Now we are in Exodus chapter 17, verse 8, going to chapter 18, verse 27.
Let me pray for the reading and preaching of God's word.
Heavenly Father, we believe that your word is truth.
And because of that, that your word is good.
And we ask now that you would quiet our hearts before the reading and preaching of your word.
That you'd incline our ears, our hearts toward you.
And we ask that you would speak, address us as your people.
That we might live in accordance with your will.
That we believe you will speak specifically to the individuals here and to us as a church.
Speak, Father, in an unmistakable way.
That we might know that we are hearing your voice.
In your word.
In Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.
If you are able, please stand for the reading of God's word from Exodus 17, verse 18, 27.
Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim.
So Moses said to Joshua, choose for us men and go out and fight with Amalek.
Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.
So Joshua did as Moses told him and fought with Amalek.
While Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.
Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed.
And whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed.
But Moses' hands grew weary.
So they took a stone and put it under him.
And he sat on it.
While Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side and the other on the other side.
So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.
And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword.
Then the Lord said to Moses, write this as a memorial in a book.
And recited in the ears of Joshua that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.
And Moses built an altar and called it the name,
The Lord is my banner, saying,
A hand upon the throne of the Lord.
The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.
Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law,
heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel, his people.
How the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt.
And now Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, had taken Zipporah, Moses' wife,
after he had sent her home, along with her two sons.
The name of the one was Gershon, for he said,
I have been a sojourner in a foreign land.
And the name of the other, Eliezer, for he said,
The God of my father was my help,
and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.
Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness,
where he was encamped at the mountain of God.
And when he sent word to Moses,
I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her.
Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him.
And they asked each other of their welfare and went into the tent.
Then Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake,
all the hardship that had come upon them in the way, and how the Lord had delivered them.
And Jethro rejoiced for all the good that the Lord had done to Israel,
in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians.
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.
The next day Moses sat to judge the people,
and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening,
when Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people.
He said,
What is this that you are doing for the people?
Why do you sit alone,
and all the people stand around you from morning till evening?
And Moses said to his father-in-law,
Because the people come to me to inquire of God.
When they have a dispute,
they come to me,
and I decide between one person and another,
and I make them know the statutes of God and his laws.
Moses' father-in-law said to him,
What you are doing is not good.
You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out,
for the thing is too heavy for you.
You are not able to do it alone.
Now obey my voice,
I will give you advice,
and God be with you.
You shall represent the people before God,
and bring their cases to God,
and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws,
and make them know the way in which they must walk,
and what they must do.
Moreover, look for able men from all the people,
men who fear God,
who are trustworthy and hate a bribe,
and place such men over the people
as chiefs of thousands,
of hundreds,
of fifties,
and of tens.
And let them judge the people at all times.
Every great matter they shall bring to you,
but any small matter they shall decide themselves,
so it will be easier for you,
and they will bear the burden with you.
If you do this,
God will direct you.
You will be able to endure,
and all this people also will go to their place in peace.
So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law,
and did all that he had said.
Moses chose able men out of all Israel,
and made them heads over the people,
chiefs of thousands,
of hundreds,
of fifties,
and of tens,
and they judged the people at all times.
Any hard case they brought to Moses,
but any small matter they decided themselves.
Then Moses let his father-in-law depart,
and he went away to his own country.
This is God's holy and authoritative word.
You may be seated.
Are you guys hearing echoes?
Are you guys okay with the sound?
Okay.
This passage serves as a hinge in the book of Exodus in two ways.
First, chapter 18, verses 1 to 12,
summarized the Lord's deliverance of Israel through Moses,
recounted in chapters 2 to 17.
And then chapter 18, verses 13 to 27,
lay the groundwork for the governance
and judgeship of God's people as a nation,
and anticipates chapters 19 to 40,
where God gives specific laws and instructions
for obedience to him and his worship.
And in this way,
chapter 18 serves as a conclusion
to the first half of the book,
and an introduction to the second half of the book.
And we see here another kind of transition in second way.
17, verse 9,
is the first time in the Bible
that we are introduced to Joshua,
who will eventually succeed Moses
as a leader of Israel
and lead God's people into Canaan.
And in this passage,
both chapter 17 and 18,
we see Moses delegating more of his responsibilities,
thereby laying the groundwork
for his eventual transition from leadership.
So this passage serves as a hinge
to a new phase of life in Israel as God's people.
And one of the main lessons that we learn
from this passage is this,
that God appoints weak people
to carry out his weighty purposes
with the help of others.
And first, we're going to see generals
for times of war,
and then we're going to see judges
for times of peace.
When the Israelites were still at Rephidim,
which is in the region in the wilderness of sin
that they've been at for the past two weeks,
where the Lord provided water
for the Israelites from the rock,
it says in chapter 17, verse 8,
that Amalek came and fought with Israel.
We know from Genesis 36
that Amalek is Esau's grandson.
This is, it's his firstborn son, Eliphaz,
who gave birth to Amalek through a concubine.
And so here we see a distinction
between the chosen line of Jacob
and the line of Esau, the Amalekites.
Since Moses and Aaron were only four generations
removed from Jacob,
it's not inconceivable that the Amalekites
are here actually being led by Amalek himself.
That's why in verse 13,
it refers to Amalek and his people.
So considering that they were distant relatives
of Israel, what they're doing here
is even more egregious.
Deuteronomy 25, verses 17 to 19
provides some more details
about this attack of the Amalekites.
And it says this,
remember what Amalek did to you
on the way as you came out of Egypt,
how he attacked you on the way
when you were faint and weary
and cut off your tail,
those who were lagging behind you.
And he did not fear God.
So this explains why the Lord declares
in verse 14,
I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek
from under heaven.
God is absolutely furious
at what Amalek is doing here.
Because when you're on a march
with hundreds of thousands of people,
millions of people,
who are the people that lag behind
at the back of the line?
Sick people?
Old, infirm people?
Families with children?
Pregnant women?
These are the people
who are lagging behind,
people who are falling in the back.
And what Amalek is doing
is cutting off the tail,
attacking the most vulnerable member
of Israel as a nation
in order to profit themselves.
And so God declares war on the Amalekites
on behalf of the Israelites.
They did not fear God.
They came upon the Israelites
when they were faint, it says,
and weary from their long journey
through the wilderness.
Up to this point,
Israelites have not had to take up the sword.
But here the Amalekites forced their hand
and it says in verse 9,
Moses said to Joshua,
choose for us men
and go out and fight with Amalek.
Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill
with the staff of God in my hand.
So we'll see,
this is the first time
we are introduced to Joshua
and we're going to see more and more
his increasing role
as an assistant to Moses
and eventually to take over
the mantle of leadership.
And Moses here determines
that Joshua is the most fitting man
to recruit an army
among the Israelite men
to go out and fight with Amalek.
Maybe, I mean,
he's certainly younger than Moses.
He's fresher, stronger.
He appoints Joshua
to lead the men into battle.
And Moses says,
tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill
with the staff of God in my hand.
So just so you know,
this is not a cowardly attempt
to avoid the perils of war
on the safety of a hill.
He says in verses 11 to 13,
whenever Moses held up his hand,
Israel prevailed.
And whenever he lowered his hand,
Amalek prevailed.
But Moses' hands grew weary,
so they took a stone
and put it under him
and he sat on it
while Aaron and Hur
held up his hands.
One on one side
and the other on the other side.
So his hands were steady
until the going down of the sun.
And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek
and his people with the sword.
Moses' hand is mentioned
six times in verses 9 to 12.
There's a focus on Moses' hand.
And it's not because
Moses' hand itself
has some magical properties
or any special powers,
but it's because in his hand,
as verse 9 says,
is the staff of God.
The authority and power
that God had personally entrusted
to Moses to lead his people.
So whenever Moses raises his hand
holding the staff of God,
the tide of battle
turns in favor of the Israelites,
but whenever he lowers it,
the tide turns the other way
in favor of the Amalekites.
So I don't know if you've ever tried
to hold your hands up
for a long time.
It's really hard to do that
for more than a few minutes.
I know because growing up,
this is how my parents punished me
when I did something wrong.
They said,
kneel over there
and keep your hands up
for several minutes.
If I get into fights with people,
this is what they make me do.
And it's really hard to do.
So eventually it gets very tiring
so you start squirming
and if you're only having
to raise one hand,
you can support it
with the other hand.
And it seems like
that's what Moses is doing.
That's why in verse 11,
it only mentions one hand of Moses.
But then in verse 12,
it says Moses' hands, plural,
grew weary.
And the phrase grew weary
is literally grew heavy.
It's getting too heavy
for him to keep up his arms.
And it's becoming,
it's plural because
he's doing this,
he switches hands
to the other hand,
he's doing this,
or he's doing this
and now he can't keep either one up.
So now he's,
that's why both hands are weary.
This is why they make him,
make him sit down.
You know,
you might wonder why,
you know,
Aaron and Hur
put a stone under him
to have him sit down.
It's not his legs that are tired,
it's his arms.
The reason why
is because if Moses sits down,
his arms are lower,
so Aaron and Hur
don't have to keep their arms up,
they can just hold his arm
against their body.
So they're literally
holding his arms up
on either side
while Moses is sitting
on the stone.
And so what's the point
of all this?
Why are we getting
all these details?
So there are at least
two things that I think
the Lord is teaching us
through this.
First is that Moses,
though he was
the Lord's chosen representative,
he was only human.
He was weak,
he was inadequate,
he needed the help of others,
and in this case,
Aaron, his brother,
and Hur,
a man from the tribe of Judah,
who is the grandfather
of Bezalel,
who is responsible
for designing
and crafting
the tabernacle
and its furnishings
in Exodus 31.
It's not verified
by scripture itself,
but later Jewish tradition
says that Hur
is actually
Miriam's husband,
which would make him
Moses' brother-in-law.
So if that's the case,
he's taking his
literal closest brothers
to hold up his arms
while he's up on the hill,
his brother and his
brother-in-law.
That shows us
that God appoints
weak people
to carry out
his weighty purposes
with help from our
brothers and sisters
in Christ.
Because there will be
times in your own life
when your hands
grow weary
with work that you
are doing for the Lord.
The things that God
has called you to do,
but you will not
be adequate
for the task.
You will not be able
to do it on your own.
And when you grow weary,
it's not cause to despair,
but it's cause to remember
that God designed it
to be that way
because you're not meant
to carry the burden
on your own.
No one is self-sufficient.
Ephesians 4.16 says,
when each part
of the body of Christ,
the local church,
is working properly,
it makes the body grow
so that it builds
itself up in love.
Each part
has a role to play.
1 Corinthians 12 says,
for the body
does not consist
of one member,
but of many,
and that God
arranged the members
in the body,
each one of them
as he chose.
So that each part
has an indispensable
role to play.
Moses was God's
appointed leader
of Israel.
He was the one
to whom the Lord
had given the authority
to carry the staff
of God.
Aaron and Hur
could not carry
the staff of God
for Moses.
However,
they could help
Moses hold up
his arms.
And that's exactly
what they did.
I feel like I'm
overusing references
from this lately,
but in the Lord
of the Rings,
the return of the king,
where Frodo,
Baggins,
and Samwise Gamgee
enter Mordor,
Mordor,
sorry,
they are approaching
the fire of Mount Doom,
and Frodo is so exhausted
from the journey
that he literally
cannot take another step.
And you guys know
where I'm going.
But he is a chosen
ring bearer.
Frodo is the only one
who can carry the ring
to go destroy it
in the mountains.
So this is what
in that moment
his loyal friend
Samwise Gamgee
says to him,
come Mr. Frodo,
I can't carry it for you,
but I can carry you.
And he literally
picks him up
and starts walking
into Mount Mordor.
And sometimes
that's going to happen
to us.
That's what Aaron and Hur
are literally doing.
I can't carry the staff
for you,
but I can carry your hand.
I can pick your hand up
and keep it up.
Galatians 6, 2 commands us
to bear one another's burdens
and so fulfill
the law of Christ.
When one of us
is caught in any transgression,
we can't repent
for that person.
But we can restore him
in a spirit of gentleness.
We can rebuke him
in love.
When one of us
is grieving a loss,
we can't experience
the loss for her,
but we can comfort her
in her mourning
and point her
to the resurrection hope
that we have in Christ.
When one of us
is afflicted
by severe trials
in a marriage,
and we can't go through
the trial for that person,
but we can help him
or her bear
some of others' burdens,
the other burdens
in that person's life.
We can encourage that person
and pray for that person.
Some of you are
carrying very heavy burdens
this morning.
You can't hold up
your arms anymore.
But don't give up.
Look around you.
See who can be your Aaron.
Who can be your her
and call them
to your aid.
And brothers and sisters,
knowing that there are people
in our midst
who are weary,
whose hands are growing heavy,
look out for such people
around you
so you can come
to their aid
to be their Aaron
and her for them.
The second thing,
and I think this is
the main thing
that this passage teaches us,
is the same lesson
that we have seen
over and over again
throughout the book of Exodus.
And that is this,
the battle belongs
to the Lord.
Lord,
pretend that you are
a film director
for a moment.
You're adapting this passage,
Exodus 17,
short verses
for the big screen.
Where would the focus
of your movie be?
I would venture to guess
that you would probably
not spend the majority
of your movie
showing Moses
struggling to hold
his hand up.
You'd probably spend
most of the time
showing the swords clashing,
chariots clashing,
people running,
blood spilling,
action on the battlefield.
Joshua rallying
his troops into battle.
Because from our
human standpoint,
that's where the action is.
But that's not
where the focus
is in this passage,
in the word of God.
Apart from the summary
statement of verse 13,
which says Joshua
overwhelmed Amalek
and his people
with the sword,
there is zero description
of the battlefield.
The focus is instead
on the hand of Moses
carrying the staff of God.
When it is lifted,
they win.
When it is lowered,
they start losing.
How Moses' hands
grew weary
and how Aaron and her
helped them keep them up.
Why is the focus
so much on Moses' hand?
God's perspective,
because that's
in the spiritual scheme
of things,
from God's perspective,
that is where
the real battle
is taking place.
Because the battle
is not being decided
by the sword of Joshua,
but by the hand
of the Lord.
Surely Joshua
was a valiant young man
as we see throughout
the first six books
of the Bible,
but it's not his competence
or courage
as a military general,
nor the might
of the Israelite army
that brings victory.
They did have a role to play.
They did have to go and fight,
and we likewise
have a role to play.
We do have things
we must do
as God's people,
but the battle
belongs to the Lord.
It's him who decides
the victory.
That's the whole point
of verses 11 and 13.
It says in verses 14 to 16,
then the Lord said to Moses,
write this as a memorial
in a book
and recite it
in the years of Joshua
that I will utterly
blot out the memory
of Amalek
from under heaven.
And Moses built an altar
and called the name of it,
the Lord is my banner,
saying,
a hand upon the throne
of the Lord,
the Lord will have war
with Amalek
from generation to generation.
Since there is a repetition
and an emphasis
on the hand of Moses,
the expression,
a hand upon the throne
of the Lord
is most likely a reference
to Moses' outstretched hand
with the staff
petitioning the Lord
on behalf of Israel.
It's as if Moses'
outstretched hand
is like a hand
on the throne,
on the throne of God,
pleading with him
to fight on Israel's behalf.
And because his hand
was on the Lord's throne,
the Lord says,
I will have war
with Amalek
from generation to generation.
So Moses,
to commemorate this,
builds an altar
and names it,
the Lord is my banner.
The banner,
most likely when we hear
the word banner,
we now think of
advertisement banners.
That's not what's
in view here.
It's referring to the signal,
the military signal,
or the military standard,
the flag,
the banner under
which an army fights.
If the Lord is the banner,
that means this is
the Lord's battle.
He's the king
who is depicted on the flag.
As Christians,
we will face battles
in this life.
Jesus says in John 15 to 20,
15 verse 20,
if they persecuted me,
they will persecute you also.
When you try to obey God
and follow his word,
you will face opposition
from the world
and from your sinful flesh
and from the devil.
We should not be surprised
by that.
1 Peter 5, 8 says
that our adversary,
the devil,
prowls around
like a roaring lion
seeking someone to devour.
He will come upon us
when we are faint and weary
like the Israelites were.
He will try to cut off our tail
and attack the weakest
and most vulnerable members
among us.
there will be sweat
and tears
and sometimes even blood.
There's a reason why
Ephesians 6 tells us
to put on the full armor of God.
You don't need an armor
if you're not in war.
You might not want to fight,
but our enemies
will bring the fight to you.
But in the midst
of these battles,
we must remember
that the Lord is my banner.
The battle ultimately
belongs to the Lord.
So let me ask you,
are you fighting your battles
in the Christian life
in your own strength
or in the strength
of the Lord?
Here's how you know.
Here's a good
diagnostic test
to gauge
what's happening
in your life.
Where are your hands?
Are your hands
always busy
with ministry?
Are your hands
always serving?
Or are your hands
upon the throne
of the Lord?
Are your hands
stretched out
toward God
in prayer?
If you're not
clinging
to God's throne
in prayer,
then you're operating
under the assumption
that your activity
and not God's activity
is decisive
in your life.
But the battle
does not ultimately
belong to us.
It belongs
to the Lord.
So let's not forget,
let's not be a church
that forgets
where the banner is,
under whose banner
we fight.
Because as soon as
we become
a prayerless church,
we will be
a powerless church.
After defeating
the Amalekites,
the Israelites
have some respite.
And it's during
that time,
Jethro,
the priest of Midian,
Moses' father-in-law
comes to visit Moses
and see how he's doing.
In Exodus 4,
we were told
that Moses actually
took his wife
and children
with him to Egypt.
So it seems,
according to chapter 18,
at some point
later in time,
he sent his wife
and children
back to Egypt,
which would be
a very understandable
thing to do.
It's probably
what I would do
in his shoes
because Pharaoh's
refusing to let
the Israelites go.
Tensions are rising.
Plagues are falling.
There's conflict going on.
So it's maybe
a sensible time
to send your children
and your wife
back home
since they have
a place to go to
in Midian.
And it recalls
a couple things,
the names of his sons.
And this is significant
because in this
family reunion,
we see a summary
of Moses' biography.
Verses 3-4,
chapter 18,
tells us that
the name of the one
son was Gershom,
for he said,
I have been a sojourner
in a foreign land
and the name
of the other,
Eliezer,
for he said,
the God of my father
was my help
and delivered me
from the sword
of Pharaoh.
So Gershom was
the son Moses
had with Zipporah
when he entered
the land of Midian.
He was saying
that he is now
a sojourner
in the foreign land
of Midian.
And then Eliezer
is the son he had
just before
re-entering Egypt
and he named him
Eliezer
because God
had just told him
that the men,
including Pharaoh,
who were seeking
your life in Egypt
are now dead.
And so Moses
praised God
saying that God
has delivered me
from the sword
of Pharaoh.
He was my helper
and so God,
he named him
Eliezer.
And this is
a sketch
of Moses' life,
how God
has been faithful
to him.
But in this passage,
it also serves
to exemplify,
to capture
what God has done
for the Israelites.
Because Gershom,
I have been
a sojourner
in a foreign land.
Israelites were also
sojourners
in the foreign land
of Egypt.
And Eliezer,
God is my help,
he has delivered me
from the sword
of Pharaoh.
The Israelites
have also been
delivered by God
from the sword
of Pharaoh.
God has been
their help.
So in this,
we see God's
utter faithfulness.
Moses sees
his son,
Gershom,
Eliezer,
and he sees
how faithful
God has been.
And so Moses
greets his father-in-law
warmly,
and they spend
the while
catching up
in Moses' tent.
And it says
in verse 8,
that Moses told
his father-in-law
all that the Lord
had done
to Pharaoh
and to the Egyptians
for Israel's sake,
all the hardship
that had come upon
them in the way,
and how the Lord
had delivered them.
So Moses
tells Jethro
of all the amazing
signs that God
did in Egypt
that he witnessed,
how the Lord
defeated Egypt
and Pharaoh
by his mighty hand.
But that's not
all he tells.
He also tells
of their hardships
and their struggles.
He tells his father-in-law,
pours out his heart
about all the hardship
that they faced
in the wilderness.
If you think
about the last few passages,
it hasn't been
an easy journey
for Moses.
People grumbled
against him
at the bitters
of waters of Marah.
They grumbled
against him
for lack of food
in the wilderness
of sin.
And then they quarreled
with him
at Massah
and Meribah
and almost
stoned him
to death.
So Moses
is kind of
sharing his griefs
with his father-in-law.
Can you believe
what these guys
are trying to do
to me?
But the Lord
has delivered
them.
Think about this
for a moment.
From a human standpoint,
this is a fantastic
opportunity
for Moses
to impress
his father-in-law.
Look at what
I've done!
Look at what
I've done!
I just went
into one of the
most powerful
ancient kingdoms
in the world
and delivered
millions of people
out of their slavery
and brought them
through the wilderness
and here they are!
You thought
your daughter
married a no-name
fugitive from Egypt
but here I am,
the great Moses.
It's a great opportunity
for him to do that
but Moses
doesn't do that.
He emphasizes
the role
of the Lord
in all of it.
He speaks of all
that the Lord
had done
to Pharaoh
and to Egyptians
and he speaks of
how the Lord
had delivered
Israel.
It's about
what the Lord
has done
and not what
Moses has done.
Likewise,
when we
recount
the triumphs
and victories
of our lives,
we should give
credit
where the credit
is due
and glorify
God.
We can take
credit
in quite subtle
ways.
There's a difference
between saying,
look at the amazing
things that God
has done
in my life.
There's a difference
between saying that
and saying,
look at the amazing
things that God
has done
in my life.
Do you see
the difference?
What God
has done
in my life
makes me
amazing,
makes me
so mature,
makes me
so put together,
makes me
so experienced.
If the effect
of your testimony
is the elevation
of your standing
before people
rather than
elevation of
God's standing
before their eyes,
then your emphasis
in your testimony
is in the wrong
place.
Because Moses
puts the emphasis
in the right
place,
Jethro's response
in verses 9 to 11
is appropriate.
It says,
Jethro rejoiced
for all the good
that the Lord
had done
to Israel
in that he
had delivered
them out of the
hand of the Egyptians.
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.
Jethro's response
is not,
wow,
I am so lucky
to have such
an impressive,
successful man
as my son-in-law.
No,
his response
is,
wow,
the God
you serve
is greater
than all
the gods.
That's,
that should be
the desire,
the heartbeat
of every Christian.
For people
to look at us
and say,
wow,
look at,
not look at how
impressive those
Christians are,
but for them
to look at us
and say,
look at how
amazing
their God
is.
And Jethro
comes to
correct conclusion
that the Lord
is greater
than all the gods.
Because the
ancient world
was so thoroughly
religious
and because
God's people
were keenly
aware of
spiritual realities
and that there
were spiritual
forces,
demonic spirits
at work
among the
pagan deities
and the
pagan nations,
they sometimes
expressed their
monotheistic faith,
the belief that
there is only
one true God
in henotheistic
terms,
terms that
acknowledge that
there are other
gods.
But this is not
a denial of
their monotheism.
There is only
one true God,
but because all
these nations
believe in other
gods and because
there are evil
spirits at work,
they say things
like,
the Lord is
greater than
all gods.
There is no
God like
our God.
God.
Jeremiah 2.11
makes this clear
when God,
they're there in
that context,
God's bemoaning
the fact that
the Israelites
have exchanged
God,
the true God,
for idols.
And this is what
God says in
Jeremiah 2.11,
has a nation
changed its
gods?
So are there
actually gods?
It says,
has a nation
changed its
gods,
even though
they are
no gods?
But my people
have changed
their glory for
that which does
not profit.
Every other
nation has
not changed
its gods,
even though
their so-called
gods are
actually not
gods at all.
But it speaks
like they are
gods.
God's people
had exchanged
the true God
for idols.
In light of
this,
Jethro's
profession that
the Lord is
greater than
all gods
is remarkable.
Remember from
verse 1 that
Jethro is the
Midianite priest.
He is the
priest at
Midian.
He's not only
a non-Israelite,
a foreigner,
a Gentile,
he's the
priest of
Midianite religion,
worshiper of a
different false
deity.
And yet after
hearing of all
that Yahweh has
done on behalf
of the Israelites,
he concludes,
I know that the
Lord is greater
than all gods.
Knowing God,
knowing the
Lord is a
major theme in
the book of
Exodus as we
have seen over
and over again.
Pharaoh claimed,
I do not know
the Lord.
And every time
God reveals
himself through
signs in
Egypt,
his purpose is
so that the
Egyptians and
the Israelites
might know
him,
know that he
is Yahweh,
he is the
Lord.
The purpose
of the
Exodus is
revelation,
to reveal
God.
But sadly,
we saw in the
preceding episodes
the last two
weeks that the
Israelites,
even after all
that they had
been delivered
from,
did not rightly
know God as
they ought to.
But here is a
Gentile pagan
worshiper,
the priest of
Midian professing,
I know that the
Lord is greater
than all gods.
This is a humble
admission that
Yahweh is greater
even than the
God of the
Midianite religion
that he is
priest of.
In fact,
it may even be a
profession of faith
that Yahweh is
the only true
God.
We can see the
possibility of that
in verse 12.
Where it says,
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.
This is a
preview of the
sacrificial system
that will later
be instituted
and resembles a
fellowship offering
that is stipulated
in Exodus 20
and Leviticus 7
where they make
a burnt offering
to God
and then God's
people share in
that meal together
to indicate their
fellowship with one
another and with
God.
So,
after being,
having been
introduced in
verse 1 as
the priest of
Midian,
Jethro is never
again called
the priest of
Midian again
in scripture.
But he is called
repeatedly again
and again,
13 times to be
exact in this
passage,
Moses'
father-in-law,
showing that he is
a member of
Moses' family
included in the
fellowship of
God's people
and it's his
relation to
Moses and
his profession
of faith
in the Lord
that gives
Jethro standing
among God's
people,
not the fact
that he is
a priest of
Midian.
And Jethro is
not afraid to
use his
standing as
Moses'
father-in-law
to give him
some fatherly
counsel in
verses 13 to
27.
He notices in
verse 13
that Moses
sat to judge
the people
and the people
stood around
Moses from
morning till
evening.
So we
learn here
from verse
15 to 16
that Moses
hears an
individual
case and
takes each
individual
case to
the Lord
in order to
hear from
him and
to be able
to make
a judgment,
a decision.
And he's
the one that
in those
cases individually
teaching people
that come to
him the
statutes of
God and
his laws.
Jethro sees
immediately that
this is not
only a
painstakingly
slow process,
which is why
people are
standing around
just waiting
in line all
day.
It's testing
people's
patience.
But also
Jethro sees
that his
son-in-law
is headed
toward inevitable
burnout.
So he says
to Moses
in verses
17 to 23,
what you are
doing is not
good.
You and the
people with
you will
certainly wear
yourselves out
for the thing
is too heavy
for you.
You're not
able to do
it alone.
Now obey
my voice,
I will give
you advice,
and God
be with you.
You shall
represent the
people before
God and
bring their
cases to
God,
and you
shall warn
them about
the statutes
and the laws
and make
them know
the way
in which
they must
walk and
what they
must do.
Moreover,
look for
able men
from all
the people,
men who
fear God,
who are
trustworthy
and hate
a bribe,
and place
such men
over the
people as
chiefs of
thousands,
of hundreds,
of fifties,
and of tens,
and let them
judge the
people at
all times.
Every great
matter they
shall bring
to you,
but any
small matter
they shall
decide
themselves.
If you do
this,
God will
direct you,
you will
be able to
endure,
and all
these people
will also
go to their
place in
peace.
Jethro's
recommendation
is what in
modern days
people call
the principle
of subsidiarity.
The Oxford
English
Dictionary
defines
subsidiarity
as,
quote,
the principle
that a
central authority
should have
a subsidiary
function,
performing
only those
tasks which
cannot be
performed at
a more
local level.
So this
principle was
expounded
upon by
13th century
theologian,
Italian theologian
Thomas Aquinas,
as well as
by 16th century
German lawyer
and Calvinist
political philosopher
Johannes
Althaus,
but the
principle is
way more
ancient than
that.
It goes
all the way
back to
Moses.
This
principle is
codified in
the laws of
the United
States.
The
Tenth
Amendment
states,
quote,
the powers
not delegated
to the
United
States by
the
Constitution
nor
prohibited
by it
to the
states
are
reserved
to the
states
respectively
or to
the
people.
Subsidiarity.
Our
federal
justice
system also
reflects this
principle
with 94
district
courts
spread
throughout
the
country
serving
as
the
primary
trial
courts.
And
then
when
issues
cannot
be
resolved
there
people
make
appeals
which
then
goes to
the
13
courts
of
appeals
and
then
if
the
issues
still
remain
unresolved
then
it
goes
to
the
one
U.S.
Supreme
Court
for
final
review
and
judgment.
This
is the
principle
of
subsidiarity.
It's
a
wise
and
biblical
principle.
And
note
that
this is
not merely
Jethro's
good idea
it's
actually
ultimately
God
who is
directing
Moses
and the
Israelites
this way.
That's
why it
says in
verse 23
if you
do this
God
will
direct
you.
The
NIV
translates
it
this
way
if you
do
this
and
God
so
commands
Moses
follows
his
father-in-law's
advice
because
he
believes
that
this
is
in
fact
what
God
is
commanding.
Once
again
we
see
that
God
appoints
weak
people
to
carry
out
his
weighty
purposes
with
help
from
others.
God
makes
babies
to be
born
within
families.
We're
celebrating
the
Miller's
new
baby
this
weekend.
They're
all
born
into
families.
Yeah.
And
he
makes
families
function
within
larger
societies.
Similarly
God
places
every
Christian
within
the
family
of
God
when
they
are
born
again
through
repentance
and
faith
in
Jesus.
The
church
and
because
we
need
each
other
because
we
cannot
function
alone
God
places
us
in
local
church
families.
The
lead
pastor
of
a
local
church
does
not
make
all
the
decisions
by
himself.
In
our
church
we
have
a
plurality
of
elders
so
that
there
is
accountability
and
counsel
from
other
wise
elders.
We
also
have
deacons
who
attend
to
the
physical
temporal
needs
of
the
church
members
in
our
church
things
like
food
and
water
housing
health
care
etc.
Lauren's
one of
our
deacons
but
she's
on
maternity
leave
so
don't
go to
her
if
you
have
those
issues
for
a
little
bit.
You
can
go to
John
so
he's
kind
of
on
paternity
leave
but
we're
kind
of
bringing
him
back.
In
a
much
smaller
scale
Israel
is
millions
of
people
by
this
point
the
principle
of
subsidiarity
functions
even
in
our
church.
Decisions
that
don't
require
pastoral
oversight
are
made
by
other
leaders
in
the
church.
Note
that
subsidiarity
doesn't
flatten
out
the
leadership
structure
altogether.
Moses
does
not
abdicate
his
leadership
responsibility
but
he
still
has
to
lead
the
people
of
God
but
he
does
not
bear
the
burden
of
leadership
alone.
The
criteria
for the
officers
of
the
church
the
elders
and
deacons
are
primarily
matters
of
character
not
competence
apart
from
the
fact
that
elders
need
to
be
able
to
teach
all
the
requirements
in
1 Timothy
3
are
character
requirements.
Same
is
true
here
in
Exodus
18
21.
What
does
Jethro
say?
Look
for
able
men
from
all
the
people
men
who
fear
God
who
are
trustworthy
and
hate
a
bribe.
The
word
able
sounds
like
it's
speaking
of
jurisprudential
expertise
but it's
not
speaking
of
that
it's
actually
translating
the
same
Hebrew
word
that
is
translated
in
Proverbs
31
to
describe
the
excellent
wife
the
wife
of
noble
character.
It's
the
same
word
that
is
used
to
describe
Boaz
in
Ruth
as
a
worthy
man
and
Ruth
as
a
worthy
woman.
The
following
phrases
unpack
what it
means
for
them
to
be
able
men.
They
are
men
who
fear
God
who
are
trustworthy
and
hate
a
bribe.
To
fear
God
is
to
live
ever
before
the
presence
of
God
under
the
authority
of
God
for
the
glory
of
God.
Such
men
are
trustworthy
even
when
no
one
is
watching
because
they
know
that
God
is
watching.
And
such
men
hate
a
bribe
because
they
know
that
bribe
subverts
justice
and
because
they
know
that
they
will
have
to
give
an
account
to
God
even
if
they
can
get
away
with
taking
a
bribe
among
men.
If
we
gave
more
weight
to a
person's
character
than
to a
person's
wealth
celebrity
verbal
pugilism
genealogy
or
academic
pedigree
when
electing
public
officials
I
think
our
country
would
be
much
better
off.
This
passage
is also
a
helpful
reminder
of the
importance
of
humility
and
leadership.
It
might
not
have
been
easy
for
Moses
to
listen
to
Jethro's
advice.
Many
of you
have
heard
the
dreaded
unsolicited
advice
from your
in-laws
in the
past.
Some
of you
have
wonderful
in-laws
and you
desire
their
advice
some
of you
don't.
And
remember
also
that
Moses
is
the
one
that
holds
the
staff
of
God
in
his
hand.
He
just
defeated
Egypt.
He's
a big
shot
if
there
ever
was
one.
And
Jethro
is
his
lowly
elderly
father-in-law.
A
recent
convert
if
anything.
A
priest
of
Midian.
What
does
he
know?
I
talked
to
God.
Who
are
you?
No,
that's
not
Moses'
response.
Moses is
humble
enough
to
know
that
he
does
not
have
a
monopoly
on
godly
wisdom.
He's
humble
enough
to
recognize
that
his
outward
successes
had
nothing
to do
with
him
and
everything
to
do
with
God.
He's
humble
enough
to
know
that
even
his
newly
converted
Midianite
father-in-law
can give
him
good
godly
advice.
This
is
something
that
we
all
have
to
remember
especially
those
of
us
in
leadership
positions
in
the
church.
I
don't
know
if
you
noticed
but
there
are
actually
many
parallels
between
the
passage
about
Amalek's
attack
of
Israel
and
Jethro's
greeting
of
Israel.
There's
an
intentional
contrast
being set
up
between
the
two
passages.
Chapter
17
verse
8
says
that
Amalek
came
and
fought
with
Israel.
Chapter
18
verses
Jethro
came
to
ask
for
war.
Jethro
comes
for
peace.
Exodus
17
8
to
16
repeatedly
speak
of
how
Moses
has
to
raise
up
his
hand
with
the
step
of
God
against
the
Amalekites.
But
in
Exodus
18
1
to
12
Jethro
repeatedly
speaks
of
how
the
Lord
delivered
Israel
out
of
the
hand
of
the
Egyptians.
Chapter
17
verse
8
Moses
tells
Joshua
choose
for
us
men
to
go
out
in
war.
Chapter
18
verse
25
Moses
chooses
able
men
to
help
judge
the
people
in
times
of
peace.
Chapter
17
verse
12
Moses
sits
down
to
hold
up
the
staff
of
God
until
the
going
down
of
the
sun.
In
chapter
18
verse
13
Moses
sits
down
to
judge
the
people
from
morning
till
evening.
And
finally
in
chapter
17
verse
12
Moses
hands
grew
weary
or
literally
his
hands
grew
heavy
and
Aaron
and
her
had
to
help
him
bear
the
weight
and
in
1818
Jethro
says
to
Moses
the
thing
is
too
heavy
for
you
it's
the
same
Hebrew
word
and
counsels
him
to
appoint
worthy
men
to
help
him
bear
the
weight.
So
in
this
way
Amalek
and
Jethro
are
case
studies
in
contrast
of
how
even
Gentiles
can
inherit
God's
first
based
on
their
response
toward
God
and
toward
God's
people
because
Amalek
comes to
war
against
God's
people
the
Lord
will
war
against
him
generation
after
generation
because
Jethro
comes
in
peace
toward
God's
people
the
Lord
allows
him
to
join
God's
covenant
people
even
the
Gentiles
can
believe
in
the
Lord
and
be
included
this
is
a
fulfillment
of
what
God
had
promised
Abraham
in
Genesis
chapter
12
he
said
17
verse
15
when
Moses
builds
an
altar
he
names
it
the
Lord
is
my
banner
the
Lord
is
the
signal
or
flag
under
which
the
people
of
God
gather
in
battle
many
of
you
are
probably
familiar
with
the
iconic
photo
entitled
Raising
the
Flag
on
Iwo
Jima
you
guys
aware
of
that
picture
it's
taken
by
the
photographer
Joel
Rosenthal
during
World
War
II
taken
on
February
23rd
1945
one
of
the
most
recognizable
images
from
World
War
II
from
any
war
in
fact
it
was
taken
nearly
after
two
months
of
fight
hard
fought
battle
on
the
island
of
Iwo
Jima
the
island
was
significant
tactically
in
war
because
there
was
a
mountain
on
top
of
it
and
it
gave
people
the
ability
to
spot
what
the
enemies
were
doing
and
to
accurately
aim
their
artillery
and
so
toward
the
end
of
the
battle
six
U.S.
Marines
climbed up
the
mountain
to raise
the
American
flag
and
plant
it
there
to
claim
it
as
belonging
to
the
U.S.
and to
rally
the
troops
toward
it
it's
a
dramatic
picture
with
a lot
of
movement
and
the flag
streaming
in
the
wind
in
the
confusion
of
war
when
people
are
fighting
and
swords
are
clanging
and
guns
are
going
off
people
are
scattered
all
over
the
battlefield
and
people
are
dying
and
fearful
it's
in
those
times
that
a
banner
is
raised
a
signal
is
raised
to
say
all
of
you
who
is
with
us
gather
here
to
reform
so
that
we
might
know
who
is
with
us
so
we
can
fight
together
instead
of
being
scattered
and
being
slaughtered
out
on
the
battlefield
that's
how
a
banner
functions
that's
what
the
standard
does
it
provides
identity
for
the
people
who
gather
it
provides
security
for
the
people
that
gather
under
it
that's
why
psalm
60
verse
4
says
you
have
the
Lord
you
have
set
up
a
banner
for
those
who
fear
you
that
they
may
flee
to
it
from
the
bow
as
the
arrows
are
coming
you
flee
and
there's
a
prophecy
in
Isaiah
11
that
tells
us
exactly
what
that
banner
is
that
God
has
set
up
or
more
accurately
who
that
banner
is
it
says
in
Isaiah
11
10
to
12
in
that
day
the
root
of
Jesse
who
shall
stand
as
a
signal
for
the
peoples
that's
the
same
word
standard
banner
for
the
peoples
of
him
shall
the
nations
inquire
and
his
resting
place
shall
be
glorious
time
to
recover
the
remnant
that
remains
of
his
people
from
Assyria
from
Egypt
from
Petros
from
Cush
from
Elam
from
Shinar
from
Hamath
and
from
the
coastlands
of
the
sea
he
will
raise
a
signal
for
the
nations
and
will
assemble
the
banished
of
Israel
and
gather
the
dispersed
of
Judah
from
the
four
corners
of
the
earth
the
root
of
Jesse
is
a
title
for
the
Messiah
the
Christ
Jesus
he
is
the
descendant
of
David
a
descendant
of
Jesse
Isaiah
prophesied
that a
day
is
coming
when
the
Messiah
will
be
the
banner
that
gathers
all
of
God's
people
not
only
from
among
the
Israelites
but
from
all
the
nations
from
all
the
people
groups
this
is
what
Jesus
was
fulfilling
in
John
12
32
when
he
said
when
I
am
lifted
up
from
the
earth
when
he
is
crucified
I
will
draw
all
people
to
myself
by
paying
for
the
penalty
of
our
sins
by
his
death
on
the
cross
and
then
by
rising
from
the
dead
Jesus
brought
a
new
era
of
salvation
for
all
nations
Jesus
is
our
banner
Jesus
is
the
one
to
whom
we
are
to
gather
there
is
a
battle
waging
and
many
are
falling
in
battle
and
many
are
injured
in
battle
and
many
are
confused
in
battle
and
many
are
fearful
in
battle
and
here
is
our
banner
the
banner
on
the
cross
the
Lord
Jesus
Christ
saying
gather
here
for
those
who
gather
here
there
is
safety
for
those
who
gather
here
there
is
salvation
for
those
who
gather
here
we
shall
know
they
belong
to
the
King
Jesus
and
we
will
have
victory
have
you
gathered
under
the
banner
of
Christ
those
who
scatter
will
be
defeated
but
those
who
put
their
faith
in
Jesus
and
gather
will
live
forever
and
be
victorious
so
come
to
him
acknowledge
your
weakness
and
come
gather
under
the
banner
of
Christ
let's
pray
together
yes
God
we
have
gathered
under
your
banner
and
we
are
proud
to
fly
that
flag
the
standard
of
our
King
Jesus
the
Lion
of
Judah
the
Lamb
that
was
slain
you
are
our
banner
Lord
Jesus
use
us
Lord
to
gather
all
your
people
from
the
four
corners
of
the
earth
back
to
yourself
for
your
glory
in
Jesus
name
we
pray
Amen