Thursday Night Bible Study

Exodus 18

"Jethro!?" • 1.20.10 • Calvary Christian Fellowship, Thursday Night Bible Study

Intro.

- The children of Israel have won their first battle. The Amalekite threat is behind them for now. The Amalekites represent to us, mainly, a type of the flesh.

- On the other hand, they are a Gentile nation that was openly hostile toward God and His people. Their attempt to destroy the community put them on the list for extinction.

- The world can be openly hostile toward the Lord and His followers, but there are some who will be much more responsive. Tonight, I think that we'll find a fine example of this.

Text

• Exodus 18:1-6 : "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. Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back, with her two sons, of whom the name of one was Gershom (for he said, 'I have been a stranger in a foreign land') and the name of the other was Eliemzer (for he said, 'The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh'); 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. Now he had said to Moses, 'I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her.'" : With all that has taken place, I admit that I completely forgot that Moses was married!

- The last time we saw Zipporah, she quickly circumcised Moses' firstborn to keep the Angel from killing Moses! She called Moses a "bloody husband." Yeah, I might send my wife back after that!

- Jethro had wondered about Moses when he left his employee and he wondered more when his daughter came back about what God was doing.

- He decided to come check things out himself. In the meanwhile, Moses was encamped at the mountain of God, right where God had commissioned him to go.

• Exodus 18:7,8 : "So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down, and kissed him. And they asked each other about their well-being, and they went into the tent. 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." : Moses kissed Jethro, but not his wife? From all accounts, it seems that their marriage was not a good one.

- But Moses and Jethro had a good relationship! The respect that they shared for each other was clear in how Moses went out to meet him.

- This was a great time for Moses to share the goods and the bads of his ministry. The past had been what God had done with Pharaoh. Then there was the present.

- There had been hardship along the way that had come upon them.

- Whether in the past troubles or in the present travails, the believer can always say that the Lord had delivered them. Moses is testifying to Jethro toward that end.

- I imagine Jethro listening with great interest at the story that Moses was telling. This had really happened to a person in his life! God had done it through Jethro's old shepherd's assistant!

- Now, there is some question about whether Jethro was a believer or not. We can at least infer that he had been skeptical of what Moses had gone out to do. He gets first hand info here.

- While Moses was just reporting the facts, Jethro was having a life changing moment!

- You never know what your testimony is going to provoke in another person! Keep talking about what God has done and what God is doing.

• Exodus 18:9-12 : "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. 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. 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.' 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." : This was an excellent report for Jethro to hear. He was ecstatic to hear what God had done for his son-in-law and for the people of Israel.

- He said, "Blessed be the Lord." Praise Him! Praise Him for what He has done! For the Israelites, it was a physical enemy, that was greater than them. They were under the hand.

- You and I need to praise Him for the enemies in our lives whose hands we were under. Sin, the flesh, the devil and numerous other scenarios that have been defeated by the Lord in our lives.

- Listen to Jethro's confssion: "Now I know that the Lord is greater than all the gods!" At worst, he was a believer who struggled with doubts. I am of the mind that at this point, the issue was settled!

- Jethro rejoiced and offered praise to God with his lips. Then He sacrificed to the Lord! Sounds like a solid conversion: Confession, praise and sacrifice!

- These men held a worship service together, this Gentile and the lawgiver! God loves the praises of people and when the Gentile will, He will receive their praise.

• Exodus 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." : This verse helps to set the table for the next couple of chapters. God's people need law!

- Jethro came out of his tent and there was Moses, sitting, with an endless line of people in front of him. He sat there to judge. The NLT puts it like this: "Moses sat as usual to hear the people's complaints against each other."

- This was the way that days were beginning to be spent. Moses was in the seat and took it upon himself to help maintain order within the ranks of the Israelis.

- But it was an endless, overwhelming, life sapping position and responsibility for Moses. Morning until evening!

• Exodus 18:14-16 : "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?' And Moses said to his father-in-law, 'Because the people come to me to inquire of God. 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.'" : Moses is a leader and when it comes time to lead, he counts the cost and takes it upon himself.

- This is often what leaders do. They have that strength, but it's also a weakness.

- Their world was changing. They needed someone to give them boundaries and guidelines. They needed someone to protect them. They needed to be governed.

- Moses understood this and responded, but went overboard. The need was great and his job was necessary, but too much for one man.

- Listen to what Moses set himself to do. They would have a dispute or a matter and he would set himself between two people. He would act as a mediator, transmitting God's heart to them.

- The word "statutes" refer to that which has been appointed or has become a custom. What did Moses have at this time of life?

- Just the experiences of God's dealings with the Patriarchs, later to be written by Moses in the book of Genesis!

- That which is laid down either principally, historically or graphically in the word of God is the authority that we are to make known.

- It's God's statutes and God's laws. Interesting, chronologically, this situation happened prior to the codifying of God's law and yet, there was a culture of God's law already established.

- These were what governed God's people then and they govern us today. We must pay careful attention to the Word so that we might be know how to live and relate to each other.

• Exodus 18:17,18 : "So Moses’ father-in-law said to him, 'The thing that you do is not good. 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." : Jethro is not saying that the act of counseling and teaching is not good. He is saying that wearing your self out, taking on too much responsibility, is not good!

- It's not good for the people and it's not good for the minister. This is something that needs to be cemented in our minds. There is a danger in the Kingdom to be a functional savior.

- It's not good for you, as a congregation, to see me as the only person who can help or assist you spiritually. Conversely, it's not good for me to think that I should meet every need!

- God has set gifted people all around us who are looking for the opportunity to minister.

- Jethro's solution to the problem is much more tenable.

• Exodus 18:19,20 : "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. 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." : I like Jethro's style. He says, "let me give you a suggestion and you take it before the Lord."

- We would be wise to give out counsel in the same way! "Ask the Lord to confirm this."

- Jethro provides an excellent job description of a Pastor. He is to stand before God for the people, to act as a representative for the people. He is to bring their difficulties to the Lord.

- A Pastor is not to absorb every thing that is spoken to him into himself. You are not meant to do that either! When a person comes to you with an issue, go to the Lord!

- He is to turn around and give that to the Lord, asking God to speak toward that situation. "Lord, what wisdom would you impart? What word would you have for this congregation?"

- When Moses has done that, then he shall stand before the people and teach them. The word "teach" means to shine light. One could say that teaching is the act of providing a spotlight.

- My job is to put light upon what the heart of God is for your life, our community together and prayerfully, the future generations of this church.

- Moses is to teach them and then show them how they must walk and work. The word "walk" is the predominant picture of a person's progression in the things of the Lord.

- We are to walk with the Lord. It's not a race to the end. It's not a sprint. A relationship with the Lord is a steady walk with Him.

- As we take in His instruction, as we become of aware of His law and decrees, we are guided by His Spirit, in a journey that leads us ever more towards Him.

- There is a way that we as Christians are called to walk. The word of God reproves and corrects us and is alive and active in keeping us in that way.

- The same is true of the work that we must do. We have said before that works are the fruit of salvation. We cannot do anything to earn God's favor.

- However, because we HAVE God's favor, we work for His pleasure! We work to co-operate with Him on this Earth. This is why we exist and is part and parcel with His salvific work.

• Exodus 18:21-23 : "Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. 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. 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.'" : Jethro's advice also revolves around sharing the responsibility. There were men nearby that needed to be involved.

- Moses' over involvement kept them from living out God's call in their lives! Now, if Moses is to be the leader that will make it, he is to bring in other men to help him.

- Listen to who he was to select. Able men. The word speaks of strength and capacity. Men who have the strength of character, as well as strength to carry out the course.

- These are men who are not wavering from one thing to another. These are men that can be found at their posts, not being easily distracted by the latest whim.

- These men are to fear God. They have a reverance for what God thinks about life. They put Him first above every other influence. They fear Him and nothing else.

- They are men of truth. They are committed to the truth, as in the body of ethical teachings and doctrines that God had exposed to the people of Israel.

- These men are not wondering if God is true or if what He has said is true. "I don't know. Evolution could be true!" These men are committed to what God has said and they will not relent.

- They are men who hate covetousness. This is unjust profit or bribes. They are not changed by the sight of a person's money. They will not abandon their positions at the flash of cash!

- Men like this are worthy of ministry consideration. Heck, they could watch my kids!

- Now, one cannot come into a group and say "I'm a capable spiritual leader, who is steadfast in the doctrine of this community, reverant toward God and unmoved by money."

- Moses was to select men with this reputation, that had come to be known as men of this ilk. He had to watch, wait and see what manifested itself.

- Once he found them, these men would be given responsibilities. Some would have thousands to be responsible to. Some would rule over tens.

- There is no indication as to how this was decided. Each person was to be responsible toward what he was given.

- They could handle the small things and if a great need arose, then Moses could get involved. This was easier for Moses and it gave him someone to share the burden with.

- Notice those words: They will share the burden with you. I like the way the NIV translates this verse: "That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you."

- Ministry is meant to be shared. Kingdom people are meant to hold up their part of the bargain together.

• Exodus 18:24-27 : "So Moses heeded the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. 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. So they judged the people at all times; the hard cases they brought to Moses, but they judged every small case themselves. Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way to his own land." : Moses did what had been told him. What a wise choice to make!

Conclusion

- As we come to the end, consider that the architect of this idea, came from a formerly skeptical gentile, pagan priest, who had become convinced of the reality of God.

- Jethro confessed, rejoiced, sacrificed and then served God's community with his gift of wisdom! All this from a formerly godless Gentile, who listened to one man's testimony! Hmm...