The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) - Day 244: Susanna's Righteousness (2022)

Episode Date: September 1, 2022

Fr. Mike reflects on the story of Susanna's righteousness in the book of Daniel. While celebrating Susanna's virtue, Daniel's wisdom, and God's faithfulness, Fr. Mike also warns us that, like the corrupt elders in the story, we too can allow our hearts to become perverted by the things we fix our eyes on. The readings are Jeremiah 30, Daniel 12-13, and Proverbs 16:17-20. 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 244. We are reading three chapters. One is from Jeremiah, Jeremiah chapter 30. Two are from

Daniel, Daniel chapter 12 and 13, as well as the book of Proverbs chapter 16, verses 17 through 20. 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 I said that all in one breath. As I said, it is day 244. We're halfway through. Well, you know, Jeremiah has 52 chapters and we're on chapter 30 today. So, I mean, I'm not the best at math, but we're close. As well as we have two days today and tomorrow left of Daniel. We have Daniel 12 and 13 today, and then just one chapter of Daniel tomorrow, Daniel 14.

So that is good news, and that's great. And gosh, you guys have to tell you, today, once again, like yesterday, the readings, phenomenal. They're incredible. So let's get started. This is day 244. We're reading Jeremiah 30, Daniel 12 and 13, Proverbs 16, verses 17 through 20. The book of the prophet Jeremiah, chapter 30, hope for the restoration of Israel.

The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord. Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, write in a book all the words that I have spoken to you. For behold, days are coming, says the Lord, when I will restore the fortunes of my people, Israel and Judah, says the Lord, and I will bring them back to the land which I gave to their fathers, and they shall take possession of it. These are the words which the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah. Thus says the Lord, We have heard a cry of panic, of terror, and no peace. Ask now and see. Can a man bear a child?

Why then do I see every man with his hands on his loins like a woman in labor? Why has every face turned pale? Alas, the day is so great, there is none like it. It is a time of distress for Jacob, yet he shall be saved out of it. And it shall come to pass in that day, says the Lord of hosts, that I will break the yoke from off their neck, and I will burst their bonds, and strangers shall no more make servants of them. But they shall serve the Lord their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.

Then fear not, O Jacob, my servant, says the Lord, nor be dismayed, O Israel. For behold, I will save you from afar, and your offspring from the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return, and have quiet and ease, and none shall make him afraid. For I am with you to save you, says the Lord. I will make a full end of all the nations among whom I scattered you, but of you I will not make a full end. I will chasten you in just measure, and I will by no means leave you unpunished. For thus says the Lord, your hurt is incurable, and your wound is grievous. There is none to uphold your cause, no medicine for your wound, no healing for you. All your lovers have forgotten you.

They care nothing for you. For I have dealt you the blow of an enemy, the punishment of a merciless foe, because your guilt is great, because your sins are flagrant. Why do you cry over your hurt? Your pain is incurable. Because your guilt is great, because your sins are flagrant, I have done these things to you. Therefore, all who devour you shall be devoured, and all your foes, every one of them, shall go into captivity. Those who despoil you shall become a spoil, and all who prey on you I will make a prey. For I will restore health to you and your wounds I will heal, says the Lord, because they have called you an outcast. It is Zion for whom no one cares. Thus says the Lord, behold, I will restore the fortunes of the

tents of Jacob and have compassion on his dwellings. A city shall be rebuilt upon its mound and the palace shall stand where it used to be. Out of them shall come songs of thanksgiving and the voices of those who make merry. I will multiply them and they shall not be few. I will make them honored and they shall not be small. Their children shall be as they were of old and their congregation shall be established before me, and I will punish all who oppress them. Their prince shall be one of themselves, their ruler shall come forth from their midst. I will make him draw near, and he shall approach me, for who would dare of himself

to approach me, says the Lord. And you shall be my people, and I will be your God. Behold, the storm of the Lord. Wrath has gone forth, a whirling tempest. It will burst upon the head of the wicked. The fierce anger of the Lord will not turn back until he has executed and accomplished the intents of his mind. In the latter days, you will understand this. The book of Daniel, chapter 12, the resurrection of the dead. At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time, your people shall be delivered. Everyone whose name shall be found written in the book.

And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament. And those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever. But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book until the time of the end. Many shall run back and forth, and knowledge shall increase. Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others stood, one on this bank of the stream and one on that bank of the stream. And I said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream, How long shall it be till the end of these wonders? The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream. How long shall it be till the end of these wonders? The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream, raised his right hand

and his left hand toward heaven. And I heard him swear by him who lives forever, that it would be for a time, two times, and half a time. And that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end, all these things would be accomplished. I heard, but I did not understand. Then I said, Oh my Lord, what shall be the issue of these things? He said, Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end. Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined. But the wicked shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand. But those who are wise shall understand. And from the time that the continual burnt offering

is taken away, and the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he who waits and comes to the thousand three hundred and thirty-five days. But go your way till the end, and you shall rest, and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of days. Chapter 13. Two Elders Lust for Susanna. There was a man living in Babylon whose name was Joachim, and he took a wife named Susanna, the daughter of Hilkiah, a very beautiful woman and one who feared the Lord. Her parents were righteous and had taught their daughter according to the law of Moses. Joachim was very rich and had a spacious garden adjoining his house, and the Jews used to come

to him because he was the most honored of them all. In that year, two elders from the people were appointed as judges. Concerning them, the Lord had said, Iniquity came forth from Babylon, from elders who were judges, who were supposed to govern the people. These men were frequently at Joachim's house, and all who had suits at law came to them. When the people departed at noon, Susanna would go into her husband's garden to walk.

The two elders used to see her every day going in and walking about, and they began to desire her. And they perverted their minds and turned away their eyes from looking to heaven, or remembering righteous judgments. Both were overwhelmed with passion for her, but they did not tell each other of their distress, for they were ashamed to disclose their lustful desire to possess her.

And they watched eagerly day after day to see her. They said to each other, Let us go home, for it is mealtime. And when they went out, they parted from each other, but turning back, they met again, and when each pressed the other for the reason, they confessed their lust. And then together they arranged for a time when they could find her alone. The elders attempt to seduce Susanna. Once while they were watching for an opportune day, she went in as before with only two maids and wished to bathe in the garden for it was very hot.

And no one was there except the two elders who had hid themselves and were watching her. She said to her maids, bring me oil and ointments and shut the garden doors so that I may bathe. They did as she said, shut the garden doors and went out by the side doors to bring what they had been commanded.

And they did not see the elders because they were hidden. When the maids had gone out, the two elders rose and ran to her and said, Look, the garden doors are shut, no one sees us, and we are in love with you. So give your consent and lie with us. If you refuse, we will testify against you that a young man was with you,

and this was why you sent your maids away. Susanna sighed deeply and said, I am hemmed in on every side, for if I do this thing, it is death for me. And if I do not, I shall not escape your hands. I choose not to do it and to fall into your hands rather than to sin in the sight of the Lord. Then Susanna cried out with a loud voice, and the two elders shouted against her. And one of them ran and opened the garden doors. When the household servants heard the shouting in the garden, they rushed in at the side door to see what had happened to her. And when the

elders told their tale, the servants were greatly ashamed, for nothing like this had ever been said about Susanna. The elders testify against Susanna. The next day, when the people gathered at the house of her husband Joachim, the two elders came full of their wicked plot to have Susanna put to death. They said before the people, Send for Susanna, the daughter of Hilkiahachim, the two elders came full of their wicked plot to have Susanna put to death. They said before the people, Send for Susanna, the daughter of Hilkiah, who is the wife of Joachim. So they sent for her, and she came with her parents, her children, and all her kindred. Now Susanna was a woman of great refinement and beautiful in appearance. As she was veiled, the wicked men ordered her to be unveiled that they might feed upon her beauty. But her family and friends and all who saw her wept.

Then the two elders stood up in the midst of the people and laid their hands upon her head. And she, weeping, looked up toward heaven, for her heart trusted in the Lord. The elders said, As we were walking in the garden alone, this woman came in with two maids, shut the garden doors, and dismissed the maids. Then the young man, who had been hidden, came to her and lay with her. We were in a corner in the garden, and when we saw this wickedness, we ran to them. We saw them embracing, but we could not hold the man, for he was too strong for us, and he opened the doors and dashed out.

So we seized this woman and asked her who the young man was, but she would not tell us. These things we testify. The assembly believed them because they were elders of the people and judges, and they condemned her to death. Then Susanna cried out in a loud voice and said, O eternal God, who discern what is secret, who are aware of all things before they come to be, you know that these men have borne false witness against me, and now I am to die. Yet I have done none of the things that they have wickedly invented against me. Daniel rescues Susanna. The Lord heard her cry, and as she was being led away

to be put to death, God aroused the Holy Spirit of a young lad named Daniel, and he cried out with a loud voice, I am innocent of the blood of this woman. All the people turned to him and said, what is this that you have said? Taking his stand in the midst of them, he said, are you such fools, you sons of Israel? Have you condemned a daughter of Israel without examination and without learning the facts? Return to the place of judgment, for these men have borne false witness against her. Then all the people returned in haste, and the elders said to him, Come, sit among us and inform us, for God has given you that right. And Daniel said to them, Separate them far from each other, and I will examine them.

While they were separated from each other, he summoned one of them and said to him, You old relic of wicked days, your sins have now come home, which you have committed in the past, pronouncing unjust judgments, condemning the innocent and letting the guilty go free. Though the Lord said, do not put to death an innocent and righteous person. Now then, if you really saw her, tell me this, under what tree did you see them being intimate with each other? He answered, under a mastic tree. And Daniel said, Very well. You have lied against your own head, for the angel of God has received the sentence from God and will immediately cut you in two. Then he put him aside and commanded them to bring the other.

And he said to him, You offspring of Canaan and not of Judah, beauty has deceived you and lust has perverted your heart. This is how you both have been dealing with the daughters of Israel, and they were intimate with you through fear. But a daughter of Judah would not endure your wickedness. Now then, tell me, under what tree did you catch them being intimate with each other? He answered, under an evergreen oak. And Daniel said to him, very well. You also have lied against your own head,

for the angel of God is waiting with his sword to saw you in two, that he may destroy you both. Then all the assembly shouted loudly and blessed God who saves those who hope in him. And they rose against the two elders, for out of their own mouths Daniel had convicted them of bearing false witness. And they did to them as they had wickedly planned to do to their neighbor, acting in accordance with the law of Moses, they put them to death. Thus innocent blood was saved that day. And Hilkiah and his wife praised God for their daughter Susanna. And so did Joachim, her husband, and all her kindred, because nothing shameful was found in her. And from that day onward, Daniel had a great reputation among the people.

The book of Proverbs chapter 16 verses 17 through 20. The highway of the upright turns aside from evil. He who guards his way preserves his life. Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud. He who gives heed to the word will prosper and happy is he who trusts in the Lord. Father in heaven, we give you praise and glory. We thank you so much, so much for this day. Thank you so much for your word, your letter from Jeremiah,

for this powerful testimony to the resurrection of the dead, this powerful story of the virtue of Susanna and the wisdom of Daniel. That is you working in all things, Lord God. We also, God, we ask you that we were humble because as you revealed to us, pride goes before a fall. Pride goes before destruction and haughty spirit before a fall.

Help us to simply walk humbly before you, humbly in your presence and humbly in your will. In all things, we pray in Jesus name, in the name of the father and of the son of Holy Spirit. Amen. Okay, gosh, you guys, as I said yesterday, these readings are phenomenal. They're so incredible. So one of the

things as we start Jeremiah, as we noted, Jeremiah is only one chapter today, kind of a longer chapter, but it is God asks, asks, asks, God asks Jeremiah to write something down. He says, write in the book, all the words that I have spoken to you for behold, the days are coming when I will restore the fortunes of my people, Israel and Judah, and bring them back to the land that I gave their fathers. This is just such an encouraging moment. In fact, chapters 30, 31, 32, and 33 are a super encouraging break in the midst of Jeremiah's, you know, being the weeping prophet and his prophecy of woe. Although, of course, it starts pretty, pretty brutally, I guess, in so many ways. It says that, can a man bear a child? Why do I see every man

with his hands on his loins like a woman in labor? Why is every face turned pale? There's a lot of pain, basically. But he goes on to say in verse 8, remember how Jeremiah had worn that yoke for a month and then the false prophet Hananiah had taken it off of his shoulders and broken it and said, nope, you know, the yoke is going to be taken off. Nebuchadnezzar is going to be removed. And Jeremiah says, well, yeah, you can remove a yoke of wood, but you're going to replace it with the yoke of iron. So, but it goes on to say, Jeremiah is not all woe, right? He is saying in verse eight,

it shall come to pass in that day, says the Lord of hosts, that I will break the yoke from off their neck. I will burst their bonds and strangers shall no more make servants of them, but they shall serve the Lord, their God and David, their King, whom I will raise up for them. And that's so, so good. So good. But it's so powerful because remember, remember Hananiah said two years, Jeremiah said, it's going to be 70 years, 70 years, and then you'll bring, come back. And this is so powerful because God makes this promise. He says that I will allow nations to be gone. I'll allow them to fall into oblivion. I mean, when was the last time I remember hearing someone say this? When was the last time you met an Ammonite or a Jebusite? He says, but you meet someone of the people of Israel any day

of the week. The God's people have survived when virtually every other people in that area have not, or even every other people in history. The people of Israel, who as God has said, other places in the Old Testament, are not the greatest, not the strongest, not the wisest, but they belong to him. And that's verse, golly, gosh, verse 22. And you shall be my people and I will be your God. Ah, so incredible, so incredible. And that's why, that is why the people of Israel continue to this day, because they have the blessing of the Lord. And so we just continue to pray that our friends,

our friends who are Jewish, that they recognize, not only recognize their one true God, right? That the Lord is God, he alone, and they love him with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength, but also they recognize the fact that the Messiah has come in Jesus Christ and all God's promises have come to fulfillment in Jesus Christ, which is, yeah, we just pray for that. We pray for our brothers and sisters to recognize this. Now, moving forward

or moving laterally to Daniel chapter 12. Gosh. Okay. So part of this is, you know, chapter 13 is not necessarily in chapter 14. It's not necessarily in Protestant Bibles, but it is in the Deuterocanonical writings. And so here we have in chapter 13, we have the story of Susanna. But before that, we have chapter 12, which is insane and so incredible. At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And we just have to mention when Michael the archangel is mentioned, we got to just like give him a little shout out. But he goes on to say, many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life and some to

shame and everlasting contempt. This is one of the places we have in the Old Testament, the recognition of life after death, but not only that, but the resurrection of the places we have in the Old Testament, the recognition of life after death, but not only that, but the resurrection of the dead. One of the beliefs of Christians that goes all the way back to the apostles is we believe in the resurrection of the body. And this is so important. We believe that in the final age, when Christ comes again, that all those who are dead will rise and all those who are dead will have their bodies back.

Those who are with God will, as it says, sum to everlasting life. Those who are without God, those who have chosen not God will get that. And those, as it says, they'll rise to shame and everlasting contempt. And just the reality, of course, that every one of us is choosing heaven or

hell at any given moment. And it's a real choice that God has given to every single one of us. And it's one that's worth, it's a sober reality that is worth really meditating on and saying, okay, God, am I on a trajectory that is leading me away from you? Or am I on a trajectory leading me towards you? Am I on a trajectory that's leading me to rise for eternity to shame and everlasting contempt? Or am I on a trajectory that will give you glory for eternity? And that's just the question.

You know, in chapter 13, gosh, you just have that sense of this long story of Susanna and her virtue, her righteousness and her goodness. Of course, Daniel's wisdom. I think it almost seems, I mean, those are the things we should focus on, right? We should focus on Susanna's righteousness, her unwillingness to give in, her unwillingness to compromise, her unwillingness to lie. I mean, gosh, we know so many things have happened in the news where, I mean, even Daniel says this. He says, there have been women of Israel whom you had your way with, essentially, because

of they were afraid. They were afraid of you. Again, not because they were weak, not because, and that's the same thing when it comes to anyone who's been assaulted. It's not because that person was weak. It's that person, you know, they're so afraid, overwhelmed by what is happening right now. The stories of powerful, in so many cases, powerful men who have abused their power, abused women by using their

power is just, it's overwhelming. And so the story of these two elders of Israel, and again, this is across the board, secular world, religious world, outside the church, inside the church, anyone using their power to essentially get what they want from someone. This is the same story. And gosh, we see it happen again and again. And what we see here, again, even though we want to focus on Susanna's virtue and on Daniel's wisdom, we have to look at the perversion, it says, of these two elders. That it says, essentially, that they did not, they looked upon Susanna and allowed themselves to look upon Susanna, who was beautiful. And what happened was that their hearts were, it says this, the two elders used to see her every day going in and walking about, and they began to desire her.

And they perverted their minds and turned away their eyes from looking to heaven or remembering righteous judgments. And this is how it happens for any one of us. It doesn't matter. In this case, it's lust, right? In this case, it's sexual sins. But anything that we start, we allow our heart to be owned by it. We allow our hearts to be directed by this. Money, power, fame, reputation, sex, all these things. They allowed themselves to look away from heaven and to look after the object of their desire. In this case, it was the object of their lust.

And that destroyed, distorted their hearts. It said that both were overwhelmed with passion for her. And they destroyed, distorted their hearts. It said that both were overwhelmed with passion for her. And then they weren't overwhelmed right away, but they turned away their eyes from looking to heaven, remembering righteous judgments. This is so key for us. We're going to, in a few, maybe a couple of weeks, we're going to hit the gospel of Matthew, which is going to be awesome. It's going to be so great. And we're going to hear the story of Jesus walking on water and Peter walking on water too. But then it says when Peter saw how strong the wind was and the waves, he began to be afraid

and he began to sink in that sense of he took his eyes off Jesus and looked at what was opposing him. He took his eyes off Christ and started looking at what was fearful to him, what could hurt him. Now we can do that. We can also take our eyes off Christ and look at the distortions of our mind, the distortions of our desires, and that will cause us to do what Peter did, which is sink. It will cause us to do what these two elders did, which is to allow themselves to be distorted. One huge thing is the recognition that here's Daniel who says, listen, the Lord, I love Susanna's prayer. Sorry, talking about Daniel, but I love Susanna's prayer in verse 42. In fact, I couldn't get through it. I had to stop a couple of times because it's just so powerful. She says in verse 42,

oh, eternal God who discern what is secret, who are aware of all things before they come to be, you know that these men have borne a false witness against me. And now I'm to die. Yet I have done none of the things that they have wickedly invented against me. And then the next line, verse 44, it's in our translation, it is four words long. And it is simply this, the Lord heard her cry. That's five words. But the Lord heard her cry. And it's just, oh my gosh. And we know this, every single one of us, every single one who's ever cried out to the lord we heard this yesterday with daniel from the moment he started praying to the lord god heard his prayers and god hears your prayers now you might be someone who's like in a position of

suzanna where you didn't get delivered but instead you were hurt and hurt in a devastating way you might be in a position like like daniel and you fight every day for those people who are hurt. You might be in a position like Jeremiah, who put your heart and soul into helping people, but they just reject and reject and reject. You might be in a position like the two elders, and you look at your heart and you say, gosh, Lord, my heart is so broken. My heart is so twisted.

I have taken my eyes off the righteous one. I have taken my heart away from his righteous teachings. I have looked at things and I placed them at the center of my heart and what they've done is they have distorted me. I can't see clearly anymore. We can, you know, and maybe any given day we can be any one of those places,

but I know, you guys, this is a big community and all, and every one of those people is represented in us. And so we say, okay, God, if I am experiencing this great shame and great pain of memories, or maybe even recently of being hurt, abused, Lord God, we lift up that person right now. Who's listening to this. If a person's in the position that person right now who's listening to this? If a person's in the position of the Daniel, who's just like, I'm trying to fight for these people. I'm trying to work hard. God, we lift them up before you. If you're in Jeremiah's position, just like constantly trying to love the people around you well, but you're being rejected, being turned away and feeling isolated more and more, the more you love. Lord God, we lift them up to you. And Lord, those people whose, those of us whose hearts are distorted, because we've given our hearts to money, to greed, to lust, to vengeance, to unforgiveness, to anything other than you.

Lord God, please, we lift them up to you too because you love everyone and you desire that we come to know you and to be yours. I will be your God and you will be my people, you say. Lord God, help us to be your people. My friends, friends, I don't call you friends very often,

but you are. I'm praying for you. Please pray for me. My name is Father Mike. I cannot wait to see you tomorrow. God bless.