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

Episode: Day 12 – Isaac and Rebekah

Date: January 12, 2026
Host: Fr. Mike Schmitz
Podcast by: Ascension

Episode Overview

This episode centers on Genesis 24, the story of how Abraham’s servant, guided by God’s providence, finds a wife—Rebekah—for Isaac. Fr. Mike also reflects on passages from Job 13–14 and Proverbs 2:16–19, bringing out themes of trust, faith amidst uncertainty, and the reality of God’s care even when we don’t see it. The episode is infused with encouragement for listeners to keep moving forward in faith, whether life feels clear and guided or shrouded in darkness.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Genesis 24: The Marriage of Isaac and Rebekah

• Abraham, seeking a wife for Isaac, instructs his servant not to take a wife from the Canaanites but to return to his own kindred (00:40).
• The servant embarks on his mission with a prayer, expressing total dependence on God:
  • "Lord, without you I can't do anything. Lord, without you I'm just wandering in the darkness." (21:04)
• At the well, the servant prays for a sign to identify the right woman. Rebekah’s generous actions fulfill the prayer exactly (03:02–05:30).
• The servant meets Rebekah’s family, recounts his prayer and God’s swift answer, and her family recognizes this as God’s doing (09:35).
• Rebekah willingly agrees to go, and her family blesses her departure:
  • "Our sister be the mother of thousands of ten thousands, and may your descendants possess the gate of those who hate them." (16:56)
• Isaac meets Rebekah; their union brings him comfort after his mother’s death (17:42).

2. Reflection: God’s Providence and Our Uncertainty

• Fr. Mike dwells on the theme of providence—how God orchestrates behind the scenes, often without us noticing:
  • “It’s all about God’s providence. It’s all about the depth of our need.” (21:10)
• He contrasts the clarity of hindsight in biblical stories with the uncertainty we feel during our own decisions:
  • “There are lives on either sides of this day... walking in faith, not knowing, is this the right decision?... And yet God's providence is at work always when we don't necessarily understand what he's doing in any given situation.” (22:20)
• The challenge is to keep praising God even when we don’t understand, and to remember the truths we learned in the light when we’re walking through darkness.

3. Job 13–14: Honesty Before God in Suffering

• Job pleads his integrity before friends who don't believe him, yearning for answers from God:
  • “What you know, I also know. I am not inferior to you, but I would speak to the Almighty and desire to argue my case with God.” (19:10)
• In one of the most memorable lines:
  • "Behold, he will slay me. I have no hope, yet I will defend my ways to his face." (20:32)
• Job longs for relief and laments the brevity and trouble of human life but maintains faith God doesn't forget him (21:20–21:50).
• Fr. Mike calls this the spiritual struggle to trust God when life isn’t making sense, paralleling it to our own persistence amid uncertainty.

4. Proverbs 2:16–19: Wisdom and Temptation

• Fr. Mike briefly touches on this text’s warning against folly and temptation, underscoring its relevance to everyday choices (21:58).

5. Encouragement & Application

• Fr. Mike emphasizes living by faith, whether we see God's hand or not:
  • “It's one thing to praise God when we see his presence... but it is another thing to say, I am in the darkness. I do not get this. And yet you're calling me to keep putting one foot in front of the other.” (23:30)
• He urges us to continue daily, even when clarity isn’t forthcoming, and never forget in the dark what we learned in the light.
• The community journeying together through the Bible is highlighted as a source of encouragement and accountability.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On God’s guidance:
  “The story of the servant of Abraham finding Isaac a bride is all about God’s providence. It’s all about the depth of our need.”
  — Fr. Mike Schmitz (21:10)

• On walking in faith:
  “One foot in front of the other. Maybe today's a day where you can see his work... or maybe today is a day where you just have to keep walking forward in the darkness.”
  — Fr. Mike Schmitz (23:50)

• On facing suffering:
  “Behold, he will slay me. I have no hope, yet I will defend my ways to his face.”
  — Job (20:32)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | Description | |-----------|---------|-------------| | 00:04 | Opening and overview | Fr. Mike introduces the readings and context | | 02:00 | Genesis 24 | Story of Abraham’s servant and Rebekah’s betrothal | | 16:56 | Blessing of Rebekah | Family sends her with a prophetic blessing | | 17:42 | Isaac and Rebekah unite | The meeting and marriage of Isaac and Rebekah | | 19:10 | Job’s declaration | Job’s protestation of innocence and reasoning with God | | 20:32 | Job’s memorable line | “Behold, he will slay me. I have no hope, yet I will defend my ways to his face.” | | 21:04 | Fr. Mike’s reflection | Dependence on God and spiritual uncertainty | | 23:30 | Walking by faith | Encouragement to praise God amid darkness |

Conclusion

This episode gracefully weaves together ancient stories and personal faith journeys. Through Genesis 24, the trials of Job, and practical warnings from Proverbs, Fr. Mike highlights the importance of relying on God’s providence—sometimes visible, but often hidden. He encourages listeners to keep faith, support each other, and remember that God is at work, whether or not we see Him.

Fr. Mike closes by reminding:

"We have so far to go, but we are well on our way. We have each other and we do have the grace of God, which we absolutely need right now and in every moment of our lives." (End)

Useful for both new and returning listeners, this episode is a powerful meditation on faith, providence, and the practice of trusting God—even, and especially, when the path is unclear.