Jethro

Torah Portion Exodus 18:1-20:23

Jethro or Yitro is an interesting character as he appears in the middle of Mose’s flight from Egypt. Moses finds his mate, his home, and learns all about Jethro’s way of life. Yitro, a priest of the midianites no doubt played a role in Mose’s learning.

Yitro was a provider for Moses. He gave him a place to live and a wife; one of Yitro’s daughters. Curiously, when the reader meets Yitro in Exodus chapter two he is referred to as Re’u’el. The “friend of God”. This is fitting as God’s friend, like God did in the garden, provided all Moses needed to learn to follow and be faithful to the Creator.

God’s friend, appears to have worshipped correctly and indeed influenced Moses a great deal as it is Yitro that leads Moses to teaching of statutes, appointing judges, and organizing the people to form the nation of Yisrael. God’s friend also raised his daughters well as it was them who discovered Moses. It was also the wife of Moses, daughter of God’s friend, who saved Moses’ life when she realized there was a circumcision needed…

It was God’s friend, Yitro, that supported and taught God’s prophet, priest, and King Moses so that he to could become God’s friend. Over the millennia and certainly in the Bible we find these curious cases in Scripture. A gentile who undoubtedly served the living God and was pleasing to him apart from the statutes and decrees of the Law; in this case there were not yet statutes and decrees because no Law had been given! This is a curious case indeed since there was not yet even a nation chosen by God. Yitro, is of another belief system that appears pleasing to God…

Moshe, the Hebrew, raised in Pharaohs court killed an Egyptian man and fled his homeland. After forty years with Yitro, Moshe, probably believing he would die left his wife and children with God’s friend when he, Moses, went to confront Pharoah. Yitro in turn, hearing Moses had returned, alive, meets with Moshe, offered guidance, which Moshe carried out exactly as Yitro described and after this… God’s Law is given.

God’s friend, this time Moshe, explained to the new little nation that it was time to see the power of God yet again. This time, on a mountain. The very mountain Moshe found his belief and his mission. The frightful sight came and God’s power was on display. After some bargaining only Aharon and Moshe went up to meet with God. At this meeting, the “moral” Law was given, instructions for remembrance were uttered, and a law for how alters were to be constructed were given. The people had entered covenant with the God who carried them from Egypt, on eagles wings.

God’s friend, Moshe, was now leading his people to the ways that are pleasing to the Lord His God, the God of Yitro, God’s friend, and in turn many were to be born anew into a new nation. The nation of Yisrael was born!