The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) - Day 227: The Towering Cedar (2024)

Episode Date: August 14, 2024

Fr. Mike highlights the people of Israel's flaw in trusting in the strength and power of Egypt, not realizing that although Egypt is like a towering cedar tree, the nation will eventually collapse. Fr. Mike also points out Jeremiah's vehement message to Israel to brace themselves for God's judgment. Today we read Jeremiah 4, Ezekiel 31-32, and Proverbs 14:17-20. 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 227, and we are reading from Jeremiah chapter 4, Ezekiel chapter 31 and 32, Proverbs chapter 14, verses 17 through 20. The Bible translation that I'm reading from is the Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition. I am 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 and receive daily episodes and daily updates for every day, because that's what daily means. If you want to subscribe, you can. If you don't, let's move on. It's day 227. We're reading Jeremiah 4, moving through Jeremiah. This is so good. Ezekiel 31 and 32. Again, one of the things we're getting to the kind of closer to the end of the book of the prophet Ezekiel. Things are going to change in a couple of days from now, not today. Today, we're continuing to talk about Egypt and Assyria and all these incredible nations that will experience God's judgment. And we're also reading from Proverbs

chapter 14 verses 17 through 20. The book of the prophet Jeremiah chapter four. If you return, O Israel, says the Lord, to me, you should return. If you remove your abominations from my presence and do not waver, and if you swear as the Lord lives, in truth, in justice, and in uprightness, then nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory. For thus says the Lord to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, break up your fallow ground and sow not among thorns. Circumcise yourselves to the Lord. Remove the foreskin of your hearts, O men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, lest my wrath go forth like fire and burn with none to quench it because of the evil

of your doings. Judah threatened with invasion. Declare in Judah and proclaim in Jerusalem and say, blow the trumpet through the land, cry aloud, and say, Assemble, let us go into the fortified cities. Raise a standard toward Zion, flee for safety, stay not, for I bring evil from the north and great destruction. A lion has gone up from his thicket, a destroyer of nations has set out. He has gone forth from his place to make your land a waste. Your cities will be ruins without inhabitant. For this, clothe yourself with sackcloth, lament,

and wail, for the fierce anger of the Lord has not turned back from us. In that day, says the Lord, courage shall fail both king and princes. The priests shall be appalled and the prophets astounded. Then I said, Ah, Lord God, surely you have utterly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, It shall be well with you, whereas the sword has reached their very life. At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, A hot wind from the bare heights in the desert toward the daughter of my people, not to winnow or cleanse. A wind too full for this comes for me. Now it is I who speak in judgment upon them. Behold, he comes up like the clouds, his chariots like the whirlwind, his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us, for we are ruined. O Jerusalem,

wash your heart from wickedness, that you may be saved. How long shall your evil thoughts lodge within you? For a voice declares from Dan and proclaims evil from Mount Ephraim. Warn the nation that he is coming. Announce to Jerusalem, besiegers come from a distant land. They shout against the cities of Judah. Like keepers of a field, they are against her roundabout, because she has rebelled against me, says the Lord. Your ways and your doings have brought this upon you. This is your doom, and it is bitter. It has reached your very heart. My anguish, my anguish, I writhe in pain. Oh, the walls of my heart, my heart is beating wildly. I cannot keep silent, for I hear the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war. Disaster follows hard on disaster. The whole land is laid waste.

Suddenly, my tents are destroyed, my curtains in a moment. How long must I see the standard and hear the sound of the trumpet? For my people are foolish. They know me not. They are stupid children. They have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil, but how to do good they know not. I looked on the earth, and behold, it was waste and void, and to the heavens, and they had no light. I looked on the mountains, and behold, they were quaking, and all the hills moved back and forth. I looked, and behold, there was no man, and all the birds of the air had fled. I looked, and behold, the fruitful land was a desert, and all its cities were laid in ruins before the Lord, before his fierce anger. For thus says the Lord,

The whole land shall be a desolation, yet I will not make a full end. For this the earth shall mourn, and the heavens above be black. For I have spoken, I have planned, I have not relented, nor will I turn back. At the noise of horsemen and archer every city takes to flight. They enter thickets, they climb among rocks, all the cities are forsaken, and no man dwells in them. And you, O desolate one, what do you mean that you dress in scarlet, that you deck yourself with ornaments of gold, that you enlarge your eyes with paint? In vain you beautify yourself. Your lovers despise you, they seek your life. For I heard a cry as of

a woman with labor pains, anguish as of one bringing forth her first child, the cry of the daughter of Zion gasping for breath, stretching out her hands, woe is me, I am fainting before murderers. In the book of the prophet Ezekiel, chapter 31, the towering cedar. In the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me. Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his multitude, whom are like you in your greatness? Behold, I will liken you to a cedar in Lebanon,

with fair branches and forest shade, and of great height, its top among the clouds. The waters nourished it. The deep made it grow tall, making its rivers flow round the place of its planting, sending forth its streams to all the trees of the forest. So it towered high above all the trees of the forest. Its boughs grew large and its branches long from abundant water in its shoots. All the birds of the air made their nests in its boughs. Under its branches, all the beasts of the field brought forth their young, and under its shadow dwelt all great nations. It was beautiful

in its greatness, in the length of its branches, for its roots went down to abundant waters. The cedars in the garden of God could not rival it, nor the fir trees equal its boughs. The plain trees were as nothing compared with its branches. No tree in the garden of God was like it in beauty. I made it beautiful in the mass of its branches, and all the trees of Eden envied it that were in the garden of God. Therefore, thus says the Lord God, because it towered high and set its top among the clouds, and its heart was proud of its height, I will give it into the hand of a mighty one of the nations. He shall surely deal with it as its wickedness deserves. I have cast it out. Foreigners, the most terrible of the nations, will cut it down and leave it. On the mountains and in all the valleys its branches will fall, and its boughs will lie broken in all the water

courses of the land. And all the peoples of the earth will go from its shadow and leave it. Upon its ruin will dwell all the birds of the air, and upon its branches will be all the beasts of the field. All this in order that no trees by the waters may grow to lofty height or set their tops among the clouds, and that no trees that drink water may reach up to them in height. For they are all given over to death, to the netherworld among mortal men, with those who go down to the pit. Thus says the Lord God, When it goes down to Sheol, I will make the deep mourn for it, and restrain its rivers, and many waters shall be stopped. I will clothe Lebanon in gloom for it, and all the trees of the field shall faint because of it.

I will make the nations quake at the sound of its fall when I cast it down to Sheol with those who go down to the pit. And all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water will be comforted in the netherworld. They also shall go down to Sheol with it, to those who are slain by the sword. Yes, those who dwell under its shadow among the nations shall perish. Whom are you thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? You shall be brought down with the trees of Eden to the netherworld. You shall lie among the uncircumcised with those who are slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, says the Lord God. Chapter 32 Lamentation over Pharaoh

In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me. Son of man, raise a lamentation over Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and say to him, You consider yourself a lion among the nations, but you are like a dragon in the seas. You burst forth in your rivers, trouble the waters with your feet, and foul their rivers. Thus says the Lord God, I will throw my net over you with a host of many peoples, and I will haul you up in my dragnet, and I will cast you on the ground. On the open field I will fling you, and will cause all the birds of the air to settle on you, and I will gorge the beasts

of the whole earth with you. I will strew your flesh upon the mountains and fill the valleys with your carcass. I will drench the land even to the mountains with your flowing blood and watercourses will be full of you. When I blot you out, I will cover the heavens and make their stars dark. I will cover the sun with a cloud and the moon shall not give its light. All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over you and put darkness upon your land, says the Lord God. I will trouble the hearts of many peoples when I carry you captive among the nations into the countries which you have not known. I will make many peoples appalled at you, and their kings shall shudder because of you when I brandish my sword before them.

They shall tremble every moment, every one for his own life on the day of your downfall. For thus says the Lord God, all its multitude shall perish. I will destroy all its beasts from beside many waters, and no foot of man shall trouble them any more, nor shall the hoofs of beasts trouble them. Then I will make their waters clear, and cause the rivers to run like oil, says the Lord God. When I make the land of Egypt desolate, and when the land is stripped of all that fills it, when I strike all who dwell in it, then they will know that I am the Lord. This is a lamentation which shall be chanted. The daughters of the nations shall chant it over Egypt and over all her multitude shall they chant it, says the Lord God. In the twelfth year, in the first month,

on the fifteenth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, Son of man, wail over the multitude of Egypt and send them down, her and the daughters of majestic nations, to the netherworld, to those who have gone down to the pit. Whom do you surpass in beauty? Go down and be laid with the uncircumcised. They shall fall amid those who are slain by the sword, and with her shall lie all her multitudes. The mighty chiefs shall speak of them with their helpers out of the midst of Sheol. They have come down. They lie still, the uncircumcised, slain by the sword.

Assyria is there, and all her company, their graves round about her, all of them slain, fallen by the sword. Whose graves are set in the uttermost parts of the pit, and her company is round about her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who spread terror in the land of the living. Elam is there, and all her multitude about her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who went down uncircumcised into the netherworld, who spread terror in the land of the living. And they bear their shame with those who go down to the pit. They have made her a bed among the slain with all her multitude.

Their graves round about her, all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword, for terror of them was spread in the land of the living, and they bear their shame with those who go down to the pit. They are placed among the slain. Meshech and Tubal are there. In all their multitude, their graves round about them, all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword, for they spread terror in the land of the living.

And they do not lie with the fallen mighty men of old who went down to Sheol with the weapons of war, whose swords were laid under their heads and whose shields are upon their bones, for the terror of the mighty men was in the land of the living. So you shall be broken and lie among the uncircumcised with those who are slain by the sword. Edom is there, her kings and all her princes, who for all their might are laid with those who are slain by the sword. They lie with

the uncircumcised, with those who go down to the pit. The princes of the north are there, all of them, and all the Sidonians, who have gone down in shame with the slain, for all the terror which they caused by their might. They lie uncircumcised with those who are slain by the sword, and bear their shame with those who go down to the pit. When Pharaoh sees them, he will comfort himself for all his multitude, Pharaoh and all his army, slain by the sword, says the Lord God. For he spread terror in the land of the living. Therefore he shall be laid among the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword, Pharaoh and all his multitude, says the Lord God. The book of Proverbs chapter

14 verses 17 through 20. The poor is disliked even by his neighbor, but the rich has many friends. Father in heaven, we give you praise and glory. We thank you so much. Gosh, Lord God, what a gift. What a gift you are and what a gift your word is. What an incredible gift it is to be able to be on day 227 on this journey through your word and the journey of your word through us because that's what's happening, Lord God. It's not just our journeying through your word and the journey of your word through us because that's what's happening, Lord God. It's not just our journeying through your word.

It is your story, your word, yourself journeying through us, making your way through our minds, to our hearts, and to our actions that our lives may be built upon your truth and your wisdom. Lord God, help us to put that truth and wisdom into practice this day and every day. Help us to build our lives upon you, upon Jesus Christ, the rock. Help us to be inspired and guided and given courage by the Holy Spirit at every moment of every day, all of our lives.

In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Okay, so gosh, we have Ezekiel and Jeremiah. And we're coming, as I said at the beginning of this, to the end of Ezekiel. I mean, we've got a number of chapters left. We've got, you know, into the 48s, into the late 40s, but here we are, ended on chapter 32 today. What we have in the book of the prophet Ezekiel is what we've been doing for the last little bit, right?

So Ezekiel was preaching against Pharaoh, preaching against Sidon and against Tyre and all those other kind of those cities, those nations that exist. And here in chapter 31 and 32, it's an extension of the prophecy against Pharaoh. So here's Ezekiel and he's speaking to Pharaoh, king of Egypt. And he's not only speaking to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, he's also speaking to the people of God, right? The Jewish people who are in exile in Babylon, but he's speaking to them about here's what's going to happen to these nations that the people in back in Judah in Babylon, but he's speaking to them about here's what's going to

happen to these nations that the people back in Judah and Jerusalem, they trusted. They trusted in Assyria. They trusted in Egypt. And they thought that Egypt and Assyria, who are enemies of them and enemies of the Lord, would be their saviors in face of the Babylonians. Here's what's going to happen is the towering cedar aka pharaoh aka egypt itself is going to collapse and there's something really powerful about how ezekiel the prophet how god works through his prophets because he he says yeah pharaoh and slash egypt you are a towering cedar you're incredible you are beautiful you're powerful that others found their shade in your branches and this is again an image of egypt, you know, kind of entered into alliances with

the nations around them. And those other nations took comfort in the fact that Pharaoh in Egypt was so powerful. And other nations, again, found their place, found their source of strength and security under the protection of Egypt. And yet it says, just like always, just like always, it says, but his heart was proud. His heart was proud. And that sense of, I will never be beaten, that sense of, I don't need any help, that sense of, I don't need the Lord God. And that's what happens. And thus says the Lord God, this is chapter 31, verse 15.

When it goes down to Sheol, I will make the deep mourn for it. And all the other trees of the field shall faint because of it. Remember those trees of the field are those trees that took their shelter, their shade under the branches of Egypt and all the other nations shall mourn because of it. Why? Because they trusted in Egypt when they should have trusted in the Lord God. And oh gosh, that's when we go into chapter 32. It's the lamentation over Pharaoh. That it's really incredible because this is, I mean, think about this in terms of, this is what people have placed their trust in. They have placed their trust in Pharaoh, in Egypt and in his strength and in their power. And it turned out to actually be the worst bet

of their lives. And that's why there's a lamentation over Pharaoh. And that's why it says, here's the little history lesson. Assyria is there. Elam is there. Meshach and Tubal are there. Edom is there. We have the princes of the north are there. We have Sidon is there. So all these cities, and this is a great history lesson for all of us, because we're like, I think I know all those places. I know Assyria. I know Elam. I know Edom. I know these places. And they're all there too. They're all in Sheol. They're all in the place of the dead because they had placed their trust in Egypt. And then along came Babylon.

And this is just Ezekiel's way, once again, of reminding the people, not only prophesying, but reminding the people, not just foretelling, but also forth telling and saying, here is the truth of our situation. Because, gosh, think about this. That is where we're preoccupied with, right? This, what we're talking about sounds like a lot of politics or it sounds like governments. It sounds like kingdoms and nations. It sounds like what's happening with Egypt?

What's happening with Edom? What's happening with Elam or with Sidon? What's happening, you know, in the news of the day? What Ezekiel is doing is he is highlighting the fact that, yes, all these nations are collapsing under the attack of the Babylonians. You should be more interested, not in what these nations are doing. You should be more interested in the judgment of the Lord God.

You should be less concerned with the politics of the day, and you should be more concerned with the ultimate fate, the ultimate destiny, the ultimate end of these nations that are experiencing God's judgment upon them. And that's so clear. And that always goes back to Jeremiah as well. It goes back to Jeremiah chapter four, which we read today. In Jeremiah, you remember this. We just have been introduced to Jeremiah.

He's kind of the weird prophet. He is, well, I guess Ezekiel is kind of the weird one. But Jeremiah is the weeping prophet. And we can even see that. We see that in chapter four, verse 10. It says that, he said, I said, ah, Lord God, surely you have utterly deceived this people and Jerusalem saying, it shall be well with you,

whereas the sword has reached their very life. Remember, this is before the absolute destruction of Jerusalem, and that's not gonna happen for another 50 years. That's gonna happen 40-ish years from now. Remember, this is even before the Babylonians have come in and destroyed everything. This is on the verge of this.

This is on the cusp of this. And here is Jeremiah wrestling with this and saying, God, if we repent and turn to you, then we'll be saved. But is that what's going to happen now? Remember, he's the weeping prophet. And you can hear his anguish in chapter four, verse 19, where he actually says, he says, my anguish, my anguish, I writhe in pain. All the walls of my heart, my heart is beating wildly. I cannot keep silent for I hear the sound of the trumpet,

the alarm of war. Jeremiah sees what's happening. He knows the writings on the wall and God is revealing to him, here's what's going to happen. In fact, what we're going to find out is that Jeremiah will be preaching for, you know, 40 to 50 years and that the people will not repent. And so what's going to happen is, is not so much Jeremiah's message being one of repentance. I mean, he is, I mean, clearly he is saying, warn the nations that he is coming. Announce to Jerusalem. This is a, going on to verse 14,, Jerusalem, wash your hearts from wickedness that you may be saved. And yet, Jeremiah knows, and we're going to find this in the next number of

chapters. You know, Jeremiah is literally the longest book in the entire Bible. Jeremiah knows that the word isn't going to be so much repentance as it is brace, brace for it, basically, because the judgment is coming. And so, yes, there's repentance, but your repentance is not going to turn away the judgment of God. You need to brace for it. You prepare yourselves for it. Now, this is the last thing here. Jeremiah says, my people are foolish.

They know me not. They're stupid children. They have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil, but how to do good, they know not. And there's something about that that just is for all of us. That sense of, okay, when it comes to doing right, you have no idea what to do when it comes to doing evil

yeah man you're a pro you're you got a phd in how to do evil and how to try to get away with things but when it comes to virtue and we're still back in kindergarten and i think so for so many of us that could be the case for us it seems like man you know i i've learned how to do wrong things and try to get away with it ever since, you know, ever since we reached the age of reason and realized that I don't want to get punished by my parents or by my teachers or whoever it is. I've become really good at doing evil, but at doing good, he says, at doing good, you're stupid. You're foolish. You have no understanding. And yet part of being here and part of listening to God's word is, God, help me to be wise.

Help me to be not only skilled in doing evil. I don't want to know how to do evil. I want to be skilled at doing the right thing. I want to be skilled at being virtuous. I want to be skilled at learning how to come back to you even when I do fall. And honestly, think about that. I want to be skilled in being humble and courageously appealing to the Lord Jesus and to his merciful love, to his sacred heart, to his precious blood that is poured out for

the sins of all mankind, but also for my own sins. Because here is what Jeremiah says. At some point, it's going to come upon you like a, it says like a whirlwind. It comes like a cloud and a whirlwind where all of a sudden everything was fine and now they are not fine. Remember, Jeremiah is preaching this 40 to 50 years ahead of times when it's going to be not fine. But he's saying, you know, you're going to keep waiting around thinking things are fine. All of a sudden they're going to be not fine, very much not fine. And so if we say, just God, please help, help me, help me to become not only wise in sin, help me become wise in virtue so that we can live lives that are worthy of the Lord God,

live lives worthy of the name Christian, live lives worthy of the God who has given his life so that we could have life. Can't do it on our own as we all, as we know we need God's help. We need each other's prayers. And so please know I am praying for you. Please, please pray for me. My name is Father Mike. I cannot wait to see you tomorrow. God bless.