Slices
Prepare
Reflect on the first words of the Lord’s Prayer: ‘Father in Heaven’. What does it mean to you that you have a good Father in heaven? Speak to him. Tell him about your day. Be honest: his children are always welcome.
Bible passage
Jethro visits Moses
18 Now Jethro, the priest of Midian and father-in-law of Moses, heard of everything God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, and how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt.
2 After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro received her 3 and her two sons. One son was named Gershom, for Moses said, ‘I have become a foreigner in a foreign land’; 4 and the other was named Eliezer, for he said, ‘My father’s God was my helper; he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh.’
5 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, together with Moses’ sons and wife, came to him in the wilderness, where he was camped near the mountain of God. 6 Jethro had sent word to him, ‘I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.’
7 So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. They greeted each other and then went into the tent. 8 Moses told his father-in-law about everything the Lord had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel’s sake and about all the hardships they had met along the way and how the Lord had saved them.
9 Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good things the Lord had done for Israel in rescuing them from the hand of the Egyptians. 10 He said, ‘Praise be to the Lord, who rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and who rescued the people from the hand of the Egyptians. 11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all other gods, for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly.’ 12 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God.
13 The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood round him from morning till evening. 14 When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, ‘What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand round you from morning till evening?’
15 Moses answered him, ‘Because the people come to me to seek God’s will. 16 Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and instructions.’
17 Moses’ father-in-law replied, ‘What you are doing is not good. 18 You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. 19 Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him. 20 Teach them his decrees and instructions, and show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave. 21 But select capable men from all the people – men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain – and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 22 Let them serve as judges for the people at all times, but let them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. 23 If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.’
24 Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. 25 He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leaders of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 26 They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves.
27 Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own country.
Explore
By this point in the journey Moses has quite a track record of strong leadership: but the arrival of his father-in-law, wife and children (vs 1–6) brings fresh insights into his work as Israel’s leader.
Was it because he felt indispensable? Or perhaps Moses didn’t trust those under him? Or, maybe he gained a certain satisfaction from the status as solo leader? We aren’t told, but we do know he was taking far too much on his own shoulders (vs 13,14). It took the honesty of a trusted and respected person to point out that all was not well (v 17), and it took the humility of an overworked person to accept the feedback (v 24).
It is hard to know how the story would have been different if Moses had become the frustrating bottleneck for Israel’s judicial system. But God’s purposes for his people then, and now, never rest in the hands of superstar leaders. When everyone is encouraged to play their unique part (v 25), the nation flourishes (see too 1 Corinthians 12:4–12).
Respond
‘As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another’ (Proverbs 27:17). Who is the trusted and respected person helping you review your development as God’s servant? Have you met recently? If there is no one, who might you approach to become your ‘Jethro’?
Deuteronomy 2,3; Acts 26
Deeper Bible study
‘Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.’1
Jethro’s reputation today tends to rest on his advice to Moses to delegate his work as a judge (vs 13–26). His advice, often cited in books on leadership, especially Christian ones, both advocates the importance of delegation and outlines an ideal pattern for its operation. This reputation is justly deserved, but in our rush to answer contemporary questions we are likely to miss something far more significant. Jethro underwent a remarkable spiritual conversion.
We know little of the Midianite religion Jethro presided over (possibly as high priest), but it was certainly very different from Israel’s belief in the Lord. Together with the past history between Moses and his father-in-law, in which it looks as if Moses had separated from his wife (vs 2–4) , it meant than any family reunion could be interesting. Jethro would easily have heard news of the goings-on in Egypt from other desert travellers and so, when he and Moses met, his mind was already open to hear more. Jethro greeted Moses’ story not with scepticism but with joy. He immediately attributed the success of the rescue mission to the Lord, not to Moses. He confessed that Israel’s God was incomparable, both in his commitment to justice and in his ability to overthrow oppression. Then, he offered a burnt offering, Israel’s primary sacrifice, in which everything was consumed, symbolising that Israel belonged wholly and without reservation to the Lord. In doing so, Jethro, too, was now saying he belonged completely to the Lord. Quite naturally, this was followed by a celebratory communion meal. The story witnesses to the power of testimony where God has clearly been at work and gives hope to those seeking the conversion of close family members.
Have you been praying for the conversion of close friends or family? Do not give up hope but persevere, without nagging, and tell of what the Lord has done.
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Deuteronomy 2,3; Acts 26
Pray for Scripture Union
Local Mission Partner Thrive working in around Warwick and Leamington Spa has launched a new weekly podcast The Heart of a Youth Leader to help youth and children’s leaders stay close to Jesus in their ministry. Pray that people will discover the podcast and will find it helpful.
