Fr. Mike explains the meaning of circumcision for Israel's relationship with God. He also underscore the gravity of Achan's sin, and how the Valley of Achor symbolizes shame that is painful but not hopeless. Today we read Joshua 5-7 and Psalm 125. 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 structure of the Bible in a Year podcast with Father Mike Schmitz?
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 82, and we are on the second day of the time period of conquest and judges. We are reading today from Joshua chapter 5 through chapter 7.
sticking, as I mentioned yesterday, with the book of Joshua pretty much for the next eight or so days until day 88, where we'll conclude Joshua, and then day 89, move over to Judges. We're also praying today from Psalm 125. I am reading, as always, from the Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition. 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 that you're currently listening to on day 82 for crying out loud if you've not yet subscribed. We just all wonder. We just wonder, like, what is it we need to do? What is it we need to do after 82 days to get you to subscribe?
Chances are you've already subscribed and we are really, really grateful for that. As I said today, we are reading from Joshua chapter 5 through chapter 7 and praying Psalm 125. The book of Joshua chapter five. The sons of Israel are circumcised.
When all the kings of the Amorites that were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites that were by the sea, heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan for the sons of Israel until they had crossed over, their heart melted and there was no longer any spirit in them because of the sons of Israel.
At that time, the Lord said to Joshua, make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel again the second time. So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath Haraloth. And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them. All the males of the people who came out of Egypt, all the men of war had died on the way in the wilderness after they had come out of Egypt.
Though all the people who came out had been circumcised, yet all the people that were born on the way in the wilderness after they had come out of Egypt had not been circumcised. For the sons of Israel walked 40 years in the perished because they did not listen to the voice of the Lord.
To them the Lord swore that he would not let them see the land which the Lord had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. So it was their children whom he had raised up in their stead that Joshua circumcised. for they were uncircumcised because they had not been circumcised on the way.
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Chapter 2: Why is circumcision significant in Israel's relationship with God?
Maybe it's something someone has done to us. Maybe it's something that we've chosen. We brought upon ourselves trouble. We brought upon ourselves shame. We brought upon ourselves something that we just absolutely hate about our reality, about our lives. Well, Hosea promises, That even that, even this low point, even this thing you say, I can never, ever get away from this.
This will haunt me for the rest of my life. It'll come with me for the rest of my life. That the Lord God says, actually, that's not true. I can take this valley of horror, this valley of trouble, this valley of shame. and I can transform it into a door of hope. So that's my prayer for every one of us today, is we all have a valley of trouble and we all have a valley of shame.
We all have things in our past that have wounded us and continue to linger and hold on to us. to surrender that today and say, okay, God, I gave you permission. Transform my valley of a whore, my valley of trouble, my valley of shame into a door of hope. If I surrender it to you, you can change it. And so that's what I'm praying.
I'm praying that that's what happens, that every one of us can do that today. I'm praying for you. Please pray for me that I can do that because I have my valleys as well. And we'll just keep praying for each other. My name is Father Mike, and I cannot wait to see you again tomorrow. God bless.