Old Testament - Exodus 18 - April 18, 2022

 4/18/2022 – Exodus 18

The Israelites thought the Lord was simply getting them out of Egypt, and seeing to their need for food and water, and getting them to Canaan-- and He was doing this—but His most important objective was to help them truly become His covenant people…what He called His “peculiar treasure” and a “holy nation”.  That’s the same goal He has for us. I hope I’ll be able to always see beyond my need for food and lodging, and that I will always feel the uplift of an everyday session within His scriptures—for that truly makes a difference in my days.

But back to chapter 18: Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, was of great help to Moses. First of all, he brought Moses’ wife and their two sons to the place where the Israelites were encamped.  (v’s 2-6)

Moses told his father-in-law just how the Israelites were able to escape from the Egyptians, and all the miracles the Lord provided in helping them to leave.  Moses ends his descriptions with his own testimony: “Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them.” (v 11) Moses didn’t need to convince Jethro of the Lord, for Jethro was also a righteous leader, but sharing our testimonies builds both the one who shares and the one who hears. It was from Jethro that Moses had received the Melchizedek Priesthood. In the Bible dictionary Jethro is called a “righteous priesthood leader and a noble prince and priest of Midian”.

Now that they are all together, Jethro watches as Moses starts his day as he “sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening.” (v13) Moses explains to Jethro that “the people come unto me to enquire of God: When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws. (v’s 15-16)  Jethro then tells Moses that he doesn’t need to do EVERYTHING for the Israelites.  In fact Jethro continues with “Thou wilt surely wear away both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.” (v 18) Jethro continues in v 20: “And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.” (v 20)

From one of the student manuals: “This is when Jethro makes a valuable contribution to Moses in suggesting an organization of leaders over units of ten, fifty, one hundred and one thousand to instruct and to judge the people in all but the most difficult of matters, which would be passed up through the system of inferior and superior courts if necessary, until they reached Moses at the head. Moses showed commendable humility and wisdom in accepting the [elder’s] Priest’s advice.”

There will always be much good for us to do in our lives each day, but the important thing is for us to pace ourselves. The Lord wants us to accomplish much, but He wants us to do it with wisdom—wisdom for those we work to help, and for ourselves. That’s one more reason for me to start my every day with prayer, and to end my every night with prayer. These prayers should be my conversations with Heavenly Father, and prayers of asking Heavenly Father for help and guidance, and then, most importantly, prayers of listening to Heavenly Father, and then most, most importantly of my following through by going the way I have been guided.