The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) - Day 221: Walking with Wise Men (2023)

Episode Date: August 9, 2023

Fr. Mike expands on the passage we read in Proverbs, and emphasizes how important it is to surround ourselves with people who are striving towards holiness. He also reflects on the book of Isaiah, and how these last couple of stories show that God's justice is always aligned with his infinite mercy. Today's readings are Isaiah 63-64, Ezekiel 21-22, and Proverbs 13:17-20. 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 221. We are reading today from Isaiah chapter 63 and 64, also Ezekiel 21 and 22, as well as Proverbs chapter 13 verses 17 through 20. 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. And you can also, I don't know if you know this, you can also subscribe if you'd like. You don't have to, but it is a great thing that comes with so many benefits, including, but not limited to, the reality that every day when you check your podcast, wherever you listen to podcasts, it pops up and says, hey, today's the day. Today is 221, and you've been doing this for 221 days.

Well done. Unless you've been doing this for half that, but you've just been doing two a day, that's pretty awesome too. So congratulations day 111 and a half or 110 and a half. Anyways, as I said, we're reading Isaiah 63 and 64, Ezekiel 21 and 22, Proverbs 13 verses 17 through 20. The book of the prophet Isaiah, chapter 63,

vengeance on enemies, God's mercy recounted and sought. Who is this that comes from Edom, in crimsoned garments from Bozrah, he that is glorious in his apparel, marching in the greatness of his strength? It is I, announcing vindication, mighty to save. Why is your apparel red, and your garments like his who treads in the winepress? I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with me. I trod them in my anger, and trampled them in my wrath. Their lifeblood is sprinkled upon my garments, and I

have stained all my clothing. For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and my year of redemption has come. I looked, but there was no one to help. I was appalled, but there was no one to uphold. So my own arm brought me victory, and my wrath upheld me. I trod down the peoples in my anger, I made them drunk in my wrath, and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth. I will recount the merciful love of the Lord, the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord has granted us, and the great goodness to the house of Israel, which he has granted them according to his mercy, according to the abundance of his steadfast love. For he said, Surely they are my people, sons who will not deal falsely, and he became their Savior. In all their affliction,

he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and in his pity, he redeemed them, he lifted them up, and carried them all the days of old. But they rebelled, and grieved his Holy Spirit. Therefore he turned to be their enemy, and himself fought against them. Then he remembered the days of old, of Moses his servant. Where is he who brought up out of the sea the shepherds of his flock? Where is he who put in the midst of them his Holy Spirit, who caused his glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses, who divided the waters before them,

to make for himself an everlasting name, who led them through the depths? Like a horse in the desert, they did not stumble. Like cattle that go down into the valley, the Spirit of the Lord gave them rest. So you led your people to make for yourself a glorious name. Look down from heaven and see. From your holy and glorious habitation, where are your zeal and your might?

The yearning of your heart and your compassion are withheld from me. For you are our Father. Though Abraham does not know us and Israel does not acknowledge us, you, O Lord, are our father. Our Redeemer from of old is your name. O Lord, why do you make us err from your ways and harden our hearts so that we fear you not? Return for the sake of your servants, the tribes of your heritage.

Your holy people possessed your sanctuary a little while. Our adversaries have trodden it down. We have become like those over whom you have never ruled, like those who are not called by your name. Chapter 64. Prayer for Mercy. Oh, that you would tear the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence, as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil, to make your name known to your adversaries, and that the nations might tremble at your presence.

When you did terrible things which we looked not for, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who works for those who wait for him. You meet him that joyfully works righteousness, those that remember you in your ways. Behold, you were angry, and we sinned. In our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved? We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds

are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf and our iniquities like the wind take us away. There is no one that calls upon your name that bestirs himself to take hold of you. For you have hidden your face from us and have delivered us into the hand of our iniquities. And have delivered us into the hand of our iniquities. Yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay and you are our potter. We are the work of your hand. Be not exceedingly angry, O Lord, and remember not iniquity forever.

Behold, consider, we are all your people. Your holy cities have become a wilderness. Zion has become a wilderness. Jerusalem a desolation. Our holy and beautiful house where our fathers praised you has been burned by fire and all our pleasant places have become ruins. Will you restrain yourself at these things, O Lord? Will you keep silent and afflict us sorely? and afflict us sorely. The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel, Chapter 21 A Sharpened Sword Unsheathed

The word of the Lord came to me, Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem, and preach against the sanctuaries. Prophesy against the land of Israel, and say to the land of Israel, Thus says the Lord, Behold, I am against you, and will draw forth my sword out of its sheath, and will cut off from you both righteous

and wicked. Because I will cut off from you both righteous and wicked, therefore my sword shall go out of its sheath against all flesh from south to north, and all flesh shall know that I, the Lord, have drawn my sword out of its sheath. It shall not be sheathed again. Sigh therefore, son of man. Sigh with breaking heart and bitter grief before their eyes. And when they say to you, why do you sigh? You shall say, because of the tidings. When it comes, every heart will melt and all hands will be feeble. Every spirit will faint and all knees will be weak as water. Behold, it comes and it will be fulfilled, says the Lord God. And the word of the Lord came to me, son of man, prophesy and

say, thus says the Lord, say, a sword, a sword is sharpened and also polished, sharpened for slaughter, polished to flash like lightning. Or do we make mirth? You have despised the rod, my son, with everything of wood. So the sword is given to be polished, that it may be handled. It is sharpened and polished to be given into the hand of the slayer. Cry and wail, son of man, for it is against my people. It is against all the princes of Israel. They are delivered over to the sword with my people. Strike therefore upon your thigh, for it will not be a testing.

What could it do if you despise the rod, says the Lord God. Prophesy therefore, son of man, clap your hands and let the sword come down twice. Yes, thrice the sword for those to be slain. It is the sword for the great slaughter, which encompasses them, that their hearts may melt, and many fall at all their gates. I have given the glittering sword. Ah, it is made like lightning, it is polished for slaughter. Cut sharply to the right and left where your edge is

directed. I also will clap my hands, and I will satisfy my fury. I, the Lord, have spoken. satisfy my fury. I, the Lord, have spoken. The word of the Lord came to me again. Son of man, mark two ways for the sword of the king of Babylon to come. Both of them shall come forth from the same land, and make a signpost, make it at the head of the way to a city. Mark a way for the sword to come to Rabbah of the Ammonites, and to Judah, and to Jerusalem the fortified. For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the way, at the head of the Ammonites and to Judah and to Jerusalem the fortified. For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination. He shakes the arrows, he consults the teraphim, he looks at the liver. Into his right hand comes the lot for Jerusalem, to open the mouth with a cry, to lift up the voice with shouting, to set battering rams against the

gates, to cast up mounds, to build siege towers. But to them it will seem like a false divination. They have sworn solemn oaths, but he brings their guilt to remembrance that they may be captured. Therefore, thus says the Lord God, because you have made your guilt to be remembered in that your transgressions are uncovered so that in all your doings your sins appear, because you have come to remembrance, you shall be taken in them Verse 2. shall not remain as they are. Exalt that which is low and abase that which is high. A ruin, ruin, ruin I will make it. There shall not be even a trace of it until he comes whose right it is. And to him I will give it. And you, son of man, prophesy and say, thus says the Lord God concerning the Ammonites and concerning their reproach, say, a sword,

a sword is drawn for the slaughter. It is polished to glitter and to flash like lightning. While they see for you false visions, while they make up lies for you to be laid on the necks of the unhallowed wicked, whose day has come, the time of their final punishment, return it to its sheath. in the midst of the land, you shall be no more remembered, for I the Lord have spoken. Chapter 22. The Sins of Jerusalem. Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, And you, son of man, will you judge? Will you judge the bloody city? Then declare to her all her abominable deeds, you shall say, Thus says the Lord God. A city that sheds blood in the midst of her, that her time may come, and that makes idols to defile herself. You have become guilty by the

blood which you have shed, and defiled by the idols which you have made. And you have brought your day near, the appointed time of your years has come. Therefore I have made you a reproach to the nations, and a mocking to all the countries. Those who are near and those who are far from you will mock you, you infamous one, full of tumult. Behold, the princes of Israel in you, everyone according to his power, have been bent on shedding blood. Father and mother are treated with contempt in you. The sojourner suffers extortion in your midst. The fatherless and the widow are wronged in you. The sojourner suffers extortion in your midst. The fatherless and the widow are wronged in you. You have despised my holy things and profaned my sabbaths. There are men in you

who slander to shed blood, and men in you who eat upon the mountains. Men commit lewdness in your midst. In you, men uncover their father's nakedness. In you, they humble women who are unclean in their impurity. One commits abomination with his neighbor's wife. Another lewdly defiles his daughter-in-law. Another in you defiles his sister, his father's daughter. In you men take bribes to shed blood. You take interest and increase and make gain of your neighbors by extortion. And you have forgotten me, says the Lord God. Behold, therefore I strike my hands together

at the dishonest gain which you have made, and at the blood which has been in the midst of you. Can your courage endure, or can your hands be strong in the days that I shall deal with you? I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do it. I will scatter you among the nations and disperse you through the countries,

and I will consume your filthiness out of you. And I shall be profaned through you in the sight of the nations, and you shall know that I am the Lord. And the word of the Lord came to me, Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to me. All of them, silver and bronze and tin and iron and lead in the furnace have become dross. Therefore, thus says the Lord God, because you have all become dross, therefore behold, I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. As men gather silver and bronze and

iron and lead and tin into a furnace to blow the fire upon it in order to melt it, so I will gather you in my anger and in my wrath, and I will put you in and melt you. I will gather you and blow upon you with the fire of my wrath, and you shall be melted in the midst of it. As silver is melted in a furnace, so you shall be melted in the midst of it, and you shall know that I, the Lord, have poured out my wrath upon you. And the word of the Lord came to me, Son of man, say to her, You are a land that is not the Lord, have poured out my wrath upon you. And the word of the Lord came to me, Son of man, say to her, You are a land that is not cleansed or rained upon in the day of indignation.

Her princes in the midst of her are like a roaring lion tearing the prey. They have devoured human lives. They have taken treasure and precious things. They have made many widows in the midst of her. Her priests have done violence to my law and have profaned my holy things. They have made no distinction between the holy and the common. Neither have they taught the difference between the unclean and the clean, and they have disregarded my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. Her princes in the midst of her are

like wolves tearing the prey, shedding blood, destroying lives to get dishonest gain. And her prophets have daubed for them with whitewash, seeing false visions and making up lies for them, saying, Thus says the Lord God, when the Lord has not spoken. The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery. They have oppressed the poor and needy and have extorted from the sojourner without redress. And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land that I should not destroy it, but I found none. Therefore, I have poured out my indignation upon them. I have consumed them with the fire of my

wrath. Their way have I repaid upon their heads, says the Lord God. The book of Proverbs chapter 13 verses 17 through 20. A bad messenger plunges men into trouble, but a faithful envoy brings healing. Poverty and disgrace come to him who ignores instruction, but he who heeds reproof is honored. A desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but to turn away from evil is an abomination to fools. He who walks with wise men becomes wise,

but the companion of fools will suffer harm. Father in heaven, we give you praise. We thank you so much. We thank you and give you, we give you our love and we just, that's all, just thank you today. Thank you for bringing us to this day. We know that you are good.

We know that you are God. We know that you love us. And so there's nothing else to say, but thank you for who you are. Thank you for all that you are God. We know that you love us. And so there's nothing else to say, but thank you for who you are. Thank you for all that you've done. Thank you for being with us and never abandoning us. Help us to walk with you. Bring people into our lives who can walk with us so that we can be them, men and women, that you've called us to be this day and every day. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Gosh, so I just want to kick off by talking about Proverbs chapter

13, verse 20. It's a great, well, obviously all the Proverbs have wisdom to them, but there's one, this one, chapter, verse 20 of chapter 13. He who walks with wise men becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. There's something so powerful about this that we can easily forget, that we can be kind of indiscriminate when it comes to choosing those that we spend time with. In fact, I remember years ago, there was a speaker, author, whatever. I can't remember what his exact job title is, but he had made the claim. He said that we are the average. We become the average of the five people we spend the most time with. And some people kind of bristle at that. Some people kind of say like,

well, yeah, but you know, we need to be like Jesus and spend time with tax collectors and sinners and et cetera, the people on the margins, which is completely true. Absolutely. Yes. And yet the Proverbs continues to remind us that he who walks with the wise becomes wise. And if we walk with wise people, we become wise. We walk with holy people, we become holy. I mean, that's the idea, at least, is that if I surround myself with people who are striving after the Lord, then I can be taken up with them, right? I can start matching pace with them

as they race after the Lord and his will. And if I surround myself intentionally with people who are indifferent to God and people who are indifferent to the plight of the people around us, around me, then that's going to have an effect on me. And I think that maybe, gosh, let me just say this one last thing. I think that maybe we might overestimate ourselves, and maybe this isn't you, but I think a lot of us, I'll say myself, I'll just point to myself, I think I can overestimate how good I am in the terms of, oh yeah, no, no, I'll say myself, I'll just point to myself. I think I can overestimate how good I am in the

terms of, oh yeah, no, no, I can surround myself with anybody and I can still pursue the Lord. And maybe that's you, maybe you're one in a million, but most of us, we actually need the help of friends. We need the help of those brothers and sisters in the Lord to race with us. So he walks with the wise, the one who walks with the wise becomes wise. Those who walk with the holy become holy. Those who walk with, who love God become lovers of God because that changes our hearts. It changes our minds. It changes our goals. I mean, we know this. If you're around people who are consistently choosing health, right, then it's easier and easier to choose health. If I'm consistently around people who choose unhealthy things, then it is easier and easier and easier to say, oh, that's the standard. And there's something, again, so

powerful, the powerful reminder of the wisdom of Solomon here in Book of Proverbs. Those who walk with the wise become wise. And those who, as it goes on to say, because there's the negative part too, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. So something for us all to keep in mind. In Isaiah, gosh, you know, we're coming closer and closer to the end. We only have two more chapters left, Isaiah 65 and 66, the next two days. And so remember, we're in the book of consolation. And so we have in chapter 63, we have that vengeance on enemies, that here's God's justice. Here's him coming to tread out the winepress. I mean, this is the, my eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord. He is, that's that song.

You know, I can't remember how, the name of it, but it talks about he's treading out the winepress where the grapes of wrath are stored, right? That's the one, you know that one. This is that section. This is where that comes from. And as God declares, this is what's going to happen. This judgment on the people, it ends with verse six in chapter 43 and verse seven. Oh gosh.

After God's talking about for the day of vengeance is in my heart. The year of redemption has come. Verse six says, I trod down the peoples in my anger. I made them drunk in my wrath and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth. Verse seven, I will recount the merciful love of the Lord, the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord has granted us and the great goodness to the house of Israel, which he has granted them according to his mercy, according to the abundance of his steadfast love. And it's just, wow, so good.

I mean, we recognize that God's justice and his mercy are not opposed to each other, that God's justice and his mercy are completely commensurate with each other. They're completely in line with each other because God is justice and he is mercy and he is not conflicted in himself. And yet we at times need God's justice and at times, well, always we need God's mercy. We deserve God's justice and we are given out of God's free gift, his mercy. And so we get both of those really on display, the clarity and it's without question. Here's his judgment at the beginning of chapter 43 and the clarity and the beauty of his mercy at the end of chapter 63. And then there's this prayer for mercy in 64. Oh, that you would tear the heavens and come down.

And just this recognition that you are good and we've sinned, that you would tear the heavens and come down. And just this recognition that, you know, you are good and we've sinned, that you are so good and yet we have sinned. And you're angry and we've sinned. And so we ask for God's mercy, which is just absolutely incredible and beautiful. And it's ours. Now, as we look at the book of the prophet Ezekiel, chapter 21 and 22, it's obviously Ezekiel, and he's not doing any performance prophecy right now. He is just simply stating the words of the Lord. And one thing to keep in mind, again, this is him looking and saying, Jerusalem, remember, you have the first wave of exile. That was Daniel. Second wave of exile, that was Ezekiel. And the third wave of exile is coming and is about

to happen because look at just all this stuff happening in Jerusalem. And it just goes on again and again. Here's the sins upon sins of Jerusalem. There are everything from treating one's neighbor, the orphan, the widow unjustly, not taking care of the poor, to violating the Sabbath, to the priests treating holy things like they're common things. And that's something that's just, again, all of this is of a piece, right? When it comes to religion, when it comes to true religion, as St. James will describe this very, very clearly in the letter of James, that he describes that the true religion does involve worship of God, of course, but also involves caring for the poor, caring for the widow, caring for the orphan, those who need help. That true religion consists in these things.

And here is the Lord speaking through Ezekiel saying that in Jerusalem, you're not doing those things. Not only are you not worshiping the right way, you're also not living the right way. Now, at the end of chapter 22, there's something really powerful. Once again, God reminds the people that the prophets are only making up lies for them. They're seeing false visions and they're saying, thus says the Lord when the Lord has not spoken. And that's something so important, right? That, I mean, even for this Bible in a year,

anyone who speaks on behalf of God, right? Any preacher, any priest, any teacher, essentially, we have to realize that we are meant to be God's mailman, not his editors. And that's so important. We're meant to be God's mailman, not his editors. Basically deliver the message, not edit the message so that it sounds better, or we think, here's what I think it should be. We're just called to, here's the word, and let's deliver it as best as possible. Because what's happening in Ezekiel chapter 22 is,

here's false prophets, and they're making up lies. And they're saying, thus says the Lord God, when the Lord hadn't spoken. The last piece here in verse 30 of chapter 22, God says, and I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land that I should not destroy it, but I found none. And we're reminded there of Abraham, right? Who stood in the breach. We are reminded of Moses who stood in the breach. We are reminded of Moses who stood in the breach. We are reminded of upcoming Jesus who stands in the breach. And here is the Lord speaking through Ezekiel saying, yeah, all these sins of Israel, all these sins of Jerusalem are happening. And it almost sounds like if there was someone who was willing to stand up, someone who was willing to stand in the breach and intercede on behalf of the people, then I would turn away. Like I would not allow this disaster to fall upon them, but there's no one. And therefore my judgment will come. And I think about this, gosh, in your role,

in my role in this world is that we can look and say, oh gosh, you know, the world's gone to heck in this. Everything's falling apart. And look at all the problems we have. And they're real problems, obviously. And it's important to point out the real problems. But to ask the question, am I standing in the breach? Do I regularly go before the Lord and intercede like Moses for the people? Do I regularly go before the Lord and intercede like Abraham before the people? If you are a parent or a grandparent, if you're anyone who has someone in your life that you love, do you come before the Lord and intercede on their behalf? Do you stand in the breach on their behalf? Because if you are in a place of authority, in a place of, again, whether that's a mom or dad, a grandpa or grandma, an aunt and uncle, I mean, hear me as a priest. If you're someone,

an older sister, an older brother, to be able to say, okay, God, I see what's going on in their lives. I'm going to stand in the breach on their behalf before you, God, and intercede for them. That's one of the things that we do whenever I just remind us that we're praying for each other is stand in the breach for each other, not just I'm going to throw up prayer, you know, on your behalf. I mean, that's good too. But what about something even more serious? What about that fasting, fasting and prayer, standing the breach like that, knowing that

maybe this prayer is the only thing between this person you love and you are responsible for and judgment upon them just Just to pray. Again, we're not judging anybody. We're not condemning anybody. We're doing the opposite. We're praying that the Lord gives them mercy, that the Lord changes their heart, that the Lord brings them home. And so let's pray for those people in our lives and pray for each other. I'm grateful for your prayers for me. I am definitely praying for you every single day. My name is Father Mike, and I cannot wait to see you tomorrow. God bless.