Exodus 18-Jethro Visits Moses, Gives Him Advice And Worships The Lord
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday January 22, 2012
Journey Through The Bible Series: Exodus 18-Jethro Visits Moses, Gives Him Advice And Worships The Lord
Lesson # 19
Please turn in your Bibles to Exodus 18:1.
This morning we will study Exodus chapter 18, which records Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro visiting him, giving him advice and worshipping the Lord.
Exodus 18:1-7 records Jethro visiting Moses.
Exodus 18:1 Now 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 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Moses’ wife Zipporah, after he had sent her away, 3 and her two sons, of whom one was named Gershom, for Moses said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land.” 4 The other was named Eliezer, for he said, “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.” 5 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was camped, at the mount 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 with her.” 7 Then Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and he bowed down and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare and went into the tent. (NASB95)
In this passage we have a temporary reunion between Moses and his father-in-law, Jethro who brings with him Moses’ wife Zipporah and his children, Gershom and Eliezer.
He is visiting Moses because he heard what God had done for the Israelites with the ten plagues and the destruction of Pharaoh’s elite chariot force at the Red Sea.
The news of the Lord delivering the Israelites by destroying Egypt with the ten plagues and the destruction of the elite chariot force at the Red Sea would have been carried by caravaneers, messengers, general gossip, and the like.
Now, Exodus 2:21-22 records that Moses settled with Jethro in Midian and married Jethro’s daughter Zipporah who gives Moses his first child who he names “Gershom” whose name in Hebrew means “a sojourner there,” which expresses Moses’ circumstances from his perspective.
This passage does not record that Moses had a second son who was Eliezer who is mentioned in Exodus 18:4 and whose name like Gershom reflects an experience in Moses’ life.
Eliezer’s name means “my God is my help” and was given to him because of course God helped Moses in Egypt in delivering him from Pharaoh.
In Exodus 2:18 Jethro is called the father of seven girls and was called “Reuel” reʿû∙ʾēl (רְעוּאֵל) but in Exodus 3:1, 4:18 and 18:1, he is called “Jethro” yiṯ∙rô (יִתְרֹו) and “Hobab” ḥō∙ḇāḇ (חֹבָב) in Judges 4:11.
“Jethro” was the man’s name or we would say in our day and age, his “first” name whereas “Reuel” was his clan’s name or what we would call his “last” name.
Interestingly, in Exodus 2:16, Jethro is simply called “the priest of Midian” where as in Exodus 2:17 his clan name is given.
This is significant because it indicates he was a believer in Yahweh, who is the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses and means that he worshipped Yahweh.
The statement in Exodus 18:2 has caused quite a bit of controversy among interpreters since it says that Moses sent away Zipporah.
Some have argued that this refers to the fact that Moses divorced Zipporah, no doubt because of her antagonism to Jewish circumcision of eight day old infants, which she found repulsive as recorded in Exodus 4:24-26.
Also, Numbers 12:1 says that Moses married a Cushite woman.
However, in response to this, Exodus 18 says three times that Zipporah was Moses’ wife (Exodus 18:2, 5, 6).
Furthermore, at the time Moses married the Cushite woman the Lord had not outlawed polygamy though it was not endorsed by him.
Thus, it was not unlawful of Moses to acquire a second wife in addition to Zipporah.
Exodus 18:5 tells the reader that Moses and the Israelites were camped in the wilderness at the mount of God.
Exodus 17:1 says that they were in the wilderness of Sin and were camped at Rephidim and Exodus 17:6 records that they were at the base of Mount Horeb.
“Rephidim” was a station between the wilderness of Sin and the wilderness of Sinai and “Horeb” was located at Sinai, which was the location where the Law was given to Moses and Israel (Malachi 4:4; Deuteronomy 4:10).
Exodus 18:6 says that Jethro first sent a messenger to Moses before he actually did visit with Moses.
In the message, Jethro stated to Moses that he was going to visit him and would be accompanied by Zipporah and Moses’ two boys.
Exodus 18:7 tells the reader that Moses went out to meet the priest of Midian and bowed down to him and kissed him, which was proper and normal hospitality on the part of Moses.
He was showing deference to Jethro and affection for him by doing so.
Exodus 18:8-12 records Jethro worshipping Yahweh in response to Moses testifying that Yahweh had delivered him from Pharaoh.
Exodus 18:8 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 befallen them on the journey, and how the Lord had delivered them. 9 Jethro rejoiced over all the goodness which the Lord had done to Israel, in delivering them from the hand of the Egyptians. 10 So Jethro said, “Blessed be the Lord who delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh, and who delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. 11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all the gods; indeed, it was proven when they dealt proudly against the people.” 12 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with Moses’ father-in-law before God. (NASB95)
Moses gives Jethro a complete report describing to him the ten plagues and their aftermath and the instructions for the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
He would of course tell Jethro about the destruction of Pharaoh’s elite chariot force at the Red Sea and the Lord providing water at Marah as well as manna from heaven.
Thus, the report is one of the Lord delivering Moses and the Israelites not only from Egyptian bondage but also physical death. Jethro responds in joy upon hearing this report.
Jethro blesses the Lord which in context refers to him praising the Lord for His sovereignty and omnipotence as demonstrated by delivering Moses and the Israelites from Egypt and it denotes that Jethro has a covenant relationship with God.
“Lord” is the proper noun yhwh (יהוה), which indicates that Jethro was a believer since a non-believer would not use this name and instead would use Elohim, “God” instead.
In Exodus 18:11, Jethro says that now he knows that the Lord is greater than all the gods as evidenced by His treatment of the Egyptians who treated Israel badly.
This statement expresses the fact that the Lord’s great deliverance of Israel from Egypt convinced him that he was worshipping the true and living God in contrast to the false gods of the Egyptians.
Verse 11 is saying that Moses’ testimony of the Lord delivering him and the Israelites from Egypt strengthened his conviction that he was in fact worshipping the true and living God.
It says that this great deliverance confirmed to Jethro his already held conviction that Yahweh, who he worshipped and served as a priest in Midian was superior to the gods of the world and in particular the gods of Egypt.
Exodus 18:12 tells the reader that as expression of worshipping the Lord, Jethro presented a burnt-offering to Him and also says that with Moses and the elders of Israel, he ate a meal with them before God.
“Burnt offering” is the noun ʿō∙lā(h) (עֹלָה) (o-law), which portrays or typifies that aspect of Jesus Christ’s spiritual and physical deaths on the Cross, which would propitiate the Father (1 John 2:2; 4:10).
Exodus 18:13-27 records Jethro giving Moses advice to implement a court system.
Exodus 18:13 It came about the next day that Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood about Moses from the morning until the evening. 14 Now when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge and all the people stand about you from morning until evening?” 15 Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. 16 When they have a dispute, it comes to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor and make known the statutes of God and His laws.” 17 Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you are doing is not good. 18 You will surely wear out, both yourself and these people who are with you, for the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone. 19 Now listen to me: I will give you counsel, and God be with you. You be the people’s representative before God, and you bring the disputes to God, 20 then teach them the statutes and the laws, and make known to them the way in which they are to walk and the work they are to do. 21 Furthermore, you shall select out of all the people able men who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens. 22 Let them judge the people at all times; and let it be that every major dispute they will bring to you, but every minor dispute they themselves will judge. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. 23 If you do this thing and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people also will go to their place in peace.” 24 So Moses listened to 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, leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens. 26 They judged the people at all times; the difficult dispute they would bring to Moses, but every minor dispute they themselves would judge. 27 Then Moses bade his father-in-law farewell, and he went his way into his own land. (NASB95)
This pericope notes that Jethro observed that much of Moses’ time was taken up in settling disputes among the Israelites.
It was to be expected that with such a large number of people traveling that disputes would arise and conflicts, all of which needed to be settled peacefully and with justice.
So Moses was arbitrating between all the quarrels and conflicting claims of two and half million Israelites, thus, he was completely absorbed in judicial matters.
In the ancient Near East, as is the case in many parts of the world today, rulers of nations were involved in the task of judging civil and criminal disputes.
Not only were rulers like Moses required to provide not only political and military leadership but it was also expected that they be a judicial leader as well.
Moses had already been engrossed with this task of leadership for quite some time.
So after the celebration with Jethro, Moses went right back into his duties which involved judging matters of controversy among the Israelites.
Not only was he judging serious matters but also petty matters, thus, Jethro was aghast at what he saw.
He saw a waste of Moses’ valuable time and that Moses needed to delegate authority to other qualified men so as to release Moses for more important tasks of governing the nation and leading them in worship.
Jethro’s experience as a leader of the Midianites made clear that Moses was overextended.
He could see that Moses needed to delegate to other qualified men the simpler cases that were being brought to him and only take the more complex ones.
So Jethro suggests that Moses establish a hierarchal court system in order to avoid wearing himself out as well as the people.
The great majority of cases could be perfectly dealt with by the leading elders of twelve tribes.
After Moses properly instructed these elders, they could arrive at fair and just decisions for the people.
Those cases which were complicated and involved unusual factors that needed to be taken into account could be appealed to a higher court.
Those matters too difficult for a lower court or judge could be sent to Moses to resolve.
Therefore, by employing this policy of delegation of authority, Moses would not only be relieved of fatigue and physical breakdown but he would also be training a large group of law students throughout the nation so that they might personally obey the laws of the Lord.
Only those men with proven integrity could assume such a responsibility before the people.
The qualifications listed in verse 21 required that these men fear God, obey the truth, and hate dishonest gain.
Jethro instructed Moses to place these men as leaders of thousands, hundreds, fifties and of tens, which is a figure of speech that denotes the various population groupings and should not be taken literally.
He tells Moses in verse 22 that every major dispute should be brought to him but every minor dispute should be taken care of by those delegated authority to settle such matters.
All of this would free Moses up to fulfill his primary and essential duties of prayer and worship and studying and communicating God’s Word.
Verse 23 makes clear that Jethro wanted Moses to first consult the Lord with regards to his suggestion indicating that Moses should only agree to this proposal if it is God’s will or in others words something God would command him to do.
Verse 24 teaches that this suggestion was God’s will since Moses did all that Jethro commands him to do.
It is implied that this suggestion was God’s will since Moses would not act upon this proposal if it were not.
If it was against God’s will for Moses to carry out Jethro’s suggestions, and Moses carried out what Jethro commanded, then we would expect Moses to be disciplined by God but this is not the case.
So Moses accepted the wise counsel of Jethro, but the plan was not implemented immediately but Deuteronomy 1:9–15 teaches that judges were selected after the law was given on Sinai a few weeks later (18:24–26).
Verses 24-26 summarize the fulfillment of Jethro’s proposal.
Verse 27 records Moses bidding Jethro farewell, who returns to Midian.
The fact that there is no mention of Zipporah and Moses’ two sons returning with Jethro suggests strongly that they stayed with Moses, which is further indication that Moses and Zipporah were not divorced.