In our previous episode, Jethro – Moses’s father-in-law – comes to visit and brings his sons and wife with him. Moses told him about how God rescued them and his faithfulness in their troubles.
Jethro puts his faith in God and there is a celebration in honor of that.
We found out that Moses wears another hat in addition to prophet and priest. He is also serving as a judge among the nation of Israel. If you are familiar with the book of Judges, this is a predecessor to that set-up. Jethro tells Moses that he is going to wear himself out because it is too heavy a burden to carry alone, so he suggested appointing honest men who fear God and hate bribes to rule over the sampler cases. Back in the book of Genesis, we saw God delegating His ruling authority to humans. Now we see Moses imitating God by delegating his. Let’s see what happens next in Exodus chapter 19.
Reflection Questions
- Recap the story in your own words.
- What do you see God doing in this chapter?
- What does it teach you about his character?