How does one come to know God?

We often talk of the greatness of God in regards to His creation or to the healing that He does of our bodies. It is easy for us to overlook the most important miracle, though: the deliverance work of the Lord.

Read Exodus 18:1-12

The Work of God reaches the ears of those who need to hear it

In chapter 18 we find characters reintroduced who we haven’t seen since chapter 4 in Exodus, Jethro and Zipporah. Jethro travel with his daughter and two grandsons from Midian to join Moses and the people of Israel where they have encamped at the Mountain of God. The reason for this reunion has everything to do with the information that Jethro has heard regarding what God has done among the people of God and Moses.

We need to review for a moment who exactly Jethro is. We know that he is a Midianite priest but we are never told that he believes in the Lord. In my ignorance up to this point, I had always assumed that when he is described as a priest, that He was of Israel but looking at the evidence, the priesthood had not been set up to this point. We will see in just a few verses that the belief of Jethro changes and the catalyst for that change begins with simply hearing of all that God had done.

Jethro was a man who deeply needed to hear what God had done for a couple of reasons. First, there was care for the well-being of his son-in-law. To hear that God had delivered Moses and Israel from the Egyptians would have brought him a great deal of comfort. However, beyond that, this was a man who was in need of belief, which was the second reason.

There are many in the world who would never give faith in God a second thought until they have heard of His mighty works. What God did on behalf of the people of God to deliver them from Pharaoh and Egypt was truly a miracle. In the same way, when a person hears what Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross for our sins, it can be something that truly turns their life in a different direction. The truth about what God did for Israel would have spread throughout the land because of the rule of the Egyptians. Yet, those who needed to hear it, Jethro in this case, heard of what God had done!

I don’t have to tell you to speak of the works that God has done in your life but I’m going to do it anyway. One of the most powerful things that a person can hear about God is the personal testimony of how He has worked. Jethro doesn't hear these things first hand at the beginning. However, after he, Zipporah, Gershom, and Eliezar are reunited, verse 8 tells us that Moses tells his father in law of two specific things: the hardship that they faced and how God delivered them. These two things must go together as we share personal testimony. When they are combined, those who hear these things, when their hearts have been softened, will have a reaction, which brings us to our second point.

There should be true rejoicing in the work of the Lord

Jethro hears the story from Moses and his reaction is simple: he rejoices! We should keep in mind that the rejoicing is not just over the outcome of their deliverance. Verse 9 tells us that Jethro rejoices after hearing all the good that God had done AND that the people had been delivered.

Listen to me when I say that a person being delivered because of what God has done in their life is something that should bring about a serious amount of rejoicing for you and me. We should lift our voices in praise. We should cry out to God, thanking Him. Just as we rejoice this morning with Jase, we are overcome with gladness when we hear of the works of the Lord!

In verse 11, Jethro blesses the Lord. The word bless here has a posture of bowing down to. There is an important change that has happened in Jethro’s heart upon hearing what God has done in delivering the people of Israel. However, this change in his heart comes from believing. Our third point this morning is

Belief in God comes from knowing that He is greater

What does it mean to know? It is one thing to have an understanding of something in theory. I understand in theory that the Grand Canyon is breathtaking but I have never been there and had the chance to see it first hand. In the same way, a person cannot believe in God until they know that He is greater.

In this case, Jethro now knows that the God of Israel is greater than the gods of Egypt. He is greater than the gods of Midian.

I should ask you, this morning, do you know that God is greater than the idols that you’ve built up in your own life? Do you understand that the Lord is greater than your job, your spouse, your kids, the pleasures of this world, your desires? When you know, then you believe just as Jethro believed.

Well, now what happens now that Jethro believes?

Knowing God leads to worship and fellowship

There are two important things that take place that communicate to us what has taken place in the life of Jethro. First, he offers a burnt sacrifice to the Lord, signifying that He understands that there are sins in his life that need to be atoned for. But the second part here is what it would be easy for us to skip over. Aaron and the elders of Israel come and share a meal with Jethro, signifying that he has now joining the covenant community of the people of God.

This morning, we observed a young man publicly professing that He has given his life to the Lord. The fellowship that we have with Jase now that he has believed will be much different moving forward. When a person truly turns their life over to God, there is a change in what they do, now knowing that their sins have been atoned for, as well as a new fellowship that is had with them.

If you’re here this morning but have never believed, can I ask you to consider what God has done for you? That He gave his one and only Son to die on the cross for your sins. And has sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in your life. Can I encourage you to live your life as if you believe?