Fr. Mike describes the sinful events of Israel in Moab, and why God chooses to bless the Israelites through Balaam in spite of their sin. Today's readings are Numbers 24-25, Deuteronomy 26, and Psalm 107. 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 theme of Day 72 in Bible in a Year?
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 72, and we are reading today from Numbers chapter 24 and 25, from Deuteronomy chapter 26, and from Psalm 107. As always, I'm reading from the Revised, I can't even remember.
Remember, as always, the Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition. I'm using the Great Adventure Bible from Ascension. If you want to be able to download your own Bible in a Year reading plan, you can visit ascensionpress.com slash Bible in a Year. You can also subscribe in your podcast app to receive daily episodes. Once again, today is 72. Today is day 72. My goodness.
Numbers 24 and 25 and Deuteronomy 26. We're praying Psalm 107. Not sure if I mentioned that earlier. Boy, oh boy. Here we go. Numbers chapter 24 and 25. Numbers 24. Balaam's third oracle. When Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go as other times to look for omens, but set his face toward the wilderness.
And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel encamping tribe by tribe. And the Spirit of God came upon him, and he took up his discourse and said, The oracle of Balaam, the son of Baor, the oracle of the man whose eye is opened, the oracle of him who hears the words of God, who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down but having his eyes uncovered.
How fair are your tents, O Jacob, your encampments, O Israel! Like valleys that stretch afar, like gardens beside a river, like aloes that the Lord has planted, like cedar trees beside the waters. Water shall flow from his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters. His king shall be higher than Agag. and his kingdom shall be exalted. God brings him out of Egypt.
He has, as it were, the horns of the wild ox. He shall eat up the nation's adversaries, and shall break their bones in pieces, and pierce them through with his arrows. He lurked, he lay down like a lion, and like a lioness, who will rouse him up? Blessed be everyone who blesses you, and cursed be everyone who curses you. Balaam's Fourth Oracle
And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he struck his hands together, and Balak said to Balaam, I called you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have blessed them these three times. Therefore, now flee to your place. I said, I will certainly honor you, but the Lord has held you back from honor. And Balaam said to Balak, did I not tell your messengers whom you sent to me?
If Balak should give me his house full of silver and gold, I would not be able to go beyond the word of the Lord to do either good or bad of my own will. What the Lord speaks, that will I speak. And now behold, I am going to my people. Come, I will let you know what this people will do to your people in the latter days.
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Chapter 2: Why does Balaam bless Israel despite their sin?
In the book of Psalms, it describes how Phineas rose up because here the people of Israel had not only turned away to worship of other gods, although that is... Deadly enough, but in such a way that violated in so many, so many horrible ways, the holiness of God in this chapter of 25, the book of Numbers.
And then just one last note when it comes to Deuteronomy chapter 26, that we heard about the tithes and the first fruits. So good. Not only are the people of Israel commanded to give the tithes, the The tithe, right? That first 10%, the first fruits of their flocks, the first fruits of their field, the first fruits of the year, essentially, of the yield to the Lord.
But they're also called to give that tithe on the third year. For what? Not just for the Lord, but also for the sojourner or the stranger, right? The fatherless, the orphan, and the widow. Those who don't have anyone to care for them, here is God who says, no, you're going to care for them. And this is something really remarkable.
And this is something that marks the Jewish people and it marks our Judeo-Christian heritage, which is we don't necessarily look to others. You don't necessarily look to a political system or to a government to take care of the poor among us. In fact, the commandment is this. It's, no, you take care of the poor. And imagine, what if all of us actually did what the commandment of the Lord was?
What if all of us actually gave 10% of our yield not only for the worship of God, but for the service of those who could not care for themselves, those who are strangers among us, the fatherless, the widow, the orphan.
Imagine how different our parishes would be, how transformed our world would be if just on a regular basis we gave our first fruits of worship to God and first fruits of tithe to take care of those who could not take care of them. We wouldn't look to other people to take care of it. We would Look to ourselves. We look to our community. We look to our parish.
And I think I really like how the government takes care of the roads. I love it. But I also think that if we're going to be followers of God's word, then maybe this is an invitation and a word of conviction. of saying, okay, to what degree am I being called to give my first fruits in worship, but also my first fruits to the care of the people around me, the stranger, the widow, the orphan.
This is something that only the Lord can convict in our hearts. And so I just invite us all to pray. And we could say, God, if you need to convict me because I'm not doing this, you have my permission. And if God, if I am doing this, and you just want to console me in that sense of like, keep it up and you're doing well, then you have my permission to console me.
Whether to console or convict the Lord God, you have my permission. Whatever I need, I will receive from your hand. Let's keep praying for each other because again, the word of God convicts us and the word of God moves us to belong more and more to him. I'm praying for you. Please keep praying for me. My name is Father Mike. I cannot wait to see you all tomorrow. God bless.
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