The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) - Day 87: God Keeps His Promises (2023)

Episode Date: March 28, 2023

Fr. Mike reminds us that God keeps his promises, even if it takes a little longer than we thought. Just like the people of Israel received everything the Lord had promised them, we too will receive everything the Lord has promised us, even in the midst of hardship and temptation. Today's readings are Joshua 19-21, and Psalm 131. 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 87. We have only this day and tomorrow until we're completed the book of Joshua, moving on to the book of Judges, which is just

phenomenal. We're reading today from Joshua 19, 20, and 21. We'll be praying from Psalm 131 today. As always, I am reading from the Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition. I'm using the Great Adventure Bible from Ascension. So if you want to pick one of those up, they're really great, especially as I mentioned yesterday, when I'll be reading from Joshua 19, 20, 21, there's a lot of talks about places and the divisions of the tribes and their lands, the land that is ascribed by lot to the, or apportioned by lot to the tribes of Israel. And so if you want to be able to have a visual along with that, you can find one of those Great Adventure Bibles in the back. They have maps or even just pull up on your phone or on whatever it is.

If you're not driving somewhere, you can look to see what would that map possibly look like. That could be really helpful today for the reading today. If you want to download your own Bible in a year reading plan, speaking of maps, because that's kind of like a map for how we're walking through the Bible, you can go to ascensionpress.com slash Bible in a year. Lastly, if you've not yet subscribed to this Bible, you can go to ascensionpress.com slash Bible in a year. Lastly, if you've not yet subscribed to this podcast, you can by simply clicking that button that says subscribe, and then everything's taken care of. Again, it's day 87. We're reading Joshua 19, 20, and 21 and praying Psalm 131. The book of Joshua chapter 19, the territory of Simeon. The second lot came out for Simeon, for the tribe of Simeon, according to its families,

and its inheritance was in the midst of the inheritance of the tribe of Judah. And it had for its inheritance Beersheba, Sheba, Lada, Hazar-shual, Bala, Ezim, El-tulad, Bethul, Hormah, Ziklag, Beth-makraboth, Hazar-susa, Beth-lebaoth, and Shurahan. 13 cities with their villages, 4 cities with their villages, together with all the villages round about these cities as far as This was the inheritance of the tribe of Simeon, according to its families. The inheritance of the tribe of Simeon

formed part of the territory of Judah because the portion of the tribe of Judah was too large for them. The tribe of Simeon obtained an inheritance in the midst of their inheritance. The territory of Zebulun. The third lot came up for the tribe of Zebulun, according to its families, and the territory of its inheritance reached. The third lot came up for the tribe of Zebulun, according to its families,

and the territory of its inheritance reached as far as Sarid. Then its boundary goes up westward and on to Marial and touches Debesheth. Then the brook, which is east of Joknaam, from Sarid it goes in the other direction eastward toward the sunrise to the boundary of Chisloth-Tabor. Thence it goes to Debarath, then up to Japhia. From there it passes along on the east toward the sunrise to Gathhefer, then to Eth-Kassin, and going on to Rimon it bends towards Niah. Then on the north the boundary turns about to Hanathon, and it ends at the valley of Ifthal,

and at Kata, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem, twelve cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the tribe of Zebulun, according to its families, these cities with their villages. The Territory of Issachar The fourth lot came out for Issachar, for the tribe of Issachar, according to its families. Its territory included Jezreel, Chesiloth, Shunem, Hapharahim, Shihon, Anaharath, Rabith, Kishon, Ebez, Rameth, Enganim, Enhada, Bethpazez. The boundary also touches Tabor, Shehazumah, and Beth Shemesh, and its boundary ends at the Jordan, 16 cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the tribe of Issachar according

to its families, the cities with their villages. The territory of Asher The fifth lot came out for the tribe of Asher according to its families. Its territory included Helkath, Hali, Beten, Akshaf, Alamelech, Amad, and Mishal. On the west it touches Carmel and Shehor Libnath. Then it turns eastward. It goes to Beth Dagon and touches Zebulun on the valley of Iftahel, northward to Beth Emek and Eyal. Then it continues in the north to Kabul, Ebron, Rehob, Hamon, Cana, as far as Sidon the Great. Then the boundary runs to Ramah, reaching to the fortified city of Tyre. Then the boundary turns to Hossa, and it ends at the sea. Mahalab, Akzib, Uma, Afek, and Rehob, twenty-two cities with their villages. This is

the inheritance of the tribe of Asher according to its families, these cities with their villages. The Territory of Naphtali The sixth lot came out for the tribe of Naphtali, for the tribe of Naphtali, according to its families. And its boundary ran from Helef, from the oak of Za'ananim, and Adami-Nakeb, and Jabnil, as far as Lachum, and it ended at the Jordan. Then the boundary turns westward to Asnoth-Tabor, and goes from there to Hukuk, touching Zebulon at the south, and Asher on the west, and Judah on the east at the Jordan. The fortified cities are Zidim, Zer, Hamath, Rakath, Chinareth, Adama, Ramah, Hezor, Kadesh, Edrei, and Hezor, Yiron, Migdal-el, Horem, Beth-anath, and Beth-shemeth. Nineteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the tribes of Naphtali according to its families,

the cities with their villages. The territory of Dan. The seventh lot came out for the tribe of Dan according to its families, and the territory of its inheritance included Zorah, Eshtoel, Urshamesh, Sha'alabim, Ai-Jalon, Idh-La, Elan, Timna, Akron, El-Taka, Gibethan, Ba'alath, Jehud, Bene-Barak, Gath-Ramon, and Mejarkhon and Rakhon, with the territory over against Joppa. When the territory of the Danites was lost to them, the Danites went up and fought against Leshem, and after capturing it and putting it to the sword, they took possession of it and settled

in it, calling Leshem Dan, after the name of Dan, their ancestor. This is the inheritance of the tribe of Dan, according to their families, these cities with their villages. The inheritance of Joshua. When they had finished distributing the several territories of the land as inheritances, the sons of Israel gave an inheritance among them to Joshua, the son of Nun. By command of the Lord, they gave him the city which he asked, Timnath-serah, in the hill country of Ephraim. And he rebuilt the city and settled in it. These are the inheritances which Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun and the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of the sons of Israel distributed by lot at Shiloh before the Lord, at the door of the tent of meeting.

So they finished dividing the land. Chapter 20. The City of Refuge. Then the Lord said to Joshua, Say to the sons of Israel, Appoint the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses, that the manslayer who kills any person without intent or unwittingly may flee there. They shall be for you a refuge from the avenger of blood. He shall flee to one of these cities and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city and explain his case to the elders of that city. Then they shall

take him into the city and give him a place, and he shall remain with them. And if the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not give up the slayer into his hand, because he killed his neighbor unwittingly, having had no enmity against him in times past. And he shall remain in that city until he has stood before the congregation for judgment, until the death of him who was high priest at that time, then the slayer may go again to his own town and his own home, to the town from which he fled. So they set apart Kadesh in Galilee, in the slayer may go again to his own town and his own home, to the town from which he fled. So they set apart Kadesh in Galilee, in the hill country of Naphtali, and Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba, that is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah. And beyond

the Jordan, east of Jericho, they appointed Bezer in the wilderness on the table land from the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan from the tribe of Manasseh. These were the cities designated for all the sons of Israel and for the stranger sojourning among them, that anyone who killed a person without intent could flee there, so that he might not die by the hand of the avenger of blood till he stood before the congregation. Chapter 21, The Cities of the Levites. Then the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites came to Eleazar the priest, and to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of the sons of Israel.

And they said to them, At Shiloh in the land of Canaan, the Lord commanded through Moses that we be given cities to dwell in, along with their pasture lands for our cattle. So by command of the Lord, the sons of Israel gave to the Levites the along with their pasture lands for our cattle. So by command of the Lord, the sons of Israel gave to the Levites the following cities and pasture lands out of their inheritance. The lot came out for the families of the Kohathites. So those Levites, who were descendants of Aaron the priest, received by lot from the tribe of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin thirteen cities, and the rest of the Kohathites received by lot from the families of the tribe of Ephraim, from the tribe of Dan, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh, ten cities. The Gershonites

received by lot from the families of the tribe of Issachar, from the tribe of Asher, from the tribe of Naphtali, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities. The Merorites, according to their families, received from the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad, and the tribe of Zebulun twelve cities. These cities and their pasture lands the sons of Israel gave by lot to the Levites, as the Lord had commanded through Moses. Out of the tribe of Judah and the tribe of Simeon they gave the following cities mentioned by name, which went to the descendants of Aaron, one of the families of the Kohathites

who belonged to the Levites since the lot fell to them first. They gave them Kiriath Arba, Arba being the father of Anak, that is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah along with the pasture lands round about it. But the fields of the city and its villages had been given to Caleb the sons of Jephunneh as his possession. And to the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron, the city of refuge for the slayer, with its pasture lands, Libna with its pasture lands, Jatir with its pasture lands, Eshtimoah with its pasture lands, Holon with its pasture lands, Debir with its pasture lands, Ain with its pasture lands, Juta with its pasture lands, Beth Shemesh with its pasture lands, Jutah with its pasture lands, Beth Shemesh with its pasture lands, nine cities

out of these two tribes, then out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with its pasture lands, Geba with its pasture lands, Anathoth with its pasture lands, and Almon with its pasture lands, four cities. The cities of the descendants of Aaron, the priests, were in all thirteen cities with their pasture lands. And to the rest of the Kohathites, belonging to the Kohathite families of the Levites, the cities allotted to them were out of the tribe of Ephraim. To them were given Shechem, the city of refuge for the slayer, with its pasture lands in the hill country of Ephraim, Gizzer with its pasture lands, Kibzaim with its pasture lands, Bethhoron with its pasture lands, four cities, and out of the tribe of Dan, Eltiki with its

pasture lands, Gibethon with its pasture lands, Aijalon with its pasture lands, Gathramon with its pasture lands, four cities, and out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Tanakh with its pasture lands, and Gathramon with its pasture lands, two cities. The cities of the out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Tanakh with its pasture lands, and Gathramon with its pasture lands, two cities. The cities of the families of the rest of the Kohathites were ten in all with their pasture lands. And to the Gershonites, one of the families of the Levites were given out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan with its pasture lands, the city of refuge for the slayer, and Beshterah, with its pastor lands, two cities, and out of the tribe of Issachar, Kishion, with its pastor lands, Debarath, with its pastor lands, Jarmuth, with its pastor lands, En-Ganim, with its pastor lands, four

cities, and out of the tribe of Asher, Mishal, with its pastor lands, Abdon, with its pastor lands, Helkath, with its pastor lands, and Rehob, with its pastor lands, fourdon with its pasture lands, Helkath with its pasture lands, and Rehob with its pasture lands, four cities. And out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kadesh in Galilee with its pasture lands, the city of refuge for the slayer, Hamathador with its pasture lands, and Kartan with its pasture lands, three cities. The cities of the several families of the Gershonites were in all thirteen cities with their pasture lands. And to the rest of the Levites, the Merorite families, were given out of the tribe of Zebulun Jachneam with its pasture lands, Kartah with its pasture lands, Dimnah with its pasture

lands, Nahalal with its pasture lands, four cities, and out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer with its pasture lands, Jehaz with its pasture lands, Kittimoth with its pasture lands, and out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer with its pasture lands, Jehaz with its pasture lands, Kedemoth with its pasture lands, and Mephaoth with its pasture lands. Four cities. And out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth and Gilead with its pasture lands, the city of refuge for the slayer, Manahnim with its pasture lands, Heshbon with its pasture lands, Jezer with its pasture lands. Four cities in all. As for the cities of the several Merorite families, that is, the remainder of the families of the Levites were allotted to them in all twelve cities. The cities of the Levites, in the midst of the possession of the sons of

Israel, were in all forty-eight cities with their pastor lands. These cities had each its pastor lands round about it, so it was with all these cities. Thus the Lord gave to Israel all the land Verse 1. all their enemies into their hands. Not one of all the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed. All came to pass. Psalm 131, a song of quiet trust, a song of a sense of David. Oh Lord, my heart is not lifted up. My eyes are not raised too high. I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me, but I have calmed and quieted my soul like a child quieted at its mother's breast. Like a child that is quieted is my soul. O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forevermore. Father in heaven, we give you praise. We thank you. We give you glory and honor and every breath we have is from you. Every heartbeat is from you. And so we thank you for every heartbeat. We thank you with every heartbeat. We thank you for every breath and we thank you with every breath.

Lord God, you've given them to us for free, and we are so blind to them so often. So every moment of every day, this day, especially this day, every heartbeat, every breath, let everyone be a prayer of praise, a prayer of thanks to you. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. In the name of the Father, and of the Son,

and of the Holy Spirit, amen. So again, as I said, kind of one of those days where it's like, man, oh man, we got to get through this. All the names, all the places, all the things we mentioned yesterday, that these places are meaningful. They're important to us to note because they're history. At the same time, the last lines of today's readings in Joshua chapter 21 are so powerful because it sums up why we went through all those names. It sums up why we went through all those tribes and all those places. The last words is the Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their fathers. And that's so, so powerful. It goes on. It says, not one of their enemies had withstood them for the Lord had given all their enemies into their

hands. And bam, here's the last line of chapter 21, verse 45. Not one of all the good promises, which the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed. All came to pass. And there is something so, so good for us to hear that something so good for us to be reminded of this fact that, that think about this. This is not after one day. This is not after one week or one month or one year, or even one generation. This has happened over multiple generations, couple centuries. But here is God's faithfulness that came to pass.

And not, again, just handed to them. They had to cooperate with the Lord. They had to be faithful to him. They had to obey him. They had to fight. And yet, not one of all the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed. All came to pass.

And this is something that all of us, I think all of us, need to reminded of right now is that what God has promised, he will, he will fulfill, but it doesn't mean that he fulfills it immediately. It doesn't necessarily mean that he fills it without a fight, but it does mean that he is faithful to his promises. And so we're going to be faithful as well. And we're faithful like that Psalm 131, which is one of my favorite Psalms. I know I might say that like that Psalm 131, which is one of my favorite Psalms. I know I might say that a couple of times, but it is one of my favorite Psalms. I often give it as a penance in confession because it's only three verses long. Psalm 131.

If you want to go back and pray that one more time, it's so good because it's just that prayer of humble trust. Like the fact that so much of our lives are spent striving and so much of our lives are spent battling. And yet sometimes that's what we're called to. But oftentimes we strive against the Lord. We battle against the Lord. And Psalm 131 reminds us,

no, in silence and in peace, I rest in the Lord's arms as a child in his mother's arms. And so I just invite us all today to enter into the Lord's rest, to enter into his peace. We might be called to battles. We might be called to struggle or striving, but not battle against the Lord, not striving against the Lord, but to be able to be at peace and abide, abide in his love and abide in his presence, to abide in his arms like a child in the arms of his or her mom. We give you praise, Lord God. And I'm praying for you, everyone. Tomorrow, we're going to finish the book of Joshua, and it's going to be awesome because Joshua has some

words for the people of Israel, kind of like Moses did, some kind of like famous last words, just reminding the people of Israel of their dignity, reminding the people of Israel of their high call. And that's what we're getting to tomorrow. So let's keep praying for each other that we do show up tomorrow, that we show up tomorrow, even after rough days or rough seasons, rough weeks in our lives, and just say, Lord, speak. Your servant is listening. I'm praying for you. Please pray for me. My name is Father Mike. I cannot wait to see you tomorrow. God bless.