviticus 26; Psalm 59; Luke 23)
Date: March 4, 2026
Host: Crossway

Episode Overview

This episode continues the daily journey through the ESV Bible by reading and reflecting on Leviticus 26 (the blessings and curses for Israel based on covenant faithfulness), Psalm 59 (David’s prayer for deliverance from enemies), and Luke 23 (the trial, crucifixion, and burial of Jesus Christ). The readings focus on God’s justice and mercy, the endurance of faith under persecution, and the ultimate fulfillment of redemption through Christ’s sacrifice.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Leviticus 26: Blessings and Curses – Covenant Relationship

• God promises tremendous blessings—peace, security, abundance—if Israel walks in His statutes:
  • “I will give peace in the land… none shall make you afraid.” (00:38)
  • “I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you.” (01:10)
• Serious consequences are outlined for disobedience—ranging from failed harvests and disease to exile and devastation:
  • “I will visit you with panic, wasting disease, and fever… I will set my face against you.” (01:22–01:36)
  • “I will break the pride of your power… your land shall not yield its increase.” (01:46)
  • In extremity, the text describes even cannibalism during siege and desolation (02:38).
• Yet even in judgment, God promises eventual mercy if the people confess and humble themselves:
  • “But if they confess their iniquity... then I will remember my covenant with Jacob... I will not spurn them... For I am the Lord their God.” (04:59–05:37)
• Notable Moment: The cyclical structure of blessing, curse, repentance, and restoration, highlighting God’s justice but also His unbreakable commitment to His covenant.

2. Psalm 59: David’s Plea for Deliverance

• David pleads for God’s intervention as he’s pursued by enemies without cause:
  • “Deliver me from my enemies, O my God, protect me from those who rise up against me.” (05:54)
  • Emphasis on the wickedness of his foes, who “wander about for food and growl if they do not get their fill.” (07:23)
• Despite distress, David expresses confidence in God’s steadfast love and power:
  • “But you, O Lord, laugh at them; you hold all the nations in derision.” (06:31)
  • “I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.” (07:32)
• Notable Quote: “For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress.” (07:36)
• The psalm models lament and worship, demonstrating faith’s resilience in adversity.

3. Luke 23: The Trial and Crucifixion of Jesus

• Jesus is brought before Pilate and Herod; both find him innocent, but the crowd demands crucifixion:
  • Pilate: “I find no guilt in this man.” (07:58)
  • Pilate repeats this judgment but yields to popular demand: “What evil has he done? I have found in him no guilt deserving death.” (09:37)
• The substitution: Barabbas, an insurrectionist and murderer, is released in Jesus’ place (09:13–09:27).
• Simon of Cyrene is compelled to carry Jesus’ cross (09:51). Jesus warns the women of Jerusalem:
  • “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.” (09:59)
• Jesus’ Compassion from the Cross:
  • “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (10:57)
  • To the penitent thief: “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (11:50)
• Supernatural signs: darkness from the sixth to the ninth hour, the temple curtain torn in two (12:06–12:13).
• Jesus’ final words: “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” (12:15)
• The centurion’s declaration: “Certainly this man was innocent.” (12:20)
• Jesus is buried by Joseph of Arimathea; the women prepare for Sabbath rest (12:45–13:22).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Blessing:
  “You shall eat your bread to the full and dwell in your land securely. I will give peace in the land... and none shall make you afraid.”
  — Leviticus 26 Reader (00:32–00:38)

• On Disobedience and Discipline:
  “I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze.”
  — Leviticus 26 Reader (01:46)

• On God’s Relentless Mercy:
  “Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not spurn them... For I am the Lord their God.”
  — Leviticus 26 Reader (05:22–05:35)

• Psalm of Confidence:
  “But you, O Lord, laugh at [my enemies]; you hold all the nations in derision. O my strength, I will watch for you.”
  — Psalm 59 Respondent (06:31–06:41)

• From the Cross:
  “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
  — Jesus (10:57)

• To the Thief:
  “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
  — Jesus (11:50)

• At His Death:
  “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”
  — Jesus (12:15)

• Reaction of the Centurion:
  “Certainly this man was innocent.”
  — Centurion (12:20)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Leviticus 26 Blessings and Curses: 00:01–05:51
• Psalm 59 (David’s Plea): 05:54–07:40
• Luke 23 (Trial, Crucifixion, Burial): 07:44–13:22

Episode Tone and Language

The episode presents the Biblical text in a reverent, faithful reading, combining earnest expressions of divine justice, lovingkindness, and hope—a tone consistent with Jackie Hill Perry’s scriptural approach and the Crossway tradition. The language is serious, compassionate, and meditative, seeking not only to inform but to encourage reflection and trust in God’s steadfastness amid both blessing and suffering.

For listeners:
This episode connects God’s unwavering faithfulness to His covenant people in Leviticus, David’s worship under persecution, and the culminating sacrifice of Jesus in Luke—drawing lines from Old Testament prophecy and poetry to their fulfillment in Christ’s death and promised resurrection. The readings invite contemplation of both the gravity of sin and the profundity of grace.