The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 81: Israel Crosses the Jordan (2025)
Sat, 22 Mar 2025
As we begin our reading of the book Joshua, Fr. Mike draws our attention to God's power as he parts the waters of the Jordan river, allowing the Israelites to walk across on dry land. We learn that following God often requires great courage and trust. Today's readings are Joshua 1-4, and Psalm 123. 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: Who is Father Mike Schmitz and what is '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.
Chapter 2: What is the Great Adventure Bible Timeline?
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. This is day 81. It is the first day in a new time period, the time period of the conquest and judges. And it's a little bit different because we're We're going to be reading four chapters from Joshua.
Actually, for the next, give or take, I don't know, seven days or so, we're going to be taking a chunk of chapters, meaning like, I don't know, anywhere from two to four chapters each day to get through the book of Joshua in the next, give or take, eight days. People who are better than me at math will know. Father, it's exactly eight days.
From day 81 to day 88, we'll be reading through the book of Joshua. This is day 81, Joshua chapter 1 through chapter 4. We're also going to be praying Psalm 123. As always, the Bible translation that I am reading is the Revised Standard Version, the Second Catholic Edition. I'm using the Great Adventure Bible from Ascension.
And if you'd like to download your own Bible in a Year reading plan, you can visit ascensionpress.com slash Bible in a Year, and that will be yours forever, yours to keep. Our gift to you. If you haven't subscribed yet, the question is why? But you could subscribe in your podcast app to receive daily episodes.
As noted before, if you got to the podcast episode that introduces this time period of conquest and judges, you know what we're about to do. You know what we're about to face. You know what the people of Israel are about to encounter. We are leaving Deuteronomy chapter 34. We come to the end of Numbers chapter 36. And now we're taking the next step.
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Chapter 3: How is the book of Joshua introduced in this podcast?
Moses has just died and Joshua is now the new leader of the people of Israel as he leads them from the wilderness, across the plains of Moab, over the Jordan River, into the promised land. And today we're reading Joshua 1 through 4 and praying Psalm 123. The Book of Joshua, Chapter 1. God Commissions Joshua.
Chapter 4: What commands does God give Joshua after Moses' death?
After the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua, the son of Nun, Moses' minister, Moses, my servant, is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon, I have given to you, as I promised to Moses.
From the wilderness and this Lebanon, as far as the great river, the All the land of the Hittites to the great sea toward going down of the sun shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not fail you or forsake you. Be strong and of good courage.
for you shall cause this people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give to them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to the law all which Moses my servant commanded you. Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.
This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage. Be not frightened, neither be dismayed.
For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Preparations for Taking Over the Land Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, Pass through the camp and command the people, Prepare your provisions. For within three days you are to pass over this Jordan to go in to take possession of the land which the Lord your God gives you to possess.
And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said, Remember the word which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, The Lord your God is providing you a place of rest and will give you this land. Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle shall remain in the land which Moses gave you beyond the Jordan.
But all the men of valor among you shall pass over armed before your brethren and shall help them. until the Lord gives rest to your brethren as well as to you, and they also take possession of the land which the Lord your God is giving them.
Then you shall return to the land of your possession, and shall possess it, the land which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise. And they answered Joshua, All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you. Only may the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses.
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Chapter 5: Who was Rahab and what role did she play?
Whoever rebels against your commandment and disobeys your words, whatever you command him shall be put to death. Only be strong and of good courage. Chapter two, spies sent to Jericho. And Joshua, the son of Nun, sent two men secretly from Shittim as spies saying, go, view the land, especially Jericho. And they went and came into the house of a harlot whose name was Rahab and lodged there.
And it was told the king of Jericho, Behold, certain men of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land. Then the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that have come to you, who entered your house, for they have come to search out all the land. But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them.
And she said, True, men came to me, but I did not know where they came from. And when the gate was to be closed at dark, the men went out. Where the men went, I do not know. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them. but she had brought them up to the roof and hidden them with stalks of flax which she had laid out in order on the roof.
So the men pursued after them on the way to the Jordan as far as the fords, and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut. Before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof and said to the men, I know that the Lord has given you the land and that the fear of you has fallen upon us and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you.
For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites that were beyond the Jordan to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted and there was no courage left in any man because of you.
For the Lord your God is he who is God in the heaven above and on earth beneath. Now then, swear to me by the Lord that as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father's house and give me a sure sign and save alive my father and my mother, my brothers and sisters and all who belong to them. and deliver our lives from death.
And the men said to her, Our life for yours, if you do not tell this business of ours, then we will deal kindly and faithfully with you when the Lord gives us the land. Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was built into the city wall, so that she dwelt in the wall. And she said to them, Go into the hills, lest the pursuers meet you.
and hide yourself there three days until the pursuers have returned then afterward you may go your way the men said to her we will be guiltless with respect to this oath of ours which you have made us swear behold when we come into the land you shall bind this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down and you shall gather into your house your father and mother your brothers and all your father's household
If anyone goes out of the doors of this house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we shall be guiltless. But if a hand is laid upon anyone who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head. But if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be guiltless with respect to your oath which you have made us swear. And she said, According to your words, so be it.
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Chapter 6: How did the Israelites cross the Jordan River?
Then the two men came down again from the hills and passed over and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and they told him all that had befallen them. And they said to Joshua, Truly the Lord has given all the land into our hands, and moreover all the inhabitants of the land are faint-hearted because of us. Chapter three, Israel passes over the Jordan.
Early in the morning, Joshua rose and set out from Shittim with all the sons of Israel, and they came to the Jordan and lodged there before they passed over.
At the end of three days, the officers went through the camp and commanded the people, when you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God being carried by the Levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place and follow it, that you may know the way you shall go, for you have not passed this way before.
Yet there shall be a space between you and it, a distance of about two thousand cubits. Do not come near it. And Joshua said to the people, Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you. And Joshua said to the priests, Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on before the people. And they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people.
And the Lord said to Joshua, This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. And you shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.
And Joshua said to the sons of Israel, Come here and hear the words of the Lord your God. And Joshua said, Hereby you shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will, without fail, drive out from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites.
Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is to pass over before you into the Jordan. Now, therefore, take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, from each tribe a man.
And when the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be stopped from flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap.
So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, and when those who bore the ark had come to the Jordan and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water, the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest, the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap far off at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan.
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