Moses – Emmanuel Pentecostal Church Gateshead Resources

MONDAY 21^st

Exodus 18:13-27

NIV (vv17-18) ‘Moses’ father-in-law replied, What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.’

ESV (vv17-18) ‘Moses’ father-in-law said to him, What you are doing is not good. You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone.’

We all like good advice, don’t we? But do we always take it with the right spirit? I remember in one of my jobs having to train a new starter, but immediately I realised there was going to be a big problem, he already thought he knew it all and to offer him any advice or help was near impossible, it made our working relationship very difficult, until one day after doing his own thing he had a slight mishap and realised he didn’t know it all after all! In fact he didn’t remain in the job for too long after before he was gone.

In this narrative, Moses was about to embark on a mammoth task of judging the people, and it was going to be an extremely long and difficult process, his father-in-law, Jethro enquired as to what Moses was doing (v14), Moses explained (vv15-16), to which Jethro then tells Moses ‘What you are doing is not good’, giving him a warning that it would wear both Moses and the people out. In verse 19 we read ‘Now obey my voice; (‘Listen to me’ (NIV)) I will give you advice, and God be with you . . .’ The advice was to get able men to help take the workload and share it with Moses.

Now, if Moses had wanted to, he could have replied, ‘Hang on dad-in-law, remember what I told you yesterday about all that God has done for my people, and it was me he used and I have done this and that and . . . etc. I can cope, God has called me as the leader I will get the job done, however long it will take’. But no, he took his father-in-law’s advice, it says in verse 24 ‘So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said.’ And together they got the job done.

This narrative teaches us something about teamwork, about sharing the workload, about finding the best way possible to get the task in hand done in the smoothest and easiest way possible. Moses could go to bed at night with a clear head, knowing that he was not alone in the task, but others were there to help and support him.

Just one final thought, verse 21 says something about the character of the men that were to be chosen. They needed to be able, that is, it is no good trying to get a square peg to fit into a round hole, they needed to be men who feared God, in the Church age context I would say committed believers, and they needed to be trustworthy and hate a bribe, perhaps this could mean today not easily take sides but acting with integrity. Thank God we are a fellowship that believes in team work, whether you would call us a leadership team, oversight or presbytery etc. pray for us, that God will keep us moulded together in unity as we seek together to lead EPC in the months that are ahead, as we seek to steer through the difficult times we find ourselves in at this moment.

Daily Devotion Sept 20th

SUNDAY 20^th

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’