The Text & Reflections

The Text: Exod. 18:1 Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt. 2 After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro took her back, 3 along with her two sons. The name of the one was Gershom (for he said, “I have been an alien in a foreign land”), 4 and the name of the other, Eliezer (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 into the wilderness where Moses was encamped at the mountain of God, bringing Moses’ sons and wife to him. 6 He sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you, with your wife and her two sons.”

Reflections: Our Story begins with Jethro becoming aware of all that God was doing for Moses. Verses 2 & 3 lets us in on a family secret. Moses didn't have time for his family so he sent them to live with their grandpa. However you have the feeling from verses 3 - 6 that Jethro is a little tired of he company. He is also mature enough to deal with a codependent relationship and he realizes that a leader's wife and children belong with him, not with grandpa. We are told not only what Jethro intends to do "bringing Moses' sons and wife to him" but v. 6 also mentions that he sent word ahead, to warn Moses what to expect, "I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you, with your wife and her two sons." I think it was the "her two sons" comment (not "my darling grandsons") that gave me a clue that Jethro had had just about enough! (And I can't help but wonder if v. 3 & 4 are suggesting that maybe these boys were not the easiest to get along with. I'm guessing a little audacious maybe! But to be fair to the boys, who wouldn't act out a little if you name was: "I have been an alien in a foreign land" or "The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh." Can you imagine recess around the sheep pens! They must have taken a verbal bleating! [sorry about that!])

The Text: 7 Moses went out to meet his father-in-law; he bowed down and kissed him; each asked after the other’s welfare, and they 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 beset them on the way, and how the LORD had delivered them. 9 Jethro rejoiced for all the good that the LORD had done to Israel, in delivering them from the Egyptians. Exod. 18:10 Jethro said, “Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you from the Egyptians and from Pharaoh. 11 Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods, because he delivered the people from the Egyptians, when they dealt arrogantly 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 in the presence of God.

Reflections: Before Jethro deals with the issue at hand ("I brought your wife and children back to you!") the two of them inquire about one another. (People before Tasks) When Jethro realizes all that God has done for Moses and the people of Israel, he takes time to Worship and Praise God. (In our three Phase process, each Phase has three Steps. Devotion is the first Step.) After sharing with one another and hearing the story, Jethro takes time for Devotion to the Lord.

The Text: Exod. 18:13 The next day Moses sat as judge for the people, while the people stood around him from morning until 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, while all the people stand around 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, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make known to them the statutes and instructions of God.” 17 Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. 18 You will surely wear yourself out, both you and these people with you. For the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone.

Reflections: Now remember, according to the beginning of the chapter, Jethro's purpose in coming to see Moses was to return his wife and "her sons!" Now he realizes that Moses doesn't have time for his family, because the people of Israel keep him busy from morning until evening. (Does any of this sound familiar!) "What you are doing is not good." Jethro is right that the task is too heavy for one to do alone. And I can't help but think that Jethro was also thinking that if Moses didn't change his system of leadership, that he (Jethro) would be stuck with "I have been an alien in a foreign land" and "The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh" and their mother! Why just the thought of calling them to dinner would make you tired.

The Text: 19 Now listen to me. I will give you counsel, and God be with you! You should represent the people before God, and you should bring their cases before God; 20 teach them the statutes and instructions and make known to them the way they are to go and the things they are to do. 21 You should also look for able men among all the people, men who fear God, are trustworthy, and hate dishonest gain; set such men over them as officers over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 22 Let them sit as judges for the people at all times; let them bring every important case to you, but decide every minor case themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. 23 If you do this, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people will go to their home in peace.”

Reflections: v. 20 gives us the second central step to our process: Discipleship or Training. Notice that Moses is suppose to teach all the people the "statutes and instructions and make known to them the way they are to go and the things they are to do." This isn't the role of a few. To be a member of the Body of Christ is to be one who is "called out" (see: The Call by Os Guinness, p. 101) [That is why Phase I - "Getting Ready" is about Devotion, Discipleship, and Deployment. There is a role somewhere in that process for each and every member of the Body of Christ. Are you too elderly to get to Discipleship Training, then maybe you have gifts in the Devotion step of the process. Children through seniors can find a role in this process. Each should be given the opportunity (at their level of understanding and maturity) to experience the joy of Faith (The Alpha Course) and the skills to hear God's call and an awareness of the gifts given that lead to that call. (The Omega Course) While everyone is taught the "statutes and instructions" some will be gifted to be leaders. Jethro is suggesting that some folks have gifts that are appropriate for leadership like the "fear of God", "trustworthy" and "hate dishonest gain." These are the gifts (happened to be a role designated to men at the time of Moses) that people need, to be the type of leaders that Jethro was talking about. We face a similar situation in our communities. Our problem is that we don't use the Biblical model to deal with our issues. First we don't encourage the training of all the people. The lines of who's in and who's out (in a contempory church) may be hard to see these days (and for good reasons); however, instead of equating membership with showing up to worship, maybe we need to shift the "expectations" (especially in our traditional churches). That is, being a "called out one" (or member of the Body of Christ) means both an experence of faith (like the Alpha Course) and an awareness of why God sent us here to begin with (like the Omega Course). And the best way to figure that out is to realize your gifts. When a need arises in our churches of communities, instead of Praising God and asking God to show us those with the appropirate gifts for the job, we try to deal with the issue right away. Sort of, "we'll take care of it Lord" instead of depending upon the Lord to guide our steps. Say we feel the need for "youth ministry." It is our tendency to just go out and hire or find someone to "do" it, instead of depending upon the Lord to guide us in that search. (Maybe we fear that our agenda's are not God's agendas and so God won't provide us with anyone gifted to do the job! I believe that Trust in God's wisdom is the real issue here. If it is a ministry that God wants to happen, God will provide the person with the gifts and call to make it happen. Anyone else that "we" put in the position or role, we are setting up for burnout! see: Unleashing the Church by Frank Tillapaugh, p. 68 +)]

The Text: Exod. 18:24 So Moses listened to his father-in-law and did all that he had said. 25 Moses chose able men from all Israel and appointed them as heads over the people, as officers over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. 26 And they judged the people at all times; hard cases they brought to Moses, but any minor case they decided themselves.

Reflections: Here we see the third and final Step in our process: Deployment. Moses actually went out and found the folks with the appropriate gifts and gave them the opportunity to serve their God. God knows the needs of our churches and our communities. God provides the gifts (within the people present or soon to be present) to deal with those needs. Our job is to look for those that God has called, train them so they feel comfortable using the gifts that they have already, and then giving them the "permission" to do what God called and gifted them to do.

The Text: 27 Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went off to his own country.

Reflections: Jethro's job was finished. If I read the text correctly, his purpose was to return his daughter and "her sons" (love that line!) back to her husband and their father. Jethro took time to catch up with Moses and all God had done. (see: Faithful Format - Fellowship) Devotion: He took him to Praise and Worship God (Faithful Format - Worship). Through observation he realized that his plan wouldn't work because Moses was a "workaholic." So he intervened with a suggestion that would not only help Moses, the people of Israel, the family of Moses, but would also help him to accomplish his goal. (Faithful Format - Task) Discipleship: Moses implemented the plan, guided the people in the statutes and instructions, and found the people with the appropriate gifts to be the leaders Jethro suggested. Deployment: Then Moses gave them permission to do their jobs / ministry. He didn't hold on to the roles he had trained the leaders to do, Moses let go and at the same time was available for the tough cases. ("they judged the people at all times; hard cases they brought to Moses, but any minor case they decided themselves. " Jethro was a wonderful mentor. He recognized an unhealthy relationship (between Moses and the people) and brought it to Moses' attention. Then he gave Moses a way to fulfill his role ("I make known to them the statutes and instructions of God") in a different way than Moses had been doing it. Moses' "model" was the "I'll answer everyone's questions and take care of all your problems" model. Jethro suggested the "small groups with gifted and trained leaders" model. [Do you realize how we set people up when we put them on committees with little or no training in how to be a member of a team! Maybe some practice in: Prayer, Active Listening to one another, task management, etc. would help the process! No wonder people meet in the parking lot after the meeting to get their needs met. We don't format our time together in such a way that they have an opportunity to have their needs met or even for them to be heard personally! As for it being a spiritual experience, that's a joke! see The Faithful Format] Jethro made sure that Moses sense of self worth was maintained ("You should represent the people before God, and you should bring their cases before God"). Jethro just found a more healthy method for Moses to respond to his own call. In the process, Jethro raised the sense of self worth of the entire nation of Israel. Now all the people were taught the statutes and instructions and the gifts of their own people were recognized and affirmed as they were called to be leaders of 10's, 50's, & 100's, & 1000's. Once Jethro realized that life in the camp of the nation of Israel was back on a healthy track, he went home. His work there was completed, it was time for him to move on. And... his daughter and "her sons" were back to where they belonged, with Moses. Jethro could now return home to the peace and quiet he once knew! Amen.

Postscript: It is interesting to note that Moses isn't the one to take the people of Israel into the Promised Land. Moses started out using a "problem solving" method of leadership and with Jethro's help and wisdom he was able to move to a "training" method of leadership. The Nation of Israel needed both the old Moses (to get out of Egypt) and the "new" Moses (i.e. the Moses after Jethro's visit) to organize themselves as a Nation to move into the Promised Land. God did not choose Moses to lead them there. God choose Moses to get them on the journey, and Jethro to get Moses to help them get organized. Then it took Joshua to take them into the promised land. What's my point? Good Question. My point is that depending upon where your "Nation of Israel" people are -- may make a difference in your call. You may be called to get them out of Egypt and on the journey into the desert. You may be called to get them organized into teams of people who not only care for one another but also get their spiritual support to carry out their individual or team ministries. Or you may be the one called to lead them into the Promised Land of "Making Disciples." Where are the people God called you to be with today? In Egypt? The Desert? In need of Training? Ready to Cross into the Promised Land? And, what does that answer mean for your present leadership style? My concern is that I believe a "wave of faith" is coming and our "traditional churches" will not be ready. If we are not getting folks ready to cross over into "Discipleship" then we may miss a once in a lifetime (planet time!) opportunity.