3-21-15. Exodus 18:1-27. JETHRO’CONVERSION AND COURAGE-my devotional

Exodus 18:1-27                                                                               Kevin E. Jesmer

Key Verse: 18:9                                                                               3-21-15

“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.” (NIV)

Part 1: God Worked Through Moses’ Humility to Bring Jethro To Faith  (1-12)

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 and be encouraged.

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.

Part 2: Dare To Be A Jethro And Speak Up. (13-27)

Though Jethro was a new convert, God worked through him powerfully to help Moses and the Israelites manage the growing demands of the fledgling nation. Look at Exodus 18:13-27 read, “The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around 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 around 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 Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have 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.”

Moses had a very hard job. Look at verse 13. “The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening.”  Think about how hard it is for Moses to counsel others and to lead the people. He had no time for himself. When he rolled out of bed there was already a line up people at this tent. He went from morning to evening, listening, praying, teaching, managing and making decrees. Jesus and his disciples were busy like this. They served the crowd morning to evening. In the evening they would listen to some teaching from Jesus, pray and rest for a short time before doing it all again. That was their life for 3 ½ years. Pastors have a very hard job today. I know some pastors who have over 200 emails and texts a day. They are continuously counseling people. In order to keep a relationship with their family, and to carve out some time to gather their own thoughts. They don’t answer their texts and emails. They practice “sabbathing” which is taking one day a week off,  and some time off each year. They need this time for it is so hard to keep up with the pace of ministry. But despite all of the challenges, God gives his servants strength to serve the mission he has called them to.

God saw Moses’ need and intervened in a very wise way…He sent Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law. Jethro saw the needs of Moses and spoke up. Look at verse 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 around you from morning till evening?”  We might think, and even expect that God should send Moses someone who is more spiritually mature than he was. But God sent Jethro, a priest of Midian who was a recent convert to the faith. He was the one whom Moses was to listen to. We need to humble ourselves to listen to the one whom God sends, even if it is not the one we would choose to disclose our hearts to.  Jesus taught this principle to his disciples, “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?” (Matt 21:16; NIV) Moses was humble. “Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said.” (24). This humility was amazing and refreshing. It opened the way for a great work of God. Are you humble enough to listen to advice from a young believer?

Jethro had the guts to speak up, though it was not easy to do it. Look at verse 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.”  He had insight to see where things were headed if Moses kept his course… that is burn out. He urged Moses to listen to him. Look at verse 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.”  I admire Jethro’s courage. He spoke up. Most of the time we sit quietly, being like “Yes men” on the elder board. Do you know about the story of the elephant in the room? The elephant is the problem. We know that there is something wrong and something needs to be said and everyone else thinks so too. But no one is willing to open their mouth to say that there is an “elephant in the room.” They just carry on as if there is nothing there. Jethro was willing to open his mouth and begin to talk about the “elephant in the room.” People in the congregation yearn for people to speak up and say something about the elephant in the room. May God grant us to courage and wisdom and humility to open our mouth and speak words of constructive criticism like Jethro, without fear.

Jethro came up with a wise plan. Look at verses 19b-23, “…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 Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have 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.”  He did not just criticize Moses, but rather he offered up a very constructive plan. He reminded Moses of his first responsibility–to teach the Bible to the people and to represent them in prayer before God. This is important. If we are going to say that something needs to be changed, we need to offer up a constructive plan to change it. This requires God’s wisdom, but God is willing to dispense his wisdom in overwhelming proportions. All we need to do is ask.

Moses, not only listened, but he implemented this new way offered up by Jethro. Look at verses 25-26, “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.” Moses and the leaders were not stuck in a certain way… a certain framework. As the needs changed, they were able to see God’s wisdom and change. They were flexible and as a result, dynamic. God worked powerfully through this body. When a man, like Jethro, is full of thanksgiving and praise for God, his spiritual eyes are opened and he becomes a blessing and an encouragement to others.

God blessed the whole human race through Jethro’s advice and Moses’ implementation. They provided the model of delegation that has been used by managers for thousands of years. God showed the human race the importance of delegation. It is one of the cornerstones of management. Delegation is ultra important in the secular and spiritual realm. Those who do not know how to delegate will find themselves burnt out before long. But those who delegate with the wisdom of God, God can bring about much good fruit to bless the world.

Delegation requires faith and trust. Naturally we don’t trust people to do something. We have a tendency to want to manage everything ourselves. Even if we do delegate we tend to micromanage those under us. Or, we endlessly groom people to fit the job, and when we deem them faithful to keep the framework then we delegate. For some people, this will take a couple decades. But the bottom line is, we need to trust people. We need to entrust the work of God to other people and trust God that he will work through them. Have faith that your attempts at delegation for the glory of God will be blessed by God.

As I serve the role in the mission to the North, I will need to learn how to delegate. At the present time, there is not enough mission on my plate to delegate much. But as God continues to grow the mission I will need to be “all inclusive”, trusting God and trusting people. Then there will be endless possibilities for the future.

Moses continued with the respect towards his father-in-law. Look at verse 27, “Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own country.”  He sent Jethro on his way. Moses was not “hurt” by being told what to do by a spiritually younger one. He respected Jethro, He was thankful for Jethro’s input. Jethro would be in his mind, heart and prayers.

Prayer: Lord, teach me to be humble, humble enough to listen to advice and implement that wise advice into my life. Grant me the “spiritual guts”, humility and wisdom to speak up and show the way that you are revealing to your people.”

One Word: Dare to be a Jethro.