Exodus 18:1-27
Q.1. What made Jethro visit Moses? How important were his family to Moses? What news did Moses give Jethro? How did Jethro respond to the news? – (Exo.18:1-12)
In Q.1 – Exodus 3:1 attention was drawn to Jethro’s connection to Abraham and his second wife Keturah (Q.1 – Exo.3:1-6). Jethro the priest of Midian, and Israel’s leader, Moses both shared the faith of Abraham. Upon hearing of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt – Jethro, Moses’ father-in-la, took Moses’ wife Zipporah, after he had sent her away (Exo.2:21; 4:25). Moses’ wife and sons would have been a special target of Pharaoh’s wrath, so he had sent them back to the protection of her father. His sons carried his two great life experiences in their names: Gershom – I have been a sojourner in a foreign land (Exo.18:3). The other was named Eliezer – The God of my father was my help and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh (Exo.18:4). The place they met was back at the mountain of God in Midian where Moses had his ‘burning bush’ experience (Exo.18:5 c.f. Exo.3:1-6). This mountain of God was also referred to as Mount Sinai and Mount Horeb where Israel entered into their covenant with God, and where God gave Moses the Ten Commandments (Mt. Sinai as in Exo.19:18 & Horeb as in Dt.5:2). In Jethro’s tent – 8 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 befallen them on the journey, and how the Lord had delivered them. 9 Jethro rejoiced over all the goodness which the Lord had done to Israel, in delivering them from the hand of the Egyptians (Exo.18:8-9). He acknowledged –Now I know that the Lord is greater than all the gods … (Exo.18:11). Jethro was treated with much respect when he – took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with Moses’ father-in-law before God (Exo.18:12).
Q.2. Did Jethro like the leadership style of Moses? What advice did he give Moses? What kind of men should Moses appoint to leadership? How did he manage Israel? – (Exo.18:13-27)
It did not take Jethro long to recognize that Moses had enormous demands on his time (Exo.18:13-14). This would place family relationships under strong pressure. Moses explained that – people come to me to inquire of God. 16 When they have a dispute, it comes to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbour and make known the statutes of God and His laws (Exo.18:15-16). Jethro told Moses plainly that his leadership style was neither good for him, nor the people (Exo.18:17-18). He respectfully suggested – 19 Now listen to me: I will give you counsel, and God be with you. You be the people’s representative before God, and you bring the disputes to God, 20 then teach them the statutes and the laws, and make known to them the way in which they are to walk and the work they are to do (Exo.18:19-20). To delegate effectively would require him to select – able men who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens (Exo.18:21). He advised Moses to restrict himself to major disputes alone, and delegate all other matters to the other leaders (Exo.18:22). He predicted – if you do this thing and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people also will go to their place in peace (Exo.18:23). Moses listened to the advice of Jethro and bade him farewell (Exo.18:24-27).