Day 267: Indifference and Apathy (2026)

0:00We can't lose our faith the way we lose our car keys. We either give it away or we let it decay because we don't use it. Hi, my name is Father Mike Schmitz and in my new book Unshakable Building a Life of Virtue in a World of Chaos, I tell faith-filled stories that inspire you to live a life of virtue that flows from the unshakable power of God. Although we're surrounded by a culture that mocks virtue, we can feed ourselves stories that really do uphold what is good and promote a virtuous life. When we live this way, we experience freedom and joy like never before. It's my prayer that the stories in my book Unshakable will inspire you to fight the battle for a virtuous life and win through trust in an Unshakable God. Order your copy at ascensionpress.com Hi, my name is Father Mike Schmitz and you're listening to the Bible in a Year Podcast, where we encounter God's voice and live life through the lens of Scripture.

1:01The Bible in a Year Podcast is brought to you by Ascension, using the great adventure Bible timeline will 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 267. We are in a new time period, the period of the return you might have heard, Jeff and me. Jeff and I, Jeff and I? No, Jeff and me. Jeff and me talk about this new time period we have the return. The people of Israel have been in exile in Babylon and they are now going to be set free heading back to the Promised Land. Now remember that Cyrus King of Persia, you're going to hear his name today, Cyrus King of Persia, they had conquered the Babylonians. And because in the book of the prophets, it talked about a Cyrus would be raised up and he would send his people back to their homeland, back to the Promised Land. And so Cyrus does this. So we're reading Ezra 1 and 2, which is our historical book, as well as Hegey chapter 1 and 2, which is a prophetic book. We're also reading Proverbs chapter 20 verses 1 through 3. As always the Bible translation I'm reading from is the revised Sandra Versa, second Catholic edition.

2:02I'm using the great adventure Bible from Ascension. If you want to download your own Bible Any Year reading plan, you can visit AscensionPress.com slash Bible Any Year. You can also subscribe to this podcast by clicking on subscribe and then you would be subscribed. As I said, it's 267. We're reading Ezra, chapters 1 and 2, Hegey chapter 1 and 2, which is the entire book, as well as Proverbs chapter 20 verses 1 through 3. The Book of Ezra, chapter 1. The end of the Babylonian captivity. In the first year of Cyrus, King of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, King of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing. Thus says Cyrus, King of Persia, the Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel.

3:02He is the God who is in Jerusalem, and let each survivor in whatever place he so germs be assisted by the men of his place with silver and gold, with goods and with beasts besides free will offerings for the house of God which is in Jerusalem. Then rose up the heads of the father's houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites, everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up to rebuild the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem. And all who were about them aided them with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, with beasts, and with costly wares besides all that was freely offered. Cyrus, the king also brought out the vessels of the house of the Lord which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and placed in the house of his gods. Cyrus King of Persia brought these out in charge of Mithradath, the treasurer, who countered them out to Shashvajar, the Prince of Judah. And this was the number of them, a thousand basins of gold, a thousand basins of silver, 29 sensors, 30 bowls of gold, 2,410 bowls of silver, and a thousand other vessels.

4:03All the vessels of gold and of silver were 5,469. All these did Shashvajar bring up when the exiles were brought up from Babylonia to Jerusalem. Chapter 2. List of returned exiles. Now these were the people of the province who came up out of the captivity of those exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried captive to Babylonia. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah each to his own town. They came with Zerubabal, Joshua, Nihemiah, Saraya, Rayalaya, Mordekai, Billshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum and Baana. The number of the men of the sons of Israel, the sons of Parosh, 2,172. The sons of Shephataya, 372. The sons of Arah, 775. The sons of Pahaf Moab, namely the sons of Joshua and Joab, 2812. The sons of Alam, 1,254. The sons of Zatu, 945. The sons of Zakai, 760.

5:11The sons of Bani, 642. The sons of Bigvai, 623. The sons of Asgad, 1222. The sons of Adanaqam, 666. The sons of Bigvai, 256. The sons of Adin, 454. The sons of Ata, namely of Hezekiah, 98. The sons of Bzae, 323. The sons of Jora, 112. The sons of Hashum, 223. The sons of Ghibar, 95. The sons of Bethlehem, 123. The men of Netofah, 56. The men of Anathoth, 128. The sons of Asma-Veth, 42. The sons of Kiryath-Arem, Chifirah, and Beiroth, 743. The sons of Rama and Ghiba, 621. The men of Myqmas, 122. The men of Bethel, and Ayah, 223. The sons of Niba, 52. The sons of Magbysh, 156. The sons of the Other Alam, 1254. The sons of Harem, 320. The sons of Load, Hadid, and Óno, 725. The sons of Jericho, 145.

6:36The sons of Sanah, 3630. The priests, the sons of Jadaya of the house of Joshua, 973. The sons of Emer, 1552. The sons of Pashwar, 1247. The sons of Harim, 1117. The Levites, the sons of Joshua and Kadmiel of the sons of Hordevaya, 74. The singers, the sons of Asaf, 128. The sons of the gatekeepers, the sons of Shalom, the sons of Atar, the sons of Talman, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hatita, and the sons of Shobai, in all, 139. The temple servants, the sons of Zihra, the sons of Hasufah, the sons of Tabaoth, the sons of Keros, the sons of Siyaha, the sons of Padon, the sons of Libana, the sons of Hagaba, the sons of Akhead, the sons of Hegab, the sons of Shammala, the sons of Hadan , the sons

7:38of Gael, the sons of Gehar, the sons ofUEhrea, the sons of Rezaan, the sons of N'ikbara , the sons of Ghazamm, the sons of Huzya, the sons of Pasia, the sons of B拍, the sons of Asna, the sons of Mayunim, the sons of Empressyne mature, can't stand on theensoredan. the Bain and the sons of Ami. All the temple servants and the sons of Solomon's servants were 392. The following were those who came up from Tel-Malah, Tel-Hashah, Chirub, Adan, and

8:40Imr, though they could not prove their father's houses or their descent whether they belonged to Israel, the sons of Delaya, the sons of Tobaya, and the sons of Nakura, 652. So of the sons of the priests, the sons of Habaya, the sons of Hakkas, and the sons of Barzalai, who had taken a wife from the daughters of Barzalai, the Gileadite, and was called by their name. These sought their registration among those enrolled in the genealogies, but they were not found there, and so they were excluded from the priesthood as unclean. The governor told them that they were not to partake of the most holy food until there should be a priest to consult Urum and Thumin. The whole assembly together was 42,360 besides their men's servants and maid servants of whom there were 7,337, and they had 200 male and female singers. Their horses were 736, their mules were 245, their camels were 435, and their donkeys were 6,720.

9:41Some of the heads of families, when they came to the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem, made free will offerings for the house of God to erect it on its site according to their ability, they gave to the treasury of the work 61,000 dericks of gold, 5,000 menas of silver, and 100 priest garments. The priests, the Levites, and some of the people lived in Jerusalem and its vicinity, and the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants lived in their towns, in all Israel, in their towns. The Book of Haggai, Chapter 1. The command to rebuild the temple. In the second year of Darius the King, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, Tuzirubabel, the son of Shaltiel, governor of Judah, and Tujashua, the son of Jehosidak, the high priest. Bus says the Lord of hosts. This people say, the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord. Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet.

10:42Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paddled houses while this house lies in ruins? Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts. Consider how you have fared. You have sown much and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough. You drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages, earns wages to put them into a bag with holes. Bus says the Lord of hosts. Consider how you have fared. Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house that I may take pleasure in it and that I may appear in my glory, says the Lord. You have looked for much and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why, says the Lord of hosts? Because of my house that lies in ruins while you busy yourselves each with his own house. Therefore, the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. I have called for a drought upon the land and the hills upon the grain, the new wine,

11:43the oil upon what the ground brings forth upon men and cattle and upon all their labors. The people obey. Then Zeruba bell, the son of Shaltio, and Joshua, the son of Jehosedak, the high priest. With all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the words of Hegai the prophet as the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared before the Lord. And Hegai, the messenger of the Lord, spoke to the people with the Lord's message. I am with you, says the Lord. And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zeruba bell, the son of Shaltio, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua, the son of Jehosedak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. And they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts their God on the 24th day of the month, in the 6th month. Chapter 2 The Splendor of the Temple In the second year of Darius, the king, in the 7th month, on the 21st day of the month, the word of the Lord came by Hegai the prophet. Speak now to Zeruba bell, son of Shaltio, governor of Judah, and to Joshua, the son of

12:46Jehosedak, the high priest, and to all the remnant of the people and say, who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not in your sight as nothing? Now take courage, O Zeruba bell, says the Lord. Take courage, O Joshua, son of Jehosedak, the high priest. Take courage, all you people of the land says the Lord. Work, for I am with you, says the Lord of hosts, according to the promise that I made you when you came out of Egypt. My spirit abides among you. Fear not. For thus says the Lord of hosts. Once again, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. And I will shake all nations so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with splendor, says the Lord of hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord of hosts. The latter splendor of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place, I will give prosperity, says the Lord of hosts.

13:50A rebuke and a promise. On the 24th day of the ninth month, in the second year of derriest, the word of the Lord came by Hegai the prophet. Thus says the Lord of hosts. Ask the priests to decide this question. If one carries holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and touches with his skirt, bread or potage, or wine, or oil, or any kind of food, does it become holy? The priest's answer, no. Then Hegai said, if one who was unclean by contact with a dead body touches any of these, does it become unclean? The priest's answer, it does become unclean. Then Hegai said, so is it with this people, and with this nation before me, says the Lord, and so with every work of their hands, and what they offer there is unclean. Please now, consider what will come to pass from this day onward. Before a stone was placed upon a stone in the temple of the Lord, how did you fare? When one came to a heap of twenty measures, there were but ten. When one came to the wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were but twenty.

14:54I struck you, in all the products of your toil with blight and mildew and hail, yet you did not return to me, says the Lord. Consider from this day onward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month. Since the day that the foundation of the Lord's temple was laid, consider is the seed yet in the barn? Do the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree still yield nothing? From this day on, I will bless you. God's promise to Zerubabel. The word of the Lord came a second time to Hegai on the twenty-fourth day of the month. Speak to Zerubabel, governor of Judah, saying, I am about to shake the heavens and the earth, and to overthrow the throne of kingdoms. I am about to destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations, and overthrow the chariots and their riders, and the horses and their riders shall go down every one by the sword of his fellow. On that day, says the Lord of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubabel, my servant, the son of Shieltiel, says the Lord, and make you like a signatory,

15:55for I have chosen you, says the Lord of hosts. The book of Proverbs, chapter 20, verses 1 through 3. Wine is a mocker, strong drink, a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise. The dread wrath of a king is like the growling of a lion. He who provokes him to anger forfeits his life. It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife, but every fool will be quarreling. Father in heaven, give you praise and glory, and we thank you. Thank you for bringing us back to this story. Thank you for bringing us back to this place of return, this opportunity that the people of Israel had to come home, to go to the promised land, even though it was a foreign land, so many of them. We ask you to help us, because you know we know that you've made us for two worlds, you made us for this world, and you made us for the next world. And that while this world during this life is our home, this is not our permanent home.

16:57You've made us for another home, you've made us for another world. It is a world that is foreign to us, and oftentimes we are indifferent to it. But Lord God, in this story of return, we ask that you please not only remind us of the story of your people, but also remind us of our destiny. That while we live in this world, we are made for another world. While this world is currently our home, it is not our final and ultimate home. Give us a longing for that home. Give us the will to fight for that home, and bring us home, ultimately, by your grace. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, amen. It's just really brief. What a gift that the Proverbs, there are so many good ones. Proverbs 20 verse 1, One is a mocker, strong drink, a brawler, and whoever has led a stray by it is not wise. Yeah, just that sense of how many people have led their lives be dominated by alcohol. And yeah, a stray by is not wise. And also, Proverbs 20 verse 3, it is an honor for a man to keep a loof from strife. But every fool will be quarreling.

17:58And that's the case. So often we jump into every little fight, every little argument, every little, whether it be nitpicking or every little kind of like, if you add every quarrel, and we recognize that way back when we were reading the story of King David, we had asked that prayer was, God, you show me the battles you want me to fight, and the battles you want me to stay clear of. Where do you want me to engage and go up and do battle or engage? I use those words again. And where do you want me to just say, okay, that's a fight, but it's not my fight. To have that wisdom to be able to do that and to not have that wisdom is, as scripture says, to be a fool. So going back to our scriptures today, gosh, it's so good. We have this story of the return, right? The beginning of the return in Ezra. Ezra is a scribe. And we're going to see that chapters one through six in Ezra are going to look a certain way. And then the second half of Book of Ezra is going to look a different way. But the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, originally one contained book. Usually they're called first and second book of Ezra, but the two books, originally one, probably written the same time as Chronicles. Remember Chronicles is that summary story that we read already, the summary story of God

19:00leading his people from slavery in Egypt to freedom to the land of the promised land to exile and back again. So here is the story of back again, right? The story of return. And one of the things we realize is that this beginning of the book of Ezra fulfills the prophecy of Jeremiah where King Cyrus was named as the one who would let the people of Israel go back to Israel. I believe I have to double check on this one. I thought also that he might be named in Isaiah. I'm going to double check on that. Get back to you because we have a few days with Ezra and Nehemiah. But there's something really remarkable about this story that here's God being faithful to his promise. Remember he brought his people, the people Israel into exile, not to destroy them, not at all to destroy them, but to reform their hearts. And now the opportunity to go back home. One of the things we're going to see is that not every when he goes back home. In fact, there are a number of waves. Kind of like there were waves of people in the exile. Three waves. There are going to be three waves of people returning from exile back to Jerusalem.

20:02But an interesting thing is not everyone decides to return. Even though here is Cyrus King of Persia who goes into the storehouses of the Babylonians and says, okay, here's all the vessels or many of the vessels at least that were stolen from the temple of God. You can bring them back the temple when it's built. And that's where we bring our, that's what that brings us to. My goodness, easy for me to say. That brings us to the book of Haggai. Haggai only two chapters long. So it's the second maybe shortest book of the Old Testament. It can be divided into maybe three parts. And those three parts is, I heard a Bible teacher talk about this. That the first part is apathy. That here's the people who they were brought back to Jerusalem so they could rebuild the temple. You know, all those lists of families, all the Levites, all the priests. They came home so that they could rebuild the temple. And now it's been 16 years. That's when Haggai is written. It's been 16 years since they've been back and they haven't even started constructing the temple. They're apathetic towards this. They're just building their own homes. And so God points out, yeah, you might have noticed that you're not satisfied.

21:04You might have noticed that you drink, but you're not, you know, you're still thirsty. You might have noticed that you eat, but you're still hungry. You might have noticed that you keep doing all these things and you're not satisfied. That might have something to do with the fact that you haven't really actually served me. You haven't done what your brim brought back to do, which is to rebuild the temple. So they're apathetic. And second, in chapter, they're discouraged because they've started rebuilding and things still haven't turned around quite yet. And thirdly, here is this story of the fact that, okay, unless they reform their lives, there's going to be consequences. It's the same story, right, of our lives, the same story of the entire Bible. Unless you turn from evil and turn back to the Lord, your sin is not going to end with you. That is going to be passed on to the people around you. It's going to be passed on to the way you end up living. So this is, hey guy, the prophet, not only saying, okay, get rid of your apathy, get rid of your indifference to the house of the Lord. The guy saying that you don't also don't have to be discouraged. Don't be long in the mouth. Don't, long in the face, whatever. Don't be sad. You can actually move forward. The God is calling you.

22:05He's going to help you with this project. And then thirdly, reform your lives or else, just like in ancient times, just like in older times, just like for your fathers and your fathers' fathers and your mothers and your mothers' mothers, your evil will not end with you. But it will be passed on. So reform now is such a good short book, but also just can mix us because there are areas of our lives where we're apathetic. Areas of our lives where we're discouraged and areas of our lives where we realize I need to reform and turn back to the Lord pronto. And so we ask the Lord to help us turn back to him because he's never made for him. And he's given his life for us. So for those wounds of apathy, discouragement and need for repentance, I am praying for you. And for those same wounds, please pray for me. On whose Father Mike, I cannot wait to see you tomorrow. God bless.