Day 181: Jonah and the Whale (2026)

The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) - Ascension

Fr. Mike Schmitz explores the Book of Jonah, highlighting themes of divine mercy, repentance, and personal resistance to God's will. The episode connects Jonah’s story to broader biblical history, emphasizing God’s compa

Key takeaways

• God's mercy extends beyond chosen people

Transcript preview

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. 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 181. We are reading from 2nd Kings, chapter 15, Jonah, the book of the Prophet Jonah, chapter 1, 1, 2, 3 and 4, the entire book of the prophet of the prophet Jonah, the prophet Jonah, the prophet Jonah, the So we'll get through that today as well as praying Psalm 138 is always the Bible translation that I'm reading from is the revised standard version the second Catholic edition and I'm using the great adventure Bible from ascension if you want to download your own Bible in a year reading plan you can visit ascension press dot com slash Bible in a year you can also subscribe to this podcast in your podcast app unless you're listening in an app that I've already said it a thousand times right okay so yeah moving on day one of exile and so man as we get closer and closer in fact we're on day 181 in 10 days from now and day 191 will be coming to a conclusion of second kings and what that means is and second chronicle is 36 so what that means is going to be that on day 192 we're going to begin a different kind of thing and what we're doing is we're not leaving the story but we're taking a deeper dive into the other books the prophetic books and some other historical books and some other wisdom books that were written claimed at the time of the exile. And so, for example, Isaiah on day 192, we're beginning the book of the prophet Isaiah. Now, Isaiah, at the end of today's reading, 2nd Kings, Chapter 15, we're going to hear about a guy named Ahaz. And Isaiah lived at that time. And he actually speaks to Aha has in Isaiah chapter 7, I believe it is. So we have some crossover, but in 10 days, we're going to come to a conclusion. We're coming to a, let's call it a marker. So that into the works in the words of the prophets. But today it is day 181 we're reading 2 Kings 15 all of the Book of the Prophet Jonah 1 through 4 and praying Psalm. 1. 3rd. 2nd book of Kings, chapter 15 Azariah reigns over Judah. In the 27th year of Geraboa, King of Israel, asariah the son of Amaziah, king of Judah, began to reign. He was 16 years old when he began to reign and he reined 52 years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jocheli, Jerusalem. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord according to all that his father Amaziah had done. Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away. The people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. And the Lord struck the king's king's, and the lord struck the king so that he was a leopard to the day of his death, and he dwelt in a separate house. And Jotham, the king's son, was over the household governing the people of the land. Now the rest of the acts of Azaria and all that he did, are they did, are they did, are they did, are they not written, and the kings of the kings of the king of the king of the king of the king of the king of the king of the king of the king of the king of the king. And slept with his fathers and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David, and Jotham his son reined in his stead. Zakaria reigns over Israel. In the 38th year of Azariah, king of Judah, Zakaria, the son of Jirabom, reined over Israel in Samaria six months. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord as his fathers had done. He did not depart from the sins of Jirabom, the son of Navat, which he made Israel to sin. Shalom, Shalum, Shalum, the son of Jabot, and Shilm, and Shilm, and the son of Jabot, and Shilm, and Shilm, and he made him, and Shilm, and Shilm, and he at Ibliam and killed him and reined in his stead. Now the rest of the deeds of Zakariah, behold they are written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. This was the promise of the Lord which he gave to Jehu. Your sons shall sit upon the throne of Israel to the fourth generation. And so it came to pass. Shalum, the son of Jébesh, began to reign in the 39th year of Uziah king of Judah and he reined he reined one month in Samaria. Then, then Menachim, then Menachim, then Menachim, then Menachim, the son, the son, the son of Zalim, the son of Zalim, the then Menachim, the son of Zayah. Then Menachim, the son of Zalim, the son of Zalim, the then Menachim, the son of Zalim, the Gotti came up from Tirza and came to Samaria and he struck down Shalom, the son of J-Besh in Samaria and slew him and reined in his stead. Now the rest of the deeds of Shalom and the conspiracy which he made behold they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. At that time Menachim sacked tapuah and all who were in it and its territory from Tirza on because they did not open it to him, therefore he sacked it and he ripped up all the women in it who were with child. reigns over Israel. In the 39th year of Azariah, King of Judah, Menachem, the son of Godi, began to reign over Israel, and he reined 10 years in Samaria. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not depart all his days from all the sins of Jerebohm, the son of Nabat, which he made Israel to sin. Poole, the king of Assyrai, came against the land, and Menachem, gave Puhe, a thousand talents of silver, that he might help him, that he might help him to confirm, and the royal power. Menachem. Menachem. Menachem. Menachem. that is from all the wealthy men, 50 sheckles of silver from every man to give to the King of Assyria. So the King of Assyria turned back and did not stay there in the land. Now, the rest of the deeds of Menachim, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. And Menachim slept with his fathers, and Pekahaya, his son, his son reigned in his stead. Pekhya. Pekhehayaya, Israel in Samaria and he reigned two years and he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord he did not turn away from the sins of Gera Bohm the son of Navat which he made Israel to sin and Pekah the son of Ramalia his captain conspired against him with 50 men of the Gileadites and slew him in Samaria in the citadel of the king's house he slew him and he reined in his stead now the rest of peccahiah and all that he did behold they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. In the 52nd year of Azariah, the king of Judah, Pika the son of Ramalia began to reign over Israel in Samaria and he reined 20 years and he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not depart from the sins of Jiraboam the son of Nabat, which he made Israel to sin. In the days of Pekah, king of Israel, Tiglath Paela, Janaoah,