Day 85: Fighting for Each Other (2025) - The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)

Podcast Summary: The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) - Day 85: Fighting for Each Other

Podcast Information:

Title: The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Host/Author: Ascension
Release Date: March 26, 2025
Episode: Day 85: Fighting for Each Other (2025)

Introduction

In Day 85 of The Bible in a Year podcast, Fr. Mike Schmitz delves into the intricate narratives of Joshua chapters 12, 13, and 14, alongside Psalm 129. This episode emphasizes understanding the historical and spiritual contexts of the Israelites' conquests and the moral imperatives behind them. Fr. Mike aims to unravel the complexities of warfare in the Bible, providing listeners with profound insights into God's overarching plan for humanity.

Scripture Readings: Joshua 12-14 and Psalm 129

Fr. Mike commences the episode by reading from Joshua 12-14 and Psalm 129, utilizing the Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition. He highlights the significance of the Great Adventure Bible Timeline, developed by Jeff Cavins, which offers a chronological framework for understanding salvation history. This approach aids listeners in grasping how various biblical events interconnect to narrate the story of salvation.

Key Readings:

Joshua 12: Details the kings defeated by Moses and Joshua, listing 31 kings whose territories were conquered by the Israelites.
Joshua 13: Discusses the remaining lands that the Israelites had yet to possess, emphasizing the ongoing process of settlement and conquest.
Joshua 14: Focuses on the distribution of territories among the tribes of Israel, highlighting Caleb's inheritance of Hebron as a reward for his unwavering faith.
Psalm 129: A prayer for the downfall of Israel's enemies, expressing trust in God's righteousness and justice.

Reflections and Insights

Historical Context of the Conquests

Fr. Mike provides a comprehensive overview of the territorial expansions described in Joshua. He explains how Moses and Joshua led the Israelites in conquering lands beyond the Jordan River, referencing specific regions and their respective kings. This conquest narrative underscores the fulfillment of divine promises and the establishment of the Israelites as a nation in the Promised Land.

Moral Corruption of the Canaanites

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to understanding the moral decay of the Canaanite populations. Fr. Mike references Leviticus 18 and Deuteronomy 12 to elucidate the various forms of corruption, including sexual immorality and the abhorrent practice of child sacrifice. He emphasizes that these heinous acts were primary reasons for God's directive to cleanse the land, ensuring the Israelites did not succumb to similar corruptions.

Notable Quote:

"There's a bit of hyperbole here, that no man was left alive, no woman was left alive, no children were left alive. That is hyperbole." — Fr. Mike Schmitz [14:00]

Understanding Divine Commands and Hyperbole

Fr. Mike addresses the apparent brutality in the biblical accounts, particularly the commands for total destruction of enemy populations. He posits that such descriptions may employ hyperbole—a rhetorical device exaggerating for emphasis. By analyzing passages like Joshua 10 and 15, he illustrates discrepancies that suggest not every individual was eradicated, pointing towards a more nuanced interpretation of these events.

Key Points:

Hyperbolic Language: The absolute terms used in scripture may not always reflect literal historical events but serve to convey the severity of divine judgment.
Selective Memory of Battles: Instances where survivors are acknowledged (e.g., Joshua 15) imply that total annihilation was not always achieved, supporting the hyperbolic interpretation.

God's Ultimate Plan for Harmony and Reconciliation

Transitioning from historical analysis, Fr. Mike delves into the theological implications of these conquests. He asserts that God's ultimate vision is not one of perpetual warfare and division but of unity and reconciliation among all peoples. This perspective is rooted in the belief that God's desire is harmony within individuals, between communities, and with the divine.

Notable Quote:

"God's ultimate plan is not the destruction of the world. God's destruction plan is not the destruction of anyone who's different. God's will is not the destruction of someone who believes something differently, but God's plan, His will is the union of people, harmony back with each other." — Fr. Mike Schmitz [23:45]

Supporting Scriptures:

Deuteronomy 20: Limits the scope of warfare, emphasizing that the commands are specific to the inhabitants of Canaan.
Leviticus 18 & Deuteronomy 12: Highlight the moral reasons behind the eradication commands, aligning them with broader divine justice.

Contemporary Applications and Encouragement

In contemplating the historical accounts, Fr. Mike draws parallels to modern societal divisions and conflicts. He encourages listeners to embody the principles of fighting for one another, fostering unity, and praying for mutual understanding. By reflecting on Caleb's steadfast faith and dedication, Fr. Mike inspires the audience to persist in their spiritual journey, despite challenges.

Notable Quote:

"We are not divided, but united. We are not fighting against each other, but we are fighting for each other. Let us keep fighting for each other. Let's keep praying for each other. Let's keep holding each other up." — Fr. Mike Schmitz [24:30]

Conclusions

Day 85 of The Bible in a Year podcast offers a profound exploration of Joshua's conquests, intertwined with theological reflections on divine justice and ultimate reconciliation. Fr. Mike Schmitz adeptly balances historical narrative with spiritual insights, guiding listeners to comprehend the complexities of biblical warfare within the broader context of God's redemptive plan. The episode serves as a reminder of the importance of faithfulness, unity, and the transformative power of God's word in contemporary life.

Notable Quotes

On Perseverance in Faith:

"I am still as strong to this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me. My strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming." — Fr. Mike Schmitz [14:30]
On God's Righteousness:

"The Lord is righteous he has cut the cords of the wicked." — Fr. Mike Schmitz [10:15]
On Unity and Peace:

"God's desire is not the reconciliation and union of all people. And so that's what God's promise is, and that's what he's revealing on the way." — Fr. Mike Schmitz [22:00]

Prayer

The episode concludes with a heartfelt prayer, where Fr. Mike invites listeners to express gratitude for God's guidance through the Bible and seeks continued divine revelation of God's heart. The prayer emphasizes mutual support, unity, and the transformative influence of God's word in believers' lives.

Prayer Excerpt:

"We ask you to please continue to reveal your hearts to us that we can reveal our hearts to you. We make this prayer in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." — Fr. Mike Schmitz [19:50]

The Bible in a Year podcast continues to guide listeners through an enriching journey of biblical exploration, fostering a deeper understanding of scripture and its application in daily life. Day 85 stands as a testament to the intricate balance between historical context and spiritual introspection, encouraging believers to navigate their faith with both knowledge and compassion.

Transcript

Fr. Mike Schmitz (0:04)

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 85, and we're reading today from Joshua chapters 12, 13 and 14. We're also praying Psalm, Psalm 129. As always, I am reading from the Revised Standard Version, the second Catholic edition. I'm using the Great Adventure Bible from Ascension, which is just such a gift, especially when we're in the midst of the period of conquest and Judges. It gives some backstory, gives a great summary, you know, at the beginning of every one of these time periods, and kind of gives us an orientation of here's where we are, here's where we're going. If you want to also know here's where we are and here's where we're going. You can download your own Bible in a Year reading plan by visiting ascensionpress.com bibleinayear and you'll be able to cross out those dates and those chapters. I do it every day. I have this blue marker that I just like mark off every day. And it's just such a great gift of being able to say, yeah, we're moving and we're still cruising along and going through the Bible and marking up our Bibles and writing down these things that these insights that the Lord is giving to us. It's just such an incredible gift. You can also subscribe in your podcast app to this podcast to receive the daily episodes, which are put out pretty much every day, as you would expect daily episodes to be put out. So once Again, it's day 85. We're reading from Joshua, chapter 12, 13 and 14. We'll also be praying Psalm 129, the book of Joshua, chapter 12, the kings conquered by Moses. Now these are the kings of the land whom the sons of Israel defeated and took possession of their land beyond the Jordan, toward the sun rising from the valley of Arnon to Mount Hermon with all the Arabah eastward. Sihon, king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon and ruled from Aroer, which is on the edge of the Valley of Arnon, and from the middle of the valley as far as the River Jabbok, the boundary of the Ammonites, that is half of Gilead and the Arabah to the sea of Chinneroth eastward and in the direction of Beth Jeshemoth to the sea of the Arabah, the salt sea southward to the foot of the slopes of Pisgah and Og, king of Bashan, one of the remnant of the Rephaim who dwelt at Ashtaroth and at Edreai and ruled over Mount Hermon and Salacah and all Bashan to the boundary of the Geshurites and the Maakathites and over half of Gilead to the boundary of Sihon, king of Heshbon. Moses the servant of the Lord and the sons of Israel defeated them, and Moses the servant of the Lord, gave their land for a possession to the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half tribe of Manasseh, the kings conquered by Joshua. And these are the kings of the land whom Joshua and the sons of Israel defeated on the west side of the Jordan from BAAL Gad in the valley of Lebanon to Mount Halak that rises toward Seir. And Joshua gave their land to the tribes of Israel as a possession according to their allotments in the hill country, in the lowland, in the Arabah, in the slopes, in the wilderness, and in the Negev, the land of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites. The King of Jericho 1 the King of AI which is beside Bethel 1 the King of Jerusalem 1 the King of Hebron 1 the King of Jarmuth 1 the King of Lachish 1 the King of Eglon 1 the King of Gezer 1 the King of Debir 1 the King of Geder 1 the King of Hormah 1 the King of Arad 1 the King of Libnah 1 the King of Adullah 1 the King of Makkedah 1 the King of Bethel 1 the King of Tapuah 1 the King of Heffer 1 the King of Aphek 1 the King of Lacheron 1 the King of Madon 1 the King of Hazor 1 the King of Shimron Meron 1 the King of Ach 1 the King of Tanak 1 the King of Megiddo 1 the King of Kadesh 1 the King of Jokne Am in Carmel 1 the King of Dor in Nefathdor 1 the King of Goim in Galilee 1 the King of Tirzah 1 in all 31 Kings Chapter 13 still unconquered parts of Canaan now Joshua was old and advanced in years. And the Lord said to him, you are old and advanced in years, and there remains yet very much land to be possessed. This is the land that yet remains all the regions of the Philistines and all those of the Geshurites. From Shihor, which is east of Egypt, toward the boundary of Ekron, it is reckoned as Canaanite. There are five rulers of the Philistines. Those of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkeloth, Gath and Ekron, and those of the Avim in the south, all the land of the Canaanites and me, Arah, which belongs to the Sidonians, to Aphek, to the boundary of the Amorites and the land of the Gebelites, and all Lebanon toward the sun rising from BAAL Gad, below Mount Hermon to the entrance of Hamath. All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Mishraphoth Maim even all the Sidonians. I will myself drive them out from before. The sons of Israel only allot the land to Israel for an inheritance, as I have commanded you. Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes and the half tribe of Manasseh with the other half of the tribe of Manasseh. The Reubenites and the Gadites received their inheritance which Moses gave them beyond the Jordan, eastward, as Moses the servant of the Lord, gave them from Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, and the city that is in the middle of the valley, and all the tableland of the Medeba as far as Debon, and all the cities of Sihon, king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, as far as the boundary of the Ammonites and Gilead and the region of the Geshurites and the Maakathites, and all the Mount Hermon and all Bashan to Selecah, and all the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth, and in he alone was left of the remnant of the Rephaim these Moses had defeated and driven out. Yet the sons of Israel did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maakathites, but Geshur and Maakath dwell in the midst of Israel to this day. To the tribe of Levi alone, Moses gave no inheritance. The offerings by fire to the Lord God of Israel are their inheritance, as he said to them, the territory of Reuben and Moses gave an inheritance to the tribe of the Reubenites, according to their families. So their territory was from Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon and the city that is in the middle of the valley and all the Tableland by Medebah with Heshbon and all its cities that are in the Tableland, Debon and Bamoth, BAAL and Beth Baal, Meon and Jahaz and Kedemath and Mephaath and Kiriathaim and Sibmah and Zareth Shahar on the hill of the valley and Beth Peor and the slopes of Pisgah and Beth Jeshimoth, that is, all the cities of the Tableland and all the kingdom of Sihon, king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses defeated with the leaders of Midian, Evi and and Rekem and Zur and Hur and Rebah, the princes of Sihon, who dwelt in the land. Balaam, also the son of Beor the Soothsayer, the sons of Israel, killed with the sword among the rest of their slain. And the border of the people of Reuben was the Jordan as a boundary. This was the inheritance of the Reubenites according to their families with their cities and villages. The territory of Gad. And Moses gave an inheritance also to the tribe of the Gadites, according to their families. Their territory was Gezer and all the cities of Gilead and half the land of the Ammonites to Aroer, which is east of the Rabah and from Heshbon, Aramoth, Mizpah and Betonim and from Mahanaim to the territory of Debir and in the valley of Beth Haram, Beth Nimra, Sukkoth and Zaphon and the rest of the kingdom of Sihon, king of Heshbon, having the Jordan as a boundary to the lower end of the Sea of Chinnereth, eastward beyond the Jordan. This is the inheritance of the Gadites according to their families with their cities and villages. The territory of the half tribe of Manasseh. And Moses gave an inheritance to the half tribe of Manasseh. It was allotted to the half tribe of the Manassites according to their families. Their region extended from Mahanaim all through Bushan. The whole kingdom of Og, king of Bashan and all the towns of Jair, which are in Bashan. 60 cities and half Gilead and Ashtaroth and Edreai, the cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan. These were allotted to the people of Makir, the son of Manasseh for the half of the Machirites according to their families. These are the inheritances which Moses distributed in the Plains of Moab, beyond the Jordan, east of Jericho. But to the tribe of Levi, Moses gave no inheritance. The Lord God of Israel is their inheritance, as he said to them. Chapter 14. The distribution of territory west of the Jordan. And these are the inheritances which the sons of Israel received in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers, houses of the tribes of the sons of Israel distributed to them. Their inheritance was by Lot, as the Lord had commanded moses for the 9 1/2 tribes. For Moses had given an inheritance to the 2 1/2 tribes beyond the Jordan. But to the Levites he gave no inheritance. Among them. For the people of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim. And no portion was given to the Levites in the land, but only cities to dwell in with their pasture lands for their cattle and their substance. The sons of Israel did as the Lord commanded Moses. They allotted the land Hebron allotted to Caleb. Then the people of Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal. And Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite, said to him, you know what the Lord said to Moses, the man of God in Kadesh Barnea, concerning you and me? I was 40 years old when Moses, the servant of the Lord, sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land. And I brought him word again, as it was in my heart. But my brethren who went up with me, made the heart of the people melt. Yet I wholly followed the Lord my God. And Moses swore on that day, saying, surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you and your children forever. Because you have wholly followed the Lord, my God. And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, as he said all these 40 years, since the time that the Lord spoke this word to Moses while Israel walked in the wilderness. And now, behold, I am this day 85 years old. I am still as strong to this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me. My strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming. So now give me this hill country of which the Lord spoke on that day. For you heard on that day how the Anakim were there, with great fortified cities. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall drive them out, as the Lord said. Then Joshua blessed him, and he gave Hebron to Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, for an inheritance. So Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb, the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he wholly followed the Lord, the God of Israel. Now the name of Hebron formerly was Kiriath Arba. This Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim, and the land had rest from war. Psalm 129 Prayer for the Downfall of Israel's Enemies A Song of Ascents Sorely have they afflicted me from my youth. Let Israel now say, sorely have they afflicted me from my youth. Yet they have not prevailed against me. The ploughers ploughed upon my back they made long their furrows. The Lord is righteous he has cut the cords of the wicked. May all who hate Zion be put to shame and turned backward. Let them be like the grass on the housetops, which withers before it grows up, with which the reaper does not fill his hand, or the binder of sheaves his arms, while those who pass by do not say, the blessing of the Lord be upon you. We bless you in the name of the Lord. Father in heaven, we give you praise and glory. We thank you for bringing us to this day. We thank you for bringing us all the way through this Bible to this point, your word to this point. And we know that without your word, we won't even know who you are. We would not know who we are, God, without revealing yourself to us and revealing your heart to us. Yes, we could see your traces. We can see your fingerprints in the world around us. We can see hints at your truth in the created world, the world you created. As we can see the person of the artist in the artwork. Yet, Lord, we still might not know your heart unless you revealed your heart to us. And so we ask you to please continue to reveal your hearts to us that we can reveal our hearts to you. We make this prayer in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Okay, just a couple quick things I want to this is where we kind of go deep into this whole thing of, like, what's happening when it comes to the battles, what's happening when it comes to this war, and how easily is it for us to misunderstand what is happening? Now? This is clearly this is not meant to be whitewashing of history, right? And what I'm about to say is not meant to take away from the fact that, like I said yesterday, these are troubled times and it was not part of God's original plan. Now, not only was this not part of God's original plan, his Original plan was peace, right? Harmony, as I said yesterday, harmony in ourselves, harmony with each other, in harmony with God. And now here we live in this broken and divided world. But also what we recognize is what I've said before, but just be reminded of this, is that the people of Israel, God is commanding this war. He's commanding this destruction. And we just think about this kind of warfare that just is so strange and so violent and brutal. Not that all war isn't violent or brutal, but is so absolute, is because of the falseness, because of the fickleness of the hearts of the people of Israel, which is also in our hearts. That if they're going to live as God's holy people, then God knows that they're not going to be able to live among a people that they they'd be so tempted to live as the people around them. That's what we heard in Numbers, we've heard in Deuteronomy again and again. God knows that if they just try to coexist with these people, they will fail. Now, that's not to say that we don't coexist now. In fact, that's what we all want to talk about right now is there's three reasons, especially when people get upset by this. I remember coming across this. I thought it was so wise that these people had put this together. They had said, there's at least three reasons or three things to keep in mind as Joshua is leading these people into battle, is leading the people of Israel into battle. And it talks about. The first reason is because of the moral corruption of the people of the Canaanites. And in fact, if you remember back In Leviticus, chapter 18, they had two kinds of corruption. They had at least two kinds of corruption. One was a sexual corruption that they just took for granted. And Leviticus 18 has a whole slew of things that were very, very common in the land of Canaan. That's what they were doing. That's why God is driving them out, is because of this moral corruption. But also, it wasn't just in their sexual lives. In Deuteronomy, chapter 12, if you remember this, these people, as I mentioned yesterday, performed child sacrifice. So there is a judgment that God is extending upon these people. And so they are fulfillment of God's judgment at some point. That's the first thing they're entering into this place of moral corruption. But secondly, we think, okay, but is God commanding a genocide? Is he calling this commandment for the destruction of everybody? What we have to understand is that this is a bit of hyperbole. That calling for the destruction of everybody is not exactly what happened, but it is a way to hyperbolize or to exaggerate the amount of destruction that happens. How do we know this? We know this because in Deuteronomy chapter 7, which we went through a while back, God is calling for the destruction of everybody, says, destroy everyone. Through Moses, he's saying this, but. But then he also says, but also don't marry them or do business with them. And you think, oh, wait, so the scripture itself is giving us a clue into the fact that, okay, so maybe this is hyperbole. When you say destroy everyone and also don't marry them or do business with them. It'd be very hard to do business with someone or marry someone that has been completely destroyed. Not only that, but in Joshua chapter 10, which we heard yesterday, it says, leave no survivors in these cities. But what we're going to hear tomorrow in Joshua chapter 15, we're going to hear about the people still being there. And it said that they destroyed everyone in the city, but then they're going to go back and there are going to be people in the city. So I left no survivors. It says in chapter 10. But basically chapter 15 of the same book, it talks about people still being there. So what we're looking at is. We're looking at hyperbole here, that no man was left alive, no woman was left alive, no children were left alive. That is hyperbole. Not only this, but God reveals. He's already revealed to us in Deuteronomy chapter 20 that this is a limited engagement. This is completely limited engagement. This is just for these people of Canaan, the land of Canaan, Because God's will is that Israel has peace with all nations that remember this. The prophecy is that people come from north and south and east and west, and they respond to God's blessing. They respond to his promise of being present to them that God's desire is not division among people. God's desire is not the destruction of people, but God's desire is the reconciliation and union of all people. And so that's what God's promise is, and that's what he's revealing on the way. It is incredibly difficult, though. But keep these things in mind that there was a reason the land of Canaan was being. The people of the land of Canaan were being defeated. There's a reason why they were being driven out. But also they was restrained, simply, you might say, hyperbolized or exaggerated about. And knowing these things, we know that God's ultimate plan is not the destruction of the world. God's destruction plan is not the destruction of anyone who's different. God's will is not the destruction of someone who believes something differently, but God's plan, His will is the union of people, harmony back with each other. Harmony within ourselves, harmony above all with Him. And so that is God's plan, and that is what we're going to be continuing to get deeper and deeper into as we continue these days of these journeys. And so once again, as I said yesterday, since that God, that is God's plan. That we are not divided, but united. That we're not fighting against each other, but we are fighting for each other. Let us keep fighting for each other. Let's keep praying for each other. Let's keep holding each other up. Especially, you know, day 85. We've covered a lot of ground. We've come so far. We've got some. Some distance to cover still. And so keep each other in prayer. I'm praying for you. My name is Father Mike. I cannot wait to see you tomorrow. God bless.