Today's passage: Exodus 18
Helpful thoughts:
- All that the Lord did in Egypt did not happen in a vacuum. The world was hearing the news, including Moses' father-in-law.
- Often, when the Lord informed Moses what He was about to do, He would add something like, “That Egypt (or the world) shall know that I am the Lord.” Jethro serves as a picture of what the world should do upon hearing all that God has done. He professes faith that the Lord is the true God, he presents sacrifices and worships.
- Jethro provided Moses and Israel with wisdom for leadership. Moses could not lead Israel all on his own. The load needed to be shared.
Questions to consider:
- Do the narratives we read in Scripture ever get separated from the rest of world history in your mind? Why would it be important to remember that the events of the Bible happened in real time along with the rest of world history? (For instance, the Exodus took place at the height of the “Bronze Age.”)
- What would Moses have had to do for these men who were called to lead? What would they need to know and how were they to learn it to be ready to lead people well? In what way does Ephesians 4:11-16 give us a picture of how this should look in the church?