Israel's 6th Crisis--Marital Separation and Overwork: Helping Others

Exodus 18:1-27

L/W—Thanks to Chris Orr for teaching/preaching on Nehemiah 8. It was a tremendous opportunity to hear Chris speak and guide our church from such a unique Messianic perspective.

T/W—We catch up with the Israelites after the Lord gave them victory over the Amalekites. In that account our focus was on the spiritual warfare of the believer and the ways believers are to combat and overcome spiritual battles—God’s Word and persistent and prevailing prayer.

Chapter 18 culminates our time in Exodus. From the Israelites and their bondage to Moses’ birth, boyhood, and the burning bush, to God sending Him to confront Pharaoh, to the meanings/applications of the 10 plagues, to Israel’s liberty and subsequent journey to Mount Sinai, we have learned of the great similarities and symbolisms to our own bondage to sin, the foreshadowing and fore-gleamings of Christ and covering of His blood, and the picture and portrayals of the believer’s wilderness journey of sanctification.

As we bring to a close Israel’s journey to the base of Mount Sinai, I encourage you to continue reading Exodus, spend time reading/studying, and soaking in all God has to say from this point to the final chapter.

(READ EXODUS 18:1-27)

Our verses today, deal with Israel’s 6th crisis in their wilderness wanderings and sojourn to the base of Mt. Sinai. Within the context of our verses today, there is a two-fold crisis, the crisis of a family in division/discord and the crisis of overwork.

(FIRSTLY ) The crisis of family discord.

In the eyes of God, marriage is a holy and consecrated institution. It was established prior to the fall of man, given by God that a husband and wife my bear the reflection of Christ and the church. However, since the fall and between the sin(s) of husbands and wives, the attacks of the enemy, and the world’s attempt to diabolically deconstruct what Biblical marriage is, marriage has come under attack.

God has it in His will for husbands and wives to live in Biblical unity, for there to be no division or discord, and ultimately to reflect that of Christ and the church. When this is interrupted God desires for reconciliation and restoration to be the solution to troubled and divided marriages & families.

This is where we find Moses encountering in verses 1-12—we will get into the specifics soon, but in Jehtro bringing Zipporah and his sons to him, the goal was to see them reunited and restored.

(SECONDLY) The crisis of overwork/busyness.

Busyness is something that touches individuals and families alike. We live in a society where busyness is promoted, celebrated, and rewarding busyness. We live in a performance-based culture, in which success is determined by how full one’s calendar becomes.

Busyness and overwork can overwhelm us. Amid everyday responsibilities, sports, and entertainment, along with a myriad of other scheduling stresses, instead of enjoying the benefit of rest, people find themselves burdened and yoked in keeping full calendars and full schedules, making overwork/busyness a badge of honor.

Overwork is a real problem and it’s a problem that confronted Moses himself. He was the leader, the messenger, the intercessor, the one who held the rod of God. Yes, he had Aaron and yes there was Joshua. But each of them had specifically assigned roles/responsibilities given by God. Moses needed help and the verses ahead, lend themselves to the fact that Moses either didn’t realize it or didn’t know how to go about obtaining the help—not until his father-in-law Jethro showed up. (It’s astonishing to think about Moses as the mediator for some 2-3 million people)

As we uncover and learn about Israel’s two-fold 6th crisis, my prayer is that we will recognize any discord and division in our families and be willing to confront and confess them, allowing restoration to take place. Secondly, we would cherish the wonderful gift of God’s rest and not allow overwork/busyness to burden us to the point of spiritual ineffectiveness.

I. (READ v.1-8) Going back over verses 1-8, we read about Jethro's first help; seeking to reunite Moses with his family

(CONTEXT)

Jethro heard of all God had accomplished for Moses and Israel.

How would Jethro of heard? Think of the magnitude and majesty of all God had accomplished for Israel and the conversations that would have taken place across the various nations and peoples:

The 10 plagues against Pharaoh and Egypt, especially that of the 10th plague

The parting of the Red Sea

Where Israel crossed over

Where Egypt’s army was swept under

Manna/quail from heaven and water from the rock

Victory over the Amalekites, where persistent and prevailing prayer lent itself to God’s mighty God’s hand crushing the Amalekites

How did Jethro react? As any of us should:

Jethro was ecstatic to hear of how God was using Moses to lead and guide His people

Jethro was excited to hear of how God had raised and equipped Moses to become the great leader of Israel

Note a significant point here (and here’s where we get into the first crisis)

Moses, at some point, sent his wife and children back home to live with Jethro. For what purpose? Scripture does not tell us—not with definitiveness:

Scholars have suggested several reasons why (note these are only things which we can infer…not know definitively)

(FIRST) Did Moses send them back for safety reasons, sometime before the confrontation with Pharaoh and the beginning of the 10 plagues? It’s possible

(SECOND) Had Moses recently sent them back, to bring Jethro back for a visit? Also, possible

(THIRDLY and amid the suggestions of scholars, this seems to line up with Scripture), Moses sent Zipporah back, b/c of her bitter rebellion against God?

Remember:

Zipporah had objected to the circumcision of their son so bitterly, that Moses gave in and refused to obey God’s commandment.

The result was God’s chastening and discipline of Moses, so much so that he became sick to the point of death.

Moses likely conveyed this to Zipporah and she agreed to the circumcision so God would relent on his chastisement of Moses—

However, this was verbal/outward only—not a decision of the heart.

We know this b/c of what Scripture tells (see the bitterness in Zipporah here):

Exodus 4:24–26 “And it came to pass on the way, at the encampment, that the Lord met him and sought to kill him. Then Zipporah took a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son and cast it at Moses’ feet, and said, “Surely you are a husband of blood to me!” So He let him go. Then she said, “You are a husband of blood!”—because of the circumcision.”

The point in all this?

Scripture teaches us that Zipporah was in disobedience and rebellion against God—bitter rebellion and in terrible conflict with her husband and his belief in God.

Scripture, further, doesn’t record anything concerning Zipporah or Moses’ sons after their conflict in Exodus 4 until now and has led many commentators and scholars to suggest

Zipporah’s bitter rebellion and apparent lack of repentance would have threatened the very mission of God, and therefore Moses sent his wife back home after her bitter rebellion

How we measure all of this against God’s Word, we’ll see this in the application of these verses.

Moses demonstrated great faith in naming his sons (v.3-4).

Names carry great meaning in the Hebrew language

According to scholars, Jewish parents would name their children after desirable qualities or events and often times it was a means to define.

Ex: The name of Moses means— “drawn out,” b/c he was drawn out of the water by Pharaoh, who God used to draw Israel out of Egypt

Ex: The names of God define his attributes and characteristics (many of which we’ve talked about before)

Ex: The name of Jesus Christ

Hebrew— Yeshua HaMashiach

“Yeshua” means salvation

Yeshua is God’s promise to the world

“HaMashiach” (which is the Hebrew pronunciation of Messiah) means anointed

Ex: The genealogy found in Genesis 5 show us just how unique Hebrew names are

Adam— “(Man) is”

Seth— “Appointed”

Enosh— “Mortal”

Kenan— “Sorrow” (but)

Mahalael— “The Blessed God”

Jared— “Shall Come Down”

Enoch— “Teaching”

Methuselah— “His Death Shall Bring”

Lamech— (the) “Despairing”

Noah— “Comfort, Rest”

Keep these examples and the importance behind Hebrew names in mind as talk about the two sons of Moses:

“Gershom” (Moses oldest)—means “a stranger, alien, or sojourner, or expulsion”

What Moses knew, was that he

Was a stranger in a strange land

Was an alien, sojourner, and pilgrim in a land he was only supposed to traverse

Was not claiming even Midian as his home, despite being married there, having children there, and settling there for 40 years

What Moses believed, was two-fold

(FIRST) Moses believed in God’s promise to deliver Israel to the promised land of Canaan—a land flowing with milk and honey

(SECOND) Moses believed in God’s promise of a heavenly and eternal country (home)

Hebrews 11:13–16“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.”

“Eliezer” (Moses younger)— “my God is my helper”

What Moses believed:

God was the One who had delivered him from captivity and execution

Jehtro’s decision to bring Moses’ family to him (v.5)—There was a sensitivity to this situation:

Jethro showed tremendous courtesy in sending a messenger to tell Moses he was coming

This was either custom, or

This was b/c of the sensitive situation b/t Moses and Zipporah

Moses’ response was of kindness in his reception of his family (v.7)

He went out to greet his family—showing great humility

He inquired about their welfare in receiving them

All would have gone to Moses’ personal tent where testimony after testimony was given about God’s deliverance and guidance out of Egypt. (v.8)

Note here how Moses gave the glory to the Lord and the Lord alone

“And Moses told his father-in-law all that “the Lord had done,” to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake...”

“…and how “the Lord had delivered them.”

What’s the point in all of this?

Amidst the conflict and division which at times arises in families, reconciliation and forgiveness are at the core of the gospel, to include divided and estranged families, spouses, and parents/children, and

Courtesy, kindness, receptiveness, forgiveness, and the sharing of what God has accomplished all bring about the opportunity for restoration and redemption from families in discord

This is the segway into our BIBLICAL APPLICATION

(BIBLICAL APPLICATION—YOU and ME)—How do we take our lives today and measure them against God’s Word here in context:

Family discord can and does hamper and hinder a believer’s call to serve God—no matter the capacity of the serving;

Bitterness-strife-discord-and divide, arise when one spouse or another, steps out in rebellion against God and disobedience to God

Scripture teaches us that families are not to live in discord and dysfunction, not to live with

Strife

Arguing

Words of condemnation or criticism

Bitter attitudes and feelings of resentment

Division

Rebellion, and not

Against one another and not against God

Note “live in”—this denotes a pattern of life and a consistency and constancy of life; a settled life

Note what Scripture does teach us about how families are to live:

Husbands: We have a holy & divine calling of God when it comes to our wives (those who are single, please pay attention to what God’s Word says)

We are to love our spouses as Christ loves the church---sacrificially

THIS REQUIRES A LIFE OF SELF-DENIAL

Ephesians 5:25 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,”

We are to lead our spouses in and towards sanctification—in such a way they enjoy their relationship with Jesus Christ

Ephesians 5:26–27 “that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.”

We are to lead our spouses with gentleness & forbearance, patience & understanding, and with words that speak truth in love

1 Peter 3:7 “Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.”

We are to pray with our wives, read Scripture with our wives, and lead our wives gently and with compassion to repentance of sin

Husbands—while these are things we should do, a devoted heart recognizes these are things we get to do.

Wives-You have a holy & diving calling of God when it comes to your husbands (again, those who are single need to pay attention as well)

Your submission to your husband and his leading is not just a suggestion, something to be argued, or something to be questioned—it is God’s will, and not only is it God’s will—it is also His commandment—THIS REQUIRES A LIFE OF SELF-DENIAL

Ephesians 5:22 “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.”

Your submission to your husband and his leading is to be done, “as to the Lord;” this means you are to submit to your husband as an act of obedience to God and from a specific posture of the heart:

Wives, your submission to your husband is not, nor never is to be with a spirit of

Slavery or hostility

Resentment or reaction

Bitterness or divisiveness

Rather, your submission must be out of your love for God,

Love for what God has accomplished in your life in saving you and & sanctifying you;

Love for the restoration and redemption God has brought about in your life

Love for God that desires nothing else but to serve and please Him..and in the realm of marriage, this is submission to the headship of your husband

Your submission to your husband is to submit to God’s order for the family:

The husband is the “head”—this refers to authority…not being

Neither is man or woman superior in being

Neither is man or woman independent of one another, both are of the other

1 Corinthians 11:11–12 “Nevertheless, neither is man independent of woman, nor woman independent of man, in the Lord. For as woman came from man, even so, man also comes through woman; but all things are from God.”

The husband as the head has nothing to do with (1) Worth/value/identity, (2) Competence or ability, or(3) Brilliance of advantage, but rather everything to do with

Function and order

Lastly, your submission to your husband follows the pattern of Christ and the church

As Christ is the head of the church in authority, so too is the husband the head of the family in authority

As the church submits to the authority of Christ, she experiences joy, love, and peace and can carry out her function; this is how it is with the home—as wives and children follow the authority of the husband, the home experiences joy, love, and peace, and can carry out its function

NOTE THIS: This holds true so long as the husband is fulfilling his God-given role

As the husband goes, so too goes the family (good or bad)

II. (READ v.9-12) Contained in these verses is Jethro’s second help—the public acknowledgment of God’s blessing upon Moses and Israel

(CONTEXT)-

Jethro praised God for His goodness to Israel (v.9)

Jethro broke out in praise to the Lord for His great deliverance (v.10)

Calling God, “the Lord,” (Yahweh/Jehovah)—indicating Jethro to be a true believer

Jethro bore a great testimony for God, declaring God was greater than all other gods (v.11)

Jethro provided the burnt offering and altar sacrifices for a worship service (v.12)

(BIBLICAL APPLICATION—YOU and ME)

In place of the division and discord, families should consume themselves with acknowledging God, praising God, and sharing the blessings of God on our lives

In order to do this, however, it is vital we straighten ourselves out and get in our lane: We must

Repent and pursue the things of God

1 Timothy 6:11 “But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.”

Forgive and reconcile with estranged family members

Ephesians 4:32 “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”

Luke 15:20 ““And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.”

Pray and seek God to bless/protect/guard our families

Humbly/sacrificially/unselfishly acknowledge the blessing of God upon our family members

Be kind and show compassion/gentleness/forebearance/love to our family members

John 13:35 “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.””

John 15:12 “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”

Romans 12:9 “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.”

Romans 12:10 “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;”

Romans 14:19 “Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.”

Colossians 3:12 “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;”

1 Thessalonians 5:11 “Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.”

III. (v.13-27) Within these verses, we see Jethro’s third help; in seeing Moses overworked, offered a wise solution

(CONTEXT)—What happened here is interesting and leads to the second of Israel’s two-fold crisis

Remember, Moses had worked for Jethro for 40 years, so no doubt there was a relationship established b/t the two of them—a close one; one where Moses would have learned and developed leadership skills under Jethro

v.13 indicates Moses woke up early and sat all day judging the people; and he was the only judge---for 2-3 million people!

The result was chaos, with people waiting all day to be heard, likely some never having the opportunity to be heard

v.14-15 show us Jethro questioning Moses’ organizational structure

He asked Moses why he alone sat as judge

Moses replied people demanded his personal attention: they wanted God’s will interpreted for settling disputes

v.17-18 teach us Jethro responded with an obvious fact—there was a leadership problem—that of OVERWORK

Moses and the people were worn out

Moses’ work was too heavy for him to handle on his own

v.19-23 give us Jethro’s wise solution

First--Moses should be the representative before God and the primary teacher of the people

He should teach decrees and laws of God (there was a written book in that day)

He should show people how to live

He should show the people their duty before God and man

Second—Moses was to elect capable and able men—godly men—to serve as officials (v.21); note their qualifications:

Men who were capable—that is—possessed a natural ability to judge differences b/t people

Men who feared God

Men of truth—that is—men who were trustworthy

Men who hated dishonesty and greed

Third—Moses himself was to handle the major & difficult cases and the judges handle the simpler/small ones

Fouthly—Moses should organize only as God commands

Note the wisdom in Moses’ leadership: He

He listened to the advice/counsel of his father-in-law

He actually established a democracy here

Jethro returned hom (v.27)

(CLOSING AND WORSHIP)

To Israel’s first crisis and our first Biblical application-

God has it in His mind that husbands and wives live in peace and harmony with Him and each other. What we must remember, in order to live this out Biblically, is marriage is never about the husband and it’s never about the wife, it’s about living together as one flesh, in unity, as an act of worship.

However, when or both spouse’s rebellion and disobedience (which includes the intentionality of overwork and busyness), goes unchecked, when accomplishments and achievements are more focused than devotion and discipleship, when division and discord become the measure of the family’s life:

Husbands and wives will struggle to live out their marriages as an act of worship

Parents will struggle to live out their responsibility to foster the gospel in their homes

Children will struggle to lean into the discipleship and mentoring they so desperately need from parenting

The take away for us here is this: Whatever division or discord exists within your marriage or your family, you must have a heart that seeks out restoration and redemption—you must come lay the sins/struggles/conflicts at the altar and surrender them to Christ, so that your marriage by better reflect Christ and His church

To Israel’s crisis of overwork/busyness and our 2nd application:

Overwork/busyness is a serious problem for so many believers. We overwork ourselves tirelessly, some going day and night neglecting rest and there’s still “more to do,” “more to get done,” or “more waiting for us.”

Overwork/busyness can at times, be unintentional, situational, or unavoidable.

Predominantly, however, we bring busyness and overwork on ourselves and it affects our lives in so many ways:

Physically:

We find ourselves tired & weary; worn out & exhausted

We find our “good night’s sleep,” exchanged for a power nap

We find our energy drained and depleted

Emotionally:

We find ourselves short-tempered and frustrated

We find ourselves filled with bitterness, rather than joy

We find our countenance one of burden and weightiness

Mentally:

We find our thoughts scattered and our minds not as sharp/crisp

We find our thoughts focus more on the tasks than on the provision of God’s rest

We find our thoughts consumed with worry/anxiety/fear over that in resting—we are failing

Spiritually:

We find our devotion to God and His Word become secondary if not just placed by the wayside

We find our hearts lacking the nourishment and refreshment that is gained in seeking out God’s rest

We find our faith becoming more and more of a talked-about thing, rather than a lived-out discipline

Relationally:

Our verwork and busyness do not merely affect ourselves, they affect our relationships

Our overwork can, and does, create friction and tension within families--as we will see in the early verses of our time today

Overwork and busyness can take a heavy toll on family unity, creating division and discord

Why? Why do we overwork ourselves so much? In our sinful nature, people can use busyness/overwork for a myriad of selfish reasons

As a badge of honor, which amounts to nothing more than a resume of self-righteousness

“Look at all I do, what all I accomplish”

“Look at the recognition I get from others at my job, my family, and my church.”

As a means of security:

If I just “do” and “stay” busy—I feel accepted, accomplished, and assured of my position (there’s nothing wrong with being diligent and being a good steward in our work—but busyness and overwork have never produced God’s acceptance and assurance

Fear of Missing Out:

“If we don’t overwork, we can’t “keep up with the Joneses”

“If I take time off and rest, I’ll miss out on something

As a means of avoidance/escapism— “If I avoid slowing down, I will avoid being confronted with my sin and self-righteousness, and I will

Avoid confronting my own sin

Avoid the hard conversations with a spouse/friend

As a means of legalism and God’s acceptance

“God accepts and approves of me, b/c of all that I do.”

What does this say?

People fill their calendars, fill their weeks, fill their days, and fill their hours with work—so much so that if they had time off, they would feel guilty over it, even ashamed, and as if they’ve sinned in some way.

People find themselves neglecting the rest that God graciously desires us to experience

God created us for work:

Genesis 2:15 “Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.”

God also created rest—the Sabbath

The purpose of our rest or Sabbath is not for the purposes of legalism, rather for the purposes of

Intentional reflection on God and His work in our lives

God’s restoration, refreshment, and rejuvenation—we are mortals, we grow weary (emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually)

Filling our minds/hearts with the things of God (Colossians 3:1-4)

Our ultimate rest is found in Jesus Christ

Matthew 12:8 “For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.””