Day 163: Faith Over Success (2025)

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Episode: Day 163: Faith Over Success (2025)
Release Date: June 12, 2025

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Overview

In Day 163: Faith Over Success, Fr. Mike Schmitz delves into the intricate narratives of 1 Kings 13, 2 Chronicles 12-13, and Song of Solomon Chapter 2. This episode explores the themes of faithfulness, obedience, and the profound love of God as depicted in these scriptures. Fr. Mike provides historical context, theological insights, and personal reflections to help listeners understand the pivotal moments in the divided kingdom of Israel and Judah, and how these ancient lessons resonate in our lives today.

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Scriptural Readings

1. 1 Kings 13
2. 2 Chronicles 12-13
3. Song of Solomon Chapter 2

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Historical and Theological Analysis

The Divided Kingdom: Judah vs. Israel ([00:58] - [02:34])

Fr. Mike begins by setting the stage in the period of the divided kingdom. The Kingdom of Judah in the south comprises only two tribes but is significant as the lineage from David to Jesus flows through it. In contrast, the Kingdom of Israel in the north consists of ten tribes, often referred to as the rebellious tribes. This division creates a dynamic tension, akin to a civil war, where familial and national loyalties are tested.

Key Points:

• Judah's Significance: Despite its smaller size, Judah plays a crucial role in God's plan of salvation.
• Israel's Rebellion: The northern tribes exhibit persistent unfaithfulness, contrasting with Judah's occasional lapses.

Rehoboam's Unfaithfulness and Shishak's Attack ([07:04] - [09:38])

Drawing from 2 Chronicles 12, Fr. Mike discusses how King Rehoboam abandons the law of the Lord, leading to divine consequences. In the fifth year of his reign, Shishak, king of Egypt, invades Judah with a formidable army. However, upon receiving counsel from the prophet Shemaiah, Rehoboam and the princes humble themselves, leading to partial deliverance. Despite this, Rehoboam's unfaithfulness results in the loss of Solomon's golden shields, symbolizing a significant decline from prosperity to bronze within five years.

Key Points:

• Consequences of Unfaithfulness: Turning away from God leads to loss and devastation.
• Partial Redemption: Humility and repentance can mitigate divine wrath but do not erase all consequences.

The Man of God and Jeroboam ([02:34] - [23:00])

In 1 Kings 13, a narrative unfolds where a man of God from Judah prophesies against Jeroboam's altar in Bethel. Despite witnessing miracles, the man of God is deceived by another prophet who contradicts God's command, leading to his demise by a lion. This story underscores the peril of deviating from God's instructions and the importance of discernment in following true prophecy.

Key Points:

• Obedience to God's Word: The man's initial faithfulness leads to divine signs, while his deviation results in tragedy.
• Prophetic Integrity: Not all who proclaim God's word are genuine, necessitating vigilance.

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Main Themes and Reflections

Faithfulness vs. Unfaithfulness ([17:16] - [20:37])

A central theme of the episode is the stark contrast between faithfulness and unfaithfulness. Fr. Mike emphasizes that faithfulness to God leads to divine blessings and success, while unfaithfulness brings about downfall and loss. This theme is illustrated through the actions of Rehoboam and Abijah:

• Rehoboam: Represents unfaithfulness, leading to the loss of prosperity and divine favor.
• Abijah: Embodies faithfulness, trusting in God during battle and securing victory over the rebellious Israel.

Notable Quote:

"God does not desire me to be successful. He merely desires me to be faithful." – Fr. Mike Schmitz ([20:37])

Obedience to God's Word ([22:03] - [23:42])

Fr. Mike highlights the importance of unwavering obedience to God's commandments, even when faced with conflicting messages. The story of the man of God in 1 Kings 13 serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of straying from God's directives, even under the guise of divine intervention.

Notable Quote:

"We are called to do what we know God has called us to do. Even if someone were to say, hey, go against that, we would know that, no, God has not told me to go against that. I must be faithful to the Lord." – Fr. Mike Schmitz ([23:19] - [23:42])

God's Love First ([16:00] - [16:50])

Transitioning to Song of Solomon, Fr. Mike interprets the poetic verses as a metaphor for God's proactive love and pursuit of humanity. He emphasizes that God initiates love, removing the burden of earning His affection, and invites believers to reciprocate this divine love.

Notable Quote:

"It's God who loves us first... He loves you first. And this is so important because that means we don't have to work for his love. That means we don't have to do anything to earn his love. He already loves you." – Fr. Mike Schmitz ([16:00] - [16:50])

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Faith Over Obedience:

  "Rehoboam turns against the Lord and loses everything his father and grandfather had built. It's a stark reminder of how easily a lifetime of virtue can be lost when we turn away from God." – Fr. Mike Schmitz ([19:11] - [19:56])

• Prophetic Integrity:

  "We are called to do what we know God has called us to do. Even if someone were to say, hey, go against that, we would know that, no, God has not told me to go against that." – Fr. Mike Schmitz ([23:19] - [23:42])

• God's Proactive Love:

  "It's God, who is the pursuer... God's desire is to love us, and our response is to accept and reciprocate that love." – Fr. Mike Schmitz ([16:00] - [16:50])

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Insights and Application

Fr. Mike draws parallels between the biblical narratives and modern life, urging listeners to prioritize faithfulness over personal success. The historical accounts of Rehoboam and Abijah serve as timeless lessons on the consequences of obedience and disobedience. Additionally, the insights from Song of Solomon encourage believers to embrace God's initiating love and respond with genuine affection and commitment.

Practical Applications:

• Discernment in Faith: Cultivate the ability to discern true prophetic guidance from false teachings.
• Prioritize Obedience: Align actions consistently with God's commandments, even when faced with challenges or temptations.
• Embrace God's Love: Recognize and accept God's unconditional love, allowing it to transform personal relationships and self-worth.

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Conclusion

In Day 163: Faith Over Success, Fr. Mike Schmitz masterfully intertwines the stories of the divided kingdoms with the poetic expressions of love in Song of Solomon, presenting a holistic view of faithfulness, obedience, and divine love. The episode serves as a profound reminder that true success is rooted in steadfast faith and unwavering commitment to God's will. By reflecting on these ancient scriptures, listeners are encouraged to evaluate their own spiritual journeys and strive for a deeper, more authentic relationship with God.

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Prayer Segment ([15:22] - [15:53])

Fr. Mike concludes the episode with a heartfelt prayer, expressing gratitude for God's word and His relentless pursuit of humanity. The prayer highlights God's role in healing and bringing light into lives filled with darkness, seeking to offer praise and glory through all actions and words.

"Father in heaven, we give you praise. And we give you glory. We thank you so much for your word and for continuing to speak to us and for continuing to pursue us... In Jesus' name we pray. Amen." – Fr. Mike Schmitz ([15:22] - [15:53])

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Final Reflections ([16:00] - [23:59])

Fr. Mike reiterates the episode's themes, emphasizing that faithfulness to God is paramount. He urges listeners to remain vigilant against potential deviations from God's path, drawing strength from the examples of biblical figures. The episode ends with a personal touch, as Fr. Mike prays for the listeners and invites them to continue their journey of understanding and living through the lens of Scripture.

"I am praying for you. Please pray for me. My name is Father Mike. I cannot wait to see you tomorrow. God bless." – Fr. Mike Schmitz ([23:49] - [23:59])

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This episode of The Bible in a Year is a compelling exploration of faith, obedience, and divine love, offering valuable lessons for both personal growth and spiritual understanding.

Transcript

[A]

Hi, my name is Fr.

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Mike Schmitz, and you're listening to the Bible in a Year podcast where we encounter God's voice and live life through.

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The lens of Scripture.

[B]

The Bible in a Year podcast is.

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Brought to you by Ascension.

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Using the Great Adventure Bible Timeline, we'll.

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Read all the way from Genesis to.

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Revelation, discovering how the story of salvation unfolds and how we fit into that story.

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Today it is day 163.

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We are reading from 1 Kings, chapter 13, 2nd Chronicles, chapters 12 and 13, and we're in the second chapter of the Song of Solomon. As always, the Bible translation that I'm using is the Revised Standard Version, the second Catholic edition. I'm using the Great Adventure Bible from Ascension.

[A]

If you want to download your own.

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Bible in a Year reading plan, you.

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Can visit ascensionpress.com Bible in a year. Also, you might not know this, but.

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You can subscribe to this podcast by clicking on subscribe in whatever app allows you to subscribe to this podcast, so.

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Do that if you'd like.

[B]

As I said, Today is day 163. I'm reading from 1 Kings 13, 2 Chronicles 12:13.

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A couple things to keep in mind.

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As we're listening to this scripture. We have the kingdom of Judah now, right?

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This is the period of the divided kingdom. The kingdom in the north is the.

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Kingdom of Israel, and that's the 10.

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Tribes in the north.

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They're essentially what you might call the rebellious tribes of Israel.

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So when we refer to Israel now.

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At this point in our story, this is in some ways, I guess we'll say this, the kingdom of Judah in the south, which is only two tribes.

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Judah is the bloodline from David all the way to Jesus.

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And so this is the line that we're really, really preoccupied with. At the same time, God had promised that the people of Israel would be blessed, right? So that means all of the tribes, all of the twelve sons of Israel.

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And the twelve tribes that came from.

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The sons of Israel are important. And that's why we're also following the story of the people in the north, the kingdom of Israel. But in this story, we're going to.

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Hear about how Israel came against Judah and like, wait, who do I root for?

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Well, it's really difficult because it's like kind of like civil war in this, in some ways, where brother is against.

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Brother, or at least family against family.

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And so we recognize that difficulty at the same time, to keep things straight in our minds. One of the things to keep in mind is, okay, the kingdom in the north, Israel the kingdom in the south.

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Judah. Judah is small.

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And yet it is through Judah that God is going to bless the entire world. He's going to restore worship. It's in Judah that he's going to bring forth the King of Kings. And so we are very much preoccupied or at least very interested in the kingdom of Judah in the south. We also are interested in the kingdom of Israel in the north, but in a different way. I'll just. I'll let it. I'll let that be what it is. Okay.

[A]

Wow.

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Day 163. Let's get started. The first book of kings, chapter 13.

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A man of God from Judah. And behold, a man of God came out of Judah by the word of.

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The Lord to Bethel.

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Jeroboam was standing by the altar to burn incense. And the man cried against the altar by the word of the Lord, and.

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Said, o altar and altar. Thus says the behold, a son shall.

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Be born to the house of David, Josiah by name. And he shall sacrifice upon you the priests of the high places who burn incense upon you, and men's bones shall be burned upon you. And he gave a sign that same.

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Day, saying, this is the sign that the Lord has spoken.

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Behold, the altar shall be torn down, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out. And when the king heard the saying of the man of God which he.

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Cried against the altar at Bethel, Jeroboam.

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Stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, lay hold of him. And his hand which he stretched out against him dried up so that he could not draw it back to himself. The altar also was torn down, and the ashes poured out from the altar according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the Lord. And the king said to the man.

[B]

Of God, entreat now the favour of.

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The Lord your God, and pray for me that my hand may be restored to me. And the man of God entreated the Lord, and the king's hand was restored to him and became as it was before. And the king said to the man of God, come home with me and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward. And the man of God said to.

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The king, if you give me half.

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Your house, I will not go in.

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With you, and I will not eat.

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Bread or drink water in this place. For so was it commanded me by the word of the Lord, saying, you shall neither eat bread, nor drink water, nor return by the way that you came. So he went another way and did not return by the way that he came to Bethel. Now there Dwelt an old prophet in Bethel. And his sons came and told him all that the man of God had done that day in Bethel.

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The words also which he had spoken.

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To the king they told to their father.

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And their father said to him, which way did he go?

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And his sons showed him the way which the man of God who came from Judah had gone. And he said to his sons, saddle the donkey for me. So they settled the donkey for him, and he mounted it. And he went after the man of God and found him sitting under an oak. And he said to him, are you the man of God who came from Judah? And he said, I am. Then he said to him, come home with me and eat bread.

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And he said, I may not return.

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With you or go in with you. Neither will I eat bread nor drink water with you in this place.

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For it was said to me, by.

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The word of the Lord, you shall neither eat bread nor drink water there, nor return by the way that you came. And he said to him, I also am a prophet as you are. And an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord, saying, bring him back with you into your house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied to him. So he went back with him and ate his bread in his house and drank water. And as they sat at the table, the word of the Lord came to the prophet who had brought him back. And he cried to the man of.

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God who came from Judah, Thus says.

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The because you have disobeyed the word.

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Of the Lord and have not kept.

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The commandment which the Lord your God commanded you, but have come back and have eaten bread and drunk water, in the place of which he said to you, eat no bread and drink no water. Your body shall not come to the tomb of your fathers. And after he had eaten bread and drunk, he settled the donkey for the prophet whom he had brought back. And as he went away, a lion met him on the road and killed him. And his body was thrown in the road, and the donkey stood beside it. The lion also stood beside the body. And behold, men passed by and saw the body thrown in the road, and the lion standing by the body. And they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt. And when the prophet who had brought him back from the way heard of.

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It, he said, it is the man.

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Of God who disobeyed the word of the Lord. Therefore the Lord has given him to the lion which has torn him and slain him, according to the word which the Lord spoke to him.

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And he said to his sons, saddle.

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The donkey for me.

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And they saddled it, and he went.

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And found his body thrown in the road, and the donkey and the lion standing beside the body. The lion had not eaten the body or torn the donkey. And the prophet took up the body of the man of God and laid it upon the donkey and brought it back to the city to mourn and to bury him. And he laid the body in his own grave, and they mourned over him, saying, alas, my brother. And after he had buried him, he.

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Said to his sons, when I die.

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Bury me in the grave in which the man of God is buried. Lay my bones beside his bones. For the saying which he cried, by the word of the Lord against the.

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Altar at Bethel, and against all the.

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Houses of the high places which are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to pass. After this incident, Jeroboam did not turn.

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From his evil way, but made priests.

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For the high places again from among all the people any who would he.

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Consecrated to be priests of the high places.

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And this thing became sin to the.

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House of Jeroboam, so as to cut.

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It off and to destroy it from the face of the Earth.

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The Second Book of Chronicles, chapters 12 and 13 chapter 12 Egypt attacks Judah.

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When the rule of Rehoboam was established and was strong, he forsook the law of the Lord and all Israel with him. In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, because they had been unfaithful to the Lord, Shishak king of Egypt, came up against Jerusalem with 1200 chariots and 60,000 horsemen. And the people were without number who came with him from Egyptlibians, Sukiim, and Ethiopians, and he took the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem. Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and to the princes of Judah who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak.

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And said to him, thus says the.

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You abandoned me, so I have abandoned you to the hand of Shishak.

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Then the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, the Lord is righteous.

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When the Lord saw how they humbled.

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Themselves, the word of the Lord came to they have humbled themselves. I will not destroy them, but I.

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Will grant them some deliverance, and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.

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Nevertheless, they shall be servants to him.

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That they may know my service and the service of the kingdoms of their countries.

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So Shishak king of Egypt, came up against Jerusalem.

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He took away the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures.

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Of the king's house.

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He took away everything. He also took away the shields of.

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Gold which Solomon had made, And King.

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Rehoboam made in their stead shields of bronze, and committed them to the hands.

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Of the officers of the guard who kept the door of the king's house. And as often as the king went.

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Into the house of the Lord, the guard came and bore them and brought them back to the guard room. And when he humbled himself, the wrath.

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Of the Lord turned from him so.

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As not to make a complete destruction.

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Moreover, conditions were good in Judah, the death of Rehoboam. So King Rehoboam established himself in Jerusalem and reigned.

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Rehoboam was 41 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned 17 years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord had chosen out of all the.

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Tribes of Israel to put his name there. His mother's name was Naamah, the Ammonitess.

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And he did evil, for he did not set his heart to seek the Lord. Now the acts of Rehoboam, from first to last, are they not written in the chronicles of Shemaiah the prophet, and of Iddo the Seer? There were continual wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam.

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And Rehoboam slept with his fathers and.

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Was buried in the city of David. And Abijah, his son, reigned in his stead. Abijah's reign over Judah. In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah began to reign over Judah. He reigned for three years in Jerusalem.

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His mother's name was Micaiah, the daughter.

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Of Uriel of Gibeah. Now there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. Abijah went out to battle, having an army of valiant men of war, 400,000 picked men. And Jeroboam drew up his line of battle against him with 800,000 picked mighty warriors. Then Abijah stood up on Mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, and and he said, hear me, O Jeroboam, and all Israel. Ought you not to know that the Lord God of Israel gave the kingship over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt. Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon, the son of David, rose up and rebelled against his Lord. And certain worthless scoundrels gathered about him and defied Rehoboam the son of Solomon. When Rehoboam was young and irresolute and could not withstand them. And now you think to withstand the kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the sons of David, because you are a great multitude and have with you the golden calves which Jeroboam made you for gods. Have you not driven out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron and the Levites, and made priests for yourselves like the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull or seven rams becomes a priest of what are no gods.

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But as for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken him.

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We have priests ministering to the Lord, who are sons of Aaron and Levites.

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For their service they offer to the.

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Lord every morning and every evening burnt offerings and incense of sweet spices. Set out the showbread on the table of pure gold, and care for the golden lampstand that its lamps may burn every evening. For we keep the charge of the Lord our God. But you have forsaken him.

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Behold, God is with us at our.

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Head, and his priests with their battle trumpets to sound the call to battle against you. O sons of Israel, do not fight against the Lord, the God of your.

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Fathers, for you cannot succeed. Jeroboam sent an ambush around to come.

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On them from behind. Thus his troops were in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them. And when Judah looked, behold, the battle was before him and behind them. And they cried to the Lord, and the priests blew the trumpets. Then the men of Judah raised the battle shout. And when the men of Judah shouted, God defeated Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.

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The men of Israel fled before Judah.

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And God gave them into their hand. Abijah and his people slew them with a great so there fell slain of.

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Israel 500,000 picked men. Thus the men of Israel were subdued at that time, and the men of Judah prevailed because they relied upon the Lord, the God of their fathers.

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And Abijah pursued Jeroboam and took cities from him. Bethel with its villages and Jeshanah with its villages, and Ephron with its villages.

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Jeroboam did not recover his power in the days of Abijah, and the Lord.

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Struck him and he died. But Abijah grew mighty, and he took 14 wives and had 22 sons and 16 daughters.

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The rest of the acts of Abijah.

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His ways and his sayings are written.

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In the story of the prophet Iddo. The Song of Solomon. Chapter 2 A Springtime Canticle I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys, as a Lily among brambles.

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So is my love among maidens. As an apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among young men. With great delight I sat in his.

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Shadow, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. He brought me to the banqueting house.

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And his banner over me was love.

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Sustain me with raisins, refresh me with.

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Apples, for I am sick with love. O that his left hand were under my head and his right hand embraced me. I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem. By the gazelles or the deer of.

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The field, that you stir not up.

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Nor awaken love until it please the.

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Voice of my beloved.

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Behold, he comes leaping upon the mountains, bounding over the hills. My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag.

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Behold, there he stands behind our wall.

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Gazing in at the windows, looking through the lattice.

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My beloved speaks and says to me, arise, my love, my dove, my fair.

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One, and come away. For behold, the winter is past. The rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth.

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The time of pruning has come, and.

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The voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.

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The fig tree puts forth its figs.

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And the vine are in blossom, and they give forth fragrance.

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Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. Oh, my dove, in the clefts of.

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The rock, in the COVID of the cliff, let me see your face. Let me hear your voice, for your.

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Voice is sweet and your face is comely. Catch us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom. My beloved is mine, and I am his.

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He pastures his flock among the lilies until the day breathes and the shadows flee. Turn, my beloved, be like a gazelle or a young stag upon rugged mountains.

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Father in heaven, we give you praise.

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And we give you glory.

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We thank you so much for your word and for continuing to speak to us and for continuing to pursue us. Lord, our hearts are broken, and yet you draw near to mend them. Our lives are full of darkness, and yet you bring your light into them, heal what's been broken and bring light to where there is darkness. And may everything that we do and everything we say and everything that we are give you praise and glory now and forever. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. So, one note. Again. Just. Gosh. The song of Solomon. Again.

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It's love poetry.

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And in it, here is God, who is the pursuer.

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He's pursuing us.

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He's pursuing the people of Israel. He's pursuing the people who belong to him. In the church, it's Christ the bridegroom pursuing the bride and just reveals again.

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Just this longing, a longing of God.

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For us, a desire of God just.

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To be able to love us.

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And our respondent desire, you know, it's not that we have loved God, but.

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That he has first loved us.

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And that's a key thing to realize. Especially as we read through the Song.

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Of Solomon or the Song of Songs.

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We hear this and we realize, wow, it was not I who chose the.

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Lord, but He has chosen me.

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And same thing is true for all of us. It's God who loves us first.

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He loves you first.

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And this is so important because that means we don't have to work for his love. That means we don't have to do.

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Anything to earn his love. He already loves you.

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And so our task essentially is what we always say, which is, will you let him love you?

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Will you love him in return? Will you give love for love?

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Ah, so that's songs and so good. But here we are also with 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles. And gosh, it's so incredible to recognize the different ways in which these two different books are telling the same story. As they travel along this division between the kingdom of Israel in the north.

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And the kingdom of Judah in the south.

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One of the many things that plays out is faithfulness. One of the themes that is the.

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Theme of this whole time, well, of.

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The entire Bible, is faithfulness. And we recognize that when the people of Israel or the people of Judah are unfaithful, then bad things happen. When they are faithful, then they are.

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Blessed by the Lord.

[B]

So we have the story of Rehoboam and Rehoboam, right, the son of Solomon.

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And he has been unfaithful.

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In fact, in 2 Chronicles, chapter 12, it says that essentially Rehoboam turned against the Lord. He was unfaithful in the fifth year of King Rehoboam because they had been.

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Unfaithful to the Lord.

[B]

This Egyptian king, Shishak, comes up against.

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Jerusalem with this massive army.

[B]

And so what happens? Well, they're going to get destroyed, they're.

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Going to get defeated.

[B]

And yet the people, the prophets, right, remind Shemaiah, the prophet reminds Rehoboam. This can be so key. This can happen again and again. There's a king, there's people of God, and then there's the prophet who speaks. And sometimes the people listen, sometimes they don't listen. This is one of those cases where.

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Rehoboam and the other princes of Judah.

[B]

They listened to Shemaiah the prophet, and.

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They repented of their sins, said, the Lord is righteous.

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And so. And God says, okay, great. Because of this, you're not going to be destroyed. There is a consequence, though, and the consequences. Shishak does come up and he despoils. That's. I think that's the right word. He despoils.

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The.

[B]

The Judahites, right? The kingdom of Judah. And what happens in all of Solomon's.

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Reign, right, all of David's reign and.

[B]

Solomon's reign, these two, his, this man's father and grandfather, they amassed this incredible fortune, massive fortune. Remember how we went through, how Solomon had made those hundreds and hundreds of.

[A]

Golden shields, the large shields and the small shields? Well, here in like, one line, it.

[B]

Says, shishak, the king of Egypt, came up and he took away the shields.

[A]

Of gold Solomon had made. Bam. Gone.

[B]

In five years, Rehoboam loses the massive wealth that his father and his grandfather had amassed over the course of 40.

[A]

Years or 80 years prior to this.

[B]

In five years, he loses all of it. He loses the majority, at least of this. And that's remarkable. How easy is it for us to have a lifetime, a lifetime of virtue, a lifetime of grace, a lifetime of life built on the Lord that we can lose if we turn away from the Lord? In fact, it goes on to say that Rehoboam, in their stead, he made shields.

[A]

They were shields of bronze.

[B]

And think about this. He went from a kingdom of gold to a kingdom of bronze in five years, a kingdom of gold to a kingdom of bronze in five years. And that is. That's devastating, that's horrible. And yet that's how it goes, right? So then Rehoboam dies, and his son Abijah comes up. And this is really important for us because Abijah turns out to be a.

[A]

Relatively good king at this time.

[B]

He turns out to be faithful, in fact, when he fights against Jeroboam, right?

[A]

Jeroboam, the kingdom of Israel in the north, those 10 tribes in the north.

[B]

When he fights against Jeroboam, he doesn't.

[A]

Rely upon his own strength. He says, actually, we are fighting.

[B]

You're fighting Jeroboam and others against the Lord your God. Are you going to trust. Are you going to keep trusting in.

[A]

These golden calves that Jeroboam has made?

[B]

Because you can't. You can never, with your false gods.

[A]

Ever defeat the Lord God.

[B]

And so Abijah shows himself, in this case, to be a solid king and, yeah, a faithful King, that's the measure of the kingship in this. In this case is, are they faithful?

[A]

Are they unfaithful?

[B]

And that's one of the things, one of those lessons for us as well, when it comes to following the Lord, it's not necessarily are we successful as much as it is, are we faithful? I think that famous quote from Saint Mother Teresa was this, God does not desire me to be successful. He merely desires me to be faithful. And this is one of those cases where here is Abijah, the king of Judah, who is successful.

[A]

Why?

[B]

Because he's faithful.

[A]

That's the key. One last note from First Kings, chapter 13.

[B]

Because we kind of. I kind of skipped over this story. Here's. In this one chapter, here's a man of God who comes from Judah. So he's unnamed. Where does he go? He goes from this kingdom of the south up to Jeroboam.

[A]

And Jeroboam is up there worshiping false gods.

[B]

And the man of God has his prophecy for Jeroboam saying, you know, basically, you keep doing this.

[A]

Things. Bad things are coming for you.

[B]

And so there's the sign it comes true.

[A]

His hand gets withered, his hand gets restored, essentially.

[B]

And this is.

[A]

So this is where things get strange.

[B]

Where the man of God is invited by Jeroboam to have a meal with him. And the man of God says, no.

[A]

I was told by the Lord to just simply go home, to neither eat nor drink anything while I'm here, and.

[B]

To go back by a different way.

[A]

And there's this other prophet in Bethel.

[B]

And he says, no, go get this guy. So he goes, gets him on a donkey, and he lies to him and.

[A]

Says, no, an angel told me to tell you that you can eat and drink with me and it's going to be completely fine.

[B]

As a result of this, the man of God believes him.

[A]

As a result of that, he has the food.

[B]

As a result of that, on his way home, he gets eaten or, sorry.

[A]

Killed by a lion.

[B]

But not eaten by a lion, gets killed by a lion. And this prophet from Bethel in some ways repents of what he's done. He realizes that he knows that he lied to this man. And he realizes, here's the justice, that.

[A]

This man knew what the Lord God had asked him. He lied to him.

[B]

The prophet had lied to him and deceived him. So that he went, the man of God went against the word of God.

[A]

So he puts him, he buries him.

[B]

In his own grave and then instructs.

[A]

His sons, when I die, bury me.

[B]

With this man whose death I'm responsible for. It's this very interesting, very strange kind of story.

[A]

But one of the themes is consistent.

[B]

With this whole book that revealed the.

[A]

Divided kingdom in whole books of the.

[B]

Old Testament, which are all about, okay.

[A]

When you know what God wants you.

[B]

To do, just do that.

[A]

When you know what God has asked.

[B]

You to do, just do that.

[A]

Because the temptation for all of us.

[B]

Is to say, wait, does someone else.

[A]

Have a different kind of teaching?

[B]

Does someone else have a different kind.

[A]

Of insight into this? Even St. Paul says, Even if an angel of light were to tell you a gospel different than the one we've shared with you, do not believe them.

[B]

And that is a maybe veiled reference.

[A]

To this chapter, chapter 13 of 1.

[B]

Kings, where the man of God did believe. The prophet of Bethel, who said that he had received a message from an angel of God. We are called to do what we know God has called us to do. Even if someone were to say, hey, go against that.

[A]

Even if someone we respect were to.

[B]

Say, go against that, we would know that, no, God has not told me to go against that.

[A]

I must be faithful to the Lord.

[B]

That's the key. Faithfulness and unfaithfulness are the theme. And so we pray that we are.

[A]

Faithful because we know our hearts.

[B]

Our hearts have a tendency to become massively unfaithful. And so we need to pray, and we need to pray for each other. I am praying for you. Please pray for me. My name is Father Mike. I cannot wait to see you tomorrow.

[A]

God bless.