Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
Have you learned the importance of developing new leaders and delegation of responsibility, when trying to manage a very large project? We see it in every segment of society in every country of the world, don’t we? Did you know Moses needed to learn this vital lesson? Guess who God used to teach Moses about sharing the load of his huge leadership responsibility?
I left you yesterday in a place called Rephidim, at a new oasis being formed by the miracle of fresh water pouring out of a split in a huge rock in the desert! Exodus 18 opens with these words “Now Jethro, the priest of Midian and father-in-law of Moses, heard of everything God had done for Moses and His people Israel, and how the LORD had brought the Hebrews out of Egypt.” Do you remember who Jethro is? We met Jethro first in Exodus 2 as Moses was running for his life, fleeing Egypt, as one of the royal family of the Pharaoh.
Moses, you remember, had been plucked up out of the Nile river as a baby and adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter. He was raised in the palace, given the education, leadership training, and privileges as a prince of Egypt, and as an adult prince Moses was out surveying the work of the Hebrew slaves one day, when he saw an Egyptian slave master beating a defenseless Hebrew slave. Something welled up inside Moses and he came to the defense of that slave and killed the Egyptian slave master. That act could not be tolerated by the Pharaoh, and Moses was stripped of his royal identity and exiled from Egypt.
As Moses roamed in the desert, looking to start a new life outside Egypt, he met some female shepherds one day at a well. He defended them and their sheep from other male bully shepherds, and so these women invited Moses to their home for dinner, since they were all sisters, the daughters of a man named Jethro. That dinner is where Moses and Jethro first met, and Jethro invited Moses to stay with them and learn the sheep tending business. Moses married one of Jethro’s daughters. Several years later Moses was out with the flocks of sheep when he suddenly saw a bush on fire, which was not being consumed, and as he approached, that bush called his name. Moses had a life changing encounter with God that day which sent Moses back to Egypt to lead the Hebrew slaves out, to freedom!
As Exodus 18 opens, the Hebrew slaves and Moses have been traveling about 60 days since leaving Egypt and they are camped at Rephidim. How far from Rephidim Jethro’s household tents were located in the desert, we don’t know, but it was evidently close enough that Moses did a very kind thing. He sent his wife and his sons to spend some time with Jethro. If you are a grandparent you can well imagine how exciting that was for Jethro to see his daughter and grandsons again. Also, can you imagine the stories, I mean really exciting stories those grandsons had to tell their grandad Jethro? Stories about the plagues in Egypt, and about the Red Sea ‘water tunnel’, and about the bitter water turned pure at Marah, and most recently the story about a water spewing rock at Rephidim!! I imagine they sat up late at night, sitting around a fire, looking up at all the stars, with Jethro’s eyes wide open in wonder, listening to his grandsons tell stories!
Exodus 18:5 tells us Jethro was so intrigued and excited about all the news, that he took his grandsons and their mother, his daughter, and they returned to Rephidim to find Moses. Jethro simply had to see and hear for himself! The record says: “Moses went out to meet his father-in-law…they greeted each other and went into the tent.” Moses must have given Jethro his version of all the grandson stories, and Jethro responded: ‘Praise be to the LORD who has rescued you from the Egyptians…Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods, for He did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly.’ (Ex. 18:7-11) It shouldn’t be difficult for us to imagine this wonderful family reunion and celebration in the desert!
Please don’t miss the little phrase next in the Exodus record: “Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses and Jethro in the presence of God.” (Ex. 18:12) When we first met Jethro in Exodus 2:16 and 3:1, and again here in 18:1, Jethro is identified as “Jethro the priest of Midian”. But not until this moment do we have any record of Jethro doing or saying anything that I would call ‘priestly’. Here, Jethro sacrifices an offering to God and praises God in worship. This confirms to me that Jethro was a worshiper of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. When Moses had first met Jethro, more than 40 years ago, it was Jethro who likely explained the one true God to Moses, for all Moses would have known would have been the Egyptian gods. Therefore when God appeared to Moses in the burning bush, it was the instruction Moses had received from Jethro the priest of Midian, his father-in-law, which had prepared Moses for this life changing encounter with God, which redirected his entire life. It causes me to ask you, my friends, WHO has been your Jethro? Who has helped you know God? Your parents, a pastor, your grandparents, your spouse, a friend? And for whom are you a Jethro, helping them know God?
The rest of Exodus 18 is very significant, for Moses learned something essential to leadership, from Jethro. Evidently when these 1 million people were camped, Moses would sit in a particular place of leadership and people would come to him to bring their disputes or problems expecting Moses to arbitrate between them in disputes, or answer their deep questions or resolve their problems! That’s the role of a leader, but when there are 1 million people…it’s impossible for one man.
As Jethro watched the lines of people each day coming to Moses and the fatigue and leadership burden Moses was carrying, Jethro felt the need to help. His help came in the form of vital, life changing, leadership transforming wisdom: “What you are doing is not good. The work is too heavy for you, you cannot handle it alone. Listen to me now and I will give you some advice and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to Him. Teach the people the decrees and laws of God and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform. Select capable men from all the people, men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain, and appoint them as officials over the people… Have them serve as judges for the people, but have them bring the difficult cases to you; the simple cases they can decide for themselves. This will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. If you do this, and God leads you, then you will be able to stand the strain and the people will go home satisfied..” (Ex. 18:13-23)
This was a life changing day for Moses as leader of the people. Do you see the keys in what Jethro told Moses?
First… recognize the problem. Moses was working himself to death! Are you carrying more of the load than you should? Do you understand that for all of us there is a point at which our effectiveness declines because we are trying to do too much!
Second, Jethro urged Moses to teach the people God’s ways of living. We all need standards and guidance in life. Where, my friends, do you find the information that most influences your life? Social media, TV, movies, or God’s Word, the greatest truth source in the world?
Third, Jethro urged Moses to select some special men to help him.
Did you notice the criteria for selection Jethro gave Moses? “Select capable men from all the people, men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain, and appoint them as officials over the people… “ May I ask… what are the qualifications you look for when you are needing help in carrying the loads of life which you carry or as you try to fulfill the expectations placed upon you? What do you look for in the people you allow close to you, the people who influence you?
Finally, do you see Moses was to share the load of leadership with these capable men, while reserving himself for the most demanding aspects of leading these 1 million people?
Do you see Moses was to make sure he had plenty of time to spend with God so he would know WHEN God was speaking to him and WHAT God was saying to him about leading these people in this daily adventure? It appears Moses respectfully received all this good advice from Jethro and Moses put it into practice immediately. Beginning that very day and for the rest of his life, the advice Moses received that day changed his personal leadership effectiveness, the balance in his life, and the overall leadership system of 1 million people traveling in the desert!
Exodus 18 concludes with these words: “Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said… then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his home.” (Ex. 18:27) We don’t know how long Jethro spent there with Moses and his grandchildren, and this huge throng of people, but we do know his visit had profound impact on how this traveling city functioned from that day on! We also know this 18th chapter of Exodus has served as a foundation leadership teaching chapter for leaders in business, education, health care, churches and politics in every generation, in every part of the world for nearly 3500 years! So let’s pause right here and watch as Moses applies the wisdom Jethro gave him that day. And I urge you to take a close look at the groups you are part of. Are they functioning with good leaders and good leadership structure like Jethro explained? Is God’s hand of blessing upon the leadership where you live? And if you are a leader, are you using these principles and is God’s hand of blessing upon your leadership?
Today’s Scripture is Exodus 18.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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