Jethro Visits Moses
Ex 18:1 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.Ex 18:2 After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah, his
father-in-law Jethro received her Ex 18:3 and her two sons. One son was named Gershom, for Moses said, “I have become an alien in a foreign land”; Ex 18:4 and the other was named Eliezer, for he said, “My father’s God was my helper; he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh.”
.
1. There was no internet, 24 hour cable news, cell phones, twitter etc., how did Jethro hear of everything Moses had done in Egypt?
The intelligence-gathering ability of ancient peoples should not be underestimated. Quickly and thoroughly the news of significant events in other lands passed from one place to another, very often via the merchant caravans which traversed the Fertile Crescent, or through ambassadors and other official contacts between nations. In Jethro’s case, whatever knowledge he had gleaned of Israel’s progress had been supplemented with information from Zipporah and her sons after Moses sent them ahead to her home. MacArthur
2. Is there anything we can conclude from the fact that Moses left his wife and sons with Jethro in Midian ?
.
Apparently, when they went down to Egypt, after that experience when she called him a bloody husband, he sent her back home—then or shortly after that. There is no record of her being in Egypt
when the exodus took place. But now Jethro brings her and her two sons to
Moses. So this is a family reunion. Dr. McGee
Possibly Moses was protecting his family from the danger he might encounter in Egypt.
3. What can we make out of this name, Eliezer, for he said, “My father’s God was my helper; he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh.”
My father’s God….. why not my God?, is it possible that his mother Zipporah was not a believer, possibly the children were not raised as Hebrews, but as Midianites. Jethro was describes as “priest of Midian”, but were really not sure what this means. We know that a priest by definition, represents the people before God or gods, and we know that Jethro was a descendent of Abraham , but just how much understanding did Jethro have of Yahweh. Also the Midianites were bitter enemies of Israel in the future, so possibly
both Moses and Jethro were in a learning curve with respect to their
relationship to the “one true God”
18:5 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, together with
Moses’ sons and wife, came to him in the desert, where he was camped
near the mountain of God. Ex 18:6 Jethro had sent word to him, “I,
your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.”
Ex 18:7 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.
.
4. Can we conclude anything from the fact that there is no mention of Moses greeting his wife and children, only his father in law Jethro?
Jethro was an important leader of his people.
Women and children were considered to be possessions. It is obvious that Moses and Jethro had a close relationship which had probably developed during the 40 years that Moses worked for Jethro as a shepherd.
Ex 18:8 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. Ex 18:9 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. Ex 18:10 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. Ex 18:11 Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods, for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly.” Ex 18:12 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 bread with Moses’ father- in-law in the presence of God
.
5. “Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods” What does this tell us about Jethro’s previous spiritual state of mind?
Jethro was call the “priest of El Shaddai” (The Almighty). He was a descendent of Abraham through one of his later wives. We all rejoice when we see God working in the lives of people. In a world filled with false Gods and deception we need to be reassured that we are following the truth.
Mark 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”
Ex 18:13 The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. Ex 18:14 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? Ex 18:15 Moses answered him, “Because the people come to me to seek God’s will. Ex 18:16 Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and laws.”
.
6. Why would the Hebrews go to Moses to have their petty disputes settled, why not go to the heads of their respective tribes?
These people had been slaves for hundreds of years. They were used to being under the supervision of a central authority. They were totally disorganized and unfamiliar with self rule. The Pharaohs overseers would have settled any disputes between them.
Exodus 2:11-14 Now it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out to his brethren and looked at their burdens. And he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren.12 So he looked this way and that way, and when he saw no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.13 And when he went out the second day, behold, two Hebrew men were fighting, and he said to the one who did the wrong, “Why are you striking your companion? 14 Then he said, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?”
Ironic
Ex 18:17 Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good. Ex 18:18 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. Ex 18:19 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. Ex 18:20 Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform. Ex 18:21 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. Ex 18:22 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. Ex 18:23 If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.” Ex 18:24 Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. He chose capable men from
all Israel and made them leaders of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. Ex 18:26 They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves Ex 18:27 Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own country.
.7. Where do you think Jethro got his wisdom?
Proverbs 2 2 So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding 6 For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding 7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly; 10 When wisdom enters your heart, And knowledge is pleasant to your soul,
.
8. How is wisdom different that intelligence or cleverness?
There are many intelligent people whom God would call
fools. The prisons are full of very cleaver criminals. The wisdom of the world is the foolishness of God. The biblical concept of wisdom, therefore, is quite different from the classical view of wisdom, which sought through philosophy and man’s rational thought to determine the mysteries of existence and the universe. The first principle of biblical wisdom is that man should humble himself before God in reverence and worship, obedient to His commands. This idea is found especially in the Wisdom Literature: the books of Job, Psalms, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes.
Half of being smart is knowing what you’re dumb at. …
“I want to know God’s thoughts; the rest are details.” Albert Einstein
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom
9. What can we learn from Jethro’s advice to Moses?
1 Corinthians 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion but of peace,
2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind
God is a God of order. God wants us to use our minds not our feelings and emotions to make decisions.
Matthew 10:16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as do
Titus 1:9 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you —6 if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination.7 For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money,8 but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled,9 holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.
God is setting a pattern with Jethro and Moses which will become part of the church. Delegation of responsibility. A model which is used in business, government, sports and all through out society. Look at the military structure, the commanding general doesn’t have to deal with deciding whether to serve baked potatoes or French fries at the mess hall that night. Those decisions are made at a lower level, leaving the commanding general free to make strategic and tactical decisions. Pastors, elders, deacons, teachers, all responsible for groups of people and accountable to higher authority.
.
10. What happens when the principle of delegation of responsibility is ignored?
Structural weakness. The organization can only be as strong as the top guy.
·
ESVN………….ESV Study Bible Notes
·
MSBN…….MacArthur NASB Study Notes
· NIVSN…..NIV Study Notes.
JVM ……………..J Vernon McGee,
·
ACC ……………. Adam Clarke’s Commentary
·
BN ……………..Barnes Notes
·
WBC……………. Wycliffe Bible Commentary
·
CN …… …………..Constables Notes
·
IC………………….Ironside Commentary
·
NET……………….Net Bible Study Notes.
·
JFB…………..Jamieson Fausset Brown Commentary
·
VWS……………..Vincent Word Studies
·
CMM………….Commentary on Matthew and Mark
·
BDB………….. Barclay’s Daily Study Bible (NT)
·
Darby………..John Darby’s Synopsis of the OT and NT
·
Johnson………Johnson’s Notes on the New Testament.
·
NTCMM…………..The New Testament Commentary: Matthew and
Mark.
·
EHS………………….Expositions of the Holy Scriptures
·
CPP…………………The Complete Pulpit Commentary
·
SBC…………………Sermon Bible Commentary
·
K&D……………….Keil and Deilitzsch Commentary on the OT
·
EBC…………………Expositors Bible Commentary
·
CBSC……………….Cambridge Bible for Schools and College
·
GC……………………Guzik Commentary
·
RD…………………….Robert Deffinbaugh
“Fair Use “ Notice –
Title 17 U.S.C. section 107
Jethro Visits Moses
Ex 18:1 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.Ex 18:2 After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah, his
father-in-law Jethro received her Ex 18:3 and her two sons. One son was named Gershom, for Moses said, “I have become an alien in a foreign land”; Ex 18:4 and the other was named Eliezer, for he said, “My father’s God was my helper; he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh.”
.
1. There was no internet, 24 hour cable news, cell phones, twitter etc., how did Jethro hear of everything Moses had done in Egypt?
The intelligence-gathering ability of ancient peoples should not be underestimated. Quickly and thoroughly the news of significant events in other lands passed from one place to another, very often via the merchant caravans which traversed the Fertile Crescent, or through ambassadors and other official contacts between nations. In Jethro’s case, whatever knowledge he had gleaned of Israel’s progress had been supplemented with information from Zipporah and her sons after Moses sent them ahead to her home. MacArthur
2. Is there anything we can conclude from the fact that Moses left his wife and sons with Jethro in Midian ?
.
Apparently, when they went down to Egypt, after that experience when she called him a bloody husband, he sent her back home—then or shortly after that. There is no record of her being in Egyptwhen the exodus took place. But now Jethro brings her and her two sons to
Moses. So this is a family reunion. Dr. McGee
Possibly Moses was protecting his family from the danger he might encounter in Egypt.
3. What can we make out of this name, Eliezer, for he said, “My father’s God was my helper; he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh.”
My father’s God….. why not my God?, is it possible that his mother Zipporah was not a believer, possibly the children were not raised as Hebrews, but as Midianites. Jethro was describes as “priest of Midian”, but were really not sure what this means. We know that a priest by definition, represents the people before God or gods, and we know that Jethro was a descendent of Abraham , but just how much understanding did Jethro have of Yahweh. Also the Midianites were bitter enemies of Israel in the future, so possibly
both Moses and Jethro were in a learning curve with respect to their
relationship to the “one true God”
relationship to the “one true God”
18:5 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, together with
Moses’ sons and wife, came to him in the desert, where he was camped
Moses’ sons and wife, came to him in the desert, where he was camped
near the mountain of God. Ex 18:6 Jethro had sent word to him, “I,
your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.”
Ex 18:7 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.
.
4. Can we conclude anything from the fact that there is no mention of Moses greeting his wife and children, only his father in law Jethro?
Jethro was an important leader of his people.
Women and children were considered to be possessions. It is obvious that Moses and Jethro had a close relationship which had probably developed during the 40 years that Moses worked for Jethro as a shepherd.
Women and children were considered to be possessions. It is obvious that Moses and Jethro had a close relationship which had probably developed during the 40 years that Moses worked for Jethro as a shepherd.
Ex 18:8 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. Ex 18:9 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. Ex 18:10 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. Ex 18:11 Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods, for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly.” Ex 18:12 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 bread with Moses’ father- in-law in the presence of God
.
5. “Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods” What does this tell us about Jethro’s previous spiritual state of mind?
Jethro was call the “priest of El Shaddai” (The Almighty). He was a descendent of Abraham through one of his later wives. We all rejoice when we see God working in the lives of people. In a world filled with false Gods and deception we need to be reassured that we are following the truth.
Mark 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”
Ex 18:13 The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. Ex 18:14 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? Ex 18:15 Moses answered him, “Because the people come to me to seek God’s will. Ex 18:16 Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and laws.”
.
6. Why would the Hebrews go to Moses to have their petty disputes settled, why not go to the heads of their respective tribes?
These people had been slaves for hundreds of years. They were used to being under the supervision of a central authority. They were totally disorganized and unfamiliar with self rule. The Pharaohs overseers would have settled any disputes between them.
Exodus 2:11-14 Now it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out to his brethren and looked at their burdens. And he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren.12 So he looked this way and that way, and when he saw no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.13 And when he went out the second day, behold, two Hebrew men were fighting, and he said to the one who did the wrong, “Why are you striking your companion? 14 Then he said, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?”
Ironic
Ex 18:17 Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good. Ex 18:18 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. Ex 18:19 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. Ex 18:20 Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform. Ex 18:21 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. Ex 18:22 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. Ex 18:23 If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.” Ex 18:24 Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. He chose capable men from
all Israel and made them leaders of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. Ex 18:26 They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves Ex 18:27 Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own country.
.7. Where do you think Jethro got his wisdom?
Proverbs 2 2 So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding 6 For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding 7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly; 10 When wisdom enters your heart, And knowledge is pleasant to your soul,
.
8. How is wisdom different that intelligence or cleverness?
There are many intelligent people whom God would call
fools. The prisons are full of very cleaver criminals. The wisdom of the world is the foolishness of God. The biblical concept of wisdom, therefore, is quite different from the classical view of wisdom, which sought through philosophy and man’s rational thought to determine the mysteries of existence and the universe. The first principle of biblical wisdom is that man should humble himself before God in reverence and worship, obedient to His commands. This idea is found especially in the Wisdom Literature: the books of Job, Psalms, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes.
Half of being smart is knowing what you’re dumb at. …
“I want to know God’s thoughts; the rest are details.” Albert Einstein
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom
God is setting a pattern with Jethro and Moses which will become part of the church. Delegation of responsibility. A model which is used in business, government, sports and all through out society. Look at the military structure, the commanding general doesn’t have to deal with deciding whether to serve baked potatoes or French fries at the mess hall that night. Those decisions are made at a lower level, leaving the commanding general free to make strategic and tactical decisions. Pastors, elders, deacons, teachers, all responsible for groups of people and accountable to higher authority.
10. What happens when the principle of delegation of responsibility is ignored?
9. What can we learn from Jethro’s advice to Moses?
1 Corinthians 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion but of peace,
2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind
God is a God of order. God wants us to use our minds not our feelings and emotions to make decisions.
Matthew 10:16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as do
Titus 1:9 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you —6 if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination.7 For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money,8 but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled,9 holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.
.
10. What happens when the principle of delegation of responsibility is ignored?
Structural weakness. The organization can only be as strong as the top guy.
·
ESVN………….ESV Study Bible Notes
ESVN………….ESV Study Bible Notes
·
MSBN…….MacArthur NASB Study Notes
MSBN…….MacArthur NASB Study Notes
· NIVSN…..NIV Study Notes.
JVM ……………..J Vernon McGee,
·
ACC ……………. Adam Clarke’s Commentary
ACC ……………. Adam Clarke’s Commentary
·
BN ……………..Barnes Notes
BN ……………..Barnes Notes
·
WBC……………. Wycliffe Bible Commentary
WBC……………. Wycliffe Bible Commentary
·
CN …… …………..Constables Notes
CN …… …………..Constables Notes
·
IC………………….Ironside Commentary
IC………………….Ironside Commentary
·
NET……………….Net Bible Study Notes.
NET……………….Net Bible Study Notes.
·
JFB…………..Jamieson Fausset Brown Commentary
JFB…………..Jamieson Fausset Brown Commentary
·
VWS……………..Vincent Word Studies
VWS……………..Vincent Word Studies
·
CMM………….Commentary on Matthew and Mark
CMM………….Commentary on Matthew and Mark
·
BDB………….. Barclay’s Daily Study Bible (NT)
BDB………….. Barclay’s Daily Study Bible (NT)
·
Darby………..John Darby’s Synopsis of the OT and NT
Darby………..John Darby’s Synopsis of the OT and NT
·
Johnson………Johnson’s Notes on the New Testament.
Johnson………Johnson’s Notes on the New Testament.
·
NTCMM…………..The New Testament Commentary: Matthew and
Mark.
NTCMM…………..The New Testament Commentary: Matthew and
Mark.
·
EHS………………….Expositions of the Holy Scriptures
EHS………………….Expositions of the Holy Scriptures
·
CPP…………………The Complete Pulpit Commentary
CPP…………………The Complete Pulpit Commentary
·
SBC…………………Sermon Bible Commentary
SBC…………………Sermon Bible Commentary
·
K&D……………….Keil and Deilitzsch Commentary on the OT
K&D……………….Keil and Deilitzsch Commentary on the OT
·
EBC…………………Expositors Bible Commentary
EBC…………………Expositors Bible Commentary
·
CBSC……………….Cambridge Bible for Schools and College
CBSC……………….Cambridge Bible for Schools and College
·
GC……………………Guzik Commentary
GC……………………Guzik Commentary
·
RD…………………….Robert Deffinbaugh
RD…………………….Robert Deffinbaugh
“Fair Use “ Notice –
Title 17 U.S.C. section 107
The above post may contain copyrighted material the use of
which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. It is
being made available in an effort to advance the understanding of
environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, social
justice, for the purpose of historical debate, and to advance the understanding
of Christian conservative issues. It is
believed that this constitutes a ”fair use” of any such copyrighted material as
provided for in section 107 of the Copyright Law. In accordance with the title
17 U.S. C. section 107, the material in this post is shown without profit to
those who have expressed an interest in receiving the included information for
research and educational purposes.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please feel free to make civil comment. Divergent views encouraged,