Bible Study - Mentoring (1) - Jethro and Moses - Exodus 18: 9-21 - June 4, 2023

 

Bible Study – Mentoring (1) – Jethro and Moses – June 4, 2023

This is lesson one in our series entitled, Mentoring: Investing in Others.

Our focus scripture is Exodus 18: 9-11, 14-21.

This is a powerful lesson. Enjoy and be blessed.

Let’s read Exodus 18:1-9:

1 Moses’s father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, heard about everything that God had done for Moses and for God’s people Israel when the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt.

² Now Jethro, Moses’s father-in-law, had taken in Zipporah, Moses’s wife, after he had sent her back, ³ along with her two sons, one of whom was named Gershom^[a] (because Moses had said, “I have been a resident alien in a foreign land”) ⁴ and the other Eliezer (because he had said, “The God of my father was my helper and rescued me from Pharaoh’s sword”).^[b]

⁵ Moses’s father-in-law, Jethro, along with Moses’s wife and sons, came to him in the wilderness where he was camped at the mountain of God. ⁶ He sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.”

⁷ So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down, and then kissed him. They asked each other how they had been^[c] and went into the tent. ⁸ Moses recounted to his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardships that confronted them on the way, and how the Lord rescued them.

After Moses greeted his father-in-law in a welcoming and warm manner, Moses witnessed to his father-in-law, Jethro. Moses shared with Jethro all the LORD had done to free the Israelites from Egyptian slavery.

The Israelites in slavery is a foreshadow of people without GOD/JESUS are in slavery to sin and its consequence, eternal death. Just as GOD freed the Israelites from physical slavery, GOD also delivered them from the slavery of sin. GOD gave the law to the Israelites. GOD gave the Israelites the witness of HIS mighty protective power when they placed the blood over the doorposts of their home when the death angel passed over their homes. Thus the sacrifice of certain animals.

Moses told Jethro of all that GOD had done to the Egyptians in behalf of the Israelites. What impact did the witness of Moses have on Jethro?

We read his reaction in verses 9-11. This is magnificent and powerful because it is Jethro’s salvation experience. Jethro saw GOD as he had never seen HIM before, the only ONE TRUE GOD OF ALL gods. WOW!!!

⁹ Jethro rejoiced over all the good things the Lord had done for Israel when he rescued them from the power of the Egyptians. ¹⁰ “Blessed be the Lord,” Jethro exclaimed, “who rescued you from the power of Egypt and from the power of Pharaoh. He has rescued the people from under the power of Egypt!  ¹¹ Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods, because he (GOD) did wonders when the Egyptians acted arrogantly against Israel.”^[d]

Jethro’s confession we witness in verse 11 and then his follow through in his confession in verse 12. Jethro offered a burnt offering to the ONE TRUE GOD OF Israel, Jehovah.

¹² Then Jethro, Moses’s father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with Moses’s father-in-law in God’s presence.

Notice, that after Jethro’s conversion and was in right relationship with Jehovah, he was endued with GOD’S wisdom, which he put to work immediately. Jethro watched Moses at work and he saw very quickly that Moses would burn himself out if he did not change the way he was counseling the people.

¹³ The next day Moses sat down to judge the people, and they stood around Moses from morning until evening. ¹⁴ When Moses’s father-in-law saw everything, he was doing for them he asked, “What is this you’re doing for the people? Why are you alone sitting as judge, while all the people stand around you from morning until evening?”

¹⁵ Moses replied to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. ¹⁶ Whenever they have a dispute, it comes to me, and I make a decision between one man and another. I teach them God’s statutes and laws.”

Moses told Jethro the procedure for resolving issues. GOD gave Jethro the wisdom to give wise counsel to Moses. It was done with compassion.

¹⁷ “What you’re doing is not good,” Moses’s father-in-law said to him. ¹⁸ “You will certainly wear out both yourself and these people who are with you, because the task is too heavy for you. You can’t do it alone. ¹⁹ Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and God be with you. You be the one to represent the people before God and bring their cases to him. ²⁰ Instruct them about the statutes and laws, and teach them the way to live and what they must do. ²¹ But you should select from all the people able men, God-fearing, trustworthy, and hating dishonest profit. Place them over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. 

Simply, “Moses you need to teach and delegate.” Not to just anyone

²¹ But you should select from all the people able men, God-fearing, trustworthy, and hating dishonest profit.

Jethro was looking out for the best interest of Moses and the people.

 

 ²² They should judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you (Moses) every major case but judge every minor case themselves. In this way you (Moses) will lighten your load,^[e] and they will bear it with you. ²³ If you do this, and God so directs you, you will be able to endure, and also all these people will be able to go home satisfied.”^[f]

²⁴ Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. ²⁵ So Moses chose able men from all Israel and made them leaders over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. ²⁶ They judged the people at all times; they would bring the hard cases to Moses, but they would judge every minor case themselves.

²⁷ Moses let his father-in-law go, and he journeyed to his own land.

When we receive wise counsel from GOD, we should heed it.

This model is alive and well today, “Each one teaches one.” But first we must be Spirit-born, study GOD’S Word and be taught.

We who know the truth have the Holy Spirit within us to give us understanding and how to discern.

This is how the Gospel of JESUS is spread throughout the world beginning with those our LORD brings to us. What do we have to do? We give our witness of salvation. Our testimony is the most powerful witness we have to present to others.

How do we prepare our testimony?

We can use Paul’s format when he witnessed to King Agrippa as found in Acts26, we see the pattern Paul used when he gave his testimony to King Agrippa:

Gracious introduction

A little of his/her old life

His/her conversion experience to include how a person can pray to receive JESUS as his/her Savior.

Give opportunity for the person or persons to who you are speaking to pray to receive JESUS as his/her Savior.

If the person or persons are not already in a Bible believing church or group, then encourage him/her to find one. Help him/her to do so.

Blessings!!!