The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) - Day 281: Good and Evil (2024)

Episode Date: October 7, 2024

Fr. Mike summarizes the final moments of the book of Nehemiah, when Nehemiah returns to find the people of Israel being unfaithful to God’s commandments and marrying foreign wives. Fr. Mike connects this to our lives, as we too often confuse God’s unending love for us to mean that he always wants what we want.Today’s readings are Nehemiah 13, Malachi 1-4, and Proverbs 21: 25-28. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

Hi, my name is Father Mike Schmitz, and you're listening to the Bible in a Year podcast, where we encounter God's voice and live life through the lens of Scripture. The Bible in a Year podcast is brought to you by Ascension. Using the Great Adventure Bible Timeline, we'll read all the way from Genesis to Revelation, discovering how the story of salvation unfolds and how we fit into that story today. Speaking of that story today, today is day 281, and we are at the conclusion of the return. We have the final chapter in Nehemiah. We also have four chapters of the prophet Malachi, who is the last prophet, essentially,

when it comes to the return, when it comes to the people of Israel. The next prophet to come after Malachi is a young man named John the Baptist, who's related to someone that you and I both know. We also have Proverbs chapter 21, verses 25 through 28. We also are reading today from the Bible translation known as 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 and receive daily episodes and daily updates just in time for the conclusion of the return and the beginning tomorrow of the Maccabean Revolt, and also not only the

first book of Maccabees, but there are some wisdom books we're kicking off tomorrow. The first one of those is Sirach that we're going to be reading. So Sirach, you might not have ever read Sirach, I've got to tell you, I have a sense, and the sense is you're going to love it. So if you want, that'll be day 282. But today is day 281. We are reading Nehemiah chapter 13, Malachi chapter 1, 2, 3, and 4, and Proverbs chapter 21, verses 25 through 28. The book of Nehemiah chapter 13, foreigners separated from Israel. On that day, they read from the book of Moses in the hearing of the people,

and in it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God, for they did not meet the children of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them. Yet our God turned the curse into a blessing. When the people heard the law, they separated from Israel all those of foreign descent. Reforms of Nehemiah Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, and who was connected with Tobiah, prepared for Tobiah a large chamber,

where they had previously put the cereal offering, the frankincense, the vessels, and the tithes of grain, wine, and oil, which were given by commandment to the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, and the contributions for the priests. While this was taking place, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes, king of Babylon, I went to the king. And after some time I asked leave of the king and came to Jerusalem. And I then discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, preparing for him a chamber in the courts of the house of God. And I was very angry, and I threw all the household furniture of Tobiah out of the chamber. Then I gave orders, and they cleansed the chambers. And

I brought back there the vessels of the house of God with the cereal offering and the frankincense. I also found out that the portions of the Levites had not been given to them, so that the Levites and the singers who did the work had fled each to his field. So I remonstrated with the officials and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together and set them in their stations. Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain, wine, and oil into the storehouses, and I appointed as treasurers over the storehouses, Shalamiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, Padaiah of the Levites,

and as their assistant, Hanan the son of Zachor, son of Mattaniah, for they were counted faithful, and their duty was to distribute to their brethren. Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for his service. Sabbath reforms begun. In those days I saw in Judah men treading wine presses on the Sabbath and bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys, and also wine and grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them on the day when they sold food. Men of Tyre also, who lived in the city, brought in fish and all kinds of wares, and sold them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah and in Jerusalem.

Then I remonstrated with the nobles of Judah and said to them, What is this evil thing which you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day? Did not your fathers act in this way, and did not our God bring all this evil on us and on this city? Yet you bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the Sabbath. When it began to be dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut and gave orders that they should not be opened until after the Sabbath. And I set some of my servants over the gates, that no burden might be brought in on the Sabbath day. Then the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside of Jerusalem once or twice.

But I warned them and said to them, Why do you lodge before the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you. From that time on, they did not come on the Sabbath. And I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves and come and guard the gates to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember this also in my favor, O my God, and spare me according to the greatness of your mercy. Intermarriage condemned. In those days also I saw the Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab, and half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and they could not speak the language of Judah, but the language of each people. And I contended with them, and cursed them, and beat some of them, and pulled out their hair. And I made them take oath in the name of God,

saying, You shall not give your daughters to their sons, or take their daughters for your sons, or for yourselves. Did not Solomon king of Israel sin on account of such women? Among the many nations there was no king like him And he was beloved by his God And God made him king over all Israel Nevertheless foreign women made even him to sin Shall we then listen to you And do all this great evil and act treacherously against our God

By marrying foreign women And one of the sons of Jehoiada The son of Eliashib, the high priest, was the son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite. Therefore I chased him from me. Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites. Thus I cleansed them from everything foreign,

and I established the duties of the priests and Levites each in his work, and I provided for the wood offering at appointed times and for the first fruits. Remember me, O my God, for good. The Book of Malachi, Chapter 1. Israel Preferred to Edom. The Oracle of the Word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi. I have loved you, says the Lord, but you say, how have you loved us? Is not Esau Jacob's brother, says the Lord.

Yet I have loved Jacob, but I hated Esau. I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert. If Edom says, we are shattered, but we will rebuild my ruins. The Lord Edom says, We are shattered, but we will rebuild my ruins, the Lord of hosts says, They may build, but I will tear down, till they are called the wicked country, the people with whom the Lord is angry forever. Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, Great is the Lord beyond the border of Israel. Corruption of the priesthood A son honors his father, and a servant his master.

If them I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? Says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. You say, How have we despised your name? By offering polluted food upon my altar. And you say, How have we polluted it? By thinking that the Lord's table may be despised. And you say, how have we polluted it? By thinking that the Lord's table may be despised. When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that no evil? And

when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that no evil? Present that to the governor. Will he be pleased with you or show you favor? Says the Lord of hosts. And now entreat the favor of God that he may be gracious to us. will not accept an offering from your hand. For from the rising of the sun to its setting, my name is great among the nations, and in every place incense is offered to my name, and a pure offering, for my name is great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts.

But you profane it when you say that the Lord's table is polluted and the food for it may be despised. What a weariness this is, you say, and you sniff at me, says the Lord of hosts. You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering. Shall I accept that from your hand, says the Lord? Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For I am a great king, says the Lord of hosts, and my name is feared among the nations. Chapter 2. And now, O priests, this command is for you. If you will not listen, if you will not lay it to heart to give glory to my name,

says the Lord of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart. Behold, I will rebuke Verse 2. Levi may hold, says the Lord of hosts. My covenant with him was a covenant of life and peace, and I gave them to him that he might fear, and he feared me. He stood in awe of my name. True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity. For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and men should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. But you have turned aside from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi,

says the Lord of hosts. And so I make you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you have not kept my ways, but have shown partiality in your instruction. The covenant profaned by Judah. Have we not all one father? Has not one God created us? Why then are we faithless to one another profaning the covenant of our fathers? Judah has been faithless and abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the Lord, which he loves and has married the daughter of a foreign God. May the Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob

for the man who does this any to witness or answer or to bring an offering to the Lord of hosts. And this again, you do. You covered the Lord's altar with tears, with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or accept it with favor at your hand. You ask, why does he not? Because the Lord was witness to the covenant between you and the wife of your youth, to

whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. Has not the one God made and sustained for us the spirit of life? And what does he desire? Godly offspring. So take heed to yourselves and let none be faithless to the wife of his youth. For I hate divorce, says the Lord God of Israel. And covering one's garment with violence,

says the Lord of hosts. So take heed to yourselves and do not be faithless. You have wearied the Lord with your words, yet you say, how have we wearied him? By saying, everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delights in them. Or by asking, where is the God of justice? Chapter 3. The Coming Messenger. Behold, I send my messenger to prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple, the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight.

Behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming? And who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fuller's soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver till they present right offerings to the Lord. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.

Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow and the orphan, against those who thrust aside the sojourner. And do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts. God must not be robbed. For I, the Lord, do not change. Therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed. From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, How shall we return? Will man rob God? Yet

you are robbing me. But you say, How are we robbing you? In your tithes and offerings, you are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing of blessing. I will rebuke the devourer for you,

so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts. Your words have been stout against me, says the Lord of hosts, yet you say, how have we spoken against you? You have said, it is vain to serve God. What is the good of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts? Henceforth, we deem the arrogant, blessed, evildoers not only prosper, but when they put God to the test, they escape. The reward of those who fear the Lord. Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord heeded and heard them,

and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and thought on his name. They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, my special possession on the day when I act, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. Then once more, you shall distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him. Chapter 4. The Great Day of the Lord. For behold, the day comes, burning like an oven, when all the

arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that comes shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear my name, the son of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go forth leaping like calves from the stall, and you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts. children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a curse. The book of Proverbs chapter 21 verses 25 through 28. The desire of the sluggard kills him, for his hands refuse to labor. All day long the wicked covets, but the righteous gives and does not hold back. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination. How much more when he brings it with evil intent?

A false witness will perish, but the word of a man who hears will endure. Father in heaven, we give you praise. We thank you. We thank you for bringing us all the way through this time of return. Thank you for bringing us all the way through the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. This story of your people, the people of Israel, being brought back to the land by you. We thank you for bringing us all the way through this time of return. Thank you for bringing us all the way through the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, this story of your people, the people of Israel being brought back to the land by you, by your love and by your faithfulness. We thank you also for Haggai and Zechariah, for Esther and her story, for Malachi today,

this prophet who prophesied so much, especially of your coming to us. You're coming to us in the form of John the Baptist and his words of prophecy, and also the day of the Lord that did come to us when you took on flesh in Lord Jesus and delivered us from our sins. You also will come again. And so we say, come Lord Jesus, come Lord Jesus. We make this prayer in Jesus' name, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. So Nehemiah, he's finishing strongly. What happens? What always happens? Remember, I mean, golly, yesterday we kind of talked about how here's the story and here's how it unfolded all the way back to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And then here's

slavery in Egypt and instead being set free. Here's Moses and Joshua, all those folks and unfaithfulness, faithlessness, essentially. And they were doing well. I mean, yes, we had the prophets who had to speak to the people who had come back from exile because they weren't building the temple right away because they weren't building the walls. And yet there seemed to be less idolatry. There seemed to be less division, seemed to be more faithfulness. And what happens? Nehemiah goes back to spend some time, his summers with King Artaxerxes.

He went back to spend some time with Artaxerxes, who had just let him go on alone, right? It wasn't like he had sent Nehemiah free from his service. He had given him the chance to go to Jerusalem and Judah and rebuild the walls to have this project of renewal. And he did that. So he had to, of course, go back to Artaxerxes and check in and all those things. He comes back and what happens? He comes back and well, it seems like the more things change, the more things stay the same. And so the people had been unfaithful.

And so what has to happen is he takes charge of all these things and make sure that people who have corrupted temple worship, no longer corrupt temple worship, and people who have intermarried are no longer corrupt temple worship, and people who have intermarried are no longer making those steps. You know, and again, even cites King Solomon. This is one of those huge pieces for us that just, gosh, you know, St. Paul is going to say this toward the end of the New Testament as well, where that sense of, you know, if you want to have a family united in faith, don't start it out disunited in faith.

That is not wise. It is not a wise thing to do. And here is Nehemiah at the very last chapter, last section of the last chapter in this whole book of Nehemiah saying, did not Solomon, king of Israel, sin on account of such women, on account of such marriage? There was no king like him and he was beloved by his God and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless, foreign women made even him to sin. And God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless, foreign women made even him to sin. You know, basically that.

So are we going to do any differently? And that's a key for us. Later on, of course, in the book of Malachi, Malachi is just, he makes it very, very clear. It's in chapter two that God says, for I hate divorce, says the Lord, the God of Israel. Yeah, gosh, because here are these people who are turning their back on the covenant and the covenant is ultimately marriage, right? The covenant is that I'm yours and you're mine, that one flesh union between God and his people. And it's the one flesh union between a man and a woman. And so Malachi, you might've caught this by this point in the four short chapters of the book of Malachi, that he is writing and he's the messenger. In fact, his name Malachi means my messenger.

And it's around the context of Ezra and Nehemiah. That's the time period for Malachi. And he is consistently calling out and he's doing what Nehemiah does at the end of this chapter or end of the book of Nehemiah, where he's basically saying, okay, here are all the things you're doing. And there's at least six points where Malachi, with the voice of the Lord, utters the words that people will say in rebellion against God. For example, the very, very beginning, the first couple of words, I have loved you, says the Lord. But you say, how have you loved us? Is not Esau Jacob's brother. It's basically God says, I declare this. I love you. And the response is, oh yeah. How have you done that? And God has to say, uh, maybe because I favored you among all

the other nations, maybe because others nations, I have not blessed in the way I blessed you. Maybe because I fought for you. Maybe because I have fed you, maybe because I've led you, all of these pieces, all these things that the people of Israel would challenge God. Well, how have you done this? So example, God says, I'm a master. Where's my fear? Says the Lord of hosts to priests who despise my name. And you say, oh, how have we despised your name?

Okay. Well, by offering polluted food upon my altar, you say, how have we polluted it? Okay. Maybe by thinking that the Lord's table may be despised. You offer blind animals in sacrifice. Isn't that evil? And that's the sense. It's just this blindness, this blindness that they need the corruption of the priesthood,

that this blindness to God's love for them, this defilement of marriage, all of these pieces. And not only that, but in our modern context, there is this word of God in chapter 2, verse 17, where God says, you have wearied the Lord with your words, yet you say, how have we wearied him? And here is the answer of God that sounds exactly like us in our modern context by saying, everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord and he delights in them. You know, this is a hard word for a lot of us. Hard word for a lot of us because, ah, gosh, as Christians, so often we emphasize the fact that God loves us a hundred percent. Yes. We, I think also as Christians, we forget that God loves us. I mean, I think that we have this tightrope where we go to one extreme or the other, where either

we forget that God loves us, like for the very first chapter, I have loved you. Well, how have you loved us? Well, gosh, all these favors. But then also that sense of, we also, on the other hand, say, well, then everyone's good. Everyone's fine. There's nothing really evil in the sight of the Lord. And everyone delights the Lord, even in their evil. I get by saying, again, everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord and he delights in them. Or by asking, where's the God of justice? Like he's not, he hasn't shown up. He hasn't brought justice. He hasn't brought judgment. And so we just have this,

what is commonly known as a moralistic therapeutic deism. It's a term coined by Christian Smith, who was a sociologist out of, I think it was at the time he was working in North Carolina and UNC, I think Chapel Hill. And now he works at Notre Dame. But this idea of moralistic therapeutic deism is, he said, what is the predominant religion of the majority of Americans that while we might say, well, I'm Jewish, I'm Catholic, I'm Protestant, I'm Muslim,

whatever, I'm atheist. Most Americans have this view of God that's moralistically, therapeutically deistic. So moralistic meaning just, okay, just don't be a jerk is the upshot of that. Therapeutic is God's there for you when you want him. He doesn't really bother you when you don't. And he's there to listen to your problems kind of thing. And deistic, so deism is kind of like they call it the clockmaker God, where he's not really, really involved in your life. He just kind of wound up the world and let it go. And so again, he's there when you want him, but he's not there when you don't want him. So it's this God you can take off the shelf and

put back on the shelf is basically the idea. And he likes all the things that you like, and he hates all the things you hate, and he thinks the way you think. That's the idea behind moralistic therapeutic deism. And here in chapter two of Malachi, we see it on display and realize again, once again, the more things change, the more things stay the same last little piece, because you can't, we cannot walk past this. Gosh, chapter three and chapter four, I believe has these incredible prophecies of Jesus. Chapter three, this is the prophecy of John the Baptist. Behold, I will send my messenger to prepare the way before me. The Lord whom you seek will suddenly

come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, but who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? Oh my gosh, so good. You have the prophecy of John the Baptist and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple, just like Jesus did and upset the carts. Actually, not even when he's an adult, Jesus turning over the tables, but even as an infant when he was presented in the temple by Mary and Joseph and Simeon exclaimed, now, Lord, let your servant go in peace. For my eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared in the sight of every people.

I'd like to reveal you to the nations and the glory of your children, Israel. Ah, so good. Lastly, chapter four, the great day of the Lord. This is something we read at least once, I think once a year in Catholic lectionary on Sundays. For behold, the day comes burning like an oven when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that comes shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts. It will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear my name, the son of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. There's more goodness there, but just what an incredible promise of the Lord that he has not forgotten us. He wants us to be faithful to him. He wants us to love each other and obey him. And he's coming and he's coming. He's returning. Even now Malachi applies to us because yes, the day of the Lord came Jesus

incarnate here on the earth in the flesh, 400 plus years after Malachi wrote these words, but he is going to come again. And so we ask the Lord to help us be ready. Not only hope to celebrate, commemorate his first coming, to recognize his present coming as he comes into our lives and his Holy Spirit and power and truth, but also his great final coming, the last judgment where Jesus will come to judge the living and the dead. We ask God to help us be ready for that great day of the Lord. So sorry, it's a long day today, I know, but it's the last day of the return, and tomorrow we start the Maccabean Revolt, and it's going to be amazing. Many of these books,

a lot of people have never read. I mean, a lot of people who have been journeying with us for the last 281 days have gone through a lot of the Bible. This will be a new, new step for so many people, and I'm so excited to read the books of Maccabees, 1 and 2 Maccabees, to read Sirach, to read Wisdom. So good. And then we go to Luke. And then we're all living in the New Testament. So that's coming up really soon.

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