A study of Exodus: Birth of a Nation

#15 The Sixth Crisis of Israel In the Wilderness: The Tyranny of the Urgent Exodus 18:1-27

After reading about the trials, complaints, and battles of the Israelites, it’s a relief to move into a chapter that describes the camp of Israel as a quiet place of family fellowship and daily business. Life isn’t always hunger and thirst and warfare, although those are often the things we usually remember. Charles Spurgeon said that God’s people are prone to engrave their trials in marble and write their blessings in the sand, and perhaps he was right.

But the best thing about this paragraph is that everybody is praising the Lord for all He did for His people. Praising God is much better than complaining to God; in fact, praise is a good antidote for a complaining spirit. “There is a great deal more said in the Bible about praise than prayer,” said evangelist D.L. Moody, “yet how few praise-meetings there are!”

There is a term which is more and more frequently employed in Christian circles, which depicts a problem that has become widespread among evangelicals—even epidemic. The term is burnout. Burnout happens frequently to Christian leaders, who strive to meet impossible expectations and demands, the achievement of which will show him to be both spiritual and successful (these two evaluations are too frequently found together these days). Failure to accomplish these expectations and demands is believed to prove one a sluggard, unspiritually minded, or a failure. Burnout occurs when, in sheer exhaustion and frustration, one looses all hope of meeting the standard which is imposed on them (either by one’s self, others, or both), and simply gives up. By my definition at least, burnout does not lead to reevaluating and restructuring one’s ministry, but to cessation of ministry.

Burnout is certainly not just a phenomenon found among Christian leaders, or just among

Christians for that matter. Burnout is probably a significant factor in what is now referred to as the “mid-life crisis.” In spite of diligent effort and much sacrifice, individuals discover, to their dismay and depression, that their pursuit has been, in the words of the wise man of Ecclesiastes, vanity.

The burnout of which I am speaking is that which plagues Christians, whether leaders or laymen. It is not the squeezing out of things spiritual by things secular (so called). It is the smothering of the fundamental spiritual essentials by the sheer volume of the plethora of non‑essential activities and “ministries” which we foolishly strive to maintain.

In his excellent book entitled, Ordering Your Private World, Gordon MacDonald likens the burnout phenomenon to sinkholes.[1] When underground streams dry up, the surface soil begins to sink to fill in the void. Whatever is placed on or near the surface of the ground caves in, to fill that void. MacDonald likens the soul, the “private world” of a person to those underground streams. We often divert so much of our attention and energy to our ministries and outward activities that we fail to attend to the needs of our souls. Eventually, MacDonald explains, the pressure of those activities, combined with the inner void of our lives, produces a sinkhole—burnout.

Moses was dangerously close to burning himself out when his father-in-law came to his rescue. What appears on the surface to be the insignificant visit of a relative is a really a divine provision to deliver Moses, not from the wrath of Pharaoh, nor from the attack of the Egyptian army, but from himself. As Jethro himself put it, Moses was wearing himself and the Israelites out (18:18). Thanks to the common sense of a wise father-in-law, Moses was delivered from his own destruction, the burnout which resulted from a distorted perception and a too‑demanding ministry.

I must pause here to point out that Moses illustrates and typifies a problem which has become widespread and even epidemic in evangelical circles in America, but that Moses’ problem is typical of only a segment of evangelicalism. For some who will read this message, your problem is not burnout, not burning your candle at both ends, but not having ever been lit. There are many overworked Christians who need to learn the lesson which Jethro taught Moses, but the reason why some Christians are overtaxed is because others are lazy and inactive. If you are uncommitted, uninvolved and sluggardly in your Christian service, I exhort you not to try to use this text as a pretext for your inaction. God is not pleased with this kind of abuse of His word. If you are of the sluggardly disposition, I urge you to turn to the wisdom which the Book of Proverbs has for you, or to those texts in the Bible which speak of our need for commitment and obedience.

The structure of this chapter is simple and straightforward. The text divides evenly into two portions: verses 1‑12, which I summarize by the title: “Jethro’s Arrival”; and verses 13‑27, which depict “Jethro’s Advice.” The two portions are very much related. Initially, I viewed the first 12 verses as a kind of formality, a setting of the scene. The more I have studied the text, however, I have come to see that the first half of the chapter reveals several symptoms of a serious problem in Moses’ life, which prompted not only the “arrival” of Jethro at the Israelites’ camp, but also his “advice.” Let us listen well to the sage words of this Midianite, who has much to teach us about managing our lives and our ministries. For those who are predisposed to business and over-involvement, they can spare us from the deadly disease of burnout.

(18:1-27) Introduction: overwork is a serious problem for some people. Who? Think about...

·    working mothers

·    single mothers who work and rear children

·    men and women who have to work long hours and maybe two jobs just to make it financially

·    executives, managers, and professionals who bear so much heavy responsibility

·    secretaries and office workers who have so many details to look after and perform

     On and on the list could go, but the picture is seen: overwork is a problem for many people throughout society. Many of our acquaintances, friends, neighbors, and even perhaps ourselves are overworked. And there seems to be no end to the problem for many of us. Overwork is such a problem that it often causes marriages and health to deteriorate, to the point that both break down. Overwork was a problem, a real crisis that confronted Moses. This is the subject of the present passage: The Sixth Crisis of Israel In the Wilderness—Marital Separation and Overwork: Helping Others, Exodus 18:1-27.

     1.  Help one: Jethro sought to reunite Moses with his family (v.1-8).

     2.  Help two: Jethro publicly acknowledged God’s blessing upon his son-in-law and upon Israel (v.9-12).

     3.  Help three: Jethro saw that Moses was overworked and offered a wise solution (v.13-27).

Jethro’s message (Ex. 18:1-6)

We met Moses’ father-in-law in 2:11-22, but his presence here raises two important questions: (1) How did Jethro hear about the wonderful works of God in Egypt? and (2) When did Moses’ wife and two sons return home?

It’s possible that Moses sent his family back to Midian before the Lord declared war on Egypt. Then, after the Exodus, Moses sent a messenger to Jethro asking him to bring Zipporah and the two boys and meet him at Sinai. Some students reject this scenario since Moses would certainly want his family to see the Lord’s judgment of Egypt and to be a part of Israel’s great deliverance. What kind of leader would want his family to be comfortable back in Midian while the people were suffering in Egypt?

If the family was with him in Egypt, then sometime after the Exodus, Moses may have sent Zipporah and their two sons back to Midian to give the good news to her family. Zipporah and her party could travel much faster than the entire nation with their children and livestock, so the family would have reached Midian before Israel arrived in the region of Sinai. Having heard the good news, Jethro then sent a message to Moses saying that he was coming to the camp with Zipporah and her sons.

(18:1-8) Jethro— Family, Division of— Fathers-In-Law— Moses: there was the first help of Jethro: he sought to reunite Moses with his family.

     1.   Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, heard the news of all that God had done for Moses and Israel (Exodus 18:1). How? Travelers and salesmen, statesmen and businessmen—all would have spread the news all over the world. The known world of that day would have heard about Israel’s great deliverance from Egyptian slavery. And the leader of Israel was Moses, Jethro’s son-in-law. Hearing the news would obviously excite Jethro, for God was greatly using his son-in-law. Jethro was as any of us would be, excited—very excited—that his son-in-law was the leader of a great nation of people.

     2.   Now, note this significant fact: sometime in the past, Moses had sent his wife and children back home, back to Jethro (Exodus 18:2). When? And for what purpose? Scripture does not say, not definitely. Commentators suggest several major reasons:

Þ  That Moses had sent his family back for safety reasons, sent them back sometime before the beginning of his confrontations with Pharaoh and the beginning of the ten plagues.

Þ  That Moses had just recently sent his wife back home to bring Jethro to him for a visit.

     A third possibility seems to more closely fit the story of Scripture. Remember the last time Scripture mentions Moses’ wife Zipporah: she was in bitter rebellion against God. She had objected to the circumcision of their son so bitterly that Moses had given in to her and refused to obey God’s commandment, the commandment to circumcise his son. The result: God chastised and disciplined Moses. In fact, he became so sick that he almost died. Why? Why would God chastise Moses so severely? Especially since God had just called him into the ministry? Because Moses could not be the leader of God’s people if he was not going to obey and follow God. And circumcision was the first and basic sign that a person believed God and followed God.

     Lying there upon his death bed, Moses somehow conveyed this to Zipporah, and she agreed to the circumcision in order to remove God’s hand of chastisement upon her husband. But she agreed only outwardly, only verbally, not from the heart. She was so angry and vengeful about the situation that she took the foreskin of her son and threw it at the feet of Moses who was—keep in mind—lying in bed critically ill, on the verge of death. As she threw the bloody foreskin at Moses’ feet, she shouted out: “You are a bloody husband to me” (Exodus 4:24-26).

     The point is this: Zipporah was in rebellion against God, bitter rebellion, and in terrible conflict with Moses and his belief in God. What did Moses do about the family crisis after God restored his health? Most commentators feel that Moses sent his wife back home, back to Jethro, after her explosion of bitter rebellion. As stated, this seems to more closely fit Scripture. Moses probably felt that his wife’s bitter rebellion against God and himself would have threatened the very mission of God; therefore, he sent her back home to her parents.

Family strife can hinder and hamper a person’s call to serve God, especially when the strife involves a bitter rebellion against one’s spouse and God. Scripture declares that families are not to live in strife, argument, bitterness, division, and rebellion, not against one another and not against God. The teaching of Scripture is clear:

      “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord” (Ephes. 5:22).

      “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephes. 6:4).

      “Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds” (Col. 3:9).

      “Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered” (1 Peter 3:7).

     3.   Note that Moses had demonstrated great faith in naming his sons (Exodus 18:3-4).

a.  Moses named his oldest son “Gershom,” which means “a stranger, alien, sojourner, or expulsion” (Exodus 18:3). Why did Moses name his son Gershom? Because Moses was a stranger in a strange land. He was an alien, a sojourner in a land that was not his. Where was Moses’ land? Why was Moses not claiming Midian as his home? Had he not settled there? Married there, and now was having children there? Moses was to live in Midian for forty years. What did Moses mean when he said that he was only a stranger in a strange land (Midian)? He would not be referring to Egypt, for he was not an Egyptian, and Egypt had enslaved his family and people.

     There could be only one land to which Moses was referring: the promised land, the land of Canaan, which was a symbol and picture of the promised land of heaven. Moses’ heart was upon the promised land of God. And he was declaring his faith in the promised land, both the promised land of Canaan and the promised land of heaven. The New Testament declares that the great leaders of the Bible believed in the promised land of heaven as well as the promised land of Canaan. They believed in a heavenly country and a heavenly city. Their real home was not this earth, not a worldly country or city. Their real home was a heavenly home—a heavenly country and city that are eternal—that Abraham and all believers are to inherit. Note how clearly Scripture declares this fact:

      “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: for he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Hebrews 11:8-10).

      “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city” (Hebrews 11:13-16. Note Hebrews 11:15: it clearly states that Abraham’s mind was on the heavenly and eternal country. If it had not been, he would have returned to his former home. He would never have wandered about, suffering the hardships he bore. We might add, neither would have Moses.)

      “But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels” (Hebrews 12:22).

      “For here have we no continuing city [a perfect, heavenly city], but we seek one to come” (Hebrews 13:14).

      “For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith” (Romans 4:13).

b.  Moses named his younger son Eliezer which means “my God is my helper.” Note why: because of God. He believed that God was the One who had delivered him from being captured and executed by Pharaoh. Therefore, he honored God by naming his son Eliezer, “my God is my helper.”

     The point to see is this: Moses never lost his faith in God, not even when he was a hunted criminal by the government of Egypt, not even when he was a young man rearing his family.

     4.   There was Jethro’s decision to bring Moses’ family to him (Exodus 18:5). At some point, Jethro decided to make the journey to visit Moses and to take Moses’ wife and sons back to him. The situation was apparently somewhat sensitive, for note what Jethro did.

a.  Note that Jethro showed great courtesy. He sent a messenger to tell Moses that he was coming to visit and that he was bringing Moses’ wife and sons with him. This was either the custom of the day or else he felt the situation between Zipporah and Moses might still be extremely sensitive. He, therefore, wanted to notify Moses ahead of time that Zipporah and the children were also coming.

b.  Note Moses’ kindness and reception of his family (Exodus 18:7). He went out to greet his family and showed great humility. He received them: he greeted and asked about the welfare of each.

c.  After the greetings, they no doubt went to Moses’ own personal tent where he shared the great testimony of God’s mighty deliverance from Egypt and through the wilderness wanderings (Exodus 18:8).

Jethro’s arrival (Ex. 18:7-8)

In the East, family members and friends spend a great deal of time greeting one another when they meet (Luke 10:4), especially if they haven’t seen each other for a long time (Gen. 29:9-14; 33:1-7; 45:1-15). Moses showed respect for his father-in-law by going out to meet him, but it’s strange that nothing is said about Zipporah and the two sons.^7-10

Hospitality is the first law of the East, and Moses invited Jethro and the rest of the visitors to join him in his tent. There he rehearsed for them again the wonderful things God had done for His people. Jethro knew some of the facts about the defeat of Egypt, but Moses gave him the details and answered his questions. It wasn’t a report of what Moses had done but what the Lord had done!

Jethro’s worship (Ex. 18:9-12)

Like Melchizedek (Gen. 14:17-24), Jethro was a Gentile priest (Ex. 2:16) whose testimony indicates that he knew the true and living God. He also knew the importance of Israel in the plan of God, because he said that the Lord had punished the Egyptians because they had “treated Israel arrogantly” (Ex. 18:11, niv).

The priesthood had not yet been officially established in Israel, so there was nothing wrong with Moses, Aaron, and the Jewish elders joining Jethro in offering sacrifices to God and then enjoying a fellowship feast. During the years Moses had lived in Midian, he had no doubt participated in many sacrificial feasts with his father-in-law. This kind of fellowship anticipated the time when Messiah would die for the sins of the whole world and make redemption available to people of all nations. “For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name shall be great among the Gentiles” (Mal. 1:11, nkjv).

(18:9-12) Jethro— Son-in-Law— Worship: there was the second help of Jethro: he publicly acknowledged God’s blessing upon his son-in-law.

     1.   Jethro praised God for His goodness to Israel: he rejoiced in God’s great deliverance of Israel from Egyptian slavery (Exodus 18:9).

     2.   Jethro actually broke forth in praise to the LORD for His great deliverance (Exodus 18:10). He instinctively blurted out: “Blessed be the LORD.” Note that he called God the LORD (Jehovah, Yahweh), the God of deliverance, salvation, and redemption—the God who reveals Himself and makes a covenant with man. This indicates that Jethro was a true believer, a person who sincerely trusted the LORD and His great promises.

     3.   Jethro also bore a great testimony for God. He declared that the LORD was greater than all other gods (Exodus 18:11). He was placing the LORD above all other gods worshipped by the Egyptians and others. He was declaring that there was only one sovereign LORD and Majesty of the universe, only one Deliverer and Savior, the LORD Himself. (Cp. the confession of Naaman, 2 Kings 5:15.)

     4.   Jethro provided the burnt offering and altar sacrifices for a worship and fellowship service. Note that this was held with Moses and all the elders of Israel (Exodus 18:12). Jethro was making a public acknowledgment of God’s wonderful blessings upon his son-in-law and upon Israel.

How many family members are pleased with one another? So pleased that they acknowledge God’s blessings upon the other members? How critical it is that we straighten out our lives, that we...

·    repent and live righteous lives.

·    forgive and reconcile with estranged family members.

·    pray and seek God to bless our family members.

·    humbly and unselfishly acknowledge the blessings of God upon other family members.

·    be kind to our family members.

God distributes our burdens (Ex. 18:13-27)

Moses could have taken a week off and enjoyed his family and entertained his father-in-law, but being a faithful shepherd, he was back the next day helping his people with their problems.

The task (Ex. 18:13-16)

The nation already had elders (v. 13; 4:29), but they weren’t assisting Moses in the day-by-day affairs of the camp, or if they were, there were matters they couldn’t settle that had to go to Moses. There were basic regulations for the management of the camp (Ex. 18:16), since 2 million people couldn’t very well live together and travel together without obeying some kind of code. The phrase “statutes and laws” in verse 16 can refer to the will of God in general as well as to specific ordinances from the Lord. Long before the Law was given, God blessed Abraham for obeying His commandments, statutes, and laws (Gen. 26:5).

Judicial codes are necessary for order and security in society, but they always have to be interpreted, even if they come from the Lord. Later, the priests would assist in this task (Mal. 2:4-7); but the priesthood hadn’t yet been established. From the time of Ezra (Ezra 7:10), the scribes became the students and interpreters of the Law.

(18:13-27) Work— Labor— Overwork— Crisis— Leadership— Organization— Government— Democracy: there was the third help of Jethro: he saw that Moses was overworked and offered a wise solution. What then happened is interesting. It shows that Jethro was a man of real wisdom and that he and Moses had developed a close relationship during the forty years Moses had worked for him in Midian.

     1.   The next morning, no doubt very early, Moses arose and went to the tent of his headquarters. There he sat all day judging the people. He was the only judge for Israel, the only judge for two to three million people (Exodus 18:13). The result was awful: there was a staggering backlog of cases. Many of the people were having to stand from early morning to late evening, waiting to have their cases tried before Moses.

     2.   Jethro questioned the wisdom of Moses’ organizational structure (Exodus 18:14-15).

Þ  He asked Moses why he alone sat as judge (Exodus 18:14).

Þ  Moses simply replied that the people demanded his personal attention: they wanted him to interpret God’s will and laws in settling disputes (Exodus 18:15).

     3.   Jethro responded by immediately stating an obvious fact: a serious problem of leadership had developed, that of overwork (Exodus 18:17-18).

Þ  Moses and the people were being worn out.

Þ  The work was too heavy for one person to handle.

     4.   Jethro then offered a wise solution to the leadership crisis (Exodus 18:19-23). But note, Jethro first of all appealed to God to be with Moses (Exodus 18:19). What was Jethro’s counsel to solve the leadership crisis?

a.  First, Moses should be the representative before God and the primary teacher of the people (Exodus 18:19-20). He should...

·    teach the decrees and laws of God. (Note: there was a written book of God’s laws existing during Moses’ day.)

·    show the people how to live.

·    show the people their duty before God and man.

b.  Second, Moses should select capable and godly men to serve as officials (Exodus 18:21). Note the qualifications of the judges to be chosen:

Þ  Men who were capable, that is, had a natural ability to judge differences between people.

Þ  Men who feared God.

Þ  Men of truth, that is, men who were trustworthy.

Þ  Men who hated dishonesty and greed.

c.  Third, Moses himself should handle the major and difficult cases; the judges should handle the simple cases of disputes (Exodus 18:22).

d.  Fourth, Moses should organize only as God commanded (Exodus 18:23).

     Note the humility of Jethro. He knew that his idea should not be followed unless God approved it. This he told Moses. The result: if God allowed Moses to structure the courts of Israel like this, then it would mean a lighter load, less pressure, and national peace (Exodus 18:23).

     5.   Note the wisdom of Moses’ leadership: he listened to his father-in-law (Exodus 18:24-27). Another passage tells us that Moses actually established a democracy at this point: he presented the idea to the people and had them elect the persons to serve as their judges (Exodus 18:25. Cp. Deut. 1:9-13.) The judges handled every issue among the people except the most difficult cases. The difficult cases were brought to Moses (Exodus 18:26).

     6.   Jethro then returned home (Exodus 18:27).

The danger (Ex. 18:17-18)

Jethro knew that Moses’ leadership was crucial for the future success of Israel and that any activity that drained his energy or wasted his time was bound to hurt the nation. Also, he didn’t want his son-in-law to wear himself out and leave Zipporah a widow and his two grandsons without a father. No one man could minister personally to 2 million people and last very long. Even after the new arrangement had been established, Moses had to confess that the work was too much for him (Num. 11:14), so what must the burden have been like under the old system? The Hebrew word translated “easier” in Exodus 18:22 means “to take cargo from a ship.” (“That will make your load lighter,” niv.)

The suggestion (Ex. 18:19-27)

Jethro’s suggestion was a good one. Moses should organize the camp so that every 10 people had somebody to talk to about their civil problems. If a ruler of 10 couldn’t solve the problem, it could be referred to the ruler of 50, then 100, and then 1,000.^7-11 After that, it would be referred to Moses himself. D.L. Moody may have had this in mind when he said, “I would rather put 10 men to work than do the work of 10 men.”

A system such as this would separate the simple problems from the more complex matters so that Moses wouldn’t be wasting his time on trivial matters. (If the people of Israel were anything like people today, everybody thought his or her problem was the most important!) The arrangement would also test the seriousness of the people, for not all of them would be willing to let the ruler “take their case to a higher court.”

But Jethro wasn’t advising Moses to “pass the buck.” No, Moses was to teach the people the regulations, no doubt assisted by the chosen rulers, so they could make wise decisions. He was also to represent the people before God, which probably meant praying for them and seeking God’s direction in the difficult cases. Moses was God’s chosen leader, and nobody could take his place until his work was done, but he didn’t have to do all the work alone.

There are those who say that Jethro was a meddler and should have minded his own business, because God could have enabled Moses to get the job done each day. “If the Lord had wanted Moses to have help,” they argue, “He would have told Moses personally.” But Jethro didn’t command Moses to follow his orders. He urged Moses to talk to the Lord about the problem and obey whatever God said (v. 23). Since Moses did adopt his father-in-law’s suggestion, he must have consulted the Lord and gotten God’s approval. Moses didn’t ask Jethro how to build the tabernacle or how to offer the sacrifices, because those matters were revealed to him from the Lord. But in matters of organization and management, God’s people can learn from outsiders, for “the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light” (Luke 16:8). Of course, we never adopt a practice or policy until we understand the principle behind it and make sure it’s in agreement with Scripture (James 3:13-18).

The important thing about delegating responsibilities is that you have leaders who have ability and character, “able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness” (Ex. 18:21).^7-12 These qualifications remind us of the experience of the early church in finding people to assist the apostles and relieve them of lesser duties (Acts 6:1-7). These assistants had to have good reputations, be full of the Spirit and wisdom, and approved by the people.

According to Deuteronomy 1:9-18, Moses shared Jethro’s counsel with the people, admitted his own weakness and weariness, and asked them to select leaders to assist him. They approved of the plan and selected the officers whom Moses then charged with the responsibilities of their offices. When Israel moved into the Promised Land, they appointed officers in each town to assist in the settling of cases (Ex. 16:18-20). God is a God of order, and He wanted all of His people to enjoy security and justice in the camp and in the land.

Whenever ministry and structure collide, and ministry is being hindered, God’s people must adjust the structure so ministry can grow. When the Jerusalem church gave the apostles the help they needed, the work expanded and many people were converted (Acts 6:7). In this rapidly changing world, Christian ministries must be flexible if they are to solve their problems and seize their opportunities. The emphasis in the Bible isn’t on organization as such but on the kind of organization that involves qualified people who get the job done. Self-defeating organizations embalm their structure and refuse to change. The ministries that God blesses are open to change, so long as the principles of God’s Word are obeyed.

The response of Moses reveals his distorted perception, which was the root problem. While Jethro quickly sized up the situation, Moses wasn’t thinking very clearly about what he was doing. His response reveals several misconceptions regarding his role as a leader. Consider them with me for a moment.

(1) Moses believed that every request for his help made the matter his responsibility. When asked why Moses handled matters as he did, Moses responded, in effect, “I am doing this because the people have asked me to.” I believe that Moses was a kind, caring, and compassionate man. I believe that the Israelites felt this way as well. No wonder they wanted to take their problems to Moses. Moses found it hard to refuse to help anyone who asked for it. He simply fell into the trap of assuming that every need which he became aware of was his responsibility to meet. If you have not learned so already, you will discover that we will always be aware of far more needs than we can personally meet. Moses was running himself ragged because he had not yet come to grips with his error.

(2) Moses seemed to assume that because people came to him personally for help it was his responsibility to help them personally. In answer to Jethro’s question, Moses explained that he judged the people from dawn to dusk because they came to him for help. Moses assumed that when there was a need, it was his personal obligation to meet it. In effect, Moses was not really leading at all, for he was unwilling to refuse any appointments, or to involve others in meeting the needs of the Israelites. Whoever wanted to speak with Moses (and was willing to wait in line to do so) could speak with him.

(3) Moses wrongly reasoned that because his task was to lead the entire nation, he must do so by dealing with people one at a time. It did not seem to occur to Moses that he not only could but must handle his task on a larger scale, dealing with groups, rather than individuals. Rather than to teach a class of 100 (which would have been a small class in that setting), Moses was teaching the same thing 100 times to 100 people.

(4) Moses seems to have assumed that no one else was able to do what he was doing. Moses told Jethro that the people came to him “to seek God’s will” (v. 15). It seems as though this placed the needs of the people in a category for which only Moses was able to give an answer.[2]

(5) Moses seems to have lost sight of his unique gifts and calling. God had not called Moses to do everything, but to do some things. Moses was given responsibility to lead the nation Israel as a whole, and thus his task was very different from that of others, who could deal with people on a personal, intimate, one‑on‑one basis.

I believe that we can distill several important principles of leadership from the words of Jethro, which were addressed to Moses. Let us give them careful consideration. These principles and their practical implementation provide the solution to Moses’ problems.

(1) To be a leader one must be in control. Here, I am referring to the fact that Moses should be in control of his ministry and his time, not so much that he should be in control of Israel. Moses was not in control of his ministry. As Israel’s leader, Moses should have had control of his time, but it is obvious that he did not. From morning till night, Moses was captive to the crowds who wanted his guidance. To put the matter in contemporary terms, the higher the level of a corporate executive, the more difficult it becomes to obtain an appointment with that leader. Our text implies that Moses was not turning down any appointments. Jethro urged Moses to exercise leadership by getting in control of his time, and of the ways in which he would lead the people.

(2) To be an effective Christian leader, one must balance the principle of servanthood with that of stewardship. While it is possible that Moses’ motives were not entirely pure (whose are?), I am willing to believe that Moses’ primary motivation for ministering as he did was that he genuinely cared for the Israelites and wanted to serve them. Moses, we are told, was known for his meekness (Numbers 12:3). Therefore, I assume that it was a genuine servant’s heart which motivated the ministry which caused Jethro to marvel at its inefficiency.

Every leader is to be a servant, but we are to be the Lord’s servant, doing His will, not the servants of men, fulfilling their every expectation and desire. As the Lord’s servants, we can have only one master (Matthew 6:24), to whom we shall have to give account of our stewardship (cf. Matthew 25:14‑40; 1 Corinthians 3:10‑15; 4:1‑5). God will hold us responsible for how we have used those things which He has given us. If we strive to please men, we will most frequently fail to please God and to do those things which He has given us to do. Thus, in our attitudes, we must be servants at heart, but we dare not allow others to dictate or to determine how our stewardship shall be managed.

To put this matter in different words, Moses was to be a servant, but he was to serve by leading. As such, he must take charge, he must determine his calling, he must establish priorities, and he must stick to them, even when others would seek to modify his ministry. Moses was to serve the Israelites, but he must do so in the way which God had called him to serve. Servanthood is thus an essential attitude for the Christian leader, but that leader’s actions must be determined by other factors.

(3) Leadership is shepherding and shepherding involves a flock. Moses was dealing with the Israelites individually, but Jethro advocated dealing with them collectively (cf. vss. 19‑20). It is a good goal for a leader to desire to know all the people he leads personally, but it is quite honestly an impossible goal when the group gets very large. Surely we cannot fault Moses for failing to “know” each of the nearly 2 million Israelites intimately. Moses told the Israelites that their great number was the reason for his taking the action recommended by Jethro: “And I spoke to you at that time, saying, ‘I am not able to bear the burden of you alone. The Lord your God has multiplied you, and behold, you are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude’” (Deut. 1:9‑10).

There are reasons why we have come to expect our leaders to know us intimately, even though this is impossible. One reason is that we have not carefully interpreted or applied the shepherd imagery of the Bible. When shepherding is described as a function of human leaders, they are spoken of as shepherds of a flock, not shepherds of an individual sheep (cf. Psalm 77:20; 78:52; 80:1; Isaiah 63:11‑14).

Another reason is that we have failed to distinguish between the shepherding of the flock by men from the shepherding of our Lord. When our Lord is the shepherd, however, then we find the relationship described is much more personal and intimate (cf. Psalm 23; John 10), as well it can be, for our Lord does not have the human limitations of earthly shepherds.

Another error, in my opinion, is that we have tended to restrict the task of shepherding to elders alone. As I understand the concept of the church as a body, I see that it is the work of the church to minister to itself. We are all priests, not just a select few (1 Peter 2:5). Elders are instructed to shepherd the flock of God (1 Peter 5:1), but this does not mean that they do all the shepherding. It means, I believe, that they are responsible to see to it that the flock of God is shepherded. The leadership of the local church involves more than just elders. Thus, the writer to the Hebrews avoids equating church leadership with elders alone (cf. Hebrews. 13:7, 17).

This explains why shepherds are spoken of in the plural, rather than in the singular (starting with Moses and Aaron—Psalm 77:20, and then on with the plurality of elders/shepherds in the New Testament (cf. Acts 20:17 Philippians 1:1; 1 Peter 5:1‑2). The work of shepherding is beyond any one man’s ability to accomplish.

When Moses attempted to settle disputes, he was dealing with the Israelites on an individual basis. When he taught the people the principles and precepts of God, he could do so to large groups, thus functioning more as a shepherd.

(4) Because leadership requires a plurality of leaders, it also requires leaders to be managers. Moses was unable to manage his ministry because he failed to see that his ministry required management. One of the essential functions of leadership is management. Moses was dealing with nearly 2 million people, but he was trying to do so all by himself. He failed to see the need for management—the ability to make use of others in meeting the needs of the Israelites. The New Testament speaks frequently of the management function of church leaders. Thus the terms “manage,” “be in charge of,” and “overseer” are frequently used with reference to church leadership. Moses had forgotten that leadership involves management.

(5) Leadership involves both public and private obligations, neither of which can be sacrificed entirely for the other. Moses had become so entangled in his public duties (judging the Israelites) that he had unwittingly been neglecting himself and his family. He was, according to Jethro, “wearing himself out” (v. 18). Furthermore, Moses had seemingly forgotten his family. Who knows how long they would have been left with Jethro, had this wise man not taken the initiative to reunite Moses’ family?

There is a delicate balance which must be maintained between public and private responsibilities. Moses had allowed his sense of public duty to overshadow his sense of personal responsibility. A leader is one who is to manage his family well, as a prerequisite to his assuming a leadership role in the church (cf. 1 Timothy 3:4, 12). There are those (myself included, at times) who use their public duties as an excuse to avoid their private obligations. There are very pious‑sounding ways to do this, but the essence is that we often shirk the things we wish to avoid by conjuring up a “lion in the road” (cf. Prov. 26:13)[3] which provides us a compelling reason for our inaction. The scribes and Pharisees had this skill fine-tuned (cf. Mark 7:9‑12). Paul therefore found it necessary to underscore the importance of meeting our family responsibilities (1 Timothy 5:8).

It should quickly be added that some pay so much attention to their personal affairs as to exclude their public obligations. The “cares of the world” can crowd out what might be called “kingdom concerns” (cf. Mark 4:19). Concerns with one’s family can hinder one from his commitment to follow Christ (cf. Luke 9:57‑62; 1 Corinthians 7:32‑35). In my opinion, there is a tendency among some Christians today to become far too introverted, using their responsibilities to their family to excuse their lack of attention to penetrating the world as “salt” and “light.”

Paul’s advice to Timothy is applicable to every Christian, for it underscores the need to attend to one’s personal responsibilities as well as one’s public duties: “Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things; for as you do this you will insure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you” (1 Timothy 4:16, NASB).

Attending to one’s own “inner man” is vital, not only because we must maintain our own walk with the Lord, but also because we can quickly use up our spiritual reserves in ministering to others. Paul’s exhortation to Timothy reminds us of the importance for each of us to attend to our own spiritual nurture, as well as that of others. Gordon MacDonald’s work, Ordering Your Private World, is devoted to the disciplines of this important personal ministry. I strongly recommend that you read and apply MacDonald’s advice.

(6) Leadership must deal with problems, but must guard against becoming consumed with them. Moses had gravitated into the role as Israel’s “problem‑solver.” As I look at the biblical text more carefully, it seems that Moses was primarily consumed with arbitrating disputes.[4] He had become more of a referee than anything else. His role was almost entirely prescriptive (problem‑solving), rather than preventative (problem prevention). Jethro’s advice was that Moses rearrange his time so that priority was given to teaching the people God’s principles and precepts, thus preventing the problems, and prescribing guidelines for solving problems when they arose.

In my opinion, when we become absorbed in problem‑solving, we often are so busy that we lose our sense of direction. Moses seems to have been taken totally by surprise by Jethro’s response. Moses appears to have been completely ignorant of his own failure, or of the fact that the Israelites’ needs were not being properly met. I believe that this is because he was too involved in the details of ministry and not involved enough in directing ministry.

Jethro’s Advice and Contemporary Christianity

There is one way in which all of us have been directly affected by the advice which Jethro gave Moses centuries ago. I did not think of it, but a friend of mine did, and he shared it with me as we were discussing this text. He pointed out that Jethro’s advice was probably directly related to the writing of the Pentateuch by Moses. Moses wrote the first five books of the Old Testament—the Pentateuch. This is a great literary work, not to mention its status as divine revelation. The writing of the Pentateuch was Moses’ implementation of Jethro’s counsel: “Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform” (Exodus 18:20).

The way Moses was consumed by his duties as judge, he would never had the time to write the very chapter which we have studied, and from which we can learn so much. How directly we have benefited from Jethro’s counsel to Moses. Millions have been blessed because of the change which Jethro’s visit brought about in the life of Moses.

No doubt many of my readers are feeling rather comfortable as they consider this passage of Scripture. In the first place, it is a text which may seem irrelevant to New Testament Christians because of its antiquity. Second, this is a text which deals with leadership, and thus those who are not official leaders in the church may feel exempted from any of the implications of the text, even if they are relevant. I want to suggest that this conclusion is wrong. Let us explore the reasons why Jethro’s advice is as relevant to every Christian today as it was to Moses centuries ago. I will seek to show the relevance of Jethro’s advice by establishing three principles below.

(1) The principles and practice advocated by Jethro are those which we can find applied by the church in the New Testament. The parallels between Exodus chapter 18 (including its implementation in Deuteronomy 1:9-18) and Acts 6 are uncanny. Both the Old and New Testament incidents stemmed from problems which were the result of rapid growth, large numbers of people, and too few leaders. Both events required the leadership to expand, and for those on the highest level of leadership to devote themselves to their primary calling, and to delegate the other ministries to highly qualified men. Jethro’s advice was that Moses appoint others to deal with the problems which arose, and for him to devote himself to intercession for the people (v. 19) and instruction (v. 20). The same practice can be seen in the New Testament. The apostles were made aware of the discrimination that was taking place in the feeding of the widows, but they quickly delegated the solution of this problem to others, rather than to become distracted from their primary responsibilities of prayer and the ministry of the word (Acts 6:1‑6).[5]

Acts chapter 6 is an example of how the early church applied the administrative principles of Exodus 18 and Deuteronomy chapter 1. As a matter of fact, the more I study the incident in Acts, the more inclined I am to conclude that the apostles found the precedent for their decision from these Old Testament texts. If the apostles and the early church could find the solution to their dilemma in Exodus chapter 18, why should we not apply the text to our church as well?

(2) The principles which Jethro recommended to Moses are those which we find individual leaders in the New Testament applying to their ministries. As we read the New Testament, we find that the great leaders of those days regulated their ministries in a way that was consistent with the advice Jethro gave Moses.

We may not think that our Lord could be used as an example here when we come upon certain verses in the New Testament which describe an incredibly heavy demand on the time and energy of our Lord. For example, we read: “And He came home, and the multitude gathered again, to such an extent that they could not even eat a meal. And when His own people heard of this, they went out to take custody of Him; for they were saying, ‘He has lost His senses’” (Mark 3:20‑21, NASB).

Before we look at the ways in which our Lord was an example for leaders, let us bring to mind the ways in which our Lord was unique as a leader. First, He was God incarnate. Second, He was a man who had no wife or children. Third, He knew that his days were numbered, that He was destined to die on the cross of Calvary after a short ministry. In other words, our Lord was able to “burn the candle at both ends” and thus to press his body to its limits of hunger and fatigue because He was not pacing Himself for a long period of earthly ministry. Jesus was running a 100 yard dash, and thus He put His all into the little distance He ran. We are running a cross country race, and we must therefore pace ourselves differently.

Nevertheless, our Lord exercised His leadership in a way that illustrates many of the principles Moses was taught by his father-in-law. Our Lord did not purpose to minister alone. Instead, He called 12 disciples to follow Him, and these He trained to carry on without Him. In turn, they would also make other disciples. While our Lord was constantly busy, He never forgot His priorities. Even though He was constantly needed as a healer, He restricted His healing so that His principle task of proclaiming the gospel could be fulfilled (cf. Mark 1:32‑39).

While our Lord ministered to the masses, He frequently withdrew for times of privacy with His Father. His public ministry was interspersed with times of private fellowship with God (cf. Matthew 4:12; 12:15; 14:13; 15:21; Luke 9:10; 22:41; John 6:16). It was at these times that critical decisions were made. Thus, our Lord always had a keen sense of His calling and purpose. He could not be deterred from it by Satan, by circumstances, or even by the wrong advice of well‑meaning disciples. Our Lord always knew what it was He was sent to do, and He never wavered in His sense of direction.

I believe that a study of the life of Paul would demonstrate the same kind of leadership.[6] In both cases there were constant pressures and problems. I do not believe that the efforts of contemporary Christians to live life at a slower pace are often realistic. I do believe, however, that there is a need for an inner calm, a keen sense of direction, and a clear set of priorities which govern our decisions as to what tasks we will undertake when there are more demands on our time than we can possibly meet. I believe that in those times when life is unavoidably frantic we ought to have a clear sense of our calling and that we should minister with an inner calm that facilitates our ministry. We should be like a doctor who is called to the hospital at a time of disaster. Though there may be dozens of patients dying, he can only deal with them in an orderly way. As he operates on each one, he must do so with an inner calm and confidence. If he were to panic, he could only do great harm. If he remains calm, he can be of great help, but only within his limitations. I see this kind of inner calm in our Lord and in the apostle Paul, even in times of great demand, or of great stress.

(3) The principles which Moses learned from Jethro are applicable to every Christian, whether he is a leader or not. The principles which we have learned from Jethro are leadership principles. Whether or not we are leaders in the church, most of us have some leadership responsibilities. Men have leadership responsibilities in marriage. Mothers have leadership responsibilities in the home. Older Christian women have a leadership role with the younger women. Many have leadership roles on the job or in the community. In whatever task we have a leadership role, the principles we find in Exodus 18 are applicable.

Beyond this, the principles which are found in our text apply to every Christian, for we all are stewards of the time, gifts, and opportunities which God has given us. In other words, we must take the leadership in our own lives, which involves managing those things of which God has made us stewards. In many ways, our judgment at the Bema seat of Christ (1 Corinthians 3:12‑15) will be an assessment by our Lord of our stewardship. Frequently in the gospels there is a portrayal of God’s stewards giving account to Him for their stewardship (cf. Matthew 25:14‑30). If we would be good stewards, we must be good managers, of our time, of our talents and abilities, and of our God‑given opportunities.

Practically speaking, good management is necessary for our spiritual survival in a culture which is seemingly confined to the “fast track.” For some Christians, there is a need to get control of our ministries, so that they can be more effective and so that they do not defeat us in the fulfillment of our personal and private responsibilities. Some of our ministries are in such disarray that our private worlds are crumbling. For others, there is a desperate need to get control of our private and personal lives so that we can fulfill the public ministries which God has given us. There are countless Christians whose ministries are non‑existent because they are squeezed out by other pressures. In either case, we need to get in control of our lives and of our ministries.

Management ability is not innate, but is learned. Good leaders are not born, they are made. Moses was called to lead the Israelites, but even with years of education in Egypt and in practical experience, Moses had a lot to learn. This should encourage those of us who feel that administration is not our forte. Let us learn from Moses that we can learn to become better managers, better administrators, better leaders.

As we conclude, let us consider several initial steps which may get us started on our way to becoming better leaders and managers.

(1) Find a Jethro. Those whose ministries are out of control may, like Moses, not even be aware of their difficulties. God gave Moses a Jethro to point out his problems. Fortunately, God has given me a Jethro, a dear Christian friend and brother, who points out the disorder in my life, and who lovingly exhorts me to get in control. If you do not have such a friend, get one.

(2) Prayerfully determine those things which should be under your control but are not, and ask God to enable you to do so.

(3) Determine the gifts of which God has made you a steward, and plan how you will best utilize them for God’s kingdom.

(4) Establish goals for your life, and form a plan as to how you will, by God’s grace, reach them. God may very well sovereignly intervene to change these plans, but better to have a plan to be changed than to have no plan at all.

(5) Establish a plan for both your private world and for your public ministry, and determine not to neglect either.

(6) Determine the priorities which will govern those things you will do and those which you will turn down. Of all the things you could do, seek to identify and to achieve those which you should do.

(7) Seek to differentiate between the crises of your life and the calling of your life, and then minimize the former and maximize the latter.

(8) Determine to facilitate the ministry of others, especially by encouraging and equipping them to do what they do best. In other words, begin to function as a Jethro to the many Moseses around you.

(9) Desire to grow in both faith and humility. Faith is required to trust God to enable you to do what He has called you to do. Faith is also required to enable you to leave what you should not do to others. Humility will keep you from self‑trust, and will prevent you from taking credit for what God has accomplished. It will also enable you to resist the ego‑flattering suggestion that only you are the solution to a particular problem.