The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) - Day 35: Crossing the Red Sea (2024)

Episode Date: February 4, 2024

Fr. Mike explains how all the rules of worship in Leviticus 10 point to the reality that God is holy. We also continue journeying through Exodus 13-14 and Psalm 53 and learn how God fought for the salvation for his people through the crossing of the red sea. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

Hi, 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 35. Oh my gosh, you guys, we're trucking right along. We're going to be reading Exodus chapter 13 and 14 from Leviticus chapter 10 and

from Psalm 53. I'm always reading from the Revised Standard Version, Catholic edition, and as well as using the Great Adventure Bible from Ascension, which is so good, so helpful for us because it has the periods, it has like the extra details, we've got some notes, got some maps, got all good things in there, as well as following along this Bible in a Year reading plan that you can get for free from ascensionpress.com slash Bible in a Year. That's ascensionpress.com slash Bible in a Year. If you have not yet subscribed to this podcast, I am not sure how you do it. How do you continue to come back here 35 days in a row? If you haven't subscribed already, you impress me. You impress me a lot. But without

any further delay, let's get started. Exodus chapter 13 and 14. The Lord said to Moses, consecrate to me all the firstborn, whatever is the first to open the womb among the sons of Israel, And Moses said to the people, you are to go forth in the month of Abib. And when the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, you shall keep this service in this month. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the Lord.

Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days. No leavened bread shall be seen with you, and no leaven shall be seen with you and no leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory and you shall tell your son on that day it is because of what the lord did for me when i came out of egypt and it shall be to you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes that the law of the lord may be in your mouth for with a strong hand the lord has brought you out of Egypt. You shall therefore keep this ordinance at its appointed time from year to year. And when the Lord brings

you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and to your fathers, and shall give it to you, you shall set apart to the Lord all the first that opens the womb. All the firstlings of your cattle that are males shall be the Lord's. Every firstling of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it, you shall break its neck. Every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. And when in time to come your son asks you, What does this mean? You shall say to him,

By strength of hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt from the house of bondage. For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of cattle. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all the males that first opened the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem. It shall be as a mark on your hand or frontlets between your eyes, for by a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt. When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, Lest the people repent when they see war and return to Egypt. But God led the people round by way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the sons of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle. And Moses took the bones of Joseph

with him. For Joseph had solemnly sworn the sons of Israel, saying, God will visit you, then you must carry my bones with you from here. And they moved on from Succoth and encamped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness. And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people. Then the Lord said to Moses, Tell the sons of Israel to turn back and encamp in front of Pihah Heroth, between Migdal and the sea, in front of Baal Zephan. You shall encamp over against it by the sea. For Pharaoh will say of the sons of Israel, they are entangled in the land. The wilderness has shut them in and I will

harden Pharaoh's heart and he will pursue them. And I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord. And they did so. When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the mind of Pharaoh and his servants was changed toward the people. And they said, what is this we have done that we have let Israel go from serving us? So he made ready his chariot and took his army with him and took 600 picked chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. And he pursued the sons of Israel as they went forth defiantly. The Egyptians pursued them, all Pharaoh's horses and chariots and his horsemen and his army, and overtook them encamped at the sea by Pihah Hiroth in front of Baal Zephon.

When Pharaoh drew near, the sons of Israel lifted up their eyes and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them and they were in great fear. And the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord. And they said to Moses, is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? Is not this what we said to you in Egypt? Let us alone and let us serve the Egyptians for it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness. And Moses said to the people, if you're not, stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you and you have only to be still. The Lord said to Moses,

why do you cry to me? Tell the sons of Israel to go forward, lift up your rod and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it that the sons of Israel may go forth on dry ground through the sea. And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them. And I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his hosts, his chariots and his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen. Then the angel of God, who went before the host of Israel, moved and went behind them. And the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and darkness. And the night passed without one coming near the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and darkness,

and the night passed without one coming near the other all night. Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the sons of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. The Egyptians pursued and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots and his horsemen. And in the morning, watch the Lord in

the pillar of fire and of the cloud, look down upon the host of the Egyptians and discomfited the host of all the Egyptians clogging their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily. And the Egyptians said, let us flee from before Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians. Then the Lord said to Moses, Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. So Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its usual flow when the morning appeared, and the Egyptians fled into it, and the Lord routed the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen and all the host of Pharaoh

that had followed them into the sea, not so much as one of them remained. But the sons of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians. And Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the seashore. And Israel saw the great work which the Lord did against the Egyptians. And the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses. And they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses. The book of Leviticus chapter 10.

Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unholy fire before the Lord, such as he had not commanded them. And fire came forth from the presence of the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. Then Moses said to Aaron, This is what the Lord has said. I will show myself holy among those people who are near me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace. And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uziel, the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, Draw near, carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp. So they drew near and carried them in their coats out of the camp, as Moses had said.

And Moses said to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his sons, Do not let the hair of your heads hang loose, and do not rend your clothes, lest you die, and lest wrath come upon all the congregation. But your brethren, the whole house of Israel, may bewail the burning which the Lord has kindled. And do not go out from the door of the tent of meeting, lest you die, for the anointing oil of the Lord is upon you. And they did according to the word of Moses. And the Lord spoke to Aaron, saying, Drink no wine, nor strong drink, you nor your sons with you, when you go into the tent of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever through

your generations. You are to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean. And you are to teach the sons of Israel all the statutes which the Lord has spoken to them by Moses. And Moses said to Aaron and to Eleazar and to the sons who were with him, Take the cereal offering that remains of the offerings by fire to the Lord, and eat it unleavened beside the altar, for it is most holy. You shall eat it in a holy place, because it is your due and your son's due from the offerings by fire to the Lord, for so I am commanded. But the breast that is waved, and the thigh that is offered you, shall eat clean in any clean place,

you and your sons and your daughters with you, for they are given as your due and your sons do, from the sacrifices of the peace offerings of the sons of Israel. The thigh that is offered, and the breast that is waved, they shall bring with the offerings by fire of the fat, to wave for a wave offering before the Lord, and it shall be yours and your sons with you as a debt forever as the Lord has commanded. Now Moses diligently inquired about the goat of the sin offering and behold, it was burned. And he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron who were left saying, why have you not eaten the sin offering in the place of the sanctuary? And Aaron said to Moses, Behold, today they have offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the Lord, and yet such things as these have befallen me. If I had eaten the sin offering today, would it have been acceptable in the sight of the Lord? And when

Moses heard that, he was content. Psalm 53, denunciation of Godlessness To the Choir Master, according to Mahalath, a maskil of David. The fool says in his heart, there is no God. They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity. There is none that does good. God looks down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if there are any that are wise, that seek after God. They have all fallen away.

They are all alike depraved. There is none that does good. No, not one. Have those who work evil no understanding, who eat up my people as they eat bread and do not call upon God? There they are in great terror, in terrors such as has not been. For God will scatter the bones of the ungodly. They will be put to shame for God has rejected them.

All that deliverance for Israel would come from Zion. When God restores the fortunes of his people, Jacob will rejoice and Israel be glad. Father in heaven, we thank you. We thank you for your word. We thank you for your commandments. We thank you for fighting for your people. Once again, you reveal to us in Exodus that you are willing. Not only, you not only see us, you not only know us, you not only know our plea, you know our plight, you hear our pleas and know our plight and you answer our prayers and you answer by fighting for us. And we praise you for that.

We thank you for that. Lord God, every single day you fight for us. You continue to give us your grace. You continue to make us people whole again. And you continue to call us closer and closer to your heart. Help us always to say yes. Help us always to say yes to you. We ask this prayer through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary,

through the intercession of all the saints who make this prayer in the mighty name of our God and Lord Jesus Christ. In the name of the Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Amen. Man, oh gosh, there are so many things to draw out. You know, when it comes to Leviticus, people think it can be dry. I mean, it's repetitive a little bit, but it's not dry. This is the Lord revealing his holiness. I mean, truly, all of the commandments, all of the rules in the book of Leviticus, they're all about the Lord. They're all about his holiness.

They're all about what true holiness is, how other, how other God is. I mean, that's what it is to be holy is to be set apart. You know, you can say something is holy if it's been blessed, right? It's been set apart. It's been consecrated. It's for our purpose now. And here is God who himself is the author of holiness because he is holiness. He's so fully other that here we have the sons of Aaron who come into the Lord's presence and they do whatever they want to do. They do what is not right. They do what God has not asked them to do. He's not commanded them to do this. And so they offered an unholy fire. And so the fire of the Lord who is holy consumes them. And sometimes we can hear some of these stories and we think,

gosh, that seems so strange. They offered an unholy fire. What's that mean? And then that God's holy fire consumed them like that. Does that seem drastic? Does that seem extreme? And we realize not at all. I mean, because in the new covenant, what has God done? He has become so close to us. He has drawn so near to us.

We are temples of the Holy Spirit. He's that close. But also he has revealed himself in humility, in poverty. You think of the nativity, think of Christmas, think of Jesus being born, God himself, God incarnate, who willed to become a single-celled human being at one point. And then grew in his mother's womb, was born in poverty, born in a stable or cave and laid in a manger. All these things allowed us to torture him, allowed us to torture him, allowed us to reject him, allowed us to kill him. That we think like, oh gosh, here's God who just, you know,

he's kind of like whatever. And yet scripture again and again, especially today in the book of Leviticus, he reveals, no, there's no kind of whatever when it comes to approaching me. It is approach me the way I'm telling you to, because I am holy. Honestly, just think of the seriousness of this. Approach me how I'm telling you to, because I am holy. And what if we did that when we went to mass? What if we did that when we presented ourselves before the Lord in prayer? It's just to be able to say, Lord, it's true. It is true that you are holy. And therefore, we have this thing called the fear of the Lord. And again, fear of the Lord doesn't mean I'm afraid of God. The fear of the Lord is I'm taking God seriously. What would our lives look like? What would our prayer look like if we just took God seriously?

Again, not being afraid, but simply realizing here is God who is holy. Here I dare to enter into his presence. That is remarkable. Not only that, I dare enter his presence, but he is so, I don't know, humble. He loves us so much that he wants you to enter his presence. Well, last note, in Exodus today, man, here is the Lord's dramatic salvation of his people through the Red Sea. And there's this word,

this word that's spoken to the people of Israel. The Lord fights for you. You have only to stand still. In this case, the Lord is fighting for you. You have only to stand still. If there's maybe a word that I want to pick out of today's reading, I underline that in my Great Adventure Bible and write it down in my journal. That's the word of the day. The Lord fights for you. You have only to keep still. There are some times when we're called to fight as well. Sometimes we're called to run either toward the fray or away from the fray. And there are some times when the Lord just says, no, I'm fighting for you. You stand straight. You stand still. You hold your position. We persevere because I'm fighting for you. And that's one of the reasons why we're praying for each other

on this journey through the Bible is because there's battles that are happening in every one of our lives so please, please, with me, pray for each other please pray for me, I'm praying for you and maybe this is one of those days where we just need to get reminded stand still

the Lord is fighting for you right now. And tomorrow's another day. My name is Father Mike, and I cannot wait to see you tomorrow, this next day. God bless.