Six Qualities Of A Great Leader (Exodus 18:13-27) Series

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,