Day 176: Choosing Eternal Life (2024)

This episode dives into the narrative of Elisha, the prophetic messages of Hosea, and their implications for spiritual and moral lessons.

1. Elisha’s Prophecies: The life-saving actions and prophecies of Elisha illustrate the power of faith and obedience.
2. Divine Justice: The recurring theme where divine justice meets human actions underscores the importance of righteous living.
3. Spiritual Rebellion: Hosea’s prophecies about Israel's spiritual rebellion serve as a warning against the dangers of idolatry.
4. Repentance and Consequences: The podcast stresses the finite nature of time and the eternal consequences of our earthly choices.
5. Building on Faith: Emphasizes building one’s life on the solid foundation of faith to withstand life's trials.

1. Elisha and the Shunammite Woman

This chapter discusses Elisha's prophecy of a famine and his miracle of restoring the Shunammite woman's land. Fr. Mike Schmitz: "Elisha's foresight saved lives and shows us the significance of prophetic guidance."

2. The Prophecy of Hazael

Elisha prophesizes the future atrocities Hazael will commit as king, highlighting the complex nature of prophecy. Fr. Mike Schmitz: "Prophets often see beyond the immediate future, revealing deeper truths about human nature."

3. The Book of Hosea

Hosea's warnings to Israel about the consequences of their idolatry. Fr. Mike Schmitz: "Through Hosea, God pleads for Israel to return, emphasizing the persistent love despite rebellion."

4. Spiritual Insights and Calls to Action

Fr. Mike connects the scriptures to practical spiritual lessons on living faithfully. Fr. Mike Schmitz: "We are building our eternity every day through the choices we make now."

1. Evaluate Priorities: Regularly assess what you prioritize in life to ensure it aligns with your spiritual values.
2. Study Scriptures: Engage deeply with scriptures to understand divine teachings and their relevance to modern life.
3. Practice Repentance: Integrate regular repentance into your life, recognizing its role in spiritual growth.
4. Seek Prophetic Wisdom: Learn from Biblical prophets not just for historical insights but for guidance in current times.
5. Build on Solid Foundations: Reflect on whether your life's foundation is as solid as rock or as weak as sand.

Fr. Mike explains why all of us are called to listen to the prophets of the Old Testament, and why their role is so important in salvation history. Each of us is building some kind of life and picture of eternity: the question we must ask ourselves is are we building it with God or against him? Today's readings are 2 Kings 8, Hosea 8-10, and Psalm 108.

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Fr. Mike Schmitz

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Fr. Mike Schmitz
Hi, my name is Fr. 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 176.

We're reading from two kings, chapter eight from Hosea, chapters eight, nine, and ten, and we're also praying psalm 108. As always, the Bible translation that I'm reading from is the revised standard Version, second catholic edition, and I am 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 bibleinaear. You can also subscribe to this podcast if you'd like. But as I said yesterday, I'm not a pusher.

In fact, I think I said yesterday, you don't even have to. I don't even want you to do that anymore. So, oh brother. Day 176 getting to me. Here we are reading two kings, eight Hosea, eight, nine, and ten, and praying psalm 108, the second book of kings, chapter eight, the shunammite woman's land restored.

Now Elisha said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, arise and depart with your household and sojourn wherever you can, for the Lord has called for a famine and will come upon the land for seven years. So the woman arose and did according to the word of the man of God. She went with her household and sojourned in the land of the Philistines. Seven years. And at the end of the seven years, when the woman returned from the land of the Philistines, she went forth to appeal to the king for her house and her land.

Now the king was talking with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, tell me all the great things that Elisha has done. And while he was telling the king how Elisha had restored the dead to life, behold, the woman whose son he had restored to life appealed to the king for her house and her land. And Gehazi said, my lord, o king, here is the woman, and here is her son, whom Elisha restored to life. And when the king asked the woman, she told him so. The king appointed an official for her, saying, restore all that was hers, together with all the produce of the fields from the day that she left the land until now the death of Benhadad.

Now Elisha came to Damascus. Ben Hadad the king of Syria, was sick. And when it was told him, the man of God has come here, the king said to Hazael, take a present with you and go to meet the man of God and inquire of the Lord through him, saying, shall I recover from this sickness? So Hazael went to meet him and took a present with him, all kinds of goods of Damascus, 40 camel loads. When he came and stood before him, he said, your son Benhadad, king of Syria, has sent me to you, saying, shall I recover from this sickness?

And Elisha said to him, go, say to him, you shall certainly recover. But the lord has shown me that he shall certainly die. And he fixed his gaze and stared at him until he was ashamed. And the man of God wept. And Hazael said, why does my lord weep?

He answered, because I know the evil that you will do to the sons of Israel. You will set on fire their fortresses and you will slay their young men with the sword and dash in pieces their little ones and rip up their women with child. And Hazael said, what is your servant who is but a dog that he should do this great thing? Elisha answered, the lord has shown me that you are to be king over Syria. Then he departed from Elisha and came to his master, who said to him, what did Elisha say to you?

And he answered, he told me that you would certainly recover. But the next day he took the coverlet and dipped it in water and spread it over his face till he died. And Hazael became king in his stead. Jehoram reigns over Judah in the fifth year of Joram, the son of Ahab, king of Israel, Jehoram, the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, began to reign. He was 32 years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.

And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done for the daughter of Ahab was his wife, and he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. Yet the lord would not destroy Judah for the sake of David, his servant, since he promised to give a lamp to him and to his sons forever. In his days, Edom revolted from the rule of Judah and set up a king of their own. Then Joram passed over to Zaire with all his chariots and rose by night, and he and his chariot commanders struck the Edomites who had surrounded him. But his army fled home.

So Edom revolted from the rule of Judah to this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time. Now, the rest of the acts of Joram and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? So Joram slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And Ahaziah, his son reigned in his stead.

Ahaziah reigns over Judah in the 12th year of Joram, the son of Ahab, king of Israel, Ahaziah, the son of Jehoram, the king of Judah, began to reign. Ahaziah was 22 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mothers name was Ataliah. She was a granddaughter of Omri, king of Israel. He also walked in the way of the house of Ahab and did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, as the house of Ahab had done.

For he was son in law to the house of Ahab. He went with Joram, the son of Ahab, to make war against Hazael, king of Syria, at Ramathgilead, where the Syrians wounded Joram and King Joram returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael, king of Syria. And Ahaziah, the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, went down to see Joram, the son of Ahab in Jezreel because he was sick.

The Book of Hosea, chapter eight. Israel's apostasy. Set the trumpet to your lips, for a vulture is over the house of the Lord. Because they have broken my covenant and transgressed my law. To me they cry, my God, we Israel, know you.

Israel has spurned the good. The enemy shall pursue him. They made kings, but not through me. They set up princes, but without my knowledge. With their silver and gold they made idols for their own destruction.

I have spurned your calf, O Samaria. My anger burns against them. How long will it be till they are pure in Israel? A workman made it. It is not God.

The calf of Samaria shall be broken to pieces, for they sow the wind and they shall reap the whirlwind. The standing grain has no heads. It shall yield no meal. If it were to yield, aliens would devour it. Israel is swallowed up.

Already they are among the nations as a useless vessel. For they have gone up to Assyria, a wild donkey wandering alone. Ephraim has hired lovers, though they hire allies among the nations. I will soon gather them up, and they shall cease for a little while from anointing kings and princes, because Ephraim has multiplied altars for sinning, they have become to him altars for sinning. Were I to write for him my laws by ten thousands, they would be regarded as a strange thing.

They love sacrifice. They sacrifice flesh and eat it. But the Lord has no delight in them now he will remember their iniquity and punish their sins. They shall return to Egypt, for Israel has forgotten his maker and built palaces. And Judah has multiplied fortified cities.

But I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour his strongholds. Chapter nine punishment for Israel's sin rejoice not, O Israel. Exult not like the peoples, for you have played the harlot, forsaking your God. You have loved a harlot's hire upon all threshing floors. Threshing floor and wine vat shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail them.

They shall not remain in the land of the Lord. But Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean food in Assyria. They shall not pour libations of wine to the lord, and they shall not please him with their sacrifices. Their bread shall be like mourners bread. All who eat of it shall be defiled, for their bread shall be for their hunger.

Only. It shall not come to the house of the Lord. What will you do on the day of appointed festival and on the day of the feast of the Lord? For behold, they are going to Assyria. Egypt shall gather them.

Memphis shall bury them. Nettles shall possess their precious things of silver. Thorns shall be in their tents. The days of punishment have come. The days of recompense have come.

Israel shall know it. The prophet is a fool. The man of the spirit is mad because of your great iniquity and great hatred. The prophet is the watchman of Ephraim, the people of my God. Yet a fowler's snare is on all his ways and hatred.

In the house of his God they have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah. He will remember their iniquity. He will punish their sins like grapes in the wilderness. I found Israel like the first fruit on the fig tree in its first season. I saw your fathers, but they came to Baal Peor and consecrated themselves to Baal.

They became detestable, like the thing they loved. Ephraim's glory shall fly away like a bird. No birth, no pregnancy, no conception. Even if they bring up children, I will bereave them till none is left. Woe to them when I depart from them.

Ephraim's sons as I have seen, are destined for a prey. Ephraim must lead forth his sons to slaughter. Give them, O Lord. What will you give? Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.

Every evil of theirs is in Gilgal. There I began to hate them because of the wickedness of their deeds. I will drive them out of my house. I will love them no more. All their princes are rebels.

Ephraim is stricken. The root is dried up. They shall bear no fruit even though they bring forth. I will slay their beloved children. My God will cast them off because they have not listened to him.

They shall be wanderers among the nations. Chapter ten Israel's sin and captivity Israel is a luxuriant vine that yields its fruit. The more his fruit increased, the more altars he built. As his country improved, he improved his pillars. Their heart is false, and now they must bear their guilt.

The Lord will break down their altars and destroy their pillars. For now they will say, we have no king, for we fear not the lord. And a king. What could he do for us? They utter mere words with empty oaths.

They make covenants, so judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field. The inhabitants of Samaria tremble for the calf of Betavan. Its people shall mourn for it, and its idolatrous priests shall wail over it, over its glory which has departed from it. Yes, the thing itself shall be carried to Assyria as a tribute to the great king. Ephraim shall be put to shame, and Israel shall be ashamed of his idol.

Samarias king shall perish like a chip on the face of the waters. The high places of aven the sin of Israel shall be destroyed. Thorn and thistle shall grow up on their altars, and they shall say to the mountains, cover us, and to the hills fall upon us. From the days of Gibeah you have sinned, o Israel. There they have continued.

Shall not war overtake them in Gibeah? I will come against the wayward people to chastise them, and nations shall be gathered against them when they are chastised for their double iniquity. Ephraim was a trained heifer that loved to thresh, and I spared her fair neck. But I will put Ephraim to the yoke. Judah must plow.

Jacob must harrow for himself, sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of mercy. Break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord that he may come and rain salvation upon you. You have plowed iniquity, you have reaped injustice. You have eaten the fruit of lies because you have trusted in your chariots and in the multitude of your warriors. Therefore, the tumult of war shall arise among your people, and all your fortresses shall be destroyed, as Shalman destroyed Beth Arbel.

On the day of battle, mothers were dashed in pieces with their children. Thus it shall be done to you, o house of Israel. Because of your great wickedness in the storm, the king of Israel shall be utterly cut off.

Psalm 108. Praise and prayer for victory. A song. A psalm of David. My heart is steadfast, O God.

My heart is steadfast. I will sing and make melody awake, my soul. Awake, o harp and lyre. I will awake the dawn. I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples.

I will sing praises to you among the nations, for your steadfast love is great above the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens. Let your glory be over all the earth that your beloved may be delivered. Give help by your right hand and answer me.

God has promised in his sanctuary. With exultation I will divide up Shechem and portion out the valley of Succoth. Gilead is mine. Manasseh is mine. Ephraim is my helmet.

Judah, my scepter. Moab is my wash basin. Upon Edom I cast my shoe over Philistia. I shout in triumph. Who will bring me to the fortified city?

Who will lead me to Edom? Have you not rejected us, o God? You do not go forth, O God, with our armies. O grant us help against the foe, for vain is the help of man. With God we shall do valiantly.

It is he who will tread down our foes.

Father in heaven, thank you so much. Thank you for the gift of yourself and the gift of your son. Thank you for fighting for us. Vain is the help of the people around us. While we need each other, and while we need to lift each other up and fight for one another.

With you we shall do bravely. With you we shall do valiantly. And it is you who accomplish all we have done. And it is you who will tread down our foes. Help us to be faithful to you and be faithful in waiting on you, and to be faithful to allow you to show up and to fight for us as you want to fight for us, not as we want to be fought for.

Because, Lord, your will surpasses our best laid plans. Your wisdom surpasses our depth of understanding, as the ocean surpasses a puddle. A puddle, Lord God. And so we just praise you. And we trust you today in Jesus name, in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy spirit, amen.

So today in two kings we have a story of Elisha again with the shunammite woman who made another appearance. And what a gift that Elisha was a friend of hers and of her family's because he was able to save her life and preserve their property for seven years during this time of famine, which is incredible. But also we also have not only the death of Ben Hadad, who is the king of Syria, and the instatement of Ghazael as the new king of Syria. Syriel, I mean, he's the king of Cap'n crunch. That's what he is.

But Hazael is the new king of Syria. Golly. Oh, brother. You guys, we also have a recap of the story of Jehoram, the son of Jehoshaphat king Judah begins to reign. And remember that Johoram was not a king very long.

He reigned for eight years and then his son rose up after him. And Jerome slept with his father. And then his son Ahaziah became king. And he did not reign very long at all. He reigned for one year, remember, because his mom's name was at Eliah.

And if we remember anything about this, we have a connection with Ahab and Jezebel this whole way. But Ataliah, we have Jezebel, who is one of the bad, bad people of the Old Testament. But also we have Attaliah, who as we know, kills everybody in her family except for the grandson that was able to escape. And Attaliah has this connection with Ahab, the king of Israel. And so there is this connection with Joram, the son of Ahab, who is in the north, right.

And Johoram, the, I guess, in law, maybe potentially of Ahab. They have a certain kind of certain connection between the two of them that doesn't get very deep, but at the same time it was there. And one of those many times when the king of the north of Israel and the king in the south in Judah have common interests, even though their common interests were in basically being awful. So that's one of the things that we have today in two kings. We also have Hosea 8910 and Hosea 8910 covers a few things.

And one of the things we need to think of when we are listening to the prophets. And this is going to happen a bunch in a number of days. For the next number of days, we're going to be looking at Hosea, Amos, Jonah, Micah. But then we're also going to get back to the, the deeper prophets are what they call the major prophets of Isaiah and Jeremiah and Ezekiel and the, and the other minor prophets as well, is they're always speaking in a particular context. And one of the contexts is this is here is God's blessings that God has, has given everything they could possibly want, everything they need.

And still the people have taken God's blessings and have said, oh, these are for us. We'll give them to false gods. We'll chase after other gods. And again, one of the things we need to do is put it in context. So here is Hosea speaking to the north, saying, basically, listen, if you do not turn away from this, if you keep on doing these things, God will let you go.

I mean, he's going to let you go. And this is one of the pieces we just want to end today with, is at some point the story has to come to a conclusion. At some point the story has to come to a conclusion. This is the case for every one of our lives. Yes, God's faithfulness is unending.

It, as I said, unending means doesn't end. It will never ever end. But our story at some point will end. And this is not God saying, okay, Israel, that's enough. I'm now so tired of you that I will no longer ever have mercy on you.

I'll no longer forgive you. But it is saying, okay, you know, in this world, time is finite, eternity obviously infinite. But in this world, time is finite. And I'm calling you to repentance. You only have so much time to repent.

At some point, the story is over. The clock runs out. The last grain of sand ticks through that hourglass, and the choice that we've made is the choice that we get. And so here is Hosea, who's basically begging, begging the northern tribes of Israel. Also, Ephraim is another name for Israel.

One of them says, ephraim. He's talking about the northern kingdom of Israel saying, what's going to happen is God loves you. And yet, and yet at some point, you're going to get what you've been choosing. And what you've been choosing is anything other than God. And at some point, that's exactly what you're going to get.

You're going to get anything other than God. But that's not what God wants. But I have to warn you, at some point, you're going to get what you've chosen. And this is the case for every one of us. The prophet's role in our lives in so many ways is, yes, to remind us of God's love for us, but also to remind us that at some point we get what we've chosen.

No matter how powerfully, how faithfully, how unstoppably God loves us, at some point we get what we've chosen, and God lets us have it. He lets us walk away from him with what we've chosen to have. And so that's why all of us, all of us are called to listen to the words of the prophets and put them in context again, the kingdom of Israel, or Ephraim, but also in our own lives. And to say, okay, God, I've turned away from you. I have not walked in faithfulness that maybe for the most part, you know, I do okay.

But I'm actually not seeking your voice. I'm not actually seeking your heart. I'm not seeking to do your will. And we have, in Matthew's gospel, we have Jesus telling the story in the sermon on the mount. He says, well, everyone who listens to these words of mine and does not act on them will be like the person who builds the house on sand.

The rains fell, the winds came, it blew and buffeted the house, and it was collapsed and utterly ruined because it was built on sand. But those who hear these words of mine and act on them will be like the person who built their house on rock. Same rains came, winds blew and buffeted the house, and it did not collapse because it was set solidly on rock. Every one of us right now is building something. We are building some kind of life.

We are building some kind of eternity. Are we building it on ourselves? Are we building it on the false gods of this world? Are we building it on the things that we love more than God? Or are we building our lives, in our eternal lives, on the Lord Jesus himself, by doing his will, by following his commandments, by repenting of our sins and turning to him?

I hope that's what we're doing. And if we're not, let's just keep praying for each other, because that's what we need. We do not want to spend eternity separated from God. This is God's desperate plea pursuit of us, that none of us, none of us would get to the end of our lives and then realize, I have been choosing something other than God this whole time. And so for eternity, I will get what I've chosen, something other than God.

So please pray for me. Please. I need to repent all the time. And I'm praying for you because I know that you're just like me. Keep praying for each other.

My name is Father Mike. I cannot wait to see you tomorrow. God bless.