Let's start today by reading verses 13-14:
(13) and then, on the next day, Moses sat to "judge"/exercise authority for the people,
and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening,
(14) and the father-in-law of Moses saw all that he [was] doing for the people,
and he said,
"What is this thing/issue/matter,
that you are doing for the people?
Why are you sitting alone,
while all the people [are] standing around/before you from morning until evening?,"
One of the basic characteristics of human beings, is that we will always find something to disagree, and argue, about. We will always find some way to wrong other people, and other people will always find some way to wrong us. There's always a reason to squabble. And this is true, apparently, even if you are a group of escaped slaves, in the middle of nowhere. So if you're an Israelite, what do you do with your squabble?
The people understand that Moses represents God-- he is God's servant. He has God's ear, and God has his ear. So what you do, is you go to Moses with your problem, and you let him settle it. And that's been happening for Moses, and the Israelites, from morning until evening.
Jethro, seeing all of this, doesn't understand what Moses is doing. I mean, he understands the exercising authority part, I'm sure. But he doesn't understand why Moses is sitting alone, while the people lose an entire day to waiting in line to talk to him.
In verse 15, Moses explains himself:
(15) and Moses said to his father-in-law,
"Because the people come to me to seek God/Elohim.
When they have an thing/issue/matter, they come to me,
and I judge/exercise authority between a man and his neighbor,
and I teach God's rules and his torah/instruction,"
From Moses' perspective, there are a lot of things that need to be done, for this community to be rightly related to God, and to each other. When the people seek God, they do so, through Moses. When they have a dispute, they settle it through Moses. On top of that, Moses teaches people God's "rules" and his "instructions."
All of this needs to happen, right? These are "good things." People need to seek God. Conflicts need to be resolved. And people need to know what God wants. They need to know how to obey God in their daily lives.
In verse 17, we get Jethro's response:
(17) and Moses' father-in-law said to him,
"Not good, this thing/matter [is] that you are doing. ["not good" is focused in Hebrew]
(18) You will surely wither/shrivel/wear out.
What's more, you.
What's more, this people who [are] with you,
because too heavy for you, this thing/issue/matter [is.]
You aren't able to do it alone."
Let's pause here. Jethro looks at all of this, and he knows it's "not good." It's like a little negative echo of the creation story. He sees what Moses has created, and he says, "not good" (h/t Terence Fretheim).
Some of you push yourselves really hard in life. You know you only have so many waking hours. There's only so much time, and there's a lot to do. And so you tell yourself, "I'm not going to coddle myself. I'm going to be self-disciplined, use my time well, and not waste it." But Jethro understands that you need some down time. You only have so much life to give to others. And if you give more than can be replenished, you will shrivel up, and die (playing with the verb, which usually describes a dying plant).
So this isn't good, for Moses. And it's not good for the people either. It's like when you're at the grocery store, and there's a single cashier, and a line full of customers. You look around, and you think, "Seriously? Just one cashier? I'm going to be here all day." Except that here, that's literally true. Going to see Moses, is like going to the DMV in California. An unavoidable horror show. No one should have to wait for anything, for an entire day. That's "not good."
So all of this is "too heavy" for Moses. It's more than he can carry. If we were in Genesis, we'd say, "It's not good that Moses is alone; he needs a helper." And it's not good for the people.
In verses 19-23, Jethro gives Moses advice, about a better way to do things. Let's start by reading through verse 20:
(19) Therefore, heed my voice.
I shall advise you,
and may God be with you.
May you be for the people before the God/Elohim,
and you shall bring the matters/issues to the God,
(20) and you shall give warning to them of the rules and the instructions,
and you shall teach them the way they must walk in it, and the deeds that they must do,
As Jethro sees it, Moses should take on four main jobs:
(1) "Be for the people before the God."
The first idea here, is that Moses should be the point man for the people. Moses doesn't just represent God to the people. He should also be out in front of the people, serving as their representative to God. This, basically, is what it means to be a prophet. He should be their voice-- their advocate (Exodus 32:9-11).
(2) "You shall bring the matters/issues to the God."
When the people need something, Moses should be their intercessor. Maybe they need water. Maybe they need victory over an enemy. Whatever it is, whenever there's an issue, Moses should bring that issue to God. He should be their advocate.
(3) "And you shall give warning to them of the rules and the instructions,"
If you're reading in most English Bibles, verse 20 will sound different. Most say, "TEACH them the rules and instructions."
This is kind of surprising, because this is not the word for teach. It's like all of them-- with the exception of the NET and NASB-- just blindly follow the KJV here. The word means "warn."
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on "give warning," Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages: hiphil of "zahar" ????? DBL: (hif) give warning, dissuade, i.e., tell one of a future happening which is dangerous and having consequences, implying a future event may change in some way based on contingent present behavior (Ex 18:20; 2Ki 6:10; 2Ch 19:10; Eze 3:17, 18,19, 20, 21a; 33:3, 7, 8, 9+), note: in some contexts there may be elements of teaching covenantal truth."
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Jethro understands that a core part of Moses' job, is to "warn" the people. If you refuse to obey God, you are taking a bad path in life. And there will be consequences for that. God is patient, and slow to anger. But if you stay on that path, eventually, God will bring judgment on you.
This is an issue I'm a little sensitive about, to be honest. So I want to be careful here, and not over do it. But for many years, I was at a church that refused to warn people. This church teaches that God is a God of grace, and love, and forgiveness. And the current pastor quite clearly says that there is never a reason to warn people, because God's love wins out in the end. There is no path you can take in life, that leads to judgment. So I'm guessing he would say, either, that Jethro is giving bad advice. Or, that warnings are something God used to have to give, in the OT.
But let's read from Acts 20 (NRSV no reason)
25 “And now I know that none of you, among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom, will ever see my face again. 26 Therefore I declare to you this day that I am not responsible for the blood of any of you, 27 for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God. 28 Keep watch over yourselves and over all the flock, of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God[d] that he obtained with the blood of his own Son.[e] 29 I know that after I have gone, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Some even from your own group will come distorting the truth in order to entice the disciples to follow them. 31 Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to warn everyone with tears.
When Paul describes his ministry to the church, in a single verb, in verse 31, he describes it as "warning." Day and night, with tears, he warned the church that if you live disobediently, there are terrible consequences (Ephesians 5:3-17; 1 Corinthians 6:7-11). AND, on top of this, he warned the church, that false teachers would spring up, who would push back against this, and try to make them feel better about living a sinful life (Ephesians 5:6; Acts 20:29-31).
So I'm inclined to give Jethro the benefit of the doubt here, and say he gives good advice. A good leader, will warn his flock. A bad leader will deceive you with empty words (Ephesians 5:6), and tell you that "there are no eternal consequences to anything you do on earth." If you are living in sin, and never go home from church shaken, or scared-- warned, basically-- you've found a bad church. You're being led by a savage wolf. None of this is that hard.
(4) "and you shall teach them the way they must walk in it, and the deeds that they must do,"
Moses has been teaching the people what God wants. But he's been doing it, person by person, ad hoc, as they wait in line. People need to know how God expects them to walk. That's critical. But what God expects, from one person to the next, doesn't really change. My obedience, looks an awful lot like your obedience. And so maybe Moses can teach the people, as a whole, about God's will.
So those are the four main responsibilities Jethro thinks Moses should take on. Those are the things he should spend his time on.
There's one other thing that Moses should do (the waw-x-qatal sets this one apart as distinct, forming a contrast between what Moses should do, and what he should delegate).
Verse 21-23:
(21) while you shall choose from all the people strong/capable men, fearers/reverers of the God, faithful/reliable men, ones hating greed (Isaiah 57:17)/dishonest gain (Isaiah 33:15),
and you shall set over the people officials/rulers over thousands, officials over hundreds, officials over fifties, officials over tens,
(22) and they shall judge/exercise authority over the people all the time,
and then, every important issue/matter, they shall bring to you,
while every small/unimportant matter, they shall judge/exercise authority over,
and it will lighten from on you,
and they will bear/carry with you.
(23) If this matter/issue you do, and [if] God commands you, you will be able to stand,
and, what's more, all this people to their home they will go in peace/prosperity,"
Jethro understands that God's people need to get along. Conflicts have to be resolved. Disputes, settled. But this is a job, for the most part, that can be entrusted to other people. Moses can open up more lanes at the grocery store.
The tricky part, is picking a good cashier.
There are few jobs more critical to a healthy society, than that of a judge. Judges have to be "strong/capable" (same word as Proverbs 31:10, see NRSV). They have to understand what's right and wrong, and have the strength to make the right decision. They have to be God-fearers. When you're settling disputes, you have to understand that God is watching, and He's judging you. If you're being unfair, or showing favoritism, or twisting things, God will mess you up. Someone who reveres/fears God, won't do those things. A judge also has to be faithful, or "reliable." They have to hate dishonest gain. They can't use their position to line their own pockets. And when people come to them, pursuing dishonest gain, a good judge will see through them, and push back. Greed is a terrible thing.
So Jethro tells Moses, make good choices, and set up people in positions of authority at different levels of society. Most disputes aren't that complicated, and can be settled in something like a small-claims court. The few that are really complicated, or significant, can still go to Moses. He will be like the Supreme Court.
If Moses does this, verse 22, he will lighten his own burden. The people can help carry the load. And the end result, is that everyone will prosper. Sometimes, the solution is a win-win.
Verse 24:
(24) and Moses heeded the voice of his father-in-law,
and he did all that he had said,
(25) and Moses chose strong/capable men from all Israel,
and he appointed them as heads over the people-- officials of thousands, officials of hundreds, officials of fifty, and officials of ten,
(26) and they judged/exercised authority over the people at all the times.
The hard things/issues/matters they brought to Moses,
while every small/unimportant matter they judged,
(27) and Moses released/let go his father-in-law,
and he went to his land.
Moses has the discernment to understanding he's hearing good advice. He knows his father-in-law is wise, and cares about him and the people [It's important for the story, that "Jethro" isn't actually called "Jethro." Throughout, he's "the father-in-law"]. And so he "heeds" Jethro's voice.
And this, maybe above everything else here, shows that Moses is a good leader. When you're "the man," your natural tendency is to make your own decisions, and do what you think is right. It's hard to really, truly, hear advice, and take it to heart. It's hard not to take advice as criticism. To not take it personally, as a challenge to your leadership. When a leader heeds your voice, and does what you propose, that's a sign you have a good leader. It shows that they're approachable. It shows humility, and wisdom.
And then Jethro goes home, which is interesting. In these two stories about Jethro, what we have seen? Jethro now knows that Yahweh is greater than all other gods. He serves, and worships, Yahweh. And then he rescues Moses from pastoral burnout, and the people from a life of endless lines. Midian is still home for Jethro. But everything else has changed for the better. In his own way, Jethro has saved Israel.
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Over the past few years, I've found myself thinking a lot about leadership. I have no desire, personally, to ever be a leader. You'd have to drag me kicking and screaming into anything like that.
But when you see a string of leaders, in short order, move through a church, you find yourself thinking about leadership on a more regular basis. You see good examples, and bad examples, and you start to have clarity about what makes someone a great leader. And that answer, looks something like this:
(1) A great leader is humble.
I think that quality is near the top of the list. You have to be open to feedback, and advice. You have to be approachable. People have to want to line up, to talk to you. You have to be able to hear advice, without taking it personally as an attack-- even if it doesn't come out quite right. You have to be able to recognize good advice, for what it is, and be humble enough to change things. And you have to be humble enough to understand that things don't always have to be done the way you want. Sometimes, church looks like it looks, in part because that's how the congregation wants it. [especially in matters of personal preference, and things like order of the service, or time of service-- stuff like that]. This doesn't mean that a leader will always take my advice. Sometimes, my ideas aren't quite as good as I think they are. But a great leader will consider advice, and heed advice, when it's helpful. And part of why they do that, I think, is that God doesn't just speak to leaders. God speaks through the congregation, as well. When great leaders are given advice, they consider the possibility they are hearing God's voice.
(2) A great leader is strong/capable.
Sometimes, a situation is just too much for a leader. There is something they lack, that keeps them from rising up, and handling a situation the right way. Maybe what they lack, is the ability to see a situation clearly for what it is. They follow the herd, and do what's easy, and they can't see when things are messed up. Or maybe, what they lack is courage. There are times as a leader when you have to be willing to offend people. You have to make the tough decisions, settling disputes between brothers and sisters in Christ. And a coward, can't make himself do that. A coward will let problems fester, and hope they go away on their own.
A capable leader is someone who understands what needs to be done, and knows how to do it, and does it (Proverbs 31:10).
(3) A great leader is reliable.
You know their word is good, that they are committed to God, and to you, and to this body.
(4) A great leader serves as the point man for God's people.
You're like the lead steer, out in front. It's not that the rest of us can't seek God apart from the leader, or that God doesn't relate to us individually, as well. But a great leader understands that the church is his responsibility. It is his burden (2 Corinthians 11:28). When we find ourselves fighting, or sinning, our pastor speaks to God on our behalf. The clearest picture of this in the entire Bible is in Exodus 32:7-14 (NRSV):
7 The LORD said to Moses, “Go down at once! Your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have acted perversely; 8 they have been quick to turn aside from the way that I commanded them; they have cast for themselves an image of a calf, and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’” 9 The LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people, how stiff-necked they are. 10 Now let me alone, so that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them; and of you I will make a great nation.”
11 But Moses implored the LORD his God, and said, “O LORD, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce wrath; change your mind and do not bring disaster on your people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, how you swore to them by your own self, saying to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’” 14 And the LORD changed his mind about the disaster that he planned to bring on his people.
Moses stands in the breach, and he speaks to God, from out in front. He speaks, on behalf of the people. And what he does here, really, is rescue the people. So when Jethro talks about being before God, on behalf of the people, that's what he means.
(5) A great leader delegates
Some leaders struggle to give responsibility to others. Maybe, it's because they like being in control, and making the decisions. They like it, when church is like a well-oiled machine, with all the little parts working together perfectly.
Maybe, it's because they don't trust people to make good decisions, and do things the right way-- do things, as well as they do.
I know a couple people who are super picky about laundry (I'm not talking about my wife here, fwiw). It's not lights, and darks. It's not whites, and lights, and darks. It's whites, and lights, and darks, and colors, and towels, and rags, and Norwex, and fancy church clothes. There's like eight different types of laundry. And the men who live in households like that, do well, when they do nothing. No good can come from helping your wife do laundry. That's how some pastors approach their job. There is one super picky, super right way to do everything. And if you don't do it perfectly, the pastor would just as soon do it himself.
There's lots of reasons why leaders struggle to delegate. But I think this story teaches two things:
(1) There are people who can be trusted to help carry the ministry load.
(2) If leaders refuse to lighten their load, and let people help them, they will shrivel up and die. They'll burn out hard.
Leaders need help. And they need to trust that we-- the congregation-- can be helpful. So if the leaders find themselves feeling burnt out, they need to sit down the congregation, and be open about it. They need to admit that the burden has become too great. And we, the body, need to figure out how we can help carry the load better. And we need to carry the burden well enough, that our pastors aren't tempted to take the load back. Maybe all of this should become part of every business meeting. The leaders all have to answer the question, "Do you feel burnt out? Are you shriveling up, and dying?" That wouldn't be good for anyone, and we need to know, and prevent that.
(6) A great leader warns.
The easiest way to figure out if you're at a good church or not, is how the pastors handle warning passages. There are lots of scary, challenging passages in the Bible. Almost every book has at least one. Some-- like Hebrews, or 1 Corinthians, or Romans-- have long strings of scary verses. If you're tolerating sin in your life-- if there is some area of your life where you are a slave to Sin-- these passages should scare you. They are designed to warn you, so you should feel warned.
If your pastor gets to these passages, and tries to deceive you, and smooth things over, and reassure you, you've found a wolf. Almost certainly, he won't look the part. He'll be wearing granny's hat, and coat, and glasses. You'll find yourself wondering if you're overreacting, and making a big deal about nothing. You're not. A leader who won't warn, is the kind of leader that cries, "Peace, Peace," when there is no peace. The kind who reassures people they are okay, while the people are walking the path leading to destruction (Romans 6:16; Romans 8:12-13). A great leader warns, when (1) the Bible warns, and (2) when we are living in sin.
Translation:
(13) and then, on the next day, Moses sat to "judge"/exercise authority for the people,
and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening,
(14) and the father-in-law of Moses saw all that he [was] doing for the people,
and he said,
"What is this thing/issue/matter,
that you are doing for the people?
Why are you sitting alone,
while all the people [are] standing around/before you from morning until evening?,"
(15) and Moses said to his father-in-law,
"Because the people come to me to seek God/Elohim.
When they have an thing/issue/matter, they come to me,
and I judge/exercise authority between a man and his neighbor,
and I teach God's rules and his torah/instruction,"
(17) and Moses' father-in-law said to him,
"Not good, this thing/matter [is] that you are doing.
You will surely wither/shrivel/wear out.
What's more, you.
What's more, this people who [are] with you,
because too heavy for you, this thing/issue/matter [is.]
You aren't able to do it alone."
(19) Therefore, heed my voice.
I shall advise you,
and may God be with you.
May you be for the people before the God/Elohim,
and you shall bring the matters/issues to the God,
(20) and you shall give warning to them of the rules and the instructions,
and you shall teach them the way they must walk in it, and the deeds that they must do,
(21) while you shall choose from all the people strong/capable men, fearers/reverers of the God, faithful/reliable men, ones hating greed (Isa 57:17)/dishonest gain (Isa. 33:15),
and you shall set over the people officials/rulers over thousands, officials over hundreds, officials over fifties, officials over tens,
(22) and they shall judge/exercise authority over the people all the time,
and then, every important issue/matter, they shall bring to you,
while every small/unimportant matter, they shall judge/exercise authority over,
and it will lighten from on you,
and they will bear/carry with you.
(23) If this matter/issue you do, and [if] God commands you, you will be able to stand,
and, what's more, all this people to their home they will go in peace/prosperity,"
(24) and Moses heeded the voice of his father-in-law,
and he did all that he had said,
(25) and Moses chose strong/capable men from all Israel,
and he appointed them as heads over the people-- officials of thousands, officials of hundreds, officials of fifty, and officials of ten,
(26) and they judged/exercised authority over the people at all the times.
The hard things/issues/matters they brought to Moses,
while every small/unimportant matter they judged,
(27) and Moses released/let go his father-in-law,
and he went to his land.
