Day 175: Knowledge of God (2025)

Summary

Summary of "The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)" - Day 175: Knowledge of God

Release Date: June 24, 2025
Episode Title: Day 175: Knowledge of God
Host: Ascension
Featuring: Jeff Cavins

Overview

In Day 175 of "The Bible in a Year" podcast, Fr. Mike Schmitz delves into the profound themes of divine knowledge and intimacy with God through a detailed exploration of 2 Kings chapters 6 and 7, Hosea chapters 4-7, and Psalm 103. This episode intertwines biblical narratives with insightful reflections, highlighting the critical importance of knowing God intimately to prevent spiritual downfall.

Biblical Readings and Narratives

2 Kings 6-7: Miracles and Providence

The episode begins with the recounting of Elisha's miracles and his unwavering faith amidst adversity:

• Miracle of the Axe Head (2 Kings 6:1-7):
  Elisha performs a miracle by causing a borrowed axe head to float, demonstrating God's provision in times of need.

  "As he was still speaking with them, the king came down to him and said, 'This trouble is from the Lord.'" ([03:03])

• Assyrian Siege of Samaria (2 Kings 6-7):
  Elisha thwarts the Assyrian army's attempts to conquer Samaria by praying for their blindness and leading them into the city, where they later depart in confusion, leaving behind valuable resources.

  "Elisha prayed to the Lord and said, 'Strike this people, I pray you, with blindness.'" ([04:16])

• Desperate Measures During Siege:
  A poignant story mirrors historical events like the Roman siege of Jerusalem, where famine drives a woman to the extreme act of sacrificing her son for sustenance. Elisha's response underscores God's presence even in dire circumstances.

  "This woman cries out to the king, 'Give me justice.'" ([23:50])

Hosea 4-7: God's Rebuke for Israel's Apostasy

Fr. Mike transitions to the prophetic book of Hosea, emphasizing God's lament over Israel's moral and spiritual decay:

• Lack of Knowledge and Faithfulness (Hosea 4):
  God accuses Israel of abandoning knowledge and kindness, leading to societal collapse and divine judgment.

  "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." ([25:27])

• Intimate Knowledge of God (Hosea 4-7):
  The prophet calls for an intimate, transformative relationship with God rather than mere ritualistic practices. This knowledge is portrayed as essential for genuine spiritual vitality and societal well-being.

  "I desire mercy and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings." ([15:39])

Reflections and Insights

Fr. Mike Schmitz provides deep theological insights, connecting the biblical narratives to contemporary spiritual life:

• Elisha’s Divine Insight:
  Elisha's ability to perceive God's presence, despite his servant's blindness, serves as a metaphor for believers' need to see beyond physical realities to recognize God's active role in their lives.

  "God was not far, God was not distant." ([22:37])

• Intimate Knowledge vs. Intellectual Understanding:
  The emphasis is on cultivating a personal and relational knowledge of God, akin to the intimate understanding Adam had with Eve, rather than just intellectual comprehension or adherence to commandments.

  "Knowledge in this sense is intimate knowledge, it's firsthand knowledge." ([24:55])

• Consequences of Spiritual Blindness:
  Just as the servant's inability to see masked God's protection, a lack of intimate knowledge of God leads to spiritual vulnerabilities and societal turmoil.

  "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." ([25:27])

• Cultural Relevance:
  Fr. Mike draws parallels between ancient Israel's struggles and modern-day challenges, urging believers to seek a deeper relationship with God to navigate contemporary moral and spiritual crises.

  "In our culture... we need not just to hear these stories about God, but to actually get to know the heart of God." ([26:14])

Prayer and Worship

The episode culminates with a heartfelt rendition of Psalm 103, led by Jeff Cavins, which serves as a prayer of thanksgiving and a recognition of God's boundless mercy and compassion:

• Key Themes from Psalm 103:

  • Divine Forgiveness and Healing:

    "Who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases." ([10:32])

  • Mercy and Compassion:

    "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy." ([18:55])

  • Eternal Mercy:

    "The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon those who fear Him." ([19:46])

• Guided Prayer Highlights:
  The prayer emphasizes reliance on God's mercy, the transformation through His word, and a collective plea to "say yes" to God's will.

  "Help us to say yes to you this day and every day." ([20:43])

Conclusions and Takeaways

Fr. Mike Schmitz reinforces the episode's central message: Intimate knowledge of God is essential for personal spiritual growth and societal well-being. By engaging deeply with scripture and fostering a personal relationship with God, believers can navigate life's challenges with divine guidance and purpose.

• Call to Action:
  Encourage listeners to deepen their relationship with God through daily scripture reading, reflection, and prayer, aiming for a transformative understanding that shapes their worldview and actions.

• Final Encouragement:
  Fr. Mike expresses a heartfelt desire for listeners to experience God's love and transformative power, emphasizing community and personal growth.

  "We can actually get to know the heart of God by allowing these stories to transform our minds." ([25:15])

Notable Quotes

• Fr. Mike Schmitz on Elisha's Insight:

  "He knows what's going on... Knowledge that the Lord has given to him." ([21:22])

• On Intimate Knowledge of God:

  "The whole point of this is to have a deeper and deeper knowledge of the One who created us, the One who redeemed us." ([26:52])

• On Transformation Through God's Word:

  "Let us press on to know the Lord. His going forth is sure as the dawn." ([15:05])

Final Prayer

The episode concludes with a closing prayer, reiterating themes of mercy, forgiveness, and dependence on God's grace:

"Lord God, your mercy is limitless, it is unstoppable. Your mercy is given to us the most when we need it the most and deserve it the least." ([20:37])

"Help us to say yes to you this day and every day. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen." ([20:43])

Closing Remarks

Fr. Mike invites listeners to continue their journey with anticipation for the next day's episode, fostering a sense of community and ongoing spiritual growth.

"My name is Father Mike and I cannot wait to see you tomorrow. God bless." ([27:02])

---

This episode masterfully intertwines scripture with lived experience, urging believers to seek a transformative and intimate relationship with God, essential for both personal salvation and communal harmony.

Transcript

[Father Mike Schmitz]

Before we get started, I just wanted to offer a quick thank you to all those who have supported the Catechism in a Year or the Bible in a Year podcast.

[Jeff Cavins]

We hear stories every day about how.

[Father Mike Schmitz]

Those shows have transformed people's lives and because of your prayers and financial gifts, you are a significant part of that. You might ask a question though. Question is, what does Ascension do with these financial gifts?

[Jeff Cavins]

Great question.

[Father Mike Schmitz]

The answer is we make authentically Catholic podcasts and videos and other digital content to help people know the Catholic faith and grow closer to God. And we do it all for free. If you found this podcast to be helpful in your life and would like to help us continue making free Catholic content we can post online, please consider making a financial contribution, an ongoing financial contribution, by going to ascensionpress.comsupport. that's ascensionpress.comsupport.

[Jeff Cavins]

Thank you and God bless. 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 the Year podcast is.

[Ascension Host]

Brought to you by Ascension.

[Jeff Cavins]

Using the Great Adventure Bible Timeline, we'll.

[Ascension Host]

Read all the way from Genesis to.

[Jeff Cavins]

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

[Ascension Host]

Today it is day 175.

[Jeff Cavins]

We have a bunch of chapters to get through today. So it's 2 Kings 6 and 7. We're already, I don't know, halfway, almost halfway into Hosea, Hosea 4, 5, 6 and 7 today to read as well.

[Ascension Host]

As we're praying Psalm 103.

[Jeff Cavins]

As always, the Bible translation that I'm reading from is the Revised Standard Version, second Catholic Edition. I'm using the Great Adventure Bible from a century.

[Ascension Host]

If you want to download your own Bible in a year reading plan, you.

[Jeff Cavins]

Can visit ascensionpress.com BibleInnear and you would already know that we have 30 chapters to read today. Oh gosh. If you haven't yet subscribed to this podcast, you're welcome to. You're not commanded to or I don't even want. Actually, I don't even want you to. If you could just hit unsubscribe, that'd be great. That'd be the best and make me so happy. Just kidding. It's day 175 and we're reading 2 Kings 6 and 7 Hosea 4, 5, 6, 7. We're praying Psalm 103, the second book of Kings, chapter 6, the miracle of the Axe head.

[Ascension Host]

Now the sons of the prophets said.

[Jeff Cavins]

To Elisha, see the Place where we.

[Ascension Host]

Dwell under your charge is too small for us. Let us go to the Jordan, and each of us get there a log, and let us make a place for us to dwell there. And he answered, go.

[Jeff Cavins]

Then one of them said, be pleased.

[Ascension Host]

To go with your servants. And he answered, I will go. So he went with them, and when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. But as one was felling a log, his axe head fell into the water. And he cried out, al, my master. It was borrowed. Then the man of God said, where did it fall? When he showed him the place, he.

[Jeff Cavins]

Cut off a stick and threw it.

[Ascension Host]

In there and made the iron float.

[Jeff Cavins]

And he said, take it up.

[Ascension Host]

So he reached out his hand and took it.

[Jeff Cavins]

A Syrian attack is thwarted.

[Ascension Host]

Once when the king of Syria was warring against Israel, he took counsel with.

[Jeff Cavins]

His servants, saying, at such and such a place shall be my camp.

[Ascension Host]

But the man of God sent word.

[Jeff Cavins]

To the king of Israel, beware that you do not pass this place, for.

[Ascension Host]

The Syrians are going down there. And the king of Israel sent to the place of which the man of God told him. Thus he used to warn him, so that he saved himself there more than once or twice. And the mind of the king of Syria was greatly troubled because of this incident. And he called his servants and said to them, will you not show me.

[Jeff Cavins]

Who of us is for the king of Israel?

[Ascension Host]

And one of his servants said, none, my lord, O king. But Elisha the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedchamber. And he said, go and see where he is that I may send and seize him. It was told him, behold, he is in Dothan. So he sent their horses and chariots and a great army, and they came there by night and surrounded the city. When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was round about the city. And the servant said, alas, my master.

[Jeff Cavins]

What shall we do?

[Ascension Host]

He said, fear not, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.

[Jeff Cavins]

Then Elisha prayed and said, o Lord, I beg you, open his eyes that he may see.

[Ascension Host]

So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses.

[Jeff Cavins]

And chariots of fire round about Elisha. And when the Syrians came down against him, Elisha prayed to the Lord and.

[Ascension Host]

Said, strike this people, I pray you with blindness.

[Jeff Cavins]

So he struck them with blindness in accordance with the prayer of Elisha and.

[Ascension Host]

Elisha said to them, this is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will bring you.

[Jeff Cavins]

To the man whom you seek.

[Ascension Host]

And he led them to Samaria.

[Jeff Cavins]

As soon as they entered Samaria, Elisha.

[Ascension Host]

Said, o Lord, open the eyes of these men that they may see. So the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw. And behold, they were in the midst of Samaria. When the king of Israel saw them.

[Jeff Cavins]

He said to Elisha, my father, shall I slay them?

[Ascension Host]

Shall I slay them?

[Jeff Cavins]

He answered, you shall not slay them.

[Ascension Host]

Would you slay those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master. So he prepared for them a great feast. And when they had eaten and drunk.

[Jeff Cavins]

He sent them away, and they went to their master.

[Ascension Host]

And the Assyrians came no more on raids into the land of Israel.

[Jeff Cavins]

Ben Hadad's Siege of Samaria Afterward, Ben.

[Ascension Host]

Hadad, king of Syria, mustered his entire army and went up and besieged Samaria. And there was a great famine in.

[Jeff Cavins]

Samaria as they besieged it until a.

[Ascension Host]

Donkey'S head was sold for 80 shekels of silver and the fourth part of a cab of Dove's Dung for five shekels of silver.

[Jeff Cavins]

Now, as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, a woman.

[Ascension Host]

Cried out to him, saying, help my lord, O king. And he said, if the Lord will.

[Jeff Cavins]

Not help you, how shall I help.

[Ascension Host]

You from the threshing floor or from the winepress?

[Jeff Cavins]

And the king asked her, what is your trouble?

[Ascension Host]

She answered, this woman said to me, give your son that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow. So we boiled my son and ate him.

[Jeff Cavins]

And on the next day I said.

[Ascension Host]

To her, give your son that we may eat him. But she has hidden her son. When the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes.

[Jeff Cavins]

Now he was passing by upon the.

[Ascension Host]

Wall, and the people looked, and behold, he had sackcloth beneath upon his body. And he said, may God do so to me. And more also, if the head of Elisha, the son of Shaphat, remains on his shoulders.

[Jeff Cavins]

Today Elisha was sitting in his house.

[Ascension Host]

And the elders were sitting with him. Now the king had dispatched a man from his presence. But before the messenger arrived, Elisha said.

[Jeff Cavins]

To the elders, do you see how.

[Ascension Host]

This murderer has sent to take off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door and hold the door fast against him. Is not the sound of his master's feet behind him? And while he was still speaking with them. The king came down to him and.

[Jeff Cavins]

Said, this trouble is from the Lord.

[Ascension Host]

Why should I wait for the Lord any longer?

[Jeff Cavins]

Chapter seven.

[Ascension Host]

But Elisha said, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the tomorrow, about this time, a measure of fine meal shall be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria. Then the captain, on whose hand the king leaned, said to the man of God, if the Lord himself should make windows in heaven, could this thing be? But he said, you shall see it.

[Jeff Cavins]

With your own eyes, but you shall.

[Ascension Host]

Not eat of it.

[Jeff Cavins]

The Syrians flee Now There were four.

[Ascension Host]

Men who were lepers at the entrance to the gate.

[Jeff Cavins]

And they said to one another, why.

[Ascension Host]

Do we sit here till we die? If we say, let us enter the city, the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we we die also. So now come, let us go over to the camp of the if they.

[Jeff Cavins]

Spare our lives, we shall live, and if they kill us, we shall but die.

[Ascension Host]

So they arose at twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians. But when they came to the edge of the camp of the Syrians, behold, there was no one there. For the Lord had made the army of the Syrians hear the sound of chariots and of horses, the sound of a great army. So that they said to one another, behold, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Egypt to come upon us. So they fled away in the twilight and forsook their tents, their horses, and their donkeys, leaving the camp as it was, and fled for their lives. And when these lepers came to the edge of the camp, they went into a tent and ate and drank, and they carried off silver and gold and clothing and went and hid them. Then they came back and entered another tent and carried off things from it, and went and hid them.

[Jeff Cavins]

Then they said to one another, we.

[Ascension Host]

Are not doing right. This day is a day of good news. If we are silent and wait until.

[Jeff Cavins]

The morning light, punishment will overtake us.

[Ascension Host]

Now therefore, come, let us go and tell the king's household. So they came and called to the gatekeepers of the city and told them, we came to the camp of the Syrians. And behold, there was no one to be seen or heard there. Nothing but the horses tied and the donkeys tied, and the tents as they were.

[Jeff Cavins]

Then the gatekeepers called out and it.

[Ascension Host]

Was told within the king's household. And the king rose in the night.

[Jeff Cavins]

And said, to his servants, I will.

[Ascension Host]

Tell you what the Syrians have prepared against us. They know that we are hungry. Therefore they have gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the open country, thinking, when they come out of the city, we shall take them alive and get into the city.

[Jeff Cavins]

And one of his servants said, let.

[Ascension Host]

Some men take five of the remaining horses, seeing that those who are left here will fare like the whole multitude of Israel that have already perished. Let us send and see. So they took two mounted men, and the king sent them after the army of the Syrians, saying, go and see. So they went after them as far as the Jordan. And behold, all the way was littered with garments and equipment, which the Syrians had thrown away in their haste. And the messengers returned and told the king. Then the people went out and plundered the camp of the Syrians. So a measure of fine meal was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the Lord. Now the king had appointed the captain, on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate. And the people trod upon him in the gate, so that he died, as the man of God had said when the king came down to him. For when the man of God had said to the king, two measures of barley shall be sold for a shekel, and a measure of fine meal for a shekel, about this time tomorrow in.

[Jeff Cavins]

The gate of Samaria, the captain had.

[Ascension Host]

Answered the man of God, if the Lord himself should make windows in heaven, could such a thing be?

[Jeff Cavins]

And he said, you shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall.

[Ascension Host]

Not eat of it. And so it happened to him. For the people trod upon him in the gate, and he died.

[Jeff Cavins]

The Book of Hosea, Chapter four. God accuses Israel.

[Ascension Host]

Hear the word of the Lord, O people of Israel. For the Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land. There is no faithfulness or kindness, and no knowledge of God in the land. There is swearing, lying, killing, stealing, and committing adultery. They break all bounds, and murder follows murder. Therefore the land mourns, and all who dwell in it languish. And also the beasts of the field and the birds of the air, and even the fish of the sea are taken away. Yet let no one contend, and let none accuse. For with you is my contention. O priest, you shall stumble by day. The prophet also shall stumble with you by night, and I will destroy your mother. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

[Jeff Cavins]

Because you have rejected knowledge, I reject.

[Ascension Host]

You from being a priest to me. And since you have Forgotten the law of your God? I also will forget your children. The more they increased, the more they sinned against me. I will change their glory into shame. They feed on the sin of my people. They are greedy for their iniquity, and.

[Jeff Cavins]

It shall be like people, like priests. I will punish them for their ways and repay them for their deeds.

[Ascension Host]

They shall eat, but not be satisfied.

[Jeff Cavins]

They shall play the harlot, but not multiply because they have forsaken the Lord to cherish harlotry.

[Ascension Host]

Wine and new wine take away the understanding my people inquire of a thing.

[Jeff Cavins]

Of wood, and their staff gives them.

[Ascension Host]

Oracles, for a spirit of harlotry has led them astray and they have left their God to play the harlot.

[Jeff Cavins]

They sacrifice on the tops of the.

[Ascension Host]

Mountains and make offerings upon the hills under oak, poplar and terebinth because their shade is good.

[Jeff Cavins]

Therefore your daughters play the harlot and.

[Ascension Host]

Your brides commit adultery. I will not punish your daughters when they play the harlot, nor your brides.

[Jeff Cavins]

When they commit adultery.

[Ascension Host]

For the men themselves go aside with.

[Jeff Cavins]

Harlots and sacrifice with cult prostitutes and.

[Ascension Host]

A people without understanding shall come to ruin. Though you play the harlot, O Israel, let not Judah become guilty. Enter not into Gilgal, nor go up to Beth Aven and swear not as.

[Jeff Cavins]

The Lord lives like a stubborn heifer.

[Ascension Host]

Israel is stubborn. Can the Lord now feed them like a lamb in a broad pasture? Ephraim is joined to idols. Let him alone. A band of drunkards. They give themselves to harlotry. They love shame more than their glory. A wind has wrapped them in its wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their altars. Impending judgment on Israel and Judah, and a call to repentance.

[Jeff Cavins]

Hear this, O priests.

[Ascension Host]

Give heed, O house of Israel. Listen, O house of the King, for the judgment pertains to you, for you have been a snare at Mizpah and.

[Jeff Cavins]

A net spread upon Tabor, and they.

[Ascension Host]

Have made deep the pit of shittim. But I will chastise all of them. I know Ephraim and Israel is not.

[Jeff Cavins]

Hidden from me for now.

[Ascension Host]

O Ephraim, you have played the harlot. Israel is defiled. Their deeds do not permit them to return to their God for the spirit of harlotry is within them and they know not the Lord. The pride of Israel testifies to his face. Ephraim shall stumble in his guilt. Judah also shall stumble with them with their flocks and herds they shall go to seek the Lord. But they will not find him. He has withdrawn from them. They have dealt faithlessly with the Lord for they have borne alien children. Now the new moon shall devour them with their fields. Blow the horn in Gibeah, the trumpet in Ramah, Sound the alarm at Beth, even tremble, O Benjamin. Ephraim shall become a desolation. In the day of punishment among the tribes of Israel I declare what is sure. The princes of Judah have become like those who remove the landmark upon them I will pour out my wrath like water. Ephraim is oppressed, crushed in judgment because he was determined to go after vanity.

[Jeff Cavins]

Therefore I am like a moth to Ephraim and like dry rot to the house of Judah.

[Ascension Host]

When Ephraim saw his sickness and Judah his wound then Ephraim went to Assyria and sent to the great king.

[Jeff Cavins]

But he is not able to cure.

[Ascension Host]

You or heal your wound. For I will be like a lion to Ephraim and like a young lion.

[Jeff Cavins]

To the house of Judah.

[Ascension Host]

I, even I will tear and go away. I will carry off and none shall rescue. I will return again to my place until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face.

[Jeff Cavins]

And in their distress they seek me, saying, Chapter six.

[Ascension Host]

Come, let us return to the Lord.

[Jeff Cavins]

For he has torn that he may heal us.

[Ascension Host]

He has stricken and he will bind us up.

[Jeff Cavins]

After two days he will revive us.

[Ascension Host]

On the third day he will raise us up that we may live before him. Let us know. Let us press on to know the Lord. His going forth is sure as the dawn. He will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth. What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? Your love is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes early away.

[Jeff Cavins]

Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets.

[Ascension Host]

I have slain them by the words of my mouth. And my judgment goes forth as the light.

[Jeff Cavins]

For I desire mercy and not sacrifice.

[Ascension Host]

The knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. But at Adam they transgressed the covenant. There they dealt faithlessly with me. Gilead is a city of evildoers tracked with blood. As robbers lie in wait for a man, so the priests are banded together. They murder on the way to Shechem. Yes, they commit villainy in the house of Israel. I have seen a horrible thing. Ephraim's harlotry is there. Israel is defiled. For you also, O Judah, a harvest.

[Jeff Cavins]

Is appointed when I would restore the.

[Ascension Host]

Fortunes of my people, when I would heal Israel, the corruption of Ephraim is.

[Jeff Cavins]

Revealed and the wicked Deeds of Samaria.

[Ascension Host]

For they deal falsely. The thief breaks in, and the bandits raid without. But they do not consider that I remember all their evil works. Now their deeds encompass them.

[Jeff Cavins]

They are before my face.

[Ascension Host]

By their wickedness they make the king glad, and the princes by their treachery. They are all adulterers. They are like a heated oven whose baker ceases to stir the fire from the kneading of the dough until it is leavened. On the day of our king the princes became sick with the heat of wine. He stretched out his hand with mockers. For like an oven, their hearts burn with intrigue. All night their anger smoulders. In the morning it blazes like a flaming fire. All of them are hot as an oven, and they devour their rulers. All their kings have fallen, and none of them calls upon me. Ephraim mixes himself with the peoples. Ephraim is a cake, not turned. Aliens devour his strength, and he knows it not. Gray hairs are sprinkled upon him, and he knows it not. The pride of Israel witnesses against him. Yet they do not return to the Lord their God, nor seek him.

[Jeff Cavins]

For all this, Ephraim is like a.

[Ascension Host]

Dove, silly and without sense, calling to Egypt, going to Assyria as they go, I will spread over them my net. I will bring them down like birds of the air.

[Jeff Cavins]

I will chastise them for their wicked deeds.

[Ascension Host]

Woe to them, for they have strayed from me. Destruction to them, for they have rebelled against me. I would redeem them. But they speak lies against me. They do not cry to me from the heart, but they wail upon their beds for grain and wine. They gash themselves. They rebel against me. Although I trained and strengthened their arms, yet they devise evil against me. They turn to Abaal.

[Jeff Cavins]

They are like a treacherous bow.

[Ascension Host]

Their princes shall fall by the sword because of the insolence of their tongue. This shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.

[Jeff Cavins]

Psalm 103 Thanksgiving for God's Goodness A Psalm of David Bless the Lord, O my soul and all that is within me.

[Ascension Host]

Bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with mercy and compassion, who satisfies you with good as long as you live, so.

[Jeff Cavins]

That your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

[Ascension Host]

The Lord works vindication and justice for.

[Jeff Cavins]

All who are oppressed.

[Ascension Host]

He made known his way to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy.

[Jeff Cavins]

He will not always chide, nor will.

[Ascension Host]

He keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him. For he knows our frame, he remembers.

[Jeff Cavins]

That we are dust, as for man, his days are like grass.

[Ascension Host]

He flourishes like a flower of the field, for the wind passes over it and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. But the mercy of the Lord is.

[Jeff Cavins]

From everlasting to everlasting upon those who fear Him.

[Ascension Host]

And is righteousness to children's children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. The Lord has established his throne in the heavens and his kingdom rules over all. Bless the Lord, all you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, hearkening to the voice of his word. Bless the Lord, all His hosts, his ministers that do his will. Bless the Lord, all His works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul.

[Jeff Cavins]

Father in heaven, we give you praise and ah, we give youe thanks because it is true your mercy is towards those who fear your. And as far as the east is.

[Ascension Host]

From the west, so far do youo.

[Jeff Cavins]

Remove our transgressions from us. Lord God, your, mercy is limitless, it is unstoppable.

[Ascension Host]

It is infinite.

[Jeff Cavins]

Your mercy is given to us the.

[Ascension Host]

Most when we need it the most and deserve it the least.

[Jeff Cavins]

That is what your love is like. And so thank you so much. You know our frame, you remember that we're dust.

[Ascension Host]

You know how feeble we can be, you know how weak we can be, you know what causes us to sin.

[Jeff Cavins]

And yet yout still give us yous grace, so that yout life may abound in us. So help us.

[Ascension Host]

Help us to say yes to youo.

[Jeff Cavins]

This day and every day. In Jesus name we pray.

[Ascension Host]

Amen. In the name of the Father and.

[Jeff Cavins]

Of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

[Ascension Host]

Amen.

[Jeff Cavins]

Okay, so a couple of things. One, one quick note about 2 Kings.

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2 Kings 6 and 7.

[Jeff Cavins]

We have more stories of Elisha and incredible miracles. Remember, remember that Elisha, a double portion.

[Ascension Host]

Of the Spirit of Elijah.

[Jeff Cavins]

And so his life is marked by this, not only miracles, but also this insight.

[Ascension Host]

I mean, he knows what's going on.

[Jeff Cavins]

In fact, at one point, here is Israel, remember the kingdom in the north, Israel is under attack by Syria. And everyone is, I mean, there, it's, it's not good. It is not, not a good deal. And so the king of Israel wants to kill Elisha. And what does Elisha do? Elisha says, I know what's coming, I know what's happening.

[Ascension Host]

He has this insight, he has this.

[Jeff Cavins]

Knowledge that the Lord has given to him. There's two quick stories I want to highlight here about in Second Kings. The first is where Elisha they're surrounded.

[Ascension Host]

The king of Syria is armed against the city in which Elisha and his.

[Jeff Cavins]

Young servant where they are. And he says, alas, my master, what should we do? And here is Elisha who says, fear.

[Ascension Host]

Not, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.

[Jeff Cavins]

And ah, such an incredible gift we have. We have to recognize what happens. Well, then Elisha says, let his eyes be opened. And here's the verse.

[Ascension Host]

So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man and he saw.

[Jeff Cavins]

And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

[Ascension Host]

So the whole time the horses were there, the whole time the chariots were there, the whole time God was on.

[Jeff Cavins]

The side of Elisha. And the whole time God was there.

[Ascension Host]

To protect, his presence was there.

[Jeff Cavins]

He's active in that moment.

[Sam]

But.

[Jeff Cavins]

But the servant of Elisha couldn't see it. In fact, you almost imagine that Elisha.

[Ascension Host]

Couldn'T see it either.

[Jeff Cavins]

But it was an act of faith. In this graced moment, God working through Elisha allowed the young man to see the reality of the situation. The reality of the situation was God was not far, God was not distant.

[Ascension Host]

Even though when they have the siege.

[Jeff Cavins]

Of Samaria later on in this chapter.

[Ascension Host]

Some horrible things are happening.

[Jeff Cavins]

In fact, it reminds me of the siege the Romans did against Jerusalem against the Jews in the year in the 60s and 70s, I think primarily in the 70s, where here are these two women who say, this woman cries out to the king, give me justice. What do you mean? Well, yesterday this woman said, if we boil my son and eat him, then the next day we'll boil her son and eat him. And she wanted justice because the woman on the second day is not willing to serve her son as a meal. And you think, wow, the lengths to which desperation can bring up the for a person. And this is what happens in 70 AD as well, with the destruction of Jerusalem, when the Romans were besieging Jerusalem. There are stories in the history of the Roman wars or the Jewish wars that talk about how people had, you know, they were starving and at one point you could smell roast meat and they found out that it was a.

[Ascension Host]

Woman who had roasted her son in.

[Jeff Cavins]

Order to eat him because she was driven by such hunger. And yeah, here's that reality of the horrors of war. And here is God still present, though.

[Ascension Host]

In the midst of the horrors of war.

[Jeff Cavins]

And he, what does he do?

[Ascension Host]

He fights, even for unfaithful Israel.

[Jeff Cavins]

This is important to understand. Here is the king of Israel not faithful. Here are the people of Israel not faithful. And yet against the Syrians, the Lord is willing to continue to fight for them. Now, speaking to the people of the north at this time is Hosea, and that's a prophet, Hosea. We went through chapters 4, 4, 5, 6, and 7 today.

[Ascension Host]

One word to keep in mind when.

[Jeff Cavins]

It comes to this middle section of Hosea is the word knowledge, or the word to know. It is repeated recognition. In fact, the whole chapter four begins with this, where it says, there is.

[Ascension Host]

No faithfulness or kindness and no knowledge of God in the land. And that sense of knowledge not being.

[Jeff Cavins]

Not that you haven't heard of him, you don't know your catechism. Like you don't know stuff about God.

[Ascension Host]

Knowledge in this sense is intimate knowledge, right? It's firsthand knowledge.

[Jeff Cavins]

It's when Adam knew his wife Eve, and she conceived a son, that kind.

[Ascension Host]

Of knowledge, this intimate knowledge of God.

[Jeff Cavins]

And without that, without that, without actually.

[Ascension Host]

Knowing who the Lord is and drawing near to him.

[Jeff Cavins]

That's one. That's one of the reasons why we're doing this Bible in here, right? So that you and I can not just hear these stories about God, but that we can actually get to know the heart of God by allowing these.

[Ascension Host]

Stories to transform our minds, to shape our lens, to create a worldview so.

[Jeff Cavins]

That we actually can come into contact with them. And that's the whole point of this, because later on in chapter four, it says this famous line, my people are.

[Ascension Host]

Destroyed for lack of knowledge.

[Jeff Cavins]

Now, I've heard people say that a translation could be, my people are destroyed for lack of vision. That if you don't have vision, you don't. You don't have a sense of direction, you don't have a sense of what God could do in your life, then people are destroyed.

[Ascension Host]

Sure, that's not bad.

[Jeff Cavins]

But lack of knowledge, if we want.

[Ascension Host]

To continue to understand knowledge as intimacy with the Lord, knowledge as I know.

[Jeff Cavins]

Him in a relationship that makes so.

[Ascension Host]

Much more sense My people are destroyed. Why?

[Jeff Cavins]

Not because they don't know what to do, not because they don't know the commandments, not because they haven't had prophets like Hosea speaking to them, but because they haven't encountered the Lord in this life changing way. And that's in our culture, my gosh.

[Ascension Host]

In so many ways.

[Jeff Cavins]

That is what we need, right?

[Ascension Host]

Not just I need to know what.

[Jeff Cavins]

The gospel is or I need to know the tales, you know, the stories.

[Ascension Host]

I don't need to know the details.

[Jeff Cavins]

I mean, those are all important, absolutely.

[Ascension Host]

But we need to know the Lord himself.

[Jeff Cavins]

And that is so critical and that is so absolutely key. And so as Hosea is preaching to these people in the north and trying to call them back to the Lord is not just to faithfulness, it's not just to obedience. Although there is that scripture that really makes it very clear. I desire mercy and not sacrifice.

[Ascension Host]

The knowledge of God rather than the.

[Jeff Cavins]

Burnt offerings, he's calling them back to.

[Ascension Host]

That, to knowledge of God, to know him as he really is.

[Jeff Cavins]

And that's what we're praying for. That's our goal for these 365 days.

[Ascension Host]

Is to have a deeper and deeper knowledge of the One who created us, the One who redeemed us, and the.

[Jeff Cavins]

One who loves us. He loves you so much and I'm praying for you.

[Ascension Host]

Please pray for me.

[Jeff Cavins]

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

[Sam]

Sam.