Exodus 18 character of God servies during COVID 2020 July 12th

Exodus 18, Advice from new converts • • • • Do you find it hard or easy to delegate tasks? Why? Small tasks hard to delegate. Is it hard or easy to listen to your parents? Your in-laws? Tables have turned. Get life wisdom. Do new employees every have “great ideas” that never work? Do the ideas sometimes work? Have you ever been frustrated when a boss didn’t call you back? A pastor? 18:1–27 In this chapter, the narrative transitions away from the wilderness difficulties of 15:22–17:16 in anticipation of the Israelites receiving the law at Sinai. Here, Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, advises Moses to appoint administrators to ease his burden of leadership. Main point: a Gentile leader converts and contributes to the covenant. What you are doing is not good. Wut? You just got here. I was prince of Egypt. JETHRO’S VISIT 18 Moses’s father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, heard about everything that God had done for Moses and for God’s people Israel when the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt. 2 Now Jethro, Moses’s father-in-law, had taken in Zipporah, Moses’s wife, after he had sent her back, 3 along with her two sons, one of whom was named Gershom (because Moses had said, “I have been a resident alien in a foreign land”) 4 and the other Eliezer (because he had said, “The God of my father was my helper and rescued me from Pharaoh’s sword”). 5 Moses’s father-in-law, Jethro, along with Moses’s wife and sons, came to him in the wilderness where he was camped at the mountain of God. 6 He sent word to Moses, “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, bowed down, and then kissed him. They asked each other how they had been and went into the tent. 8 Moses recounted to his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardships that confronted them on the way, and how the Lord rescued them. 9 Jethro rejoiced over all the good things the Lord had done for Israel when he rescued them from the power of the Egyptians. 10 “Blessed be the Lord,” Jethro exclaimed, “who rescued you from the power of Egypt and from the power of Pharaoh. He has rescued the people from under the power of Egypt! 11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods, because he did wonders when the Egyptians acted arrogantly against Israel.” 12 Then Jethro, Moses’s father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with Moses’s father-in-law in God’s presence. • • • What does Jethro’s conversion as a Gentile teach us about the character of God? What was Jethro’s first reaction after hearing about God’s mighty deeds? Was Jethro scared in v. 1? 13 The next day Moses sat down to judge the people, and they stood around Moses from morning until evening. 14 When Moses’s father-inlaw saw everything he was doing for them he asked, “What is this you’re doing for the people? Why are you alone sitting as judge, while all the people stand around you from morning until evening?” 15 Moses replied to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. 16 Whenever they have a dispute, it comes to me, and I make a decision between one man and another. I teach them God’s statutes and laws.” 17 “What Jethro Jethro appears and disappears at different times in Moses’ life, and is always a blessing to Moses. Moses sent his family back (probably before the first encounter with Pharaoh and certainly before the Exodus). Some suggest they were divorced, especially since a Nubian/black wife shows up later, but that cannot be confirmed by the text. Jethro was a priest of Midian. Some suggest that the Midianites worshiped Yahweh before the Exodus, but there is no evidence for this. In fact, the Midianites were idolaters everywhere in the Bible, and Jethro’s conversion here is an important part of the story. Jethro, before the law was given, knew that burnt offerings were for forgiveness, and other sacrifices were meant for fellowship with God. The Law will flesh this out later. They had a meal at the altar Moses had built, and both Israel and God accepted him (probably was already circumcised because they kept that practice since Abraham). Chapter 18 is a literary foil to chapter 17-18. Midianites convert and Amalekites do not. Moses is tired but received help in each. Hebrew verb order is very similar. This chapter should also remind us of Moses’ desert reunion with Aaron. you’re doing is not good,” Moses’s fatherin-law said to him. 18 “You will certainly wear out both yourself and these people who are with you, because the task is too heavy for you. You can’t do it alone. 19 Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and God be with you. You be the one to represent the people before God and bring their cases to him. 20 Instruct them about the statutes and laws, and teach them the way to live and what they must do. 21 But you should select from all the people able men, God-fearing, trustworthy, and hating dishonest profit. Place them over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. 22 They should judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you every major case but judge every minor case themselves. In this way you will lighten your load, and they will bear it with you. 23 If you do this, and God so directs you, you will be able to endure, and also all these people will be able to go home satisfied.” 24 Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. 25 So Moses chose able men from all Israel and made them leaders over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. 26 They judged the people at all times; they would bring the hard cases to Moses, but they would judge every minor case themselves. 27 Moses • • • • • • • let his father-in-law go, and he journeyed to his own land. Deuteronomy chapter 1 describes how God commanded Moses to appoint judges 40 years later. What was Moses to teach the other judges? What type of men should the lower judges be? Why do you think that Moses listened to his father in law? What was the result of Moses obeying Jethro? Why do you think that Jethro went back home? Did Jesus appoint judges? Should we?