From Pyramids to Promises - Sermon notes from Exodus

Proclaimed in all the Earth

Exodus 18

1. Jethro's faith

a) Moses proclaims

It's time for Moses to reunite with his family after finally reaching safety. A family reunion, a joyful moment. But the focus isn't on Moses and his daughter Zipporah but to Jethro his father-in-law whom Moses shares all that God has done and how He'd delivered them.

There is no sense of Moses stealing the glory from the Lord and taking any credit. He doesn't boast about parting the sea or getting water out of a rock but puts it down to God's work, acknowledging it for His glory.

This conversation actually fulfils one of the main purposes of the exodus "so that my name should be proclaimed over all the earth". Exodus is meant to be evangelistic, God saving these slaves to show that He is God, so with this Moses follows the plan.

God's plan has always been to reach out to all nations so from Exodus all the way until modern day we are to proclaim the Lord to all the nations.

b) Jethro knows

When we hear the word "knows" it sounds like Jethro has no idea before hand about God, instead it's actually confirming in Jethro's heart the power of God and strengthens his faith.

This is why we have the exodus - to show that the Lord alone is God. So Moses knows, Jethro knows but do we know? Do we know that the God we read about is the almighty eternal God? The rescuer from slavery, do we know Him? Even sending his only son that through his perfect sinless sacrifice we may know.

c) Jethro worships

"Jethro said, "Blessed be the Lord, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh and has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods, because in this affair they dealt arrogantly with the people." And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God; and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law before God." Exodus‬ ‭18‬:‭10‬-‭12‬

2. Jethro's advice

a) The reason

For any problem big or small, whatever was on their mind, the people would come to Moses for help. Jethro sees that it's unrealistic for Moses to continue like this with the multitude of people so tells him to make different groups with different leaders and responsibilities.

v18 It's not sustainable to pin it all on the one man it's too much for him to handle. In a recent study 38% of pastors were considering leaving ministry because it got too much. What if Moses was to get something wrong and the situation came back to bite him? It was set up for failure - the workload was too heavy. Let's think about this in the church today, trying to make it easier for our pastor and congregation.

b) The responsibility

Moses is set to go to God to talk from the people and bring words of God back to them. Moses wasn't completely detached from the peoples problems after sharing the burden around, though now there were countless decisions that Moses knew nothing about. But Moses entrusted the people he appointed, the same way individual home groups have trusted people to lead so the pastor doesn't have to do it all.

c) The requirements

These people have to be God fearing and trustworthy, never swayed by money or popularity. We should all strive to fear God, be trustworthy and hate a bribe.

This chapter can feel like such a change from the excitement of previous chapters filled with miracles; however this isn't an anticlimax but a fulfilment of exodus, to proclaim the glory of God among the nations. Establishing this good and healthy structure to ensure the people are ready to receive the law.

23/4/23 Evening