The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) - Day 301: Rising Again (2023)

Episode Date: October 28, 2023

As we begin to wrap up the Old Testament, Fr. Mike reflects on our reading from Sirach and what we have already learned on this journey through the Bible. He emphasizes that Scripture encourages us to rise again from our sin and return to God, because our God always picks us up again with his mercy. Today’s readings are 2 Maccabees 4, Sirach 47-49, and Proverbs 24:13-16. 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 301. We're reading from the second book of Maccabees, chapter 4, as well as Sirach 47, 48, and 49, as well as Proverbs chapter 24, verses 13 through 16. As always, the Bible translation I'm reading from is the Revised Standard Version, the 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. Little known fact that you can do that. It is day 301. We're reading 2 Maccabees chapter 4, Sirach 47, 48, and 49, and Proverbs chapter 24, verses 13 through 16. The second book of the Maccabees, chapter 4, Simon accuses Onias. The previously mentioned Simon, who had informed about the money against his own country, slandered Onias, saying that it was he who had incited Heliodorus and had been the real cause of the misfortune. He dared to designate as a plotter against the government the man who was

the benefactor of the city, the protector of his fellow countrymen, and a zealot for the laws. When his hatred progressed to such a degree that even murders were committed by one of Simon's approved agents, Onias recognized that the rivalry was serious, and that Apollonius, the son of Menestheus, the governor of Coelus, Syria, and Phoenicia, was intensifying the malice of Simon. So he betook himself to the king, not accusing his fellow citizens, but having in view the welfare, both public and private, of all the people. For he saw that without the king's attention, public affairs could not again reach a peaceful settlement, and that Simon would not stop his folly. Jason's Reforms When Seleucus died, and Antiochus was called Epiphanes, succeeding to the kingdom, Jason,

the brother of Onias, obtained the high priesthood by corruption, promising the king at an interview 360 talents of silver and, from another source of revenue, 80 talents. In addition to this, he promised to pay 150 more if permission were given to establish by his authority a gymnasium and a body of youth for it, and to enroll the men of Jerusalem as citizens of Antioch. When the king assented and Jason came to office, he at once shifted his countrymen over to the Greek way of life. He set aside the existing royal concessions to the Jews secured through John, the father of Eupolemus, who went on the mission to establish friendship and alliance with the Romans, and he destroyed the lawful ways of living and introduced new customs contrary to the law. For with alacrity he founded a gymnasium right under the citadel,

and he induced the noblest of the young men to wear the Greek hat. There was such an extreme of Hellenization, and increase in the adoption of foreign ways because of the surpassing wickedness of Jason, who was ungodly and no high priest, that the priests were no longer intent upon their service at the altar. Despising the sanctuary, and neglecting the sacrifices, they hastened to take part in the unlawful proceedings in the wrestling area after the call to the discus, disdaining the honors prized by their fathers and putting the highest value upon Greek forms of prestige. For this reason, heavy disaster overtook them, and those whose ways of living they admired

and wished to imitate completely became their enemies and punished them. For it is no light thing to show irreverence to the divine laws, a fact which later events will make clear. Jason introduces Greek customs. When the quadrennial games were being held at Tyre and the king was present, the vile Jason sent envoys, chosen as being Antiochean citizens from Jerusalem, to carry 300 silver drachmas for the sacrifice to Hercules. Those who carried the money, however, thought best not to use it for sacrifice because that was inappropriate, but to expend it for another purpose. So this money was intended by the sender for the sacrifice to

Hercules, but by the decision of its carriers, it was applied to the construction of Triremes. When Apollonius, the son of Menestheus, was sent to Egypt for the coronation of Philomator as king, Antiochus learned that Philomator had become hostile to his government, and he took measure for his own security. Therefore, upon arriving at Joppa, he proceeded to Jerusalem. He was welcomed magnificently by Jason and the city, and ushered in with a blaze of torches and with shouts. Then he marched into Phoenicia.

Menelaus Becomes High Priest After a period of three years, Jason sent Menelaus, the brother of the previously mentioned Simon, to carry the money to the king and to complete the records of essential business. But he, when presented to the king, extolled him with an air of authority and secured the high priesthood for himself, outbidding Jason by 300 talents of silver. After receiving the king's orders, he returned, possessing no qualification for the high priesthood for himself, outbidding Jason by 300 talents of silver. After receiving the king's orders, he returned, possessing no qualification for the high priesthood, but having the hot temper of a cruel tyrant and the rage of a savage wild beast. So Jason, who after

supplanting his own brother was supplanted by another man, was driven as a fugitive into the land of Ammon. And Menelaus held the office, but he did not pay regularly any of the money promised to the king. When Sostratus, the captain of the citadel, kept requesting payment for the collection of the revenue was his responsibility, the two of them were summoned by the king on account of this issue. Menelaus left his own brother Lysimachus as deputy in the high priesthood, while Sostratus left Crates, the commander of the Cyprian troops. The Murder of Onias and the Punishment of Adronicus While such was the state of affairs, it happened that the people of Tarsus and of Malus revolted because their cities had been given as a present to Antiochus, the king's concubine. So the king

went hastily to settle the trouble, leaving Andronicus, a man of high rank, to act as his deputy. But Menelaus, thinking he had obtained aronicus, a man of high rank, to act as his deputy. But Menelaus, thinking he had obtained a suitable opportunity, stole some of the gold vessels of the temple and gave them to Andronicus. Other vessels, as it happened, he had sold to Tyre and the neighboring cities. When Onias became fully aware of these acts, he publicly exposed them, having first withdrawn to a place of sanctuary at Daphne near Antioch. Therefore, Menelaus, taking Andronicus aside, urged him to kill Onias. Andronicus came to Onias, and resorting to treachery, offered him sworn pledges and gave him his right hand, and in spite of his suspicion, persuaded Onias to come out from the place of sanctuary.

Then, with no regard for justice, he immediately put him out of the way. For this reason, not only Jews, but many also of other nations were grieved and displeased at the unjust murder of the man. When the king returned from the region of Cilicia, the Jews in the city appealed to him with regard to the unreasonable murder of Onias, and the Greeks shared their hatred of the crime. Therefore, Antiochus was grieved at heart and filled with pity, and wept because of the moderation and good conduct of the deceased.

And inflamed with anger, he immediately stripped off the purple robe from Andronicus, tore off his garments, and led him about the whole city to that very place where he had committed the outrage against Onias. And there he dispatched the bloodthirsty fellow. The Lord thus repaid him with the punishment he deserved. Unpopularity of Lysimachus and Menelaus When many acts of sacrilege had been committed in the city by Lysimachus with the connivance of Menelaus,

and when report of them had spread abroad, the populace gathered against Lysimachus because many of the gold vessels had already been stolen. And since the crowds were becoming aroused and filled with anger, Lysimachus armed about 3,000 men and launched an unjust attack under the leadership of a certain Aranus, a man advanced in years and no less advanced in folly. But when the Jews became aware of Lysimachus' attack, some picked up stones, some blocks of wood, and others took handfuls of the ashes that were lying about and threw them in wild confusion at Lysimachus and his men. lying about and threw them in wild confusion at Lysimachus and his men. As a result, they wounded many of them and killed some and put them all to flight. And the temple robber himself they killed close by the treasury. Charges were brought against Menelaus about this incident. When the

king came to Tyre, three men sent by the senate presented the case before him. But Menelaus, already as good as beaten, promised a substantial bribe to Ptolemy, the son of Deremones, to win over the king. Therefore Ptolemy, taking the king aside into a colonnade as if for refreshment, induced the king to change his mind. Menelaus, the cause of all the evil, he acquitted of the charges against him, while he sentenced to death those unfortunate men who would have been freed uncondemned if they had pleaded even before Scythians. And so, those who had spoken for the city and the villages and the holy vessels quickly

suffered the unjust penalty. Therefore, even the Tyrians, showing their hatred of the crime, provided magnificently for their funeral. But Menelaus, because of the cupidity of those in power, remained in office, growing in wickedness, having become the chief plotter against his fellow citizens. The book of Sirach, chapter 47. And after him, Nathan rose up to prophesy in the days of David. As the fat is selected from the peace offering, so David was selected from the sons of Israel. He played with lions as with young goats, and with bears as with lambs of the flock.

In his youth did he not kill a giant and take away reproach from the people, when he lifted his hand with a stone in the sling and struck down the boasting of Goliath? For he appealed to the Lord, the Most High, and he gave him strength in his right hand to slay a man mighty in war, to exalt the power of his people. So they glorified him for his ten thousands, and praised him for the blessings of the Lord, when the glorious diadem was bestowed upon him. For he wiped out his enemies on every side, and annihilated his adversaries, the Philistines. He crushed their power even to this day. In all that he did, he gave thanks to the Holy One, the Most High, with ascriptions of glory. He sang praise with all his heart, and he loved his maker.

He placed singers before the altar to make sweet melody with their voices. He gave beauty to the feasts and arranged their times throughout the year, while they praised God's holy name and the sanctuary resounded from early morning. The Lord took away his sins and exalted his power forever. He gave him the covenant of kings and a throne of glory in Israel. After him rose up a wise son who fared amply because of him. Solomon reigned in days of peace and God gave him rest on every side that he might build a house for his name and prepare a sanctuary to stand forever.

How wise you became in your youth. You overflowed like a river with understanding. Your soul covered the earth and you filled it with parables and riddles. Your name reached to far off islands and you were loved for your peace. For your songs and proverbs and parables and for your interpretations, the countries marveled at you. In the name of the Lord God, who is called the God of Israel, you gathered gold like tin and amassed silver like lead. But you laid your loins beside women, and through your body you were brought into subjection. You put stain upon your honor and defiled your posterity, so that you brought wrath upon your children, But the Lord will never give up his mercy, nor cause any of his works to perish.

He will never blot out the descendants of his chosen one, nor destroy the posterity of him who loved him. So he gave a remnant to Jacob, and to David a root of his stock. Solomon rested with his fathers and left behind him one of his sons, ample in folly and lacking in understanding, Rehoboam, whose policy caused the people to revolt. Also Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin and gave to Ephraim a sinful way. Their sins became exceedingly many so as to remove them from their land. For they sought out every sort of wickedness till vengeance came upon them. Chapter 48. Then the prophet Elijah arose like a fire and his word burned like a torch. He brought

a famine upon them and by his zeal he made them few in number. By the word of the Lord he shut up the heavens and also three times brought down fire. How glorious you were, O Elijah, in your wondrous deeds! And who has the right to boast which you have? You who raised the corpse from death and from Hades by the word of the Most High, who brought kings down to destruction and famous men from their beds

and easily destroyed their dominion, who heard rebuke at Sinai and judgments of vengeance at Horeb, who heard rebuke at Sinai and judgments of vengeance at Horeb, who anointed kings to inflict retribution and prophets to succeed you. You who were taken up by a whirlwind of fire in a chariot with horses of fire. You who are ready at the appointed time, it is written, to calm the wrath of God before it breaks out in fury, to turn the heart of the father to the son and to restore the tribes of Jacob. Blessed are those who saw you and those who have fallen

asleep in your love. For we also shall surely live, but our name after death will not be such. It was Elijah who was covered by the whirlwind and Elisha was filled with his spirit. In all his days, he did not tremble before any ruler, and no one brought him into subjection. Nothing was too hard for him. And when he was dead, his body prophesied. As in his life he did wonders, so in death his deeds were marvelous. For all this, the people did not repent, and they did not forsake their sins, till they were carried away captive from their land and were scattered over all the earth. The people were left very few in number, but with rulers from the house of David.

Some of them did what was pleasing to God, but others multiplied sins. Hezekiah fortified his city and brought water into the midst of it. He tunneled the sheer rock with iron and built pools for water. In his days, Sennacherib came up and sent the Rabshakah. He lifted up his hand against Zion and made great boasts in his arrogance. Then their hearts were shaken and their hands trembled, and they were in anguish like women with labor pains. But they called upon the Lord who is merciful, spreading forth their hands toward him. And the Holy One quickly heard them from heaven and delivered them by the hand of Isaiah. The Lord struck the camp of the Assyrians, and his angel wiped them out. For Hezekiah did what was pleasing to the Lord, and he held strongly to the ways of David his father, which Isaiah the prophet commanded, who was great and faithful in his

vision. In his days the sun went backward, and he lengthened the life of the king. By the spirit of might he saw the last things, and comforted those who mourned in Zion. He revealed what was to occur to the end of time, and the hidden things before they came to pass. Chapter 49. The memory of Josiah is like a blending of incense prepared by the art of the perfumer. It is sweet as honey to every mouth, and like music at a banquet of wine. He was led aright in converting the people, and took away the abominations of

iniquity. He set his heart upon the Lord. In the days of wicked men he strengthened godliness. Except David and Hezekiah and Josiah, they all sinned greatly, for they forsook the law of the Most High. The kings of Judah came to an end, for they gave their power to others and their glory to a foreign nation, who set fire to the chosen city of the sanctuary and made her streets desolate according to the word of Jeremiah. For they had afflicted him, yet he had been consecrated in the womb as prophet to pluck up and afflict and destroy likewise, to build and to plant. It was Ezekiel who saw the vision of glory which God showed him above the chariot of the cherubim. For God remembered his enemies with storm, and did good to those who directed their ways rightly.

May the bones of the twelve prophets revive from where they lie, for they comforted the people of Jacob, and delivered them with confident hope. How shall we magnify Zerubbabel? He was like a signet on the right hand. So was Jeshua, the son of Josedach. In their days, they built the house and raised a temple holy to the Lord, prepared for everlasting glory. The memory of Nehemiah also is lasting. He raised for us the walls that had fallen and set up the gates and bars and rebuilt our ruined houses. No one like Enoch has been created on earth, for he was taken up from the earth. And no man like Joseph has been born, and his bones are cared for. Shem and Seth were honored among men, and Adam above every living being in the creation.

every living being in the creation. The book of Proverbs chapter 24 verses 13 through 16. My son, eat honey, for it is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste. Know that wisdom is such to your soul. If you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off. Lie not in weight as a wicked man against the dwelling of the righteous. Do not violence to his home. For a righteous man falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked are overthrown by calamity. Father in heaven, we give you praise. Thank you so much. Thank you for your word. Thank you for your action and your presence in our lives. And in every single day, every moment, gosh, Lord, you hold us in being.

You hold us in existence. And not only do you hold us in existence, but you hold us in your arms and you hold us close to you. Please help us not squirm away. Help us not wriggle out of your grasp, but help us always to find ourselves placed firmly in your will, firmly in your heart, in everything. Let your grace be upon us because, Lord God, left to ourselves, we can do nothing, but we do all things by your grace. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Not only today, I love the fact that we got a chance to, once again, kind of like we've been doing maybe

the last day or two, have been able to go through the stories that we know now. I mean, maybe you knew them for a long time. Maybe you've known about all these people and Elijah and Elisha, and we go all the way back to Adam at the last verse of Sirach today. But man, those stories, you're even able to say, oh, Josiah, I remember that guy. Yeah, Josiah was one of those righteous kings, he and David. And that sense of being able to know the story is just one of the gifts. And I think that is one of those gifts that we get these last couple of days as we leave the Old Testament and journey into the New Testament. And that is one of the things, of course, that we keep reminding all of us of is the

fact that the Old Testament is revealed in the New, and the New Testament is hidden in the Old. And so, you know, in a few short days, gosh, what is it, maybe 11 days from now, we'll be firmly planted in the New Testament, beginning with our reading of the Gospel of Luke, and then the Acts of the Apostles, and Romans, and oh gosh, it's coming, it's coming fast. But also we got to hear a bit of a retelling of the story of the Greek customs in 2 Maccabees chapter 4, the Greek customs being introduced. And we get a little more on the ground vision, right? Before it was this, oh, the Greeks came into Jerusalem and they decided to put up a gymnasium. And then some of the Jews were unfaithful to their mark of circumcision and

actually undid the mark of circumcision. Here we have some of the people on the ground who did this. So Jason, gosh, we have this backstabbing again and again and again. And Jason is one of these people that here is Jason, the brother of Onias. He obtained the high priesthood by corruption. And everyone seems like they're obtaining the high priesthood now at this place at this time by corruption, basically saying, hey, I'll promise to pay even more than the guy before me. But here's Jason, who in addition to this, in getting the high priesthood for himself, he also promised to pay more money if he could establish a gymnasium. And then do what? To enroll the body of youth for it, to enroll the men of Jerusalem as citizens of Antioch. And this is such an interesting thing that basically here's Jason setting up a gymnasium

and not necessarily going to the old men, the old people. He's going to the young, basically knowing that if we can increase the Hellenization, right, the Greekifying of the young people, then soon, soon they will abandon the practice of the covenant. They'll abandon the practice of the faithfulness to the God of Israel, to the God. And so Jason keeps introducing these things as well as quadrennial games. That was verse 18 of chapter four. And that sense of like recognizing not only that are they introducing Greek customs and Greek culture, but the people doing this are also very connected to the temple, right?

They're installing themselves in a deceptive way as high priests. And you recognize this corruption internally. So it's not just people from the outside. It's not just here's the king who's introducing this kind of thing. This is people on the ground who hold both position of high priest and the person who's introducing Greek customs. And you recognize the corruption, not only of the youth, but the corruption of the religious figures at this time. And that is just, you can see why it's coming. Judas Maccabeus and his brothers, you can see why they're coming because it's not simply

we have to fight against the Greeks. It's, oh, this is what it looked like to have our brothers and sisters, right? it's, oh, this is what it looked like to have our brothers and sisters, right? Our fellow Jews who are now adopting the practices of the Greeks and trying to depict them as being, this is completely not inconsistent with the faith of our fathers. It's not inconsistent with the Jewish faith. And while it absolutely is, one last thought from the book of Proverbs today, chapter 24, there's this line in verse 16, for the righteous man falls seven times and rises again. I think that's an important word for us.

The righteous person falls seven times. Recognizing, I think when we recognize our weakness, it can be discouraging. When we recognize, gosh, Lord, how often am I unfaithful to you? It can be incredibly discouraging. But here is Proverbs that reminds us even the righteous person falls seven times a day. And in fact, I've heard the translation seven times a day, right? The righteous person even falls seven times a day. But what also happens? The righteous man falls seven times and rises again. And that's the key. Throughout the course of these 301 days, we have heard the story of many falls, the story of so much corruption, the story of so much sin. And yet what happens? God keeps pouring out his mercy, keeps pouring out his goodness. He keeps

pouring out his grace. And what happens? He raises up his people again. So yes, even if you find yourself falling seven times a day, be like that righteous person. The righteous man falls seven times and rises again. So don't give up. That's the only thing that can beat us is because God's grace is for you. God loves you. He's pouring out his grace upon you and upon me. And the only thing that could ever actually stop us is if we just didn't let him pick us up again. If we got so discouraged by our falling seven times a day or seven times, seven times a day that we just stopped letting him pick us up. So rise up again. Let the Lord's grace and love meet you right now and defeat discouragement by the courage

that comes from him. Does that make sense? I know that last part was very preachy, but it's true. And so, so there, I am praying for you. Please pray for me. My name is Father Mike. I can't wait to see you tomorrow. God bless.