Exodus 18
McGeeCHAPTER 18THEME: The visit of Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law; Jethro’s advice to appoint judges accepted by MosesIn chapter 18 we come to the last of the seven experiences the children of Israel had between Egypt and Mount Sinai. God has been leading Moses directly by revelation but now Moses turns to worldly wisdom for help rather than to God for revelation.
Exodus 18:1
THE VISIT OF JETHRO, MOSES’ FATHER-IN-LAWJethro, the priest of Midian, visits Moses. He brought Moses’ wife and children with him. While with Moses, they have a nice visit; you might call it a family reunion. Moses has come now into the land of Midian with this great company of Israelites. Here the father-in-law of Moses brings his wife and sons to him. Apparently, when they went down to Egypt, after that experience when she called him a bloody husband, he sent her back homethen or shortly after that. There is no record of her being in Egypt when the Exodus took place. But now Jethro brings her and her two sons to Moses. So this is a family reunion.
Exodus 18:5
It is an interesting thing to note the marvelous relationship between Moses and his father-in-law. They seem to be very close, buddies in fact. Moses tells him all that God has done in leading the children of Israel out of Egypt. Jethro shows great interest in everything that Moses relates to him. In fact, when Moses went out to greet his family, we are told that he kissed his father-in-law but nothing is said about him kissing his wife. This passage says nothing about Moses being glad to see his sons either. All of this seems to confirm our previous conclusion that Moses’ family relationship was not as it should have been.
Exodus 18:8
Jethro was probably skeptical when Moses, while still in Midian, announced that he was going to deliver the children of Israel from their yoke of bondage in Egypt. Probably he told his neighbors, “I don’t know what has come over my son-in-law. He has big ideas. He thinks God has called him to deliver the Israelites out of Egypt. I just don’t believe that the God he serves can do that.” Well, God did do it, and this apparently brought Jethro to a saving knowledge of God. This is evidenced by the fact that he offered burnt offerings to God.
Exodus 18:13
JETHRO’S ADVICE TO APPOINT JUDGES ACCEPTED BY MOSESMoses’ father-in-law obviously loved him, had great respect for him, and was enthusiastic about him. As he has brought Moses’ family to be with him, he stays on for a few days and sees how busy Moses is, judging the people. So he comes up with a suggestion to lighten the load of Moses.
Exodus 18:19
Jethro suggested that judges be appointed to help Moses take care of the problems of the people. Someone is apt to say, “What is wrong with his suggestion?” Well, on the surface, everything looks fine. One thing must be rememberedthere are two kinds of wisdom in this world, the wisdom of God and the wisdom of this world. Jethro’s proposal was based on the wisdom of the world. When you follow the pattern of the world, you do not look to God. One of the reasons the church is in such trouble today is because men have been brought into the church and put on a board or given a place of prominence because they have been successful in business. They attempt to run the church by the methods of the world, and they have no spiritual discernment whatsoever. The program of the world does not work in the church. The recommendations that Jethro made were good. They would take the load off Moses and expedite matters. They would provide an orderly system and conserve time. Jethro’s proposition looked like a very attractive package. His suggestion was sincere, and he meant well. He was concerned about Moses’ health, and you cannot help but love him for this. The thing, however, that we need to note is that it was not the will of God. God permitted it all right, but He did not suggest it. A careful examination of this passage will reveal the subtle and sinister character of this man’s advice. First of all, God had given no such instructions to Moses concerning this matter. Jethro’s suggestion actually questioned the wisdom, judgment, and the love of God. Jethro was actually saying that God was not doing the best that He could for Moses. If God really loved Moses and cared for him, He would have made this suggestion a long time ago. Friends, I hear in back of Jethro’s statement the hiss of the serpent made known so long ago in the Garden of Eden.
The serpent had suggested to Eve, “Oh, if you could only eat of that tree, you would be wise and God has not permitted you to do that. God is not doing the best that He could do for you.” Jethro’s suggestion implies the same thing. But if this were the best method, God would have made this arrangement before. The second thing to note is that God had been dealing directly with Moses. He was equipping him for the great task of delivering Israel. God did not want a third party brought in. He did not want others included who would dissipate or insulate the power of God in coming directly to Moses. Remember that God spoke face-to-face with Moses. There are many people who do not like to do business directly with God. They would rather deal with other people. They would rather go through a man, a church, a ceremony, a book, or even go to a musical concert. All of these have their place. But, friend, we need to go directly to God. God didn’t want this crowd brought into it. The third thing to notice, as we look at this passage, is that Jethro’s suggestion created an organization out of which came the seventy, the Sanhedrin, which one night about 1500 years after this met together and plotted the death of the Son of God! Moses didn’t need this organization. God gave Moses power for the task and these arduous duties. These seventy men were no more efficient for God than one man. After all, it is the Spirit that quickeneth and gives man power. There are people who feel that what the church needs for success is the right method. Right now there are many preachers who are acting rather foolishly by trying to identify themselves with the “new generation.” They say that they want to communicate with the new generation. There is a seminary in Southern California that majors in identifying and communicating with people. I have never heard of them really reaching down and touching lives in Southern California. They just cannot do it. God does not need a method, an organization, numbers, a system, a ritual, or good works.
God sweeps aside all the wisdom of the world so that there is nothing between your soul and Him. The wisdom of the world and the wisdom of God are contradictoryso much so that one is wisdom and the other is foolishness. In 1Co_3:18-19 God says, “Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.” The apostle Paul tells us in 1Co_2:4, “…my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” We do not need to be clever and use the intellectual approach to win men to Christ. What we do need is the wisdom of God to guide us. We need the power of God and not new methods. My friend, do you rely on the wisdom of the world or do you look to God to guide you with that wisdom that is from above?