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

Episode: Day 29: Moses Returns to Egypt
Date: January 29, 2026
Host: Fr. Mike Schmitz (Ascension)

Episode Overview

In this episode, Fr. Mike leads listeners through readings from Exodus 4-5, Leviticus 4, and Psalm 46. The central themes include Moses’ return to Egypt, his confrontation with Pharaoh, the institution of sin offerings in Leviticus, and a reflection on God’s steadfast presence and refuge as described in Psalm 46. Throughout, Fr. Mike unpacks the complexity of God’s relationship with Moses, the cost and purpose of liberation, and the timeless invitation to truly worship God rather than submit to self-imposed or external “slavery.”

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Reluctance & Humanity of Moses

• Moses’ doubts and hesitations are foregrounded. Despite witnessing miracles, Moses is anxious about returning to Egypt and leading the Israelites.

• The Lord provides Moses with miraculous signs (the rod turning into a serpent, leprous hand, water turning to blood) to validate his calling (Exodus 4).

• Moses, feeling unqualified (“I am slow of speech and of tongue”), tries to defer his calling to his brother Aaron. The Lord responds with both patience and resolve.

  “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.”
  — God to Moses (Exodus 4:11-12, [13:00])

2. God’s Personal Name—A New Level of Intimacy

• Fr. Mike explains the significance of God revealing his proper name (“I AM,” Yahweh) to Moses, a profound act of intimacy and relationship not common in the ancient world.

  “In the ancient world, to know someone’s name was understood as being in a relationship with them…Here is God, who is distant, omnipotent, omnipresent, making himself intimate, making himself personal.”
  — Fr. Mike Schmitz ([22:45])

• The way “LORD” is capitalized in many Bibles signals the use of God’s sacred name (YHWH) and not merely a title.

3. First Confrontation with Pharaoh & Consequences

• Moses and Aaron’s request to Pharaoh (“let my people go…that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness,” Exodus 5:1) is met with indifference and scorn.

• Pharaoh increases the Israelites’ labor, forcing them to find their own straw for brickmaking without reducing their quotas.

• The people of Israel become angry with Moses and Aaron, feeling life has only become harder since their arrival. Moses cries out to God in confusion and frustration (Exodus 5:22-23).

  “O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? … You have not delivered your people at all.”
  — Moses (Exodus 5:22-23, [17:30])

4. Sin Offerings and Forgiveness (Leviticus 4)

• Leviticus 4 introduces nuanced ritual procedures for sin offerings, detailing atonement processes for priests, rulers, and laypeople.
• Each person or group, upon becoming aware of unwitting sin, must bring appropriate animal sacrifices for forgiveness—a foreshadowing of reconciliation and redemption.
• Emphasis is placed on communal and individual responsibility, and God’s desire for repentance and restored relationship.

5. Psalm 46: God—Our Refuge and Strength

• Psalm 46 is read and meditated on as a source of reassurance: God is unwavering, even “though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea.”
• The Psalm’s refrain, “Be still and know that I am God,” becomes a central motif for Fr. Mike’s reflection—inviting listeners to seek rest, trust, and worship.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On God’s Personal Relationship:

  “When you call upon my name, you’re calling upon me as a personal God.”
  — Fr. Mike Schmitz ([23:10])

• Parallels to Modern Life:

  “Many of us, we are pharaohs to ourselves, meaning we make ourselves so busy that we don’t have time to think about God… We have made ourselves into slaves.”
  — Fr. Mike Schmitz ([28:10])

• Purpose of Freedom:

  “The goal of freedom is not just simply freedom from, but freedom for. Freedom for what? Freedom for worship. To be able to worship the Lord God.”
  — Fr. Mike Schmitz ([27:15])

• Exhortation to Stillness:

  “Help us to take this time to be still and to know that you are God.”
  — Fr. Mike Schmitz, prayer ([21:20])

Important Timestamps

• 00:00–12:15 — Reading: Exodus 4-5
• 12:15–19:55 — Reading: Leviticus 4
• 19:55–21:10 — Reading: Psalm 46
• 21:10–21:52 — Guided prayer and invocation for stillness
• 21:52–29:00 — Fr. Mike's reflection and commentary:
  • Importance of God’s name and personal relationship
  • Moses’ hesitancy and human weakness
  • Freedom: not just from oppression but for worship
  • Modern life’s self-imposed “slavery” through busyness
  • Call to trust, stillness, and community prayer

Tone & Atmosphere

Fr. Mike’s tone is compassionate, insightful, and gently challenging. He mixes theological depth with personal warmth, at times using vivid, relatable language (“We are pharaohs to ourselves … we do it to ourselves”). There’s a strong focus on encouragement and practical spirituality, inviting listeners to recognize God’s ongoing story in their personal lives.

Summary for Non-Listeners

This episode explores Moses’ fraught return to Egypt: his reluctance despite miraculous assurances, his first, disastrous confrontation with Pharaoh, and the Israelites’ despair at increased suffering. Leviticus 4 outlines the seriousness of sin and God’s desire for repentance and restoration. Psalm 46 anchors the episode’s spiritual reflection: God is always present, inviting us to stillness and trust. Fr. Mike connects these ancient stories to the struggles of contemporary life—especially our tendency to enslave ourselves to busyness. He urges listeners to seek true freedom, not just from oppression but for the purpose of worship, and to regularly pause and be with God.