Fr. Mike reflects on the story of David and Absalom, and points out the lack of forgiveness and repentance on both men's part. God forgives us no matter what, but without us mirroring that forgiveness, rebellion can easily rise up. Today's readings are 2 Samuel 14, 1 Chronicles 18, and Psalm 14. 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.
Full Episode
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 132. We're reading from 2 Samuel chapter 14, 1 Chronicles chapter 18, and we are praying today, Psalm 14. If you are interested in the Bible translation that I'm reading, it is the revised standard version, second Catholic edition. I'm reading from 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. And if you have not yet subscribed to this podcast, you can click on subscribe and you would be subscribed. As I said, it's day 132. We're reading from second Samuel 14, first Chronicles 18 and praying Psalm 14. Second book of Samuel, chapter 14.
David is persuaded to bring Absalom back. Now Joab, the son of Zeruiah, perceived that the king's heart went out to Absalom. And Joab sent to Tekoa and fetched from there a wise woman and said to her, pretend to be a mourner and put on mourning garments. Do not anoint yourself with oil, but behave like a woman who has been mourning many days for the dead and go to the king and speak thus to him.
So Joab put the words into her mouth. When the woman of Tekoa came to the king, she fell on her face to the ground and did obeisance and said, Help, O king. And the king said to her, What is your trouble? She answered, Alas, I am a widow. My husband is dead. And your handmaid had two sons, and they quarreled with one another in the field.
There was no one to part them, and one struck the other and killed him. And now the whole family has risen against your handmaid, and they say, Give up the man who struck his brother, that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he slew. And so they would destroy the heir also.
Thus they would quench my coal which is left, and leave to my husband neither name nor remnant upon the face of the earth. Then the king said to the woman, Go to your house, and I will give orders concerning you. And the woman of Tekoa said to the king, On me be the guilt, my lord the king, and on my father's house. Let the king and his throne be guiltless.
The king said, If anyone says anything to you, bring him to me, and he shall never touch you again. Then she said, Please let the king invoke the Lord your God, that the avenger of blood slay no more, and my son be not destroyed. He said, As the Lord lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground. Then the woman said, Please, let your handmaid speak a word to my lord the king.
He said, Speak. And the woman said, Why then, have you planned such a thing against the people of God? For in giving this decision, the king convicts himself, inasmuch as the king does not bring his banished one home again. We must all die. We are like water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again."
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