3-20-15. Exodus 18:1-12. God Worked Through Moses’ Humility to Bring Jethro To Faith –my devotional

 Exodus 18:1-12                                                                                     Kevin E. Jesmer

Key verse 18:11                                                                                    3-20-15

“Now I know that the Lord is greater than all other gods, for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly.”

In this passage we learn about Jethro and how he was brought to faith in God. There are several principles we can all follow in order to lead those we love to true faith. It requires decades planting seeds of faith; trust and vulnerability; respect; an eager to share about Jesus and what God was doing among his people; and a humble listening attitude that is even able to obey someone spiritually younger.

Let’s look at Exodus 18: 1-12, which reads, “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 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.” (NIV)

The news of God’s glory being revealed through his people reached the ears of Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law. This is no insignificant thing. We have the internet. We have newspapers and magazines. We get the news instantaneously. But in that ancient society the news had to travel by word of mouth, through those who traveled. For the news to travel hundreds of miles in that desert region, reveals that God did bring glory to himself as he promised. The glory of God and the faith of his people reached far and wide. God spreads news about the faith of his people even now. Romans 1:8-9, “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. 9 God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you…” (NIV)

First, let’s think about God.

God was with his people. God was with Moses and saw the intense need. Moses must have been stressed out leading three million grumbling Israelites through a desert and even leading them in battle. He was facing death. He was an old man. He was even separated from his family. I can not begin to imagine what he was going through. But God saw his heart and his need. God knew the best thing for him at this time. It was to bring his wife and kids and his father-in-law Jethro to him to visit with him, encourage him and give him wise words of counsel. God knows our hearts and he meets us in our need. He sends the right people at exactly the right time to lift us up and strengthen us. He is our Good Shepherd who leads us to green pastures.

Now let’s think about the human element in this story.

Moses’ wife Zipporah and their two sons had been staying with her father Jethro. He kept abreast of the news of what God was doing through the Israelites. He was truly excited about what God was accomplishing. He was willing to sacrifice time and resources and be exposed to an element of danger, in order to go and see what Moses and these Israelites were up to. He also wanted to meet Moses and encourage him. And so Jethro came to bring Moses’ family to Moses, who was encamped with the people of Israel near Mt. Sinai. Look at verses 5-6, “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.”  There is a Nigerian saying, “The way to a friend’s house is never long.”

God can truly work through people who love God and want to see and experience the work of the Lord as well as encourage servants of the Lord. Many people say that they are really interested in what God is doing. But they cannot sacrifice a few days and $500 to go and see. May God raise up an multitudes who are willing to go out of their way, sacrifice a little and go and see God’s people and the work that God is doing among them and be an encouragement.  If it is Jesus’ work, and if it is God’s will to go, then go and encourage.

Let’s think about Moses sending his family away to be with Jethro. Verses 2-4 read, “After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro received her 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.”  Moses had to send his family away in his situation. He was entering into a dangerous land. In this case it was best to send his family to a safe place for the time being. I have heard of missionaries being separated from their families because of immigration problems or poverty issues, or as in the times of Moses, danger. The separation makes sense. But families should not be separated simply because missionaries are trying to make their mission more efficient. After all, raising one’s family and glorifying Christ, with the family in the mission field, is a major part of the mission. Trying to do mission more efficiently is never an excuse for the breakup of the family. Glorify Jesus along with your family. Find out what God wants you to do in the context of raising your family.

Now let’s learn how God worked through Moses to lead Jethro to faith in the God of the Hebrews.

First, Moses spent decades planting seeds of faith. Moses was driven out of Egypt when he was forty years old. He got married and had kids while living among Jethro’s people. Obviously, during that time he talked about the God of the Israelites to his father-in-law. Each conversation was like a time to plant seeds into his heart. Moses also lived out his faith when he lived among Jethro’s people. His daily life as a believer would also be times of planting seeds in their hearts.

Second, Moses trusted Jethro and made himself vulnerable. He entrusted his wife and children to his care when he went to Egypt to lead his people to freedom. That is not easy to do. But Moses allowed himself and his family to be placed in a vulnerable situation and he trusted others, even though Jethro was not a believer. Trust is very important.

Third, Moses respected Jethro. Look at verse 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.” They say the absolute power corrupts absolutely.  It could have been easy to ignore them and revel in the glory of being the leader of nation in the midst of an historical migration. But he had total respect. Absolute respect for a person paves the way for God to work in that person’s heart. After all, Jesus displayed absolute respect for each of us, even when we were in the midst of our sin. We love because he first loved us.

Fourth, Moses was eager to share about God and what God was doing among his people. Look at verse 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.”  Jehovah God was on his heart and mind. He was quick to share about what his God was doing and not what he was doing. He wasn’t tooting his own horn, but God’s horn. How easy it is to glorify the workings of our own human efforts and our own ministries rather than highlighting what God has done and is doing?! We need to be excited about what Christ is accomplishing through us despite our own weaknesses and sins. When we are weak then he is strong.

Fifth, Moses humbly listened to Jethro and obeyed him. Look at verse 24, “Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said.”  Moses listened to Jethro and not only listened to him, but did everything he said. Moses was a great spiritual leader. Moses was the one who had mature faith in the one true God. Moses was the one who was leading tree million people to victory and the Promised Land, not Jethro.

There are those who think that they can help someone to repent and believe by handing out a tract and praying the prayer of faith. God can work through that method and has many times. But more often it involves a relationship between the believer and the non believer. When the relationship is established then the believer can stand as a witness to the Gospel and God can work through the person to touch the heart of another. Just like in this passage, it requires decades planting seeds of faith; trust and vulnerability; respect; an eager to share about Jesus and what God was doing among his people; and a humble listening attitude that is even able to obey someone spiritually younger.

And look how this new convert to the faith responded when his spiritual eyes were opened?

Jethro’s spirit was moved and he responded in raptures of praise. Jethro was not an Israelite. He was a priest of Midian…a priest of some other religion. But he loved truth. When he saw God’s glory manifest in the midst of his people, Jethro was converted. He had an epiphany of truth about the God of the Hebrews. He saw God for who he truly is, the one who “is greater than all other gods.”  The fact that he could praise God was none other than the Lord’s grace upon him, opening the eyes of his heart to see the truth. It was like he was born again. He was well on his way to see the Kingdom of God for “Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” (John 3:3, NIV)

Jethro worshipped the Lord. Look at verse 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.”  He worshipped the God of the Israelites. He had fellowship with the elders of the nation. It was like he was committing himself to be a follower of Jehovah.