The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) - Day 284: Near Occasion of Sin (2023)

Episode Date: October 11, 2023

Fr. Mike points out how advice from books like Proverbs and Sirach may not apply perfectly to every situation, but are meant to help guide us towards wisdom. He also highlights a piece from Sirach that encourages us to avoid "deserted places"—calling us not only to stay away from sin, but to stay away from what leads us to sin. The readings are 1 Maccabees 3, Sirach 7-9, and Proverbs 22:5-8. 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 284. We're three days into the... Wow, that was really exciting.

I was apparently very excited. We're three days into the Maccabean Revolt. First Maccabees, chapter three is what we're reading today. Also, Sirach chapters seven, eight, and nine, as well as Proverbs chapter 22, verses five through eight. 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, and you receive daily episodes and daily updates.

And every day is a gift. It truly is. It's day 284. We're reading 1 Maccabees chapter 3, Sirach chapter 7, 8, and 9, and Proverbs chapter 22, verses 5 through 8. The first book of the Maccabees, chapter 3. Early Victories of Judas Maccabeus.

Then Judas, his son, who was called Maccabeus, took command in his place. All his brothers and all who had joined his father helped him. They gladly fought for Israel. He extended the glory of his people. Like a giant, he put on his breastplate. He belted on his armor of war and waged battles, protecting the host by his sword. He was like a lion in his deeds, like a lion's cub roaring for prey. He searched out and pursued the lawless.

He burned those who troubled his people. Lawless men shrank back for fear of him. All the evildoers were confounded and deliverance prospered by his hand. He embittered many kings. But he made Jacob glad by his deeds, and his memory is blessed forever. He went through the cities of Judah. He destroyed the ungodly out of the land. Thus he turned away wrath from Israel.

He was renowned to the ends of the earth. He gathered in those who were perishing. But Apollonius gathered together Gentiles and a large force from Samaria to fight against Israel. When Judas learned of it, he went out to meet him, and he defeated and killed him. Many were wounded and fell, and the rest fled. Then they seized their spoils, and Judas took the sword of Apollonius and used it in battle the rest of his life. Now when Saron, the commander of the Syrian army, heard that Judas had gathered a large company, including a body of faithful men who stayed with him and went out to battle, he said,

I will make a name for myself and win honor in the kingdom. I will make war on Judas and his companions who scorned the king's command. And again, a strong army of ungodly men went up with him to help him, to take vengeance on the sons of Israel. When he approached the ascent of Beth-haron, Judas went out to meet him with a small company. But when they saw the army coming to meet them, they said to Judas, How can we, few as we are, fight against so great and strong a multitude? And we are faint, for we have eaten nothing today. Judas said, It is easy for many to be hemmed in by the few, for in the sight of heaven there is no difference between saving by many or by few. It is not on the size of the army that victory in battle depends, but strength comes from heaven. They come against us in great pride and lawlessness to destroy us

and our wives and our children and to despoil us. But we fight for our lives and our laws. He himself will crush them before us. As for you, do not be afraid of them. When he had finished speaking, he rushed suddenly against Saran and his army and they were crushed before him. They pursued them down the descent of Bet-Haron to the plain. 800 of them fell and the rest fled

into the land of the Philistines. Then Judas and his brothers began to be feared and terror fell upon the Gentiles round about them. His fame reached the king, and the Gentiles talked of the battles of Judas. The Policy of Antiochus When King Antiochus heard these reports, he was greatly angered, and he sent and gathered all the forces of his kingdom a very strong army. And he opened his coffers and gave a year's pay to his forces and ordered them to be ready for any need. Then he saw that the money in the treasury was exhausted and that the revenues from the country were small because of the dissension and disaster

which he had caused in the land by abolishing the laws that had existed from the earliest days. He feared that he might not have such funds as he had before for his expenses and for the gifts which he used to give more lavishly than preceding kings. He was greatly perplexed in mind and determined to go to Persia and collect the revenues from those regions and raise a large fund. He left Lysaeus, a distinguished man of royal lineage, in charge of the king's affairs from the river Euphrates to the borders of Egypt. Lysaeus was also to take care of Antiochus, his son, until he returned. And he turned over to Lysaeus half of his troops and the elephants and gave him orders about all that he wanted done.

As for the residents of Judea and Jerusalem, Lysaeus was to send a force against them to wipe out and destroy the strength of Israel and the remnant of Jerusalem. He was to banish the memory of them from the place, settle aliens in all their territory, and distribute their land. Then the king took the remaining half of his troops and departed from Antioch, his capital, in the 147th year. He crossed the Euphrates River and went through the upper provinces. Preparations for battle. Lysaeus chose Ptolemy, the son of Doremenes, and Nicanor, and Gorgias, mighty men among the friends of the king, and sent with them forty thousand infantry and seven

thousand cavalry to go into the land of Judah and destroy it, as the king had commanded. So they departed with their entire force, and when they arrived they encamped near Emmaus in the plain. When the traders of the region heard what was said of them, they took silver and gold in immense amounts and shackles and went to the camp to get the sons of Israel for slaves. And forces from Syria and the land of the Philistines joined with them. Now Judas and his brothers saw that misfortunes had increased and that forces were encamped in their territory. They also learned what the king had commanded to do to the people to cause their final destruction. But they said to one another, let us repair the destruction of our people

and fight for our people and the sanctuary. And the congregation assembled to be ready for battle and to pray and ask for mercy and compassion. Jerusalem was uninhabited like a wilderness. Not one of her children went in or out. The sanctuary was trampled down and the sons of aliens held the citadel. It was a lodging place for the Gentiles.

Joy was taken from Jacob. The flute and the harp ceased to play. So they assembled and went to Mizpah opposite Jerusalem because Israel formerly had a place of prayer in Mizpah. They fasted that day, put on sackcloth and sprinkled ashes on their heads and tore their clothes. And they opened the book of the law to inquire into those matters about which the Gentiles were consulting the images of their idols. They also brought the garments of the priesthood and the first fruits and the tithes,

and they stirred up the Nazarites who had completed their days. And they cried aloud to heaven saying, what shall we do with these? Where shall we take them? Your sanctuary is trampled down and profaned, and your priests mourn in humiliation. And behold, the Gentiles are assembled against us to destroy us. You know what they plot against us. How will we be able to withstand them if you do not help us? Then they sounded the trumpets and gave a loud shout. After this, Judas appointed leaders of the people in charge of thousands and hundreds and fifties and tens. And he said to those who were building houses or were betrothed or were planting vineyards or were faint-hearted that each should return to his home according to the law. Then the

army marched out and encamped to the south of Emmaus. And Judas said, Gird yourselves and be valiant. Be ready early in the morning to fight with these Gentiles who have assembled against us to destroy us in our sanctuary. It is better for us to die in battle than to see the misfortunes of our nation and of the sanctuary. But as his will in heaven may be, so he will do. The book of Sirach, chapter 7, advice for right conduct. Do no evil, and evil will never befall you. Stay away from wrong, and it will turn away from you. My son, do not sow the furrows of injustice and you will not reap a sevenfold crop. Do not seek from the Lord the highest office nor the seat of honor from the king. Do not assert your righteousness before the Lord nor display your wisdom before the king. Do not seek to become a judge lest you be unable to remove iniquity, lest you be partial to a

powerful man and thus put a blot on your integrity. Do not offend against the public, and do not disgrace yourself among the people. Do not commit a sin twice. Even for one, you will not go unpunished. Do not say, He will consider the multitude of my gifts, and when I make an offering to the Most High God, He will accept it. of my gifts, and when I make an offering to the Most High God, he will accept it. Do not be faint-hearted in your prayer, nor neglect to give alms. Do not ridicule a man who is bitter in soul, for there is one who abases and exalts. Do not devise a lie against your brother, nor do the like to a friend. Refuse to utter any lie, for the habit of lying serves no good. Do not prattle in the assembly of the

elders, nor repeat yourself in your prayer. Do not hate toilsome labor or farm work, which were created by the Most High. Do not count yourself among the crowd of sinners. Remember that wrath does not delay. Humble yourself greatly, for the punishment of the ungodly is fire and worms. Do not exchange a friend for money or a real brother for the gold of Ophir. Do not deprive yourself of a wise and good wife, for her charm is worth more than gold. Do not abuse a servant who performs his work faithfully or a hired laborer who devotes himself to you. Let your soul love an intelligent servant. Do not withhold from him his freedom.

Do you have cattle? Look after them. If they are profitable to you, keep them. Do you have children? Discipline them and make them obedient from their youth. Do you have daughters? Be concerned for their chastity and do not show yourself too indulgent with them.

Give a daughter in marriage. You will have finished a great task, but give her to a man of understanding. If you have a wife who pleases you, do not cast her out, but do not trust yourself to one whom you detest. With all your heart, honor your father and do not forget the birth pangs of your mother.

Remember that through your parents you were born, and what can you give back to them that equals their gift to you? With all your soul, fear the Lord and honor his priests. With all your might, love your maker and do not forsake his ministers. Fear the Lord and honor the priest and give him his portion as is commanded you, the first fruits, the guilt offering, the gift of the shoulders, the sacrifice of sanctification, and the first fruits of the holy things. Stretch forth your hand to the poor so that your blessing may be complete. Give graciously to all the living and withhold not kindness from the dead. Give graciously to all the living, and withhold not kindness from the dead.

Do not fail those who weep, but mourn with those who mourn. Do not shrink from visiting a sick man, because for such deeds you will be loved. In all you do, remember the end of your life, and then you will never sin. Chapter 8 Prudence Do not contend with a powerful man, lest you fall into his hands. Do not quarrel with a rich man, lest his resources outweigh yours. For gold has ruined many, and has perverted the minds of kings. Do not argue with a chatterer, nor heap wood on his fire. Do not jest with an ill-bred person, lest your ancestors be disgraced.

Do not reproach a man who is turning away from sin. Remember that we all deserve punishment. Do not disdain a man when he is old, for some of us are growing old. Do not rejoice over anyone's death. Remember that we all must die. Do not slight the discourse of the sages, but busy yourself with their maxims, because from them you will gain instruction and learn how to serve great men. Do not disregard the discourse of the

aged, for they themselves learn from their fathers, because from them you will gain understanding and learn how to give an answer in time of need. Do not kindle the coals of a sinner, lest you be burned in his flaming fire. Do not get up and leave an insolent fellow, lest he lie in ambush against your words. Do not lend to a man who is stronger than you, but if you do lend anything, be as one who has lost it. Do not give surety beyond your means, but if you give surety, be concerned as one who must pay. Do not go to law against a judge, for the decision will favor him because of his standing. Do not go to law against a judge, for the decision will favor him because of his standing. Do not travel on the road with a foolhardy fellow, lest he be burdensome to you,

for he will act as he pleases, and through his folly you will perish with him. Do not fight with a wrathful man, and do not cross the wilderness with him, because blood is as nothing in his sight, and where no help is at hand, he will strike you down. Do not consult with a fool, for he will not be able to keep a secret. In the presence of a stranger, do nothing that is to be kept secret, for you do not know what he will divulge.

Do not reveal your thoughts to everyone, lest you drive away your good luck. Chapter nine, on conduct toward others. Do not be jealous of the wife away your good luck. Chapter 9. On Conduct Toward Others. Do not be jealous of the wife of your bosom, and do not teach her an evil lesson to your own hurt. Do not give yourself to a woman so that she gains mastery over your strength. Do not go to meet a loose woman, lest you fall into her snares. Do not associate with a woman singer, lest you be caught in her intrigues. Do not look intently at a virgin, lest you stumble and incur penalties for her. Do not give yourself to harlots, lest you lose your inheritance. Do not look around in the

streets of a city, nor wander about in its deserted sections. Keep away your eyes from a shapely woman, and do not look intently at beauty belonging to another. Many have been misled by a woman's beauty, and by it passion is kindled like a fire. Never dine with another man's wife, nor revel with her at wine, lest your heart turn aside to her, and in blood you will be plunged into destruction.

Forsake not an old friend, for a new one does not compare with him. A new friend is like new wine. When it has aged, you will drink it with pleasure. Do not envy the honors of a sinner, for you do not know what his end will be. Do not delight in what pleases the ungodly. Remember that they will not be held guiltless as long as they live. Keep far from a man who has the power to kill, and you will not be worried by the fear of death. But if you approach him, make no misstep, lest he rob you of your life. Know that you are walking in the midst of snares, and that you are going about on the city battlements.

As much as you can, aim to know your neighbors and consult with the wise. Let your conversation be with men of understanding and let all your discussion be about the law of the Most High. Let righteous men be your dinner companions and let your glorying be in the fear of the Lord. A work will be praised for the skill of the craftsman, so a people's leader is proved wise by his words. A babbler is feared in his city, and the man who is reckless in speech will be hated.

The book of Proverbs chapter 22 verses 5 through 8. Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse. He who guards himself will keep far from them. Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it. The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender. He who sows injustice will reap calamity, and the rod of his fury will fail.

Father in heaven, give you praise and glory. Thank you so much. Thank you for this gift. Thank you for telling us our story. Maybe our story in Maccabees that we don't even know. And also thank you for giving us your wisdom that we can meditate on your law day and night. We can meditate on your wisdom at all times and we can grow and grow in wisdom with the wise. We thank you and praise you in Jesus name. We pray. Amen. In the name times, and we can grow in wisdom with the wise.

We thank you and praise you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. So gosh, there's a couple different verses. Chapter 22 of Proverbs, we just heard it just a second ago, verses six and seven are so good. Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Now, we obviously know that that's not a guarantee, but we also know that there's something really, really good about and something necessary, something actually required to train children in the way of righteousness. Now, obviously, anyone can turn away from righteousness. Every one of us can turn away from the Lord to sin. But there's something so good about like laying a foundation. In fact, you know, it seems like in many ways, I'm obviously recording this in America, the United States of America, our country, the foundation of

a lot of the laws and the worldview of the United States is based off of the book that we're reading for the last 284 days. So there's goodness there, the foundation, and you know, people in the country can either live up to that foundation and build further on it, or we can abandon it. And so it's kind of like, you know, the way our country can either live up to that foundation and build further on it, or we can abandon it. And so it's kind of like, you know, the way our country goes, the way our families go, the way our ourselves can go. We might have been raised in church. We might have rejected what we were raised, but raised in.

And yet here we are now, there's something really powerful. And we might not have been raised in church. And this might be the first time we're really hearing the foundations of the way a person could live a life that is wise and gives God glory. I don't know if that makes any sense. It made sense to me when I was thinking about it before I said it into the microphone for crying out loud. But also verse seven of Proverbs 22, the rich rules over the poor and the borrower is the slave of the lender. I heard my friend, Dave Ramsey, I say my friend, I've never met him before, but I have listened to a lot of things he said. The borrower is the slave of the lender. I heard my friend, Dave Ramsey, I say my friend, I've never met him before, but I have listened to a lot of things he said. The borrower is the slave of the lender.

And he points out this proverb of chapter 22 many, many times when he talks about just debt and how painful and how devastating debt can be because the borrower is the slave of the lender and why it's so deadly to get into debt like this. Of course, so many people seem like they have no choice, but here is this book of Proverbs that gives us this wisdom that says, okay, if you do that, it's very dangerous. Obviously, we know that already, but maybe if we read Proverbs 22, we would have known that beforehand. Gosh, it's so interesting to try to

take these maxims of the book of Proverbs or even of the book of Sirach and apply them universally because someone could say, well, I needed to do this. I needed to do that. Or you can raise your child in the way of righteousness and they don't follow the way of righteousness. We know that it's not a hard and fast rule. It's not always a one-to-one situation, but we also know that, yeah, that seems true though. That is wisdom. That is a wise thing. Now, moving on to 1 Maccabees chapter three, we have Judas Maccabeus, right? Judas the hammer. And he is doing well.

He is fighting for the freedom of the people of Israel. And word gets around that Judas Maccabeus is kind of the dude. And so Antiochus, right? Remember him from earlier on in the first chapter? He sends Lysaeus, a distinguished man in charge of the king's affairs, to go to battle with thousands, thousands of troops against this small force, small force of Judas Maccabeus and Jewish soldiers.

And what happens is just like every other story, when the people of Israel fast and pray and humble themselves before the Lord and realize that it's not their own power, it's not their own might, but it's the might of the Lord, it's the power of God himself, they have victory. And they have victory in this moment. And it is a great moment of victory. In fact, what's going to happen the next couple of days, the next couple of chapters, we're going to find even more of trusting in the Lord results in this victory. Obviously,

once again, we know that that is not always the case. In fact, sometimes the Lord allows us to call upon his name and allows us to fall into exile, right? To be defeated and brought into a place of captivity so that he can teach us, so that he can correct us, so that he can join our sufferings to his. So there's a promise there. But in the story of the first Maccabees, God blesses them. He blesses their rebellion, the revolt against the Greeks. And then we have the book of Sirach.

And gosh, so many things. For example, in chapter seven, again, advice for right conduct. There are so many, so many wise things. For example, do not hate toilsome labor or farm work, which were created by the most high. We've talked about this so many wise things. For example, do not hate toilsome labor or farm work, which were created by the most high. We've talked about this so many times, all the way back to the first chapters of Genesis, where we realized, recognized the goodness of work. Even last couple of days, we talked about the goodness of work. And here is Sirach saying, do not hate toilsome labor or

farm work, for they were created by the most high. And oh gosh, it goes on to say, humble yourself greatly. How about this? Do not exchange a friend for money. Later on, what does it say? It says, do not exchange an old friend for a new one. There's a song, it's called Old Friends. And one of the lines is, you can't make old friends. You can only make new friends. So you got to hold on to those old friends. I just even think here is a, don't deprive yourself of a wise and good wife. Do not abuse a servant who performs faithfully or hired laborer who devotes himself to you. Let your soul love an intelligent servant and do not withhold from him his freedom. Remember, we talked about this when it came to the laws of Israel is that this indentured

servitude is not real slavery in terms of like a whole lifetime or whole, uh, you know, that's demeaning and takes away someone's dignity. But it's that indentured servitude that if there's someone who's they've done good work, then do not withhold from him his freedom. But this next section is just so good. Do you have cattle? Look after them. Do you have children? Discipline them. Do you have daughters? Be concerned for their chastity. They give that daughter in marriage. You fulfilled a great task, but give her to a man of understanding. If you have a wife, do not cast her out. With all your heart, honor your father. Do not forget the birth pangs of your mother.

There's these domains of relationship in our lives, right? Cattle, children, daughters, parents, wives, these domains of responsibility in our relationships. And there's something so powerful about realizing, okay, I have to, I have to honor these relationships and I have to honor those people that God has blessed me with. Again, the care of everything from the cattle to the people I work with, to my family members, young and old. Last one in chapter nine, we have this whole section on, uh, on basically guarding one's, one's, one's soul. when it comes to lust. The author says, he's talking to his son, right?

So he's going to make it very clear that he's a father speaking to his son, not just a father speaking to his daughter. But speaking to his son, he says, do not go to meet a loose woman. Do not associate yourself with a woman singer. And a woman, not just women who sing, because there are a lot of great women who sing, but that kind of person that was a technical kind of a situation, right? Do not look intently at a virgin.

Do not give yourself to harlots. This is good. Do not look around in the streets of a city nor wander about in its deserted sections. And you can even picture a person wandering about in the, like the, as you'd say, the seedy part of town. It's like, you're not going to find anything there but trouble. Turn your eyes away from a shapely woman to not look intently at beauty belonging to another. Never dine with another man's wife, nor revel with her at wine, lest your heart turn aside

to her and in blood you'd be plunged into destruction. There's this piece, you know, I don't want to overemphasize or to beat a dead horse here, but it seems to be this is so wise i mean there's so many people like i talked to in the course of a week gosh both our college students and adults past will pass college those college students that talk about how they've entered into disaster in their personal lives when it comes to this you know the sin of lust and when it comes to um the sin of being unfaithful to the person they're dating but also how many adults i talked to who in the course of, you know, any, any given week or any given month that have said, this is what I did.

You know, I, I just, I pursued this. I should have been more vigilant. Again, that, the idea of wandering about a city in deserted sections of the city and thinking that I can escape from there unscathed. It's like, bro, what are you looking for? What are you looking for there? And we can say the same thing about don't look in deserted sections of the internet or don't look in deserted sections of what's on TV.

What are you going to find there? You don't have to look there because you're just going to find death. You're just going to find destruction. And I think there's something really powerful about letting the Lord speak to us right now about this and just recognizing that maybe he's calling me to actually not just stop from sinning. Maybe he's calling me to stop the things that lead me to sin. Those things are called near occasions of sin. Last little, I already said last thing, but you know, it's so good. Gosh, you guys read this with your eyes as well as with your ears. Forsake not an old friend for a new one does not compare with him. I know we already said that was a big one, but it's just, it's worth saying again.

Yeah. Just for the sake, not an old friend for a new one does not compare with him. And yeah, there's so many more, so many more things of wisdom. So, oh gosh, full. The Lord has filled us today with wisdom and we just need to reflect on these. I need to reflect on these, all of these things. The ones I've said and the ones I haven't pointed out yet,

I need to go back and just pray with them and sit with them and write them in my insight journal. Like, what do I wanna hold onto? What are the insights in this insight journal that I want to capture and never ever forget? I wanna live these out. But it takes grace to live and never, ever forget. I want to live these out. But it takes grace to live out, right? It takes even grace to bring these things to prayer and let the Lord speak truth to

us. So I'm praying for you. Please pray for me that all of us, we can, in this community, walk into the Bible in a year, can be holy, can not just hear these words, but actually act on them. So as I said, I'm praying for you. Please pray for me. My name is Father Mike. I cannot wait to see you tomorrow.

God bless.