Thursday 19 July 2018
- Bible Book:
- Exodus
“Moses’ father-in-law said to him, ‘What you are doing is not good. 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.’” (v. 17-18)
Psalm: Psalm 106:43-48
Background
Moses liked his father-in-law Jethro, who lived in the land of Midian (today the area around Western Saudi Arabia and Southern Jordan) and had taken Moses into his household when he was on the run, having killed an Egyptian he saw assaulting one of the Israelites (Exodus 2:11-12). Moses was given the job of looking after his flock and was doing so when God appeared within the burning bush (Exodus 3:1-2). Jethro had previously given one of his seven daughters, Zipporah, to Moses in marriage, and now in our story he brings the family to see Moses. He had heard stories circulating about all that God had done for Moses and the Israelites after they left Egypt and wanted to see for himself what had been happening.
What Jethro found was Moses gradually being overwhelmed by the sheer volume of work involved in keeping a whole people happy and law-abiding, from handling the smallest family dispute to difficult cases demanding serious time and effort to resolve. Everybody brought their troubles and issues to Moses to sort out, and he was getting snowed under. And this is where Jethro stepped in and revealed himself to be quite an effective management consultant, suggesting modifications to the leadership structure which Moses seemed happy to accept.
Jethro’s solution was a wise one, leaving Moses both as an advocate on behalf of the people and an interpreter of God’s word and will for the people. Helping him would be several capable and God-serving individuals who could faithfully dispense justice and settle the many disputes that had taken so much of Moses’ time. The proposed system would have Moses as the final arbiter in cases where decisions were disputed or unresolved.
This story is of interest because it offers an insight into the life of a developing nation as well as that of Moses, and of God’s use of an outsider (Jethro was not a Jew) to influence the way in which justice was dispensed among the Jews.
To Ponder
- What would be your natural reaction to anyone suggesting improvements to your use of time?
- What does this little glimpse into the life of Jethro suggest about the man himself?
- How easy do you find it to take advice from family members?