The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) - Day 215: False Prophets (2023)

Episode Date: August 3, 2023

Fr. Mike focuses on Ezekiel's warnings about false prophets misleading the people of Israel, and challenges us to reflect whether we choose to listen to prophets who tell us what we need to hear, not just what we want to hear. Today's readings are Isaiah 51-52, Ezekiel 12-13, and Proverbs 12:21-24. 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 215. We are reading today from Isaiah chapter 51 and 52. We're continuing with the servant song, and we're also reading Ezekiel chapter 12 and 13. We're also

reading Proverbs chapter 12, verses 21 through 24. As always, the Bible translation that 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. Little known fact, people can subscribe to this podcast. That way, you get the updates every single day. Not everyone knows about this, so I figured I'd wait until day 215 and finally share all the work that you've been putting into to track down this podcast every single day. You don't have to do that. We just added this function where you can subscribe. So if you're interested, feel free to subscribe on day 215, Isaiah 51 and 52, Ezekiel 12 and

13, as well as Proverbs chapter 12, verses 21 through 24. A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah chapter 51. The Lord will comfort Zion. Listen to me, you who pursue deliverance, who seek the Lord. Look to the rock from which you were hewn and to the quarry from which you were dug. Look to Abraham, your father, and to Sarah who bore you. For when he was but one, I called him and I blessed him and made him many. For the Lord will comfort Zion. He will comfort all her waste places and will make her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the Lord will comfort Zion. He will comfort all her waste places and will make her

wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song. Listen to me, my people, and give ear to me, my nation. For a law will go forth from me and my justice for a light to the peoples. My deliverance draws near speedily. My salvation has gone forth and my arms will rule the peoples. The islands wait for me and for my arm they hope. Lift up your eyes to the heavens and look at the earth beneath. For the heavens will vanish like smoke. The earth will wear out like a garment.

And they who dwell in it will die like gnats. But my salvation will be forever, and my deliverance will never be ended. Listen to me, you who know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law. Fear not the reproach of men, and be not dismayed at their revilings. For the moth will eat them up like a garment, and the worm will eat them like wool. But my deliverance will be forever, and my salvation to all generations. Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord, awake as in days of old, the generations of long ago. Was it not you who cut

Rahab in pieces, who pierced the dragon? Was it not you who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made the depths of the sea a way for the redeemed to pass over? And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing. Everlasting joy shall be upon their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. I, I am he who comforts you. Who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, of the son of man who is made like grass, and have forgotten the Lord your maker who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth, and fear continually all the day because of the fury of the oppressor when he sets himself to destroy? And where is the fury of the oppressor? He who is bowed down shall speedily be released.

He shall not die and go down to the pit, neither shall his bread fail. For I am the Lord your God, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar. The Lord of hosts is my name. And I have put my words in your mouth and hid you in the shadow of my hand, stretching out the heavens and laying the foundations of the earth and saying to Zion, you are my people. Rouse yourself, rouse yourself, stand up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk at the hand of the Lord, the cup of his wrath, who have drunk to the dregs, the bowl of staggering. There is none to guide her among all the sons she has born. There is none to take her by the hand among all the sons she has born, there is none to take her by the hand, among all the sons

she has brought up. These two things have befallen you. Who will condole with you? Devastation and destruction, famine and sword, who will comfort you? Your sons have fainted. They lie at the head of every street like an antelope in a net. They are full of the wrath of the Lord, the rebuke of your God. Therefore, hear this, you who are afflicted, who are drunk but not with wine. Thus says your Lord, the Lord, your God who pleads the cause of his people. Behold, I have taken from your hand the cup of staggering, the bowl of my wrath you shall drink no more. And I will put it into the hand of your tormentors who have said to you, bow down, that we may pass over. And you have made your back like the ground and like the street for them to pass over. Chapter 52. Awake to good tidings of redemption.

Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion, put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city. For there shall no more come into you the uncircumcised and the unclean. Shake yourself from the dust. Arise, O captive Jerusalem. Loose the bonds from your neck, O captive daughter of Zion. For thus says the Lord, You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money. For thus says the Lord God, My people went down at the first into Egypt to sojourn there, and the Assyrian oppressed them for nothing.

Now therefore, what have I here, says the Lord, seeing that my people are taken away for nothing? Their rulers wail, says the Lord, and continually all the day my name is despised. Therefore, my people shall know my name. Therefore, in that day they shall know that it is I who speak. Here am I. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good tidings,

who publishes peace, who brings good tidings of good, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, Your God reigns. Listen, your watchmen lift up their voice. Together, they sing for joy. Listen. Depart. Depart, depart, go out from there, touch no unclean thing, go out from the midst of her, purify yourselves, you who bear the vessels of the Lord. For you shall not go out in haste, and you shall not go in flight, for the Lord will go before you. You shall not go in flight, for the Lord will go before you. The God of Israel will be your rear guard.

Behold, my servant shall prosper. He shall be exalted and lifted up and shall be very high. As many were astonished at him, his appearance was so marred beyond human semblance and his form beyond that of the sons of men. So shall he startle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths because of him, for that which has not been told them they shall see, and that which they have not heard they shall understand. The book of the prophet Ezekiel, chapter 12.

Judah's captivity portrayed. The word of the prophet Ezekiel, chapter 12, Judah's captivity portrayed. The word of the Lord came to me, Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see but see not, who have ears to hear but hear not, for they are a rebellious house. Therefore, son of man, prepare for yourself an exile's baggage, and go into exile by day in their sight. You shall go like an exile from your place to another place in their sight. Perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious house. You shall bring out your baggage by day in their sight as baggage for exile, and you shall go forth yourself at evening in their sight as men do who must go into exile.

Dig through the wall in their sight and go out through it. In their sight, you shall lift the baggage upon your shoulder and carry it out in the dark. You shall cover your face that you may not see the land, for I have made you a sign for the house of Israel. And I did as I was commanded. I brought out my baggage by day as baggage for exile, and in the evening I dug through the wall with my own hands, and went forth in the dark, carrying my outfit upon my shoulder in their sight.

In the morning the word of the Lord came to me, Son of man, has not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to you, What are you doing? Say to them, Thus says the Lord God. This oracle concerns the prince in Jerusalem and all the house of Israel who are in it. Say, I am a sign for you. As I have done, so shall it be done to them. They shall go into exile, into captivity. And the prince who is among them shall lift his baggage upon his shoulder in the dark

and shall go forth. He shall dig through the wall and go out through it. He shall cover his face that he may not see the land with his eyes. And I will spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon in the land of the Chaldeans. Yet he shall not see it, and he shall die there. And I will scatter toward every wind all who are round about him, his helpers and all his troops, and I will unsheathe the sword after them. And they shall know that I am the Lord when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them through the countries. But I will let a few of them escape from the sword, from famine and

pestilence, that they may confess all their abominations among the nations where they go, and may know that I am the Lord. Judgment will not be delayed. that I am the Lord. Judgment will not be delayed. Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me, Son of man, eat your bread with quaking, and drink water with trembling and with fearfulness, and say of the people of the land, Thus says the Lord God concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the land of Israel. They shall eat their bread with fearfulness, and drink water in dismay, because their land will be stripped of all it contains, on account of the violence of all those who dwell in it. And the inhabited cities shall be laid waste, and the land shall become a desolation,

and you shall know that I am the Lord. And the word of the Lord came to me, Son of man, what is this proverb that you have about the land of Israel, saying, Son of man, what is this proverb that you have about the land of Israel, saying, The days grow long, and every vision comes to nothing? Tell them, therefore, thus says the Lord God, I will put an end to this proverb, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel. But say to them, The days are at hand, and the fulfillment of every vision. For there shall be no more any false vision or flattering divination within the house of Israel.

But I, the Lord, will speak the word which I will speak, and it will be performed. It will no longer be delayed, but in your days, O rebellious house, I will speak the word and perform it, says the Lord God. Again, the word of the Lord came to me. Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, the vision that he sees is for many days hence,

and he prophesies of times far off. Therefore, say to them, thus says the Lord God, none of my words will be delayed any longer, but the word which I will speak will be performed, says the Lord God. Chapter 13, False Prophets Condemned. The word of the Lord came to me, Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel, prophesy and say to those who prophesy out of their own minds, hear the word of the Lord.

Thus says the Lord God, woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing. Your prophets have been like foxes among ruins, O Israel. You have not gone up into the breaches or built up a wall for the house of Israel that it might stand in battle in the day of the Lord. They have spoken falsehood and divined a lie. They say, says the Lord, when the Lord has not sent them, and yet they expect him to fulfill their word. Have you not seen a delusive vision and uttered a lying divination whenever you have said, says the Lord, although I have not spoken? Therefore, thus says the Lord God,

because you have uttered delusions and seen lies, therefore behold, I am against you, says the Lord God. My hand will be against the prophets who see delusive visions and who give lying divinations. They shall not be in the council of my people, nor be enrolled in the register of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord God. Because yes, because they have misled my people, saying, Peace, when there is no peace, and because when the people build the wall, these prophets daub it with whitewash. Say to those who daub it with whitewash that it shall fall.

There will be a deluge of rain, great hailstones will fall, and a stormy wind break out. And when the wall falls, will it not be said to you, Where is the daubing with which you daubed it? falls, will it not be said to you, where is the daubing with which you daubed it? Therefore, thus says the Lord God, I will make a stormy wind break out in my wrath, and there shall be a deluge of rain in my anger, and great hell stones in wrath to destroy it. And I will break down the wall that you have daubed with whitewash, and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation will be laid bare. When it falls, you shall perish in the midst of it, and you shall know that I am the Lord. Thus I will spend my wrath upon the wall, and upon those who have daubed it with whitewash, and I will say to you, The wall is no more, nor those who daubed it.

The prophets of Israel, who prophesied concerning Jerusalem, and saw visions of peace for her, when there was no peace, says the Lord God. And you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who prophesy out of their own minds. Prophesy against them and say, thus says the Lord God, woe to the women who sew magic bands upon all wrists and make veils for the heads of persons of every stature in the hunt for souls. Will you hunt down souls belonging to my people and keep other souls alive for your profit? You have profaned me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, putting to death persons who should not die and keeping alive persons who should not live by your lies to my people who listen to lies. Wherefore thus says the Lord God,

Behold, I am against your magic bands with which you hunt the souls, and I will tear them from your arms, and I will let the souls that you hunt go free like birds. Your veils also I will tear off and deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand as prey. And you shall know that I am

the Lord, because you have disheartened the righteous falsely, although I have not disheartened him. And you have encouraged the wicked that he should not turn from his wicked way to save his life. Therefore, you shall no more see delusive visions nor practice divination. I will deliver my people out of your hand. Then you will know that I am the Lord. The book of Proverbs chapter 12 verses 21 through 24. No ill befalls the righteous, but the wicked are filled with trouble. Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight. A prudent man conceals his knowledge,

but fools proclaim their folly. The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labor. Father in heaven, we give you praise. We thank you so much. Thank you for your word. We thank you for loving us. We thank you for calling us by name.

We thank you for not only your justice, but also for your mercy. And not only for your mercy, but also for your justice, because we can count on you, God, because you are not fickle. You're not up and down. You're not hot or cold. You have said yes. And your yes has been declared for us. God, help us to declare our yes for you. Help us to be wise. Help us to be courageous. Help us above all things

to be yours in all ways. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. I just want to highlight, before we jump into Isaiah and Ezekiel, Proverbs. Just so good. The proverb that says that a prudent man conceals his knowledge, but fools proclaim their folly. It's kind of a little bit like one of those better to keep your mouth shut and thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. It's one of those kind of Proverbs where just, yeah, prudent person conceals what they know. You don't need to always say your opinion, but the foolish person will always say their opinion.

Anyways, that's just my opinion. No, it's not. It's from the word of God, which is awesome. Okay. So going back to Isaiah 51 and 52, these are probably some of my favorite sections in the book of the prophet Isaiah. Not only are we in the book of consolation, but also we're in this place where, where there is the coming tragedy. Now this is so interesting. Every time we're listening to Isaiah, he is preaching, he's prophesying the destruction that will happen. It's yet to happen. And yet he said, okay, here's judgment that's coming, but also here's grace that comes.

And this is incredible because not only, again, is he prophesying the fact that there is coming an exile, but there's also coming a redeemer. There's also coming a return from exile. So he's talking about the coming exile, but there's also coming a redeemer. There's also coming a return from exile. And so he's talking about the coming tragedy, but also grace. And so therefore, you know, his message here, he keeps saying again and again in 51 and in 52, awake, wake up because not only is judgment coming, but also I am coming to you. And that is incredible. So 51 verse 50, chapter 51 talks about awake to the reality of God's judgment. And this is reality that we all need to awake to.

But at the beginning of 52, this is incredible because he's saying awake to the reality of God's redemption. And that's just, oh my gosh, incredible. Awake because here comes the judgment of the Lord. But then in chapter 52, awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion, put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city. There shall no more come into you the uncircumcised, the unclean. So wake up because redemption is at hand.

I love this. For thus says the Lord. This is verse three in chapter 22, 52. For thus says the Lord, you were sold for nothing and you shall be redeemed without money. What will you be redeemed with? Well, man, at the end of 52, we have another prophecy of the Messiah. My servant shall prosper. He shall be exalted and lifted up. She'll be very high. And then here's

these key verses as many were astonished at him. His appearance was so marred beyond human semblance and his form beyond that of the sons of men. So shall he startle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths because of him. For that which has not been told them, they shall see. And that which they have not heard, they shall understand. And then we're going to launch into tomorrow, chapter 53. We're talking about the Lord's suffering servant. And this is the preamble to the Lord's suffering servant, which is just what an incredible gift. Man, the whole world will see the redemption, the exaltation, and the humiliation of the Lord's servant. Again, he shall startle many nations. Kings

shall shut their mouths because of him. And for that which has not been told them, they shall see. Meaning, these aren't even Jewish people. They didn't even know that this was the reality of life, and yet they're going to see it. And that's what's happened. My gosh, in Jesus, that is what has happened. People like me, I'm not biologically or whatever, ethnically or racially Jewish. And yet those of us who were Gentiles, right? Those of us who are not in part of Abraham's line, we get to be like St. Paul says, grafted onto the tree of those covenant people, the people that we've been walking with and studying that their story that we've been walking with and studying, that their story that we've been walking with for the last 215 days, their story has become our story. And that is just absolutely incredible.

Why? Because of why Isaiah is prophesying here hundreds and hundreds of years before Jesus, the exaltation, the humiliation of his servant, but then that he will be lifted up and all nations will be drawn to him, which is just, man, gosh, so good. So good. So Ezekiel, Ezekiel, once again, is doing his, I want to say performance art prophecy, performance prophecy, where the Lord God says, okay, get ready and be like someone going into exile. And you're going to reenact Judah's captivity portrayed. Now, this is interesting because a lot of us might think, okay, wait, chapter 12, Ezekiel,

Ezekiel's already in captivity. He's already in exile. And the people who are seeing him, they're seeing him act this out in Babylon. And so why is he acting out exile when they already, they lived it at this point? Well, the reality is that they think, okay, yes, there was the first wave of exile.

Yep, and there was a second wave of exile. But there's a great number of people still living in Jerusalem, still living in Judah. And that, they're gonna hold down the fort. They're gonna be there forever and maybe eventually we'll get back. But Ezekiel's making it very clear that no, even they will be exiled, that the exile has not been

completed yet. They're being kicked out of essentially or drawn out of the holy place and the destruction of the temple has not happened as fully as it has to happen. It's still coming because you remain even in exile. So many of you remain a rebellious house and those people living back in Jerusalem. Remember Ezekiel had the vision of all the horrible things, the abominations they were doing in the temple of the Lord still to that very day. So he's saying that what's coming is even worse. Exile is coming in a worse exile than any of them have ever seen, which is horrible, but is also the reality. And it's the reality of what

they lived through and the reality of what they're going to live through. Once again, remember that in chapter 12, there is this proverb that is still being uttered in Israel. And it's a proverb that talks about how the Lord's judgment will be delayed. And so God says, I will put an end to this proverb. The proverb is the days grow long and every vision comes to nothing. And Ezekiel is saying, no, actually, the days are at hand and the fulfillment of every vision. And that idea that the judgment of God is far off, that Ezekiel is saying it is not far off because God is telling him, prophesy to them. No, this is not delayed.

This is not in the distant future. This is happening now. And one of the reasons, and this is chapter 13, this is so important for us to understand, there have been false prophets who have been consoling people when they should be rousing them to life, right? They've been consoling people when they should be convicting people. They've been saying, fine, it's fine, it's fine, when they should be saying that, you guys, we have to, we have to change or else destruction is going to happen. In fact, the words that God speaks to Ezekiel and to Israel through Ezekiel are, there are those false prophets who say peace when there is no peace. They say peace when there

is no peace. Say you're fine when you are not fine. Say it's all good when it is not all good. And this is what false prophets do. They tell people, they tell us what we want to hear. They tell people what the people want to hear. And yet here is the Lord God who says, that is not the job of the prophet. The job of the prophet is the prophet must speak the words of God. Again, those false prophets in Ezekiel chapter 13, he says, they speak from their own minds and not from the mind of God. So we have this conviction that especially not only the people we listen to, are we listening to false prophets or to genuine authentic prophets, but also remember, we've talked about this before, that when you're baptized, you're anointed priest, prophet, and king or queen.

Therefore, when we utter, are we uttering just what's on our minds or are we speaking with the mind of God? Are we telling people what they need to hear or we're telling people what they want to hear? Are we ourselves choosing to hear only what we want to hear or are we choosing to hear what we need to hear? And this is the challenge because it's so tempting, right? It's so tempting to just, I'll only say what people want to hear or only hear what I want to hear. And yet to belong to Jesus, to belong to God, to be in covenant with him means that we have to be willing to hear what we need to hear, to see what we need to see and to do what we need to do. And so we can't do that on our own as always.

We can't do any of that on our own. We need God's grace. And so we pray for each other. That's why I'm thanking you. This community, so good. Keep praying for each other. That's why I'm thanking you. This community, so good. Keep praying for each other. I am praying for you. Please pray for me.

My name is Father Mike and I cannot wait to see you tomorrow. God bless.