The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 311: God Fights for You (2024)
Wed, 06 Nov
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As we get closer to the end of the Old Testament, Fr. Mike highlights one of the lessons we've seen time and time again—that God continues to fight for each of us, despite the brokenness and messiness of our lives. He also points out how the reading from Wisdom foreshadows the coming of Jesus. The readings are 2 Maccabees 14, Wisdom 17-18, and Proverbs 25:18-20. 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.
Chapter 1: What is the focus of Day 311 in the Bible in a Year podcast?
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 311. We're reading the second book of the Maccabees, chapter 14, as well as the Wisdom of Solomon, chapters 17 and 18, and Proverbs, chapter 25, verses 18 through 20.
Chapter 2: What readings are covered on Day 311?
As always, the Bible translation I'm reading from is the Revised Standard Version, 2nd 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, which is a little known fact.
Chapter 3: How does God fight for us amidst brokenness?
I've never mentioned this before, I don't think, when it comes to being able to subscribe. So I'm so sorry that it's taken me until day 311 to note to everyone that you can subscribe to this. And if you do, you get daily episodes and daily updates, and it's just what makes things a lot easier. So I am so sorry that it has taken me
this long to mention it, but hopefully you can forgive me because it's day 311 and we're reading 2 Maccabees chapter 14, the book of Wisdom of Solomon chapters 17 and 18, and Proverbs 25 verses 18 through 20. The Second Book of the Maccabees, Chapter 14, Alchemist Speaks Against Judas.
Three years later, word came to Judas and his men that Demetrius, the son of Seleucus, had sailed into the harbor of Tripolis with a strong army and a fleet, and had taken possession of the country, having made away with Antiochus and his guardian, Lysaeus.
Now a certain alchemist, who had formerly been high priest, but had willfully defiled himself in the times of separation, realized that there was no way for him to be safe or to have access again to the holy altar, and went to King Demetrius in about the 151st year, presenting to him a crown of gold and a palm, and besides these, some of the customary olive branches from the temple.
During that day, he kept quiet, but he found an opportunity that furthered his mad purpose when he was invited by Demetrius to a meeting of the council and was asked about the disposition and intentions of the Jews. He answered, Those of the Jews who are called Hesedians, whose leader is Judas Maccabeus, are keeping up war and stirring up sedition and will not let the kingdom attain tranquility.
Therefore, I have laid aside my ancestral glory, I mean the high priesthood, and have now come here. first because I am genuinely concerned for the interests of the king, and second, because I have regard also for my fellow citizens. For through the folly of those whom I have mentioned, our whole nation is now in no small misfortune.
Since you are acquainted, O king, with the details of this matter, deign to take thought for our country and our hard-pressed nation with the gracious kindness which you show to all. For as long as Judas lives, it is impossible for the government to find peace. When he had said this, the rest of the king's friends, who were hostile to Judas, quickly inflamed Demetrius still more.
And he immediately chose Nicanor, who had been in command of the elephants, appointed him governor of Judea, and sent him off with orders to kill Judas and scatter his men, and to set up Alchemus as high priest of the greatest temple.
And the Gentiles throughout Judea, who had fled before Judas, flocked to join Nicanor, thinking that the misfortunes and calamities of the Jews would mean prosperity for themselves. Nicanor makes friends with Judas.
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Chapter 4: What lesson is highlighted in the Wisdom of Solomon?
For upon his long robe the whole world was depicted, and the glories of the fathers were engraved on the four rows of stones, and your majesty on the diadem upon his head. To these the destroyer yielded, these he feared, for merely to test the wrath was enough.
The Book of Proverbs, chapter 25, verses 18 through 20.
A man who bears false witness against his neighbor is like a war club or a sword or a sharp arrow. Trust in a faithless man in time of trouble is like a bad tooth or a foot that slips. He who sings songs to a heavy heart is like one who takes off a garment on a cold day and like vinegar on a wound.
Father in heaven, we give you praise and glory. Thank you so much.
Thank you for this day. Thank you for the opportunity to be able to once again come into your presence, to allow your word to speak to us, to shape our minds, our hearts, to tell us not only who you are, but how to love, how to live in this world. We ask that you please continue to open our minds, continue to shape our vision, and continue to call us your own. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, amen. So we got some graphic. You know, the battles in 2 Maccabees are... All the Bible, obviously, in reading the entire Old Testament up till now, you know, we have one more day and then it's all in the Testament all the time, which is really incredible.
In two days from now, the day after tomorrow, we're starting the Gospel of Luke and we'll go through the Gospel of Luke in about a week plus because it's a long gospel. But what a gift it's been. We get to see, maybe in ways that we've never seen before, the amount of, gosh, I guess I want to say violence in the scriptures, but I don't just want to highlight the violence.
I want to highlight the fact that here is God working through brokenness. Here is God working through broken people. Here is God working through even these horrible situations. And one of the things we recognize is that Life is not a Hallmark movie. I mentioned this before in the past.
I know there's a lot of people who are part of this community who are not necessarily from the West, not necessarily from North America or where you might have the Hallmark Channel. But the Hallmark movie version of Christianity, right, is so what I'm talking about is there are things called Hallmark movies and Hallmark movies. Things are really neat and things are clean. And a guy meets girl.
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