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

Episode Summary: Day 56 – Jealous Husbands

Date: February 25, 2026
Host: Fr. Mike Schmitz
Readings: Numbers 5, Deuteronomy 5, Psalm 90
Main Theme:
Episode 56 explores ancient laws about ritual purity, confession and restitution, the ordeal faced by women accused by jealous husbands, the giving of the Ten Commandments, and the deeper significance of God's law as a step in salvation history. Fr. Mike unpacks the historical and theological context of these difficult passages and reflects on what they mean for us today.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Numbers 5: Ritual Purity, Confession, and the Law of Jealousy

[02:30]

• Purity in the Camp:
  • Instructions to remove those who are ritually unclean due to leprosy, bodily discharge, or contact with death.
  • Emphasis on keeping the camp holy “in the midst of which I dwell”.
• Confession and Restitution:
  • Israelites are commanded to confess sins, make restitution (with an extra one-fifth), and offer atonement sacrifices.
• The Law of the Jealous Husband (Ordeal of Bitter Water):
  • If a husband suspects his wife of adultery without proof, he brings her to the priest for a ritual ordeal involving “bitter water”.
  • Fr. Mike acknowledges this is “distressing to us” and seems “very weird” to modern ears, but places it in its ancient Near Eastern context.

Understanding the Ordeal—God’s “Plus One” Approach

[09:30]

• Historical Context:
  • In surrounding cultures, a husband had unchecked power; he could punish his wife as he wished if he was jealous.
• Law as Protection:
  • Now, the husband is required to bring his wife to a priest, introducing mediation and limiting his power:
    • “He doesn’t get to do whatever he wants; he has to bring in a mediator. He brings her to the priest.” — Fr. Mike ([10:20])
• The “Trial by Ordeal”:
  • While still difficult, the ritual requires a miracle to convict the woman—if nothing happens when she drinks the water, she is presumed innocent.
  • “She’s naturally protected by this process rather than threatened by it…” — Fr. Mike ([11:05])
  • Intended as a deterrent against rash jealousy, moving the culture a step toward justice and dignity for women (the “plus one theory of education”).

Deuteronomy 5: The Ten Commandments and Moses the Mediator

[13:10]

• Moses Reviews the Covenant:
  • Moses recalls how God gave Israel the Commandments at Horeb (Sinai).
  • God spoke “face to face” with the people—a Hebrew idiom for “intimate, deeply personal communication,” not literal, full-glory encounter ([14:30]).
• The Ten Commandments:
  • Review of each commandment, including the context and rationale for keeping Sabbath and honoring parents.
• The People’s Fear and Moses’ Role:
  • Israelites ask Moses to act as mediator due to the fearfulness of God’s revelation.
  • “Oh, that they had such a mind as this always, to fear me, and to keep all my commandments…” — Moses quoting God ([16:40])

Images, Icons, and Worship

[17:40]

• The Commandment Against Graven Images:
  • Fr. Mike explains the prohibition is not against all images, but against worshipping images as idols.
  • “The Catechism points this out and says yes… we would not make images ever to worship. Nevertheless… in the Old Testament, God ordained… the making of images that pointed symbolically towards salvation by the Incarnate Word.” ([18:15])
  • Examples: Bronze serpent, Ark of the Covenant’s cherubim (Numbers/Exodus).
• Catholic Practice and the Incarnate Word:
  • 7th Ecumenical Council (Nicaea, 787): veneration of icons is justified, as they point to the reality in Christ (“a new… economy of images”).
  • Analogy: Just as written words in the Bible represent but are not God, so holy images represent but are not God.

Psalm 90: The Fleetingness of Human Life and God’s Steadfastness

[20:25]

• Reflections on God’s Eternity:
  • “For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday…”
  • Life is fragile and brief; “So teach us to number our days, that we may get a heart of wisdom.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Ancient Gender Dynamics:
  • “In the ancient world, a woman was considered the full property of her husband… if a man was jealous, then he could do literally whatever he wanted to her. But here’s the plus one theory of education, where the Lord God says… he has to submit to another, higher law.” — Fr. Mike ([09:55])
• Reframing the Ordeal:
  • “What happens is that the woman will drink this water mixed with some dust… if she’s guilty a miracle has to happen to prove that she’s guilty. Normally she would just drink it and be completely fine.” ([11:20])
• On the Ten Commandments and God’s Communication:
  • “Talking to the Lord face to face in the Hebrew idiom doesn’t necessarily mean… that God has revealed his full glory. It means… an intimate, deeply personal way.” ([14:40])
• On Catholic Use of Images:
  • “The Christian veneration of images is not contrary to the first commandment, which proscribes idols, but… it’s a respectful veneration of what the image represents.” ([18:50])
• Encouragement to Listeners:
  • “Every day, with every passing day, even if you miss a day, just catch up. We’re still walking, we’re still moving… Even when we fall, we can get back up again. Because our Lord God meets us when we fall.” ([22:30])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:30] — Numbers 5: Cleanliness, Confession, and Jealousy
• [09:30] — Contextualizing the Law of the Jealous Husband
• [13:10] — Deuteronomy 5: Ten Commandments and Covenant Renewal
• [17:40] — Graven Images, Icon Veneration, and Catholic Teaching
• [20:25] — Psalm 90: Prayer and Reflection on Mortality and God’s Mercy
• [22:30] — Encouragement and Community: “Keep walking… God is steadfast.”

Conclusion: Key Takeaways

• Ancient biblical laws—even those that seem harsh—were often steps forward in justice and mercy for their time, inviting God’s people to grow.
• The ordeal of the jealous husband, while strange to modern sensibilities, actually offered protection for women by involving priestly mediation and requiring divine intervention for conviction.
• The Ten Commandments remain foundational, with Moses as the mediator and God’s commands as invitations to relationship, not mere legalism.
• The Catholic understanding of images is rooted in the Incarnation and respectful veneration, not idol worship.
• Psalm 90 reminds us of life’s brevity and God’s faithfulness, inviting us to deeper trust and wisdom.

Fr. Mike ends with a prayer for faithfulness, gratitude for God’s steadiness, and encouragement to keep persevering together through the Bible in a Year journey.