The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) - Day 208: The Futility of Idols (2022)

Episode Date: July 27, 2022

Fr. Mike explains the three ways the people are tempted to turn away from God while in exile: by not worshipping God the way He has asked, by worshipping false idols, and by being superstitious and fearful of false gods. Today's reading are Isaiah 37-38, Baruch 5-6, and Proverbs 11:25-28. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

Hi, my name is Father Mike Schmitz, and you're listening to the Bible in a Year podcast, where we encounter God's voice and live life through the lens of Scripture. The Bible in a Year podcast is brought to you by Ascension. Using the Great Adventure Bible timeline, we'll read all the way from Genesis to Revelation, discovering how the story of salvation unfolds and how we fit into that story today. It is day 208. We're reading today from Isaiah 37 and 38. We're basically halfway through Isaiah. It's pretty phenomenal. We're also reading from the last two chapters of the prophet Baruch,

chapters five and six, also Proverbs chapter 11, verses 25 through 28. As always, the Bible translation I'm reading from is the Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition. I'm using the Great Adventure Bible from Ascension. If you want to download your own Bible in a Year reading plan, you can visit ascensionpress.com slash Bible in a Year. You can also subscribe to this podcast by clicking on subscribe and receiving daily episodes. As I said, today is day 208. We're reading today from Isaiah 37 and 38, Baruch 5 and 6, Proverbs chapter 11, verses 25 through 28. The book of the prophet Isaiah, chapter 37. Hezekiah consults Isaiah.

When King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the Lord. And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and the senior priests, clothed with sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz. They said to him, Thus says Hezekiah, This day is a day of distress, of rebuke, and of disgrace. Children have come to the birth, and there is no strength to bring them forth. It may be that the Lord your God heard the words of the Rabshakeh whom his master, the king of Assyria, has sent to mock the living God, and will rebuke the words which the Lord your God

has heard. Therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left. When the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah, Isaiah said to them, Say to your master, Thus says the Lord, Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have reviled me. Behold, I will put a spirit in him, so that he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land, and I will make him fall by the sword in his own land. The Rabshakeh returned and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libna, for he had heard that the king had left Lachshish. Now the king had heard concerning Tirhaka, king of Ethiopia, he has set out to fight against you. And when he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, Thus shall you speak to Hezekiah, king of Judah. Do not let your God on whom you

rely deceive you by promising that Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria. Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, destroying them utterly. And shall you be delivered? Have the gods of the nations delivered them, the nations which my fathers destroyed, Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar? Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of the Savarfaim, the king of Hanna, or the king of Eva? Hezekiah's Prayer Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it. And Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord and spread it before the Lord. And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, who are enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone,

of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear. Open your eyes, O Lord, and see. And hear all the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God. Of a truth, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their lands and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. Therefore, they were destroyed. So now, O Lord our God,

save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone are the Lord. Then Isaiah, the son of Amoz, sent to Hezekiah, saying, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, because you have prayed to me concerning Sennacherib, king of Assyria. This is the word that the Lord has spoken concerning him. She despises you, she scorns you, the virgin daughter of Zion. She wags her head behind you, the daughter of Jerusalem. Whom have you mocked and reviled? Against whom have you raised your voice and heartily lifted your eyes? Against the Holy One of Israel. By your servants you have mocked the Lord, and you have said, With my many chariots I have gone up the heights of the mountains to the far recesses of Lebanon. I felled its tallest cedars, its choicest cypresses. I came to its remotest height, its densest forest. I dug wells and drank waters,

and I dried up with the sole of my foot all the streams of Egypt. Have you not heard that I determined it long ago? I planned from days of old what now I bring to pass, that you should make fortified cities crash into heaps of ruins, while their inhabitants, shorn of strength, are dismayed and confounded, and have become like plants of the field and like tender grass, like grass on the housetops, blighted before it is grown. I know you're sitting down, and you're going out and coming in and you're raging against me because you have raged against me and your arrogance has come to my ears. I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth and I will turn you back on the way by which you

came. And this shall be the sign for you. This year eat what grows of itself and in the second year what springs of the same. Then in the third year sow and reap and plant vineyards and eat their fruit. And the surviving remnant of the house of Judah shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward. For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this. Therefore, thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria, he shall not come into this city or shoot an arrow there or come before it with a shield or cast up a siege mound against it. By the way that he came, by the

same he shall return and he shall not come into this city, says the Lord, for I will defend this city to save it for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David. Sennacherib's defeat and death. And the angel of the Lord went forth and slew a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians. And when men arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies. Then Sennacherib, king of Assyria, departed and went home and dwelt at Nineveh. And as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, Adramelech and Sherezar his sons slew him with the sword and escaped into the land of Ararat. And Asarhaddon his son reigned in his stead. Chapter 38. Hezekiah's Sickness. In those days hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death and isaiah the prophet the son of amaz came to him and said to him thus says the lord set your

house in order for you shall die you shall not recover then hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the lord and said remember now oh lord O Lord, I beseech you, how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight. And Hezekiah wept bitterly. Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah, Go and say to Hezekiah, Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father, I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life. I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria and defend this city. This is the sign to you from the Lord that the Lord will do this thing that he has promised. Behold, I will make the shadow

cast by the declining sun on the dial of Ahaz turn back ten steps. So the sun turned back on the dial the ten steps by which it had declined. A writing of Hezekiah, king of Judah, after he had been sick and had recovered from his sickness. I said, In the noontide of my days I must depart. I am consigned to the gates of Sheol for the rest of my years. I said, I shall not see the Lord in the land of the living. I shall look upon man no more among the inhabitants of the world. My dwelling is plucked up and removed from me like a shepherd's tent. Like a weaver, I have rolled up my life.

He cuts me off from the loom. From day to night, you bring me to an end. I cry for help until morning. Like a lion, he breaks all my bones. From day to night, you bring me to an end. Like a swallow or a crane, I clamor, I moan like a dove. My eyes are weary with looking upward. O Lord, I am oppressed. Be my security. But what can I say? For he has spoken to me, and he himself has done it.

All my sleep has fled because of the bitterness of my soul. O Lord, by these things men live, and in all these is the life of my spirit. O restore me to health and make me live. Behold, it was for my welfare that I had great bitterness, but you have held back my life from the pit of destruction, for you have cast all my sins behind your back. For Sheol cannot thank you, death cannot praise you. Those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness. The living, the living, he thanks you as I do this day. The Father makes known to the children your faithfulness. The Lord will save me, and we will

sing to stringed instruments all the days of our life at the house of the Lord. Now Isaiah had said, let them take a cake of figs and apply it to the boil, that he may recover. Hezekiah also had said, What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the Lord? The Book of Baruch, Chapter 5. Encouragement for Jerusalem. Take off the garment of your sorrow and affliction, O Jerusalem, and put on forever the beauty of the glory from God. Put on the robe of the righteousness from God. Put on your head the diadem of the glory of the everlasting.

For God will show your splendor everywhere under heaven. For your name will forever be called by God, peace of righteousness and glory of godliness. Arise, O Jerusalem, stand upon the height and look toward the east, and see your children gathered from west and east at the word of the Holy One, rejoicing that God has remembered them. For they went forth from you on foot, led away by their enemies. But God will bring them back to you, carried in glory as on a royal throne. For God has ordered that every high mountain and the everlasting hills be made low, and the valleys filled up to make level ground, so that Israel may walk safely in the glory of God. The woods and every fragrant tree have shaded Israel at

God's command. For God will lead Israel with joy in the light of his glory, with the mercy and righteousness that come from him. Chapter 6. A Letter of Jeremiah to the Captives. A copy of a letter which Jeremiah sent to those who were to be taken to Babylon as captives by the king of the Babylonians, to give them the message which God had commanded him. Because of the sins which you have committed before God, you will be taken to Babylon as captives by Nebuchadnezzar, king of the sins which you have committed before God, you will be taken to Babylon as captives by Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Babylonians. Therefore, when you have come to Babylon, you will remain there for many years, for a long time, up to seven generations. After that, I will bring you away from there in peace. Now in Babylon, you will see gods made of silver and gold and wood,

which are carried on men's shoulders and inspire fear in the heathen. So take care not to become at all like these foreigners, or to let the fear for these gods possess you when you see the multitude before and behind them worshiping them. But say in your heart, It is you, O Lord, whom we must worship. For my angel is with you, and he is watching your lives. The Futility of Idols and Idolatry Their tongues are smoothed by their craftsmen, and they themselves are overlaid with gold and silver, but they are false and cannot speak. People take gold and make crowns for the heads of their gods,

as they would for a girl who loves ornaments, and sometimes the priests secretly take gold and silver from their gods and spend it upon themselves, and even some of them to the harlots in the brothel. They deck their gods out with garments like men, these gods of silver and gold and wood, which cannot save themselves from rust and corrosion. When they have been dressed in purple robes, their faces are wiped because of the dust from a temple which is thick upon them. Like a local ruler, the god holds a scepter, though unable to destroy anyone who offends it. It has a dagger in its right hand and has an axe, but it cannot save itself from war and robbers. Therefore, they

evidently are not gods, so do not fear them. For just as one's dish is useless when it is broken, so are the gods of the heathen when they have been set up in the temples. Their eyes are full of the dust raised by the feet of those who enter. And just as the gates are shut on every side upon a man who has offended a king, as though he were sentenced to death, so the priests make their temples secure with doors and locks and bars in order that they may not be plundered by robbers. They light lamps even more than they

light for themselves, though their gods can see none of them. They are just like a beam of the temple, but men say their hearts have melted when worms from the earth devour them and their robes. They do not notice when their faces have been blackened by the smoke of the temple. Bats, swallows, and birds light on their bodies and heads, and so do cats. From this you will know that they are not gods, so do not fear them. As for the gold which they wear for beauty, they will not shine unless someone wipes off the rust, for even when they were being cast they had no feeling. They are bought at any cost, but there is no breath in them.

Having no feet, they are carried on men's shoulders, revealing to mankind their worthlessness. And those who serve them are ashamed because through them these gods are made to stand, lest they fall to the ground. If anyone sets one of them upright, it cannot move of itself, and if it is tipped over, it cannot strengthen itself. But gifts are placed before them just as before the dead. The priests sell the sacrifices that are offered to these gods and use the money, and likewise, their wives preserve some with salt, but give none to the poor or helpless. Sacrifices to them may be touched by women in menstruation or at childbirth. Since you know by these things that they are not gods, do not fear them.

For why should they be called gods? Women serve meals for gods of silver and gold and wood, and in their temples the priests sit with their clothes torn, their heads and beards shaved, and their heads uncovered. They howl and shout before their gods, as some do at a funeral feast for a man who has died. The priests take some of the clothing of the gods to clothe their wives and children. Whether one does evil to them or good, they will not be able to repay it.

They cannot set up a king or depose one. Likewise, they are not able to give either wealth or money. If one makes a vow to them and does not keep it, they will not require it. They cannot save a man from death or rescue the weak from the strong. They cannot restore sight to a blind man. They cannot save a man from death or rescue the weak from the strong. They cannot restore sight to a blind man. They cannot rescue a man who is in distress. They cannot take pity on a widow or do good to an orphan. These things that are made of wood

and overlaid with gold and silver are like stones from the mountain, and those who serve them will be put to shame. Why then must anyone think that they are gods or call them gods? Besides, even the Chaldeans themselves dishonor them. For when they see a mute man who cannot speak, they bring him and pray Bell that the man may speak as though Bell were able to understand. Yet they themselves cannot perceive this and abandon them, for they have no sense. And the women with cords about them sit along the passageways burning bran for incense. And when one of them is led off by one

of the passersby and is lain with, she derides the woman next to her because she was not as attractive as herself and her cord was not broken. Whatever is done for them is false. Why then must anyone think that they are gods or call them gods? They are made by carpenters and goldsmiths. They can be nothing but what the craftsmen wish them to be. The men that make them will certainly not live very long themselves. How then can the things that are made by them be gods? They have left only lies and reproach for those who come after. For when war or calamity comes upon them, the priests consult together as to where they can hide themselves and their gods. How then can one fail to see that these are not gods, for they cannot save themselves

from war or calamity? Since they are made of wood and overlaid with gold and silver, it will afterward be known that they are false. It will be manifest to all the nations and kings that they are not gods, but the work of men's hands, and that there is no work of God in them. Who then can fail to know that they are not gods? For they cannot set up a king over a country or give reign to men. They cannot judge their own cause or deliver one who is wronged, for they have no power. They are like crows between heaven and earth. When a fire breaks out in a temple of wooden gods overlaid with gold

or silver, their priests will flee and escape, but the gods will be burned in two like beams. Besides, they can offer no resistance to a king or any enemies. Why then must anyone admit or think that they are gods? Gods made of wood and overlaid with silver and gold are not able to save themselves from thieves and robbers. Strong men will strip them of their gold and silver and of the robes they wear and go off with this booty, and they will not be able to help themselves. So it is better to be a king who shows his courage

or a household utensil that serves its owner's need than to be these false gods. Better even the door of a house that protects its contents than these false gods. Better also a wooden pillar in a palace than these false gods. For sun and moon and stars, shining and sent forth for service, are obedient. So also the lightning, when it flashes, is widely seen, and the wind likewise blows in every land. When God commands the clouds to go over the whole world, they carry out his command, and the fire sent from above to consume mountains and woods does what it is ordered. But these idols are not to be compared with them in appearance or power.

Therefore, one must not think that they are gods, nor call them gods, for they are not able either to decide a case or to do good to men. Since you know then that they are not gods, do not fear them, for they can neither curse nor bless kings. They cannot show signs in the heavens and among the nations, or shine like the sun, or give light like the moon. The wild beasts are better than they are, for they can flee to cover and help themselves. So we have no evidence whatever that they are gods. Therefore, do not fear them. Like a scarecrow in a cucumber bed that guards nothing, so are their gods of wood overlaid

with gold and silver. In the same way, their gods of wood overlaid with gold and silver. In the same way, their gods of wood overlaid with gold and silver are like a thorn bush in a garden on which every bird sits, or like a dead body cast out in the darkness. By the purple and linen that rot upon them, you will know that they are not gods, and they will finally themselves be consumed and be a reproach in the land. Better, therefore, is a just man who has no idols, for he will be far from reproach. The book of Proverbs chapter 11 verses 25 through 28. A liberal man will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered. The people curse him who

holds back grain, but a blessing is on the head of him who sells it. He who diligently seeks good seeks favor, but evil comes to him who searches for it. He who trusts in his riches will wither, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf. Father in heaven, we give you praise and glory. We thank you for your word. We thank you for revealing your heart to us. And we give you praise this day and every day, confident that you hear our prayers and you know our need and you meet us now. In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Okay, just like yesterday, it's so good in the book of the prophet Isaiah to be able to hear these stories that we already know. And again, you might think it's just repeating the same story, but how good is that, that you know this story of the king of Assyria? You know his name, Sennacherib, who's kind of, he basically says, listen, I've defeated

all these other nations that relied upon their gods. I'm going to defeat you as well. Hezekiah turns to the Lord. He turns to Isaiah and doesn't turn to Isaiah. He turns to the Lord in the temple of the Lord with this letter that Sennacherib sends. And God hears his prayer and delivers him this incredible defeat that the angel of the Lord rots, right? Accomplishes upon the camp of the Assyrians. And then later on, after God has rescued his people in Jerusalem from Sennacherib, Hezekiah gets sick. He prays to the Lord. And Isaiah, who had previously said,

yep, this is going to end in death. Get your house in order, says, ha, psych. God says 15 more years. And we know what Hezekiah did with those 15 years and the consequences of that. But we also know that we have this incredible prayer in chapter 38 of Isaiah. It is a prayer that I probably end up praying once a week, probably. In the noontime of my days, I must depart and consign to the gates of Sheol for the rest of my years. We have a thing called the Liturgy of the Hours that every religious sister, every religious brother, every priest, many deacons, many lay people pray on a regular basis. And this canticle essentially from Isaiah chapter 38 is one of those things that we pray on a very, very regular basis. So just a gift to be able to read that aloud to you because normally I'm praying it by myself. So what an incredible

gift to pray it with you today. Also Baruch chapter five and six, man, oh gosh, love it so much. Chapter five, we get some encouragement, right? So here is God proclaiming, Jerusalem, take off your garment of sorrow. Take off your garment of affliction because it put on forever the beauty of your glory from God. Put on the robe of righteousness because he's gonna redeem you, bring it back home. So good.

Remember that Baruch is writing, he is a scribe essentially or a compatriot with Jeremiah and that time of exile, he's saying is going to come to an end. But also this letter, chapter six, the letter of Jeremiah to the captives, right? They're in Babylon. King Nebuchadnezzar is the king there. And here is what Jeremiah through Baruch wants to remind the people of. He wants to remind them that they're going to be surrounded by idols and those idols are not real. Now, a couple of things. One, you're going to be tempted to worship the idols and turn away. So first, number one, turn away from the living God. You're going to be surrounded by idols and those idols are not real. Now, a couple of things. One, you're going to be tempted to worship the idols and turn away. So first, number one, turn away from the

living God. You're going to be tempted to do that. Don't do that. Number two, you're going to be tempted to be dazzled by these false gods, right? Why? Because they're made of gold and silver. And so you might actually be tempted to worship them. So number one, you'd be tempted to turn away from worship of God, the real God, true God. Number two, you might be dazzled by these gods of gold and silver, these idols of gold or silver. You might be dazzled by them, captivated by them. You might be tempted to give your worship to them. And thirdly, even if you're not tempted to turn away from the living God, you're not tempted to worship these false idols, you might be tempted to be superstitious when it comes to them. And so here

is this letter from Jeremiah to the captives. And he's saying, yeah, do not be superstitious. These are what people, this is what people will do. But here's the deal. I love this in chapter six, verse 17, for just as one's dish is useless when it is broken, so are the gods of the heathen that have been set up in the temples, that their eyes are full of dust. People have to wipe them off. People have to, listen, don't, they're not real, so do not fear them. That's another thing that happens again and again, right? He says it again and again. They're evidently not gods, so do not fear them. That do not fear them is do not be superstitious of them, right? So again, you might not be tempted to worship them. You might not be captivated by them, but you also might have a little bit of a, yeah, I

don't want to risk it though. So maybe I'll just, you know, dash a pinch of incense into the fiery bowl in front of one of these false idols because, you know, maybe I'm not going to worship it, but I'm not also going to just walk by without doing some superstition here. And that can be true for every one of us. All three of those temptations, tempted to turn away from the worship God has asked from us. Number two, it's tempted to worship false idols or number three, even just be tempted

to give false idols power by being afraid of them, by being afraid of superstition, by being afraid of something that has no power to rule us, has no power that we don't give to it. And so here is Baruch who closes his book of the prophet Baruch, reminding those people in exile that you have a God who knows you. He is the true and living God, that you belong to him.

He belongs to you. So do not be afraid of anything or anyone else. Such good words for us to hear today. Tomorrow, we're gonna continue with Isaiah. We're hitting actually the book of consolation in chapter 40. We have to go through chapter 39 first. Even though Isaiah, you know, even though in the book of Woe, he's been pretty encouraging and I appreciate that.

Thank you, Isaiah. Also, we're hitting tomorrow though, Isaiah 39 at 40. We're also beginning the book of the prophet Ezekiel. So one of the other major prophets, we're starting tomorrow. So I can't wait. I'm praying for you. Please pray for me. My name is Father Mike.

I can't wait to see you tomorrow. God bless.