April 16, 2019
Relationships Matter, So Choose Wisely
Exodus 18
Brooke Ann Battles
Central Truth
Relationships matter. The company we keep can build us up or tear us down. We must surround ourselves with Christ followers that we can emulate. God provided a mentor for Moses in his father-in-law Jethro. Their relationship was based on respect, transparency, wise counsel, and teachability.
Key Verse | Exodus 18:10-12a
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 . . . .
Exodus 18
Jethro's Advice
1 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. 2 Now Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, had taken Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her home, 3 along with her two sons. The name of the one was Gershom (for he said, “I have been a sojourner 1 18:3 Gershom sounds like the Hebrew for sojourner in a foreign land”), 4 and the name of the other, Eliezer 2 18:4 Eliezer means My God is help (for he said, “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh”). 5 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. 6 And when he sent word to Moses, “I, 3 18:6 Hebrew; Samaritan, Septuagint, Syriac behold your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her,” 7 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. 8 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. 9 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.
10 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. 11 Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods, because in this affair they dealt arrogantly with the people.” 4 18:11 Hebrew with them 12 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.
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.” 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. 19 Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God and bring their cases to God, 20 and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do. 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.”
24 So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. 25 Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 26 And they judged the people at all times. Any hard case they brought to Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves. 27 Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went away to his own country.
Dive Deeper | Exodus 18
This passage offers a glimpse into the relationship between Moses and Jethro—one that was loving, respectful, transparent, teachable, and humble. We see the first indication in Exodus 18:7, "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." It is evidenced by their greeting that their relationship was one of love and respect, and they genuinely cared for one another.
Second, Moses was open, transparent, and faithful in proclaiming what God had done, and this made an impact on Jethro's recognition of the Lord. In Exodus 18:1, we know that Jethro had heard of the miraculous ways God delivered Moses and the Israelites. But it added credibility when he heard Moses proclaiming firsthand what God had done. "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. 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.'" (Exodus 18:8-10)
Third, the relationship between the two was mutually sharpening. Jethro saw an opportunity to speak truth—he offered constructive, objective advice to help Moses create an efficient, organized system to settle disputes. What Moses did in response is worthy of emulation—he listened. Moses was teachable and responded well to Jethro's loving, wise counsel. Moses was humble, and his ministry was helped by his humility, not hindered by his pride.
My life has been enriched by my mentor, Violeta, and the counsel she has provided over the years. Her wisdom has made exponential impact on my relationship with Christ. Her influence and wise words are invaluable to me!
Discussion Questions
1. Jethro heard that God rescued the Israelites, and it was confirmed by Moses' testimony. There are those who have a front row seat to how you respond to the circumstances, problems, and struggles in life. What do you need to be more transparent about in proclaiming God's goodness and work in your life? Who can you tell this week about what God has done in your life?
2. Is there anyone in your life who is a bad influence or offers unwise counsel? Is there anyone who doesn't need to be in your sphere of influence? What changes can you make today?
3. Are you providing wise counsel to those around you? How much of the mentoring/counseling you give is informed by Scripture? Is there anything preventing you from saying, “Follow Me as I follow Christ"? Ask the Lord to search your heart and make any adjustments that need to be made.
4. Who are the "Jethros" in your life? How can you encourage them as they have encouraged/supported you? If you don't currently have one in your life, ask the Lord to provide!