Day 217: The Everlasting Covenant (2026)

**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 217 We're reading three chapters, Isaiah 55 and 56, Ezekiel 16 It's the longest chapter in the book of the prophet Ezekiel. It's also a recap of God's love for Israel, as well as Israel's unfaithfulness. And so there are some serious images and it's prophetic poetry, and yet God is going to compare Israel to his unfaithful bride. And so there's gonna be all talk of a number of PG-13 stuff. So FYI, Proverbs chapter 13 and verses one through four. As always, the Bible translation I'm reading from is the Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition. I'm using The Great Adventure Bible from Ascension Press. To download your own Bible in a Year reading plan, you can visit ascensionpress.com/bible in a Year. You can also subscribe to this podcast by clicking on subscribe and then you get daily updates and daily episodes and day 217 would show up right up in your queue. So as I said, it is day 217 We are reading Isaiah 55 and 56, Ezekiel chapter 16 and Proverbs chapter 13 verses one through four.
The Book of the Prophet Isaiah chapter 55, An Invitation to Abundant Life.
Ho! everyone who thirsts come to the waters, and he who has no money, come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk, without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me and eat what is good and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear and come to me, hear that your soul may live, and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, merciful love for David. Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. Behold, you shall call nations that you know not, and nations that knew you not shall run to you, because of the Lord your God and of the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you.
Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth. It shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I intend, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it. For you shall go out in joy, and be led forth in peace. The mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress, instead of the briar shall come up the myrtle. And it shall be to the Lord for a memorial, for an everlasting sign which shall not be cut off.
Chapter 56, Rewards of Righteousness Thus says the Lord, Keep justice and do righteousness, for soon my salvation will come, and my deliverance be revealed. Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath, not profaning it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil. Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say, The Lord will surely separate me from his people, and let not the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. For thus says the Lord, To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose the things that please me, and hold fast my covenant, I will give in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters. I will give them an everlasting name, which shall not be cut off, and the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it and holds fast my covenant. These I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar, for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples. Thus says the Lord God, Who gathers the outcasts of Israel, I will gather yet others to him, besides those already gathered. All you beasts of the field, come to devour, all you beasts in the forest. His watchmen are blind, they are all without knowledge. They are all mute dogs, they cannot bark, dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber. The dogs have a mighty appetite, they never have enough. The shepherds also have no understanding, they have all turned to their own way, each to his own gain, one and all. Come, they say, let us get wine, let us fill ourselves with strong drink, and tomorrow will be like this day, great beyond measure.