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Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Today's Frontline Devotion February 7, 2008 THE JETHRO’S OF THE WORLD |
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Frontline Devotion for Thursday, February 7, 2007 by Pastor Dave Sonnenberg
Reprinted from March 7, 2003
I woke up extra early this morning in hopes that I could do my daily devotions prior to the sound of my children barreling down the stairs. Well, after about 10 minutes, the first one arrived downstairs. We played some card games and talked about school and ate our cheerios. At one point, my daughter looked at my open Bible and said, “whatcha reading.” I told her I was reading about Jethro and Moses. I then went on to tell a little of the story found in Exodus 18.
At the bottom of this email, you will see (hopefully) the text of Exodus 18. Take a minute to read it. I found it to be a very helpful lesson on life. Jethro was Moses’ father in law, who hadn’t seen Moses in years. Moses had left Jethro’s household after God appeared to him in the form of a burning bush. Moses went to Egypt and helped to lead the people out of slavery. Upon their release, the people of Israel needed to learn to live as a “people of freedom”. God provided a good leader in Moses, but even Moses needed help beyond himself. Today’s lesson is about Jethro’s wisdom and offering Moses some corrective lenses.
In a nutshell, Moses was trying to lead by himself. As you look at the lesson (Exodus 18: 1-27), you will see that people came to Moses to have him settle their disputes. My guess is that meant they also came to him for advice, input, etc. etc. Jethro looked at this long list of need and said, “this isn’t the best way.” Jethro then provided some very wise advice. “Build up the people around you. Use their gifts and talents to help you in settling disputes, giving input, and helping to nurture this massive group of people.” The story is about how Moses listened to this correction, took it to heart, and said, “this new idea is a good one. It is corrective spiritual guidance that will benefit us all.”\
Moses learned from Jethro that he couldn’t do it all. Jethro’s correction also enabled Moses to look around and find potential in others - perhaps in people he never noticed before.
In this season of Lent, I believe it is a helpful lesson for us to ponder. All of us need people beyond ourselves to offer us new insights and wisdom. Insights beyond us can challenge us to grow and may take us in new directions. The lesson today also is a real reminder that we are not the center of the world. The lesson reminds us that real spiritual power comes when we share the work, when we build up the people around us, when we give authority to others to lead, and when we see ourselves as connected to a larger purpose.
May we all Jethro’s in our life who provide us with valuable “new lenses”.
Question to ponder- Do you have a “Jethro” in your life?
Exodus 18 [1] Jethro, the priest of Mid'ian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt.
[2] Now Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, had taken Zippo'rah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her away, [3] and her two sons, of whom the name of the one was Gershom (for he said, "I have been a sojourner in a foreign land"), [4] and the name of the other, Elie'zer (for he said, "The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh").
[5] And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was encamped at the mountain of God. [6] And when one told Moses, "Lo, your father-in-law Jethro is coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her,"
[7] Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and did obeisance and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare, and 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 come upon them in the way, and how the LORD had delivered them.
[9] And Jethro rejoiced for all the good which the LORD had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians. [10] And Jethro said, "Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh. [11] Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods, because he delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians, when they dealt arrogantly with them." [12] And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, offered a burnt offering and sacrifices to God; and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law before God.
[13] On the morrow Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood about Moses from morning till 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, and all the people stand about you from morning till evening?"
[15] And 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 a man and his neighbor, and I make them know the statutes of God and his decisions."
[17] Moses' father-in-law said to him, "What you are doing is not good. [18] You and the people with you will wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you; you are not able to perform it alone. [19] Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God, and bring their cases to God; [20] and you shall teach them the statutes and the decisions, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do. [21] Moreover choose able men from all the people, such as fear God, men who are trustworthy and who hate a bribe; and place such men over the people as rulers of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. [22] And let them judge the people at all times; every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide 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 this people also will go to their place in peace."
[24] So Moses gave heed to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. [25] Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. [26] And they judged the people at all times; hard cases they brought to Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves. [27] Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way to his own country.
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