SUNDAY 20th
Exodus 18:1-12
NIV (vv8-9) – ‘Moses told his father-in-law about everything the LORD had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel’s sake and about all the hardships they had met along the way and how the LORD had saved them. Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good things the LORD had done for Israel in rescuing them from the hand of the Egyptians.’
ESV (vv8-9) – ‘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. And Jethro rejoiced for all the good that the LORD had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians.’
Whenever I recall the verses in this chapter of Exodus and the account of Moses and his father-in-law Jethro, I immediately think of the verses 17-18 which we will consider tomorrow and the sound advice that Jethro gives to Moses. As I turned to them to prepare the devotion for today, I couldn’t help noticing two groups of three words: ‘Then Moses told’ (v8) and ‘And Jethro rejoiced’ (v9).
Moses had an amazing story to recount and retell – ‘. . . all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship . . . and how the LORD had delivered them.’ Imagine for a few moments as if you had been an Israelite at that time, the awful conditions as a slave to the cruel Egyptians (remember back in Exodus chapter one, the instruction was given to inflict them with heavy burdens, and that they had been dealt with ruthlessly and their lives made bitter with hard service 1:11-14) then suddenly a man appears claiming to be a deliver and after a period of plagues and a blood sacrifice, you are led out of the bondage on a journey to freedom. By the time we get to chapter 18 so much will have happened, you will have crossed the Red sea, seen the Egyptians drowned, okay you will have mumbled and murmured about the lack of water and food, but overall you will have seen and been through both some awful experiences in Egypt but also some amazing experiences so far on the journey. It is no wonder that Moses wants to recount it all to tell Jethro. And after hearing it Jethro rejoiced as he heard of all the good that the LORD had done.
Although I said imagine for a few moments that you had been an Israelite, instead, recall for a few moments, your own experience and all that God has done for you! We all have been in our own Egypt, oppressed by the oppressor, bound in the bondage of sin and shame, some may have been bound by addictions and as the Bible says we were all dead in trespasses and sin, we were all under the control of the evil one and on the wide road that led to destruction, but while in our misery a Saviour came our way, and he made a blood sacrifice that brought us freedom, and we have come out of the awful experience of being bound in the chains of sin and we are now enjoying the amazing experience of being set free and on a journey that is taking us along the narrow way that leads to life everlasting.
Moses had a story to tell, but so have you and I, Jethro listened and rejoiced, may we retell so that others will also listen and rejoice with us of all that the Lord has done. Obviously we need to be telling those who are still lost of all that the Lord has done for us, but in the context of this Scripture, Moses is telling his father-in-law, a family member, and we too need to be encouraging one another within our family, our Church family at EPC of all that the Lord is doing for us so that we can be encouraged and blessed. Psalm 66:16 ‘Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul.’ Has the Lord done something for you over the last few months, then tell your Church family, so we may hear what the Lord has done for you. ‘then ***** told’, . . . ‘and Emmanuel rejoiced’