[Exodus 18] Jethro, Moses Father-in-Law. In this chapter, Jethro comes out to meet his son-in-law Moses and reunite with his family. After observing the burden Moses carries, Jethro gives him counsel to share the work and to delegate authority. What about you? Are you willing to sit under delegated authority, or do you require your leadership to function as a one-man-band?
[Exo 18:1-27 KJV] 1 When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father in law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, [and] 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, 3 And her two sons; of which the name of the one [was] Gershom; for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land: 4 And the name of the other [was] Eliezer; for the God of my father, [said he, was] mine help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh: 5 And Jethro, Moses’ father in law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of God: 6 And he said unto Moses, I thy father in law Jethro am come unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her. 7 And Moses went out to meet his father in law, and did obeisance, and kissed him; and they asked each other of [their] welfare; and they came into the tent. 8 And Moses told his father in law all that the LORD had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, [and] all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and [how] the LORD delivered them. 9 And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, whom he had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians. 10 And Jethro said, Blessed [be] the LORD, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, who hath delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. 11 Now I know that the LORD [is] greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly [he was] above them. 12 And Jethro, Moses’ father in law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses’ father in law before God. 13 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening. 14 And when Moses’ father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What [is] this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even? 15 And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to enquire of God: 16 When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make [them] know the statutes of God, and his laws. 17 And Moses’ father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest [is] not good. 18 Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that [is] with thee: for this thing [is] too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone. 19 Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God: 20 And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do. 21 Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place [such] over them, [to be] rulers of thousands, [and] rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens: 22 And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, [that] every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear [the burden] with thee. 23 If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee [so], then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace. 24 So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said. 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 And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves. 27 And Moses let his father in law depart; and he went his way into his own land.
In this chapter, we learn more about Moses’ father-in-law Jethro. The first verse mentions Moses’ wife Zipporah and their two sons and discloses the fact that Moses, at some point, had sent his family back to Midian while he dealt with the confrontation with Pharaoh. Why did Moses do this? We know that Moses’ sister and brother (Miriam and Aaron) did not approve of Zipporah. It is possible that Moses sent her back because her foreign ethnicity was a difficulty for him before the people. It Isi possible he sent her back out of concerns for their safety. In any case, the children of Israel are returning in strength, and Jethro decided to return his daughter and grandsons to Moses. Why didn’t Moses send for her himself? These questions make us think and give us a glimpse between the lines that are written something of Moses’ personal and family life.
What can we learn from the names of Moses’ children? Remember, he married Zipporah after fleeing from Egypt, having come into Jethro’s employ as a shepherd. Moses’ eldest son was named Gershom, which means “foreigner.” This tells us how displaced Moses felt not only in Egypt but also after repairing to the wilderness. His second son was named Eliezer, which is also the name of Aaron’s son after him, who eventually becomes High Priest. Eliezer means “God is my helper,” which gives us an indication that Moses, at the point this child was born, was done killing Egyptians and trying to make what he understood his calling to be to come to pass on his own strength. Only God could help Moses, and his second son’s name makes it clear that he understood this very well now. What of Moses’ lineage, his grandchildren, etc.,? There is an indication that the descendants of Moses were known and that they maintained their tribal identity. In the genealogies of scripture, there is mentioned a certain Shebuel who is cited as a direct descendant of Moses.
There is one controversy implied in the book of Micah regarding the descendants of Moses. You will remember that only the sons of Aaron could serve as priests according to the law, but in the book of Micah, we find an implied reference that some of the descendants of Moses assumed the office of the priesthood and presided over a secondary protocol of worship involving what amounts to idolatry and rebellion against God’s ordained order.
In v. 5, we see that Jethro finds Moses encamped at Sinai and presents him with his wife and sons. Moses is very respectful toward Jethro (v. 7) and bows down to him, greeting him with profound reverence. What do we know about Jethro?
Jethro was a priest at the wells at Midian, for all water sources were considered sacred, and usually, there were priests appointed to serve over them. Followers of the Druze religion today see Jethro as the founder of their beliefs, although there is no historical indication that this is the case. Jethro had seven daughters when Moses came to him from Egypt, among the Zipporah, Moses’ wife. Although Moses honored Jethro greatly, scholars indicate that Jethro was in truth about the same age as Moses. Jethro was with Moses and the Israelites for some time in their sojourn, and Jewish tradition states that Jethro later sat in the council of elders in the wilderness, a precursor of the Sanhedrin.
In v. 8-12, Moses recounts to Jethro the deliverances of God visited upon the people since Moses took leave of his father-in-law. Jethro rejoices at this testimony of God’s faithfulness and blesses Moses and the people accordingly in v. 10. He then proceeds with Moses’ permission to offer up sacrifices with Aaron’s assistance and brings the elders of the tribes to eat bread with him. What is the significance of eating bread? This is not stipulated in the law as part of a burnt offering, but it is mentioned in Gen. 14:18, where the priest Melchisedek gave Abraham bread and wine as a covenantal act. Here, we see Jethro being adopted into the Israelite family with the elders of the twelve tribes ratifying the act.
In v. 14, we see that Jethro observes Moses’s heavy administrative burden and recommends that Moses appoint others to help him judge the matters brought to him day by day in the discharge of his duties. Now we see the principle of delegated authority in the things of God. God never intends for us to labor alone. Even the 12 disciples were sent out two by two, and in the early church, the apostles, including Paul, always worked in a team effort. Unfortunately, this is not the custom of the church today that operates in a hierarchical government placing too much responsibility and demand upon one man, whereas the scripture both old and new testament plainly endorses plurality in leadership and team ministry.
Moses accepts his father-in-law’s judgment and makes the appointment of those to assist him in his work. What about you? Do you expect the spiritual leaders you follow to be a one-man-show? Leaders and pastors function this way because the people they follow won’t have it any other way. Are you willing not only to follow a leader but to follow those that they might appoint to assist them in their work? This is God’s way, and if we reject it, we are rejecting God’s ordained order for administrating the work of the gospel.
