Moses Listens to Jethro

Moses Listens to Jethro

Exodus 18:19 – Now listen to me. I’ll advise you, and may God be with you. You are to represent the people before God and bring the disputes to God. 20 – You are to teach them the statutes and instructions and make known to them the way they’re to go an the things they’re to do.

Verse 21 – You are to look for capable men among the people, men who fear God, men of integrity who hate dishonest gain. You are to set these men over them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. 22 – They are to judge the people at all times. Let them bring every major matter to you but let them judge every minor matter. It will lighten your burden, and they’ll bear it with you.

Jethro observed Moses sitting alone as judge with all the people standing around waiting their turn to present their problems to him whether great or small. Jethro plainly told Moses “What you are doing is not good.” (Exodus 18:17) and then proceeded to explain to Moses that the way he was performing his task would burn both himself and his people out. His leadership and perhaps his life would not last long.

What impressed me the most about this conversation between Moses and Jethro is that Moses listened. Most other people would have become so self-absorbed in their own power and would probably have been offended at the slightest criticism. Moses did not let the victory over Pharaoh and Egypt get to his head. He was genuinely concerned about his people who had placed their trust in him and was trying to meet their needs the only way he knew how.

Jethro, who also worshiped God, was not afraid to offer advice to Moses. Jethro concluded his advice with these words: “If you do this, and God so commands you, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will also go to their homes in peace.” Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. (Exodus 18:23, 24)

Too often we insist on bearing the strain all alone and refuse to trust others. Jethro’s advice was Godly advice. It was a way for Moses “stand the strain” of leadership and not burn out. It was also a way for Moses to delegate and teach leadership to others. In this way his leadership would achieve the maximum positive benefit to the most people.

In a similar way, Jesus gave his final advice to his disciples that they were not to remain the only disciples but were to make even more disciples. He said to them: “Go then, and make disciples of all the nations, giving them baptism in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: Teaching them to keep all the rules which I have given you: and see, I am ever with you, even to the end of the world.” Matthew 28:19, 20.

Let us be comforted in knowing that we are not alone in the burdens we bear. Jesus will be with us even to the very end.