Today's story is mostly going to be about Jethro, the priest of Midian, and Moses' father-in-law. It's been a few months since we've mentioned his name. So let's start by simply rereading Exodus 4:18:
(18) and Moses went,
and he returned to Jethro his father-in-law,
and he said to him,
"Let me go, please,
so I will return to my brothers
who [are] in Egypt,
so I can see if they are still alive,"
and Jethro said to Moses,
"Go in peace (shalom),"
God had just appeared to Moses in the burning bush, and told him that Moses would free Israel from slavery to Egypt. Moses has been commissioned; this is the job God has given him to do.
Now, before Moses can go do this, he has to say something to Jethro. You can't just abandon your father-in-law.
What do you say to him?
Moses isn't open with Jethro, at all. He doesn't say one word about Yahweh, or the bush. Instead, he asks Jethro for permission to see if there's any Israelites left alive. That's why he's leaving-- over curiosity, and maybe concern, over his brothers.
Why does Moses sell it this way? Is it because Jethro is a priest of Midian, and serves other gods, and Moses doesn't know what he will think about Yahweh's commission? I don't know. But Moses hides the truth from him.
That said, the truth always seems to come out in the end. And in Exodus 18, Jethro has heard the truth about what Yahweh has done. Let's start by reading verse 1:
(1) And Jethro the priest of Midian, the father-in-law of Moses, heard all that God/Elohim had done for Moses and for Israel his people,
that Yahweh had brought out Israel from Egypt,
The focus of our story today is on Jethro. Specifically, Jethro in the two roles he's had throughout Exodus: he is a [pagan] priest, and he is Moses' father-in-law.
And Jethro has heard the good news about what Yahweh has done for Israel.
Those are the three things we need to know, for the story to make sense.
Verse 2:
(2) and Jethro the father-in-law of Moses took Zipporah, the wife of Moses, after he had sent her away,
Why did Moses send Zipporah away? Some scholars (Duane Garrett) wonder if this means Moses divorced her, or she divorced him. But that's reading a ton into a verb that's ambiguous. And Zipporah is still called Moses' wife in verse 5.
I think the best explanation here is that Moses knew his fight with Pharaoh would be big, and ugly. It was hard to say exactly how it would go. There's no certainties, in a situation like that. But regardless, it's not a time or place for women and children; it's a time and place for men. A good husband sends his wife and kids to safety, and he does what needs to be done with other men. And if that makes me sexist, so be it.
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In Afghanistan, when the 13 soldiers died at the bombing at the airport, there was one death in particular that wrecked people back here in the States. There was a picture of a young female Marine, Nicole Gee, holding an Afghani baby, that went around. And every guy looked at that, and thought, "She should be a wife and mom at home. That should be her baby." That's what Moses is avoiding.
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Let's reread verse 2, and then push ahead:
(2) and Jethro the father-in-law of Moses took Zipporah, the wife of Moses, after he had sent her away,
(3) with her two sons, the one named "Gershom" ("Stranger there"), because he had said, "A stranger ("ger") I have been in a foreign land,"
(4) while the name of the other [was] Eliezer ("El/God is my help"), because "[The] God of my Fathers [was] my help (ezer), and He delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh,"
These verses are key to the story. It matters, that we remember the names of Moses' sons. And when hear them together, we see that they have become a summary of the gospel message. Moses used to be a stranger in Egypt. But now, God has helped him, and delivered him from Pharaoh. His children have become a testimony to what God has done. And his testimony, has become the testimony of Israel as a whole. They were foreigners, stuck in a far off-land. And God helped them, and rescued them. And now He's bringing them to their new home.
Verse 5:
(5) and Jethro the father-in-law of Moses came, with his sons and his wife, to Moses-- to the wilderness where he was camping there at the mountain of the God/Elohim,
Verse 5 is really interesting, because it shows this entire story has been put here out of chronological order (h/t Duane Garrett). Verse 5 assumes that Israel is already at God's mountain. But let's read Exodus 19:1-2 (NIV no reason):
19 On the first day of the third month after the Israelites left Egypt—on that very day—they came to the Desert of Sinai. 2 After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain.
So the book of Exodus deliberately moved this story about Jethro forward for some reason. But whatever the reason, Jethro brings Moses' wife and sons to him, and he then says this, in verse 6:
(6) and he said to Moses,
"I, your father-in-law Jethro, have come to you, with your wife and her two sons with her,"
(7) and Moses went out to meet his father-in-law,
and he bowed down,
and he kissed him,
and they asked-- each one to his neighbor-- about [their] peace/prosperity.
and they went to the tent,
Now, normally if my father-in-law was bringing my wife and kids to me, I'd probably focus on my wife and kids. Just being honest. But this apparently is a different type of culture. Moses goes out to meet... who?
Jethro. Your father-in-law takes priority. You honor him first, and give him the respect he deserves. So Moses bows down before Jethro. He kisses Jethro. They ask about each other's well-being, and then they go to "the tent."
I'm guessing, at some point, Moses spends some time with the wife and kids. But again, the wife and kids really don't matter for the story. The strong focus is on Jethro. Jethro matters.
Verse 8-9:
(8) and Moses recounted for his father-in-law all that Yahweh had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for the sake of Israel-- all the hardships that found them in the wilderness, and [that] Yahweh delivered/rescued them--
(9) and Jethro rejoiced concerning all the good that Yahweh had done for Israel, that He had delivered them from the hand of Egypt,
This pagan priest, hearing the good news about Yahweh, rejoices. Jethro didn't have to respond this way. He could've responded with suspicion, or jealousy. He could've viewed Yahweh as a threat to his position as a priest. But he rejoiced with those who rejoice (Romans 12:15; h/t Janzen). He views this, as legitimately good news.
And then he speaks. Verse 10-11:
(10) and Jethro said,
"Blessed/praised [is] Yahweh, who has delivered you (plural) from the hand of Egypt and from the hand of Pharaoh,
that He has delivered the people from under the hand of Pharaoh."
(11) Therefore/now, I know that greater is Yahweh than all the gods/elohim,
precisely by how they (the gods) dealt contemptously/arrogantly toward them,"
These words are what we've been building toward, this entire story. This is why Jethro matters. Jethro, as a priest, is familiar with the world of the "gods." We've talked about this before, but for those of you who are new, in the Hebrew, "gods"-- "elohim"-- can refer to God, or it can refer to other divine beings. The "sons of God" are divine beings, as are angels. Some of these divine beings-- gods-- work with God. And some work against him.
But either way, Jethro knows that there are many divine beings out there who can be worshipped. I mean, we would say, there's only one right choice. But there are certainly other options.
Now, what Yahweh proved in Egypt, was that He is greater than all the gods. When did he do that? How did he do that?
Let's turn back to Exodus 12:12:
12 “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am Yahweh.
When Yahweh freed Israel from Egypt, there was an earthly battle, and a heavenly battle. "Battle" is maybe not quite the right word. I'm guessing it was pretty one-sided. But on the night of the Passover, when the Destroyer swept through Egypt and killed every first-born whose door wasn't marked with blood, Yahweh was also at work in the heavens. The gods who fought with Pharaoh, and with Egypt, against Yahweh, were judged. The ones who made the sorcery possible, were judged. They despised God's people, and so God brought judgment on them. And it's through this, that we add to our knowledge of who Yahweh "will be." Yahweh will be, the one who defeats every god who messes with him and his people.
We don't get a picture of what exactly this looked like in heaven. I wish we did. Instead, all we see is the results on earth. None of these gods were able to defend their people ("gods of Egypt"; Deuteronomy 32:8-9), the Egyptians, on earth. None of them were able to stand against Yahweh. And so Jethro is absolutely right. Yahweh proved that is He is greater than all the gods. No question.
Verse 12:
(12) and Jethro the father-in-law of Moses took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God/Elohim,
and Aaron came, with all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with the father-in-law of Moses in the presence of the God/Elohim.
What do you do for Yahweh, when He proves He is greater than all other gods? The obvious thing, is to worship him. You offer him sacrifices.
And then, the leadership of Israel eats a meal with Jethro, in the presence of God. Think about that. Marvel at that.
How is it, that God was there, in that tent? When you offer sacrifices in the OT, you are inviting Yahweh to join you. Some sacrifices, you offer God the whole thing-- that's how burnt offerings work. But most sacrifices, are viewed as a shared meal. You eat the sacrifice, as God enjoys the smell from the guts and the fat. And the end result, is that you eat the sacrifice, and the bread, in God's presence.
Let's turn to 1 Corinthians 10:18-22, where Paul talks about this:
18 Consider the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar? 19 Do I mean then that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons. 22 Are we trying to arouse the Lord’s jealousy? Are we stronger than he?
In verse 18, Paul assumes that sacrifices, are something you eat. And when you do, you participate, or "partner," in the altar. And you also partner with whatever God/god you are sacrificing to. So if you offer a sacrifice to an idol, you are partnering with demons. You're eating in their presence, with them. But the cool thing about this, is that when you eat the Lord's supper, it all works the same way. When you eat the bread and drink the wine, you are participating in the altar. And you are sharing a table with Jesus. Jesus is present with us, in a way he otherwise isn't.
So Jethro offers a sacrifice, and all the leadership eat together, in God's presence. It's a beautiful picture. And it helps us picture what's going on, when we celebrate the Eucharist.
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So that's the passage. It lends itself to a few different applications. I'll pick three, and hope it's not too many.
#1: "Honor your in-laws."
We all know that one of the ten commandments, is to honor your father and mother. This honor is something you show in different ways. You give them respect. You take care of them in their old age. You treat them with respect, publicly.
Based on this passage, all of that holds true for your in-laws, as well. Moses is as big a deal as you be, in an honor-based society. But he lowers himself, and honors his father-in-law. He treats him with total respect.
We have a tendency to make joke after joke about in-laws. We think we can speak poorly about them, and disrespect them, and dishonor them. Don't. Your in-laws maybe approach life differently than you. Different perspectives. Different ways of doing things. And you may find yourself struggling with them.
Regardless, you have to honor them. Treat them with total respect. Honor them in person. Honor them, in the way you talk about them, when they're not there. Speak poorly about them, to no one. And as they age, make sure they have everything they need. You are their son, or their daughter. And you will honor them in everything.
We need to get over the idea that it's okay to do anything otherwise.
#2: "God's family has always been open to outsiders."
Jethro is in kind of a weird place, as a Midianite. He's sort of connected to the Israelites, through one of Abraham's wives (I think). But he's sort of not connected, because he's not a descendant through the line of Isaac (Janzen, Exodus, WBC, spends a lot of space on this, even if I don't agree with everything he says).
In the end, though, none of it matters. Everyone is free to respond to the good news about Yahweh, how they want. And what God wants, is for all people to acknowledge him, and follow him. Let's turn back to Exodus 12:37-38 (NRSV, and here it matters a little):
37 The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides children. 38 A mixed crowd also went up with them, and livestock in great numbers, both flocks and herds.
When Exodus talks about a "mixed crowd," it's talking about foreigners. People who are not Israelites by birth, but who choose to join God's people, and leave Egypt. That's God's plan. God's goal has always been to bless all nations, all peoples, through Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3). And when we see a mixed crowd joining God's people, or we see Jethro praising Yahweh as greater than all other gods, we should rejoice. Yahweh is getting what He wants.
#3: Roll with the Winner
Let's reread verses 10-11:
(10) and Jethro said,
"Blessed/praised [is] Yahweh, who has delivered you (plural) from the hand of Egypt and from the hand of Pharaoh,
that He has delivered the people from under the hand of Pharaoh."
(11) Therefore/now, I know that greater is Yahweh than all the gods/elohim,
precisely by how they (the gods) dealt contemptously/arrogantly toward them,"
Yahweh is a Winner. That's part of who He is.
Some of you enjoy rooting for bad sports teams. The Vikings, in particular. You know, in your hearts, they're bad. They will always fail. Aaron Rogers will always beat them, in the end. Or, they'll beat themselves. But you tell yourself, part of the appeal of rooting for the Vikings, is that they lose. Their losing, has become part of their identity, and yours. Part of what makes you what you are, is your constant agony in defeat. You know, by season's end, that the Packers will always rip your hearts out.
All of this is fine, when we're just talking about football. It's just something you watch to entertain yourself-- it's no big deal. Being proud of yourself, for foreseeing how they'd blow the game, is part of being a fan. Getting razzed on Monday morning, is just part of the Vikings experience.
But in the real world, you want to roll with the winner. You want to work for big successful companies, and not ones that are losing sales, and market share. You want to work for UPS, not the post office. Target, not Kmart. Or... If you're interested in politics, you attach yourself to someone who is connected in all the right places, who can bring you with them to the top and get you that cushy political job. Get stuck rolling with a loser, and you'll end up broke and unemployed. And you'll have to start all over, from the bottom up.
There's something to be said, for applying all of this to God. Everyone living in biblical times understood that there are many divine beings-- many elohim-- many gods. And you can give your loyalty to any number of them. You can choose who you will serve, and worship. How do you make your choice?
If you believe Moses' testimony, the answer is obvious. You have to pick Yahweh. He is the one who absolutely dominates the other gods. He can send two people (old people even, lol) into the heart of Egypt, and have the Pharaoh begging for mercy. He can send plagues, and death, on anyone who fights him. He can wipe the floor with the Egyptian gods.
Even if all we look at, is Yahweh's power, that's enough to know who you should serve, and worship.
But the story of what Yahweh has done for his people is bigger than this. Moses also told Jethro about all the hardships the people had in the wilderness, and how Yahweh delivered them from them all. Yahweh is the one who gives you food, and water, and victory. Yahweh is the one who patiently teaches you how to live toward him. He's the one who breaks you from the slave mentality. He's the one who hears you when you cry out to him.
It's not simply that Yahweh is more powerful. It's also that He's more good. And that is the perfect, winning, combination. Yahweh is everything you could ever want in a god. There's no reason to go anywhere else.
And if we cheat ahead to the NT, the good news about God, only gets better. Let's turn to Colossians 2:8-15 (NRSV):
8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe,[c] and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have come to fullness in him, who is the head of every ruler and authority. 11 In him also you were circumcised with a spiritual circumcision,[d] by putting off the body of the flesh in the circumcision of Christ; 12 when you were buried with him in baptism, you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And when you were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God[e] made you[f] alive together with him, when he forgave us all our trespasses, 14 erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands. He set this aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed[g] the rulers and authorities and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in it.
The rulers and authorities, are divine beings. The OT would call them "gods/elohim." And what did God do to them, through the cross? God broke their power. He disarmed them, and make a public spectacle of them. They lost, publicly, openly. They've been humiliated. God struck the decisive blow.
Our God has freed us from Sin, and Death, and made us part of his family. We are in the process of being restored to what God intended for us from the beginning. Because God won, we win. We go through life as people who are more than conquerors, because our God is a Warrior. And the rulers and authorities go through life, knowing they've lost (Ephesians 3:10). The history of the world, ever since Adam and Eve, has been about God gaining victory over other gods, for us.
So understand, if you are Jesus' disciple, you picked the right God. You went with the Winner, who is greater than all other gods. He is more powerful. He is more good. And He is completely committed to you. His loyalty, and faithfulness, have no equal.
So be like Jethro. See the world for how it truly is. Make the smart choice, about who you will worship, and serve, and give glory to. Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Understand the good news about who God is, and what He's done for you in Christ. And maybe, consider this: news this good, should naturally spread.
Translation:
(1) And Jethro the priest of Midian, the father-in-law of Moses, heard all that God/Elohim had done for Moses and for Israel his people,
that Yahweh had brought out Israel from Egypt,
(2) and Jethro the father-in-law of Moses took Zipporah, the wife of Moses, after he had sent her away,
(3) with her two sons who the name of the one, Gershom ("Stranger there"), because he had said, "A stranger ("ger") I have been in a foreign land,"
(4) while the name of the other [was] Eliezer ("El/God is my help"), because "[The] God of my fathers [was] my help (ezer), and He delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh,"
(5) and Jethro the father-in-law of Moses came, with his sons and his wife, to Moses to the wilderness where he was camping there at the mountain of the God/Elohim,
(6) and he said to Moses,
"I, your father-in-law Jethro, have come to you, with your wife and her two sons with her,"
(7) and Moses went out to meet his father-in-law,
and he bowed down,
and he kissed him,
and they asked-- each one to his neighbor-- about [their] peace/prosperity.
and they went to the tent,
(8) and Moses recounted for his father-in-law all that Yahweh had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for the sake of Israel-- all the hardships that found them in the wilderness, and Yahweh delivered/rescued them--
(9) and Jethro rejoiced concerning all the good that Yahweh had done for Israel, that He had delivered them from the hand of Egypt,
(10) and Jethro said,
"Blessed/praised [is] Yahweh, who has delivered you (plural) from the hand of Egypt and from the hand of Pharaoh,
that He has delivered the people from under the hand of Pharaoh."
(11) Therefore/now, I know that greater is Yahweh than all the gods/elohim,
precisely by how they (the gods) dealt contemptously/arrogantly toward them,"
(12) and Jethro the father-in-law of Moses took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God/Elohim,
and Aaron came, with all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with the father-in-law of Moses in the presence of the God/Elohim.
