Exodus 18 Moses and his father-in-law

Last time, we studied: Exodus 17:

Water from the rock & the Amelekites

Tonight we Study Exodus 18:

Moses and his father-in-law:

Can a leader be taught?

Moses father-in-law hears of Moses’ success.

(Exo 18 NKJV) And Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel His people; that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt. {2} Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her back,

“After he had sent her back, . . .” This is somewhat news. The last I recall was this statement:

(Exo 4:20 NKJV) “Then Moses took his wife and his sons and set them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the rod of God in his hand.”

This sounds like Moses and his entire family is going back to Egypt, so what is this statement about: “after he had sent her back”?

Then this passage follows:

(Exo 4:24-25 NKJV) And it came to pass on the way, at the encampment, that the LORD met him and sought to kill him. {25} Then Zipporah took a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son and cast it at Moses' feet, and said, "Surely you are a husband of blood to me!"

Some have suggested that this event disturbed Zipporah, and she decided to return to her father. Personally, I’m not convinced that is correct. It may have started a discussion about the safety of the trip and Moses and Zipporah may have then decided that it would be wise for Zipporah to return to her home until things were more settled. All of this is only speculation as we are not given the details in scripture.

{2} Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her back, {3} with her two sons, of whom the name of one was Gershom (for he said, "I have been a stranger in a foreign land") {4} and the name of the other was Eliezer (for he said, "The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh");

Now a re-stating of what has just been said, with one point added.

{5} and Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness, where he was encamped at the mountain of God.

What is the mountain of God.? The following passage make this clear if we read it carefully.

(Exo 24:12-18 NKJV) Then the LORD said to Moses, "Come up to Me on the mountain and be there; and I will give you tablets of stone, and the law and commandments which I have written, that you may teach them."

(Exo 24:13) So Moses arose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up to the mountain of God. {14} And he said to the elders, "Wait here for us until we come back to you. Indeed Aaron and Hur are with you. If any man has a difficulty, let him go to them." {15} Then Moses went up into the mountain, and a cloud covered the mountain. {16} Now the glory of the LORD rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day He called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud.

I hope we’ve made it clear that Mount Sinai and the mountain of God refer to the same mountain.

Now let’s return to Exodus 18

(Ex 18:6) Now he had said to Moses [he had already informed him], "I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her." {7} So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down, and kissed him. And they asked each other about their well-being, [still done today. Some do more than we do] and they went into the tent. {8} And Moses told his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, all the hardship that had come upon them on the way, and how the LORD had delivered them.

It is okay to tell about the hardship that had come upon them, but we need to be sure that we also tell how the LORD had delivered them [or us as the case might be]. It means the difference between being a complaining people and a people who can praise God. – Notice the result it had on Jethro.

{9} Then Jethro rejoiced for all the good which the LORD had done for Israel, whom He had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians. {10} And Jethro said, "Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh, and who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.

Again, Notice the effect on Jethro

{11} "Now I know that the LORD is greater than all the gods; for in the very thing in which they behaved proudly, He was above them." {12} Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took a burnt offering and other sacrifices to offer to God. And Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law before God.

Jethro’s advice to Moses

(Ex 18:13) And so it was, on the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening. {14} So when Moses' father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, "What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?" {15} And Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to inquire of God. {16} "When they have a difficulty, they come to me, and I judge between one and another; and I make known the statutes of God and His laws." {17} So Moses' father-in-law said to him, "The thing that you do is not good. {18} "Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you; you are not able to perform it by yourself.

It is easy to want to try to do everything yourself. I was impressed by my mother’s advice: “If you want something done right, do it yourself.” That isn’t always good advise.

{19} "Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God will be with you: Stand before God for the people, so that you may bring the difficulties to God. {20} "And you shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do.

But you must have some to assist you with the work.

There must be standards for those who help you with your tasks.

{21} "Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness;

God has always had standards. In the New Testament, we have standards for elders and deacons in the church.

And now division by Ranks of Power

(v. 21 cont.) . . .and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. {22} "And let them judge the people at all times. Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you.

In the church today, we are to work out problems among ourselves.

(1 Cor 6:1-2 NKJV) Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? {2} Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters?

Back to Exodus

(Ex 18:23) "If you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people will also go to their place in peace."

“And God so commands you:” Jethro is not trying to replace God or His guidance.

{24} So Moses heeded the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said.

Moses is to be commended in that he could listen to advise and accept it when it was good.

{25} And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people: rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. {26} So they judged the people at all times; the hard cases they brought to Moses, but they judged every small case themselves.

Jethro Goes back home

{27} Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way to his own land.

So ends Exodus 18

Distribution of power and authority has been put in place. A great principle.

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