Jethro and the Work of Delegation

Introduction

Read Exodus 18:1-23.

Our previous executive director of Mississippi Baptist Convention, Jim Futral, often said, “We have been called to the impossible task.”

I believe he meant this verse for pastors. The calling is impossible.

Thankfully, God does not allow us to go through ministry alone. We have Him, who truly is the power of our ministry, and we have each other, to share the burden of ministry.

Moses has been called to an impossible task - rendering judgements for all of the Israelites. His father-in-law, Jethro, tells him that he must share that burden with the people.

CIT: God wants us to share the burden of calling that he has given to us.

Explanation

Exodus 18:1–12 (ESV)

Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. Now Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, had taken Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her home, along with her two sons. The name of the one was Gershom (for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land”), and the name of the other, Eliezer (for he said, “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh”). Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was encamped at the mountain of God. And when he sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her,” Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. And they asked each other of their welfare and went into the tent. Then Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship that had come upon them in the way, and how the Lord had delivered them. And Jethro rejoiced for all the good that the Lord had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians.

Jethro said, “Blessed be the Lord, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh and has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods, because in this affair they dealt arrogantly with the people.” And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God; and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God.

Jethro comes to Moses and the Israelites and brings Moses wife, Zipporah and sons, Gershom and Eliezer.

I imagine that this reunion was sweet. Moses meets with his father-in-law, wife, and children.

I believe that Moses sent them away for a time due to safety.

Jethro confesses Yahweh as his God.

He has been a Midianite chief priest, so for him to confess Yahweh was a huge deal.

He no longer has his occupation. Can you imagine if a Muslim imam was to confess Jesus? Everything that he knew would be changed.

He has seen Yahweh doing something powerful, and he confesses that Yahweh is Lord.

English Standard Version Chapter 18

13 The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening. 14 When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning till evening?” 15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God; 16 when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make them know the statutes of God and his laws.”

After Jethro gets to the Israelite camp, he sees that Moses is wearing himself out by trying to be the judge of every dispute of the people.

Judging is a good work. It is settling disputes among the people.

It gives people a voice and eliminates hurt.

A wise judge is a gift of god.

All of the cases are coming before Moses, and he is deciding what they should do based upon the laws of God.

Moses is not judging everyone to be greedy or overbearing. He is truly attempting to do what God has called him to do.

There is just so much work to do.

Much like Moses, we have been called to the “impossible task.”

Jim Futral, our previous Executive Director of Mississippi Baptist Convention, often says, “We have been called to the impossible task.”

God equips us, and he grants us the power.

Together, we can do it. We can meet the needs of the people that God calls us.

English Standard Version Chapter 18

17 Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. 18 You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone.

Jethro, an experienced man, tells Moses that what he is doing is not sustainable. He cannot judge the people by himself.

Notice that Jethro is gentle in his approach to Moses. Until this moment, Moses has heard a lot of criticism, but no one has criticized Moses well.

Piper said he, “saw a problem, sought to understand it, identified core weaknesses, and offered a solution.”

I would only add one thing to this list: volunteer to help yourself when you are able.

I thought about Nehemiah as I read this breakdown. Nehemiah saw the problem of the wall, he sought to understand the situation, he identified the weaknesses, he offered a solution, and he helped rebuild the wall.

Notice that Moses hears Jethro and responds the way a leader is supposed to respond.

He listens, and later in the passage, we see that he implemented what Jethro said.

He was not a rigid leader, but a godly one. He realized that he was not always correct.

Moses will be unable to do all of the work by himself in a longterm way.

English Standard Version Chapter 18

21 Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 22 And let them judge the people at all times. Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. 23 If you do this, God will direct you, you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.”

How does Jethro explain delegation to Moses?

He tells him to recruit godly men.

These men are delegated varying responsibilities.

These men have accountability.

These men deferred to Moses if they had an issue that they could not decide.

Are you willing to serve?

We need people to serve.

In fact, next year, we are going to have our spiritual discipline initiative, “For the Church, For the City.”

We are asking everyone to serve one hour a week in the church, and one hour a month in a gospel-proclaiming ministry in the city.

English Standard Version Chapter 18

24 So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said.

Godly advice is not worth anything unless you receive it and do it.

Moses could easily have said,

“Haven’t you seen God at work through me.”

“No one can do it like I can.”

“God told ME to do this work.”

Instead, Moses listened and responded.

Application

We see a model for godly correction. (John Bloom) If you cannot do any of these things, you have no business correcting someone else - at least at that time.

Firstly, we should identify the way that God is working in and through that person and authentically rejoice with them.

We must have in mind the good of everyone involved and be able to describe what that is.

We should ask clarifying questions before we critique or counsel in order to grasp the situation.

Exodus 18:18

the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone.

Christian ministry cannot be done alone.

We all bear the weight of the ministry at McLaurin Heights.

COVID-19 did not cancel hell, or the need to reach people with the gospel.

I have noticed a real reluctance to serve in varying ministry capacities as COVID has moved forward. We still need you to serve. We have a place for you.

Let us not grow weary of doing good.

Exodus 18:22

So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you.

We all bear the burden for the ministry that happens here. Not me. Not Eric. Not Andy. Not the chairman of deacons. We all share the burden for what happens in this place.

When we all do something, no one does everything.

Conclusion - The Gospel

The only one who ever accomplished his task alone was Christ.

Imagine with me for a moment how hopeless Moses attempt to judge all of the people was.

We are talking about well over 1,000,000 people.

Could you imagine one man judging all of the difficult circumstances for the people? Christ

Christ is the greater Moses.

While Moses was only about to eliminate immediate, external issues with his judgements, Christ was able to expound sin forever on the cross.

While Moses was limited by space and time, Christ was the creator of space and time.

While Moses could not reach even one group of people with his work, Christ reached all who would call upon his name with his work.