Exodus 18:13-27 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Exodus 18:13-27. here are a few other lessons we can learn from this passage. Let’s go!
Exodus 18:13-23 (NIV)
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 laws.”
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 the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform.
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.”
On verses 13-23: Jethro saw that as good intentioned as Moses was, it was not healthy or advisable for Moses to be a one man show and to personally judge every case that the people brought to him. This would wear Moses out and it would also wear the people out in terms of making them wait far too long. Jethro saw the inefficiencies in Moses’ system and suggested a better way, encouraging Moses to focus his role on teaching the people (v20) and representing the people before God (v19) and to delegate authority to trustworthy individuals with good character to deal personally with the people’s individual problems (v21-22). Jethro’s goal was to lighten Moses’ load (“this will make your load lighter”), to raise up leaders who would be accountable to Moses and who could help share the work (“they will share it with you”), and to create a better experience for everyone so that “all these people will go home satisfied” (v23).
What can we learn from this? Sometimes the biggest thing holding us back is trying to do too much by ourselves. God never intended you to be a one-person show. He made you to be part of a bigger team so that the workload can be shared, younger leaders can be raised up, and more can be done better and more quickly. That’s why teamwork, delegation, and focusing your role over time are key, especially as your organization, team or family grow. Is there something you’re trying to do all by yourself when the better thing might be to involve others and share the load? Who is someone trustworthy with potential whom you can empower to help with this instead of you doing it all by yourself?
Also, I like how Jethro said, “If you do this and God so commands…” (v23). In other words, Jethro maintained some humility when giving his advice. It’s as if Jethro was saying, “Don’t just take my word for it. Pray about it and if you sense a go ahead from God, then go for it.” In other words, instead of imposing his will on Moses, Jethro still respected Moses’ role as the leader of Israel and left it open to Moses to prayerfully decide what to do. Likewise, when giving advice to others, do so with humility. Respect the person’s freedom to make their own decisions.
Exodus 18:24-27 (NIV)
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.
On verses 24-27: Moses follows his father-in-law’s advice and it made a big difference. Keep in mind, as we discussed yesterday in Exodus 18:1-12, that Jethro was probably a new believer in the LORD. Though he was a priest in Midian, he had just recently come to acknowledge the LORD as being greater than all other gods. Yet Jethro gave some advice to the top leader of Israel that helped that top leader and the nation of Israel tremendously. It goes to show:
1. Even if you are a new believer in the Lord, God can use you in important ways to build and grow His kingdom.
2. Like Moses, have the humility to listen to and learn from others, even if they are much less experienced than you are.
Heavenly Father, thank You that You didn’t make me to be a one person show, but to work together with others. I pray that I would not wear myself out, or wear others out, by trying to do things all by myself. I pray that I would have the humility to listen to and learn from others, and especially to You, believing You always have a better way. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
