Day 87: God Keeps His Promises (2026)

Hi, my name is Father Mike Schmitz and you're listening to The Bible Any Year Podcast, where

we encounter God's voice and live life through the lens of Scripture.

The Bible Any 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 87, we have only this day and tomorrow until we're completed the Book of

Joshua moving on to the Book of Judges, which is just phenomenal.

We're reading today from Joshua 19, 20, and 21.

We'll be praying from Psalm 131 today.

As always, I am reading from the revised standard version, the second Catholic edition.

I'm using the Great Adventure Bible from Ascension, so if you want to pick one of those

up, they're really great, especially as I mentioned yesterday when I'll be reading

from Joshua 19, 20, and 21.

There's a lot of talks about places and the divisions of the tribes and their lands.

The land that is ascribed by lot to the, or portioned by lot, to the tribes of Israel.

If you want to be able to have a visual along with that, you can find one of those

Great Adventure Bibles and the backs they have maps, or even just pull up on your phone

or on whatever it is if you're not driving somewhere you can look to see what that map

possibly look like.

That could be really helpful today for the reading today.

If you want to download your own Bible in a year reading plan, speaking of maps because

that's kind of like a map for how we're walking through the Bible, you can go to AscensionPrest.com.

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Again, it's day 87, we're reading Joshua 19, 20, and 21 in praying Psalm 131.

The book of Joshua 19, the territory of Simeon.

The second lot came out for Simeon, for the tribe of Simeon, according to its families,

and its inheritance was in the midst of the inheritance of the tribe of Judah.

And it had for its inheritance, Bir Shiba, Shiba, Lada, Hazar Shual, Bala, Asim, El Toulad,

Bethul, Horma, Ziklag, Beth Makraboth, Hazar, Susah, Beth Lebaoth, and Shurahen.

Thirteen cities with their villages, En Ramon, Aether, and Ashahn, four cities with their

villages, together with all the villages round about these cities as far as Baalath-Bier,

Ramah of the Nagev.

This was the inheritance of the tribe of Simeon, according to its families.

The inheritance of the tribe of Simeon formed part of the territory of Judah, because

the portion of the tribe of Judah was too large for them.

The tribe of Simeon obtained an inheritance in the midst of their inheritance.

The territory of Zebulin.

The third lot came up for the tribe of Zebulin, according to its families, and the territory

of its inheritance reached as far as Sarid.

Then its boundary goes up westward and on to Mauryal, and touches Debasheth.

Then the Brook, which is east of Jhuknaam, from Sarid, it goes in the other direction eastward

toward the sunrise to the boundary of Chislawth-Taber.

Then it goes to Debarath, then up to Jaffiya.

From there, it passes along on the east toward the sunrise to Gathepher, then to Eth-Kassin

and going on to Rimon, it bends towards Niyah.

Then on the north of the boundary turns about to Hanathan, and it ends at the valley of Iffta'al.

And at Kata, Nahal, Shimron, Ida'la, and Bethlehem, twelve cities with their villages.

This is the inheritance of the tribe of Zebulin, according to its families.

These cities with their villages.

The territory of Izakar.

The fourth lot came out for Izakar.

For the tribe of Izakar, according to its families, its territory included Jezreel, Chesaloth,

Shunam, Hafarah Im, Shihon, Anaharath, Rabith, Kishion, Ebez, Rameth, Enganim, Enhadah,

Beth Pazez, the boundary also touches Taber, Shahazuma, and Beth Shamesh, and its boundary

ends at the Jordan.

16 cities with their villages.

This is the inheritance of the tribe of Izakar, according to its families.

The cities with their villages.

The territory of Asher.

The fifth lot came out for the tribe of Asher, according to its families.

Its territory included Helkath, Halli, Baten, Akshaf, Alamalak, Amad, and Mishal.

On the west, it touches Carmel and Shihon, then it turns eastward.

It goes to Beth Degan, and touches Zebulan on the valley of Iftahel, northward to Beth

Emech and Ayel.

Then it continues in the north to Kabul, Ebron, Rehob, Hamun, Kanah, as far as side

and the great.

Then the boundary runs to Rama, reaching to the fortified city of Tyre, then the boundary

turns to Khosa, and it ends at the sea.

Al-Halab, Aqzib, Umah, Afeq, and Rehob, 22 cities with their villages.

This is the inheritance of the tribe of Asher, according to its families.

These cities with their villages.

The territory of Nafdali.

The sixth lot came out for the tribe of Nafdali, according to its families.

And its boundary ran from Hellef, from the oak of Zaananim, and Adami Nakeb, and Jabnil,

as far as Lakum, and it ended at the Jordan.

Then the boundary turns westward to Asnoth Taber, and goes from there to Hukuk, touching Zebulan

at the south and Asher on the west, and Judah on the east at the Jordan.

The fortified cities are Zidim, Zer, Hamath, Rakath, Chenerath, Adema, Rama, Hezor, Kadesh,

Idriai, and Hezor, Yerun, Migdalal, Horam, Beth Anath, and Beth Shamath.

Nineteen cities with their villages.

This is the inheritance of the tribes of Nafdali, according to its families.

The cities with their villages.

The territory of Dan.

The seventh lot came out for the tribe of Dan, according to its families.

And the territory of its inheritance included Zora, Eshtaol, Ershamesh, Shah Alabin, Ayjalan,

Idhla, Elan, Timna, Akron, Elthaka, Gibathan, Baalath, Jehud, Benebarak, Gath Ramon,

and Mejakon, and Rakon, with the territory over against Japa.

With the territory of the Danites was lost to them, the Danites went up and fought against

Lesham, and after capturing it and putting it to the sword, they took possession of it

and settled in it, calling Lesham Dan after the name of Dan their ancestor.

This is the inheritance of the tribe of Dan, according to their families, these cities

with their villages.

The inheritance of Joshua.

When they had finished distributing the several territories of the land as inheritances,

the sons of Israel gave an inheritance among them to Joshua, the son of Nun.

By command of the Lord, they gave him the city which he asked.

Timnath Serah, in the hill country of Ephraim, and he rebuilt the city and settled in it.

These are the inheritances which Eliezar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads

of the father's houses of the tribes of the sons of Israel, distributed by Lot at Shiloh

before the Lord, at the door of the tent of meeting, so they finished dividing the land.

Chapter 20 The City of Refuge

Then the Lord said to Joshua, say to the sons of Israel, appoint the cities of refuge

of which I spoke to you through Moses, that the man's slayer who kills any person without

intent or unwittingly may flee there.

They shall be for you a refuge from the Avenger of Blood.

He shall flee to one of these cities and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the

city and explain his case to the elders of that city.

Then they shall take him into the city and give him a place, and he shall remain with

them.

And if the Avenger of Blood pursues him, they shall not give up the slayer into his hand,

since he killed his neighbor unwittingly, having had no enmity against him in times past.

And he shall remain in that city until he has stood before the congregation for judgment,

until the death of him who is high priest at that time, then the slayer may go again to

his own town and his own home to the town from which he fled.

So they set apart Kadesh and Galilee in the hill country of Naftali, and Shekham in the

hill country of Ephraim, and Karyath Arba that is Hebron in the hill country of Judah.

And beyond the Jordan east of Jericho, they appointed Bezer in their wilderness on the

table-land from the tribe of Ruben, and Ramoth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad, and Golan

in Bashan from the tribe of Manasa.

These were the cities designated for all the sons of Israel and for the stranger so journey

among them that anyone who killed a person without intent could flee there, so that he

might not die by the hand of the Avenger of Blood till he stood before the congregation.

Chapter 21 The cities of the Levites

Then the heads of the father's houses of the Levites came to Eleazar the priest and to

Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of the father's houses of the tribes of the

sons of Israel, and they said to them, at Shiloh in the land of Canaan.

The Lord commanded through Moses that we be given cities to dwell in, along with their

pasture lands for our cattle.

So by command of the Lord, the sons of Israel gave to the Levites the following cities and

pasture lands out of their inheritance.

The lot came out for the families of the Khoa Thites, so those Levites who were descendants

of Aaron the priest received by Lot from the tribe of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin, 13 cities.

And the rest of the Khoa Thites received by Lot from the families of the tribe of Ephraim,

from the tribe of Dan, and from the half tribe of Manasa, 10 cities.

The Gershinites received by Lot from the families of the tribe of Isaacar, from the tribe of

Asher, from the tribe of Naftali, and from the half tribe of Manasa in Bashan, 13 cities.

The mirrorites, according to their families, received from the tribe of Ruben, the tribe

of Gad, and the tribe of Zebulin, 12 cities.

These cities and their pasture lands, the sons of Israel, gave by Lot to the Levites as the

Lord had commanded through Moses.

Out of the tribe of Judah and the tribe of Simeon, they gave the following cities mentioned

by name, which went to the descendants of Aaron, one of the families of the Khoa Thites

who belonged to the Levites since the Lot fell to them first.

They gave them Kuryath Arba, Arba being the father of a Naq, that is Hebron, in the

hill country of Judah, along with the pasture lands round about it.

But the fields of the city and its villages had been given to Caleb the sons of Jephrona

as his possession.

And to the descendants of Aaron, the priest, they gave Hebron, the city of refuge for

the slayer, with its pasture lands, Libna, with its pasture lands, Jatir, with its pasture

lands, Eshtamoa, with its pasture lands, Holon, with its pasture lands, Debir, with

its pasture lands, Aiyin, with its pasture lands, Juta, with its pasture lands, Beth Shamesh,

with its pasture lands, Nine cities out of these two tribes, then out of the tribe of Benjamin

Gibyan, with its pasture lands, Giba, with its pasture lands, Anathoth, with its pasture

lands, and Alman, with its pasture lands, four cities.

The cities of the descendants of Aaron, the priests, were in all 13 cities with their

pasture lands.

And to the rest of the co-authights, belonging to the co-authight families of the Levites,

the cities allotted to them were out of the tribe of Ephraim.

To them were given Shechem, the city of refuge for the slayer, with its pasture lands in

the hill country of Ephraim.

Gizar, with its pasture lands, Kibzaim, with its pasture lands, Beth Horon, with its pasture

lands, four cities.

And out of the tribe of Dan, El-Tiki, with its pasture lands.

Giba-thon, with its pasture lands, Ijalan, with its pasture lands.

Gothraman, with its pasture lands, four cities.

And out of the half tribe of Manasa, Tanakh, with its pasture lands.

And Gothraman, with its pasture lands, two cities.

The cities of the families of the rest of the co-authights were ten in all with their

pasture lands.

And to the Gershinites, one of the families of the Levites were given out of the half tribe

of Manasa, Golan, in Vashan, with its pasture lands.

The city of refuge for the slayer.

And Beshtara, with its pasture lands, two cities.

And out of the tribe of Issaqar, Kishion, with its pasture lands.

Debarath, with its pasture lands.

Jarmuth, with its pasture lands.

In Ghanim, with its pasture lands, four cities.

And out of the tribe of Asher, Mishal, with its pasture lands, Abdon, with its pasture lands.

Helkath, with its pasture lands.

And Rehob, with its pasture lands, four cities.

And out of the tribe of Naftali, Kadesh in Galilee, with its pasture lands.

the city of refuge for the slayer, Hamatador, with its pasturelands, and Kartan with its

pasturelands of three cities. The cities of the several families of the Gershnaids were

in all thirteen cities with their pasturelands. And to the rest of the Levites, the Mererite

families, were given out of the tribe of Zebulin, Jhukneam with its pasturelands, Karta with

its pasturelands, Dimna with its pasturelands, Nahalal with its pasturelands, four cities,

and out of the tribe of Rubin, Bazar with its pasturelands, Jahaz with its pasturelands,

Kiddamoth with its pasturelands, and Mifhaoth with its pasturelands, four cities. And out

of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth and Giliad with its pasturelands, the city of refuge for the

slayer, Manahneem with its pasturelands, Hafshban with its pasturelands, Jezir with its

pasturelands, four cities in all. As for the cities of the several Mererite families,

that is, the remainder of the families of the Levites were allotted to them in all twelve

cities. The cities of the Levites, in the midst of the possession of the sons of Israel,

were in all forty-eight cities with their pasturelands. These cities had each its pasturelands

round about it, so it was with all these cities. Thus the Lord gave to Israel all the land

which he swore to give to their fathers, and having taken possession of it, they settled

there. And the Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their fathers,

not one of all their enemies had withstood them, for the Lord had given all their enemies

into their hands. Not one of all the good promises which the Lord had made to the house

of Israel had failed. All came to pass.

Psalm 131, a song of quiet trust, a song of a sense of David. O Lord, my heart is not lifted

up. My eyes are not raised too high. I do not occupy myself with things too great and

too marvelous for me, but I have calmed and quieted my soul like a child quieted at its

mother's breast. Like a child that is quieted is my soul. O Israel, hope in the Lord, from

this time forth and forevermore. Father in heaven, we give you praise, we thank

you. We give you glory and honor and every breath we have is from you. Every heartbeat

is from you. So we thank you for every heartbeat. We thank you with every heartbeat. We thank

you for every breath and we thank you with every breath. Lord God, you've given them

to us for free and we are so blind to them so often. So every moment of every day, this

day, especially this day, every heartbeat, every breath, let everyone be a prayer praise,

a prayer of thanks to you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen. The Father and the Son

of Holy Spirit. Amen. So again, as I said, it kind of one of those, one of those days where

it's like, man, oh, man, we got to get through this. All the names, all the places, all

the things we mentioned yesterday that these places are meaningful. They, they're important

to us to note because they're history. At the same time, the last lines of today's

readings in Joshua, chapter 21 are so powerful because it sums up why we went through all

those names. It sums up why we went through all those tribes and all those places. The

last words is the Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their fathers.

And that's so, so powerful. It goes on. It says, not one of their enemies had withstood

them for the Lord had given all their enemies into their hands. And bam, here's the last

line of chapter 21, verse 45. Now, one of all the good promises which the Lord had made

to the house of Israel had failed, all came to pass. And there is something so, so good

for us to hear that, something so good for us to be reminded of this fact that, think

about this, this is not after one day, this is not after one week or one month or one

year, or even one generation, this has happened over multiple generations, couple centuries.

But here is God's faithfulness that came to pass. And not again, just handed to them,

they had to cooperate with the Lord, they had to be faithful to them, they had to obey

him, they had to fight. And yet, not one of all the good promises which the Lord had made

to the house of Israel had failed, all came to pass. And this is something that all of

us, I think all of us need to be reminded of right now, is that what God has promised,

He will, He will fulfill. But it doesn't mean that He fulfills it immediately. It doesn't

necessarily mean that He fills it without a fight. But it does mean that He is faithful

to His promises. And so we're going to be faithful as well. And we're faithful like

that Psalm 131, which is one of my favorite Psalms. I know I might say that a couple times,

but it is one of my favorite Psalms. I often give it as a penance in confession because

it's only three verses long. Psalm 131, if you want to go back and pray that one more

time, it's so good because it's just that prayer of humbletrust, like the fact that like

you know, so much of our lives are spent striving and so much of our lives are spent

battling. And yet, sometimes that's what we're called to. But oftentimes we strive against

the Lord. We battle against the Lord. And Psalm 131 reminds us, no, in silence. And in

peace, I rest in the Lord's arms as a child and his mother's arms. And so I just invite

us all today to enter into the Lord's rest, enter into his peace. We might be called the

battles. We may be called the struggle of striving, but not battle against the Lord,

not striving against the Lord, but to be able to be at peace and abide in His love and

abide in his presence to abide in his arms, like a child in the arms of his or her mom.

We give you praise, Lord God. And I'm praying for you, everyone, tomorrow, we're going

to finish the book of Joshua. And it's going to be awesome because Joshua has some words

for the people of Israel, kind of like Moses did, some kind of like famous last words,

just reminding the people of Israel of their dignity, reminding of the people of Israel,

of their high call. And that's what we're getting to tomorrow. So let's keep praying for

each other that we do show up tomorrow, that we show up tomorrow, even after rough days

or rough seasons, rough weeks in our lives. And just say, Lord, speak your servant is listening.

I'm praying for you. Please pray for me. My name is Father Mike. Can I wait to see you

tomorrow? God bless.