Stories of God's Faithfulness: Jethro's Wisdom

SERMON TITLE: Jethro's Wisdom
SPEAKER: John Huh
SYNOPSIS: God often speaks to us through people who are in
our lives. Are we ready to be humble and listen? This story of
Moses and Jethro teaches us about what this looks like.
SCRIPTURE: Exodus 18:9-27

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. 10 He said, “Praise be to the Lord, who rescued
you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and who
rescued the people from the hand of the Egyptians. 11 Now
I know that the Lord is greater than all other gods, for he did
this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly.” 12 Then
Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and other
sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel
to eat a meal with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God.


13 The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for
the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening.
14 When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for
the people, he said, “What is this you are doing for the people?
Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand
around you from morning till evening?”


15 Moses answered him, “Because the people come to me to
seek God’s will. 16 Whenever they have a dispute, it is
brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them
of God’s decrees and instructions.”


17 Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is
not good. 18 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. 19 Listen now to me and I will
give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the
people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to
him. 20 Teach them his decrees and instructions, and show
them the way they are to live and how they are to behave.
21 But select capable men from all the people—men who fear
God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as
officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 22
Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have
them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can
decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they
will share it with you. 23 If you do this and God so
commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these
people will go home satisfied.”


24 Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything
he said. 25 He chose capable men from all Israel and made
them leaders of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds,
fifties and tens. 26 They served as judges for the people
at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the
simple ones they decided themselves.


27 Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and
Jethro returned to his own country.