JETHRO VISITS MOSES (EX.18)
Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro (the pagan-priest of Midian) heard about everything YAHUSHA had done for Moses and his people Yisharal and especially how YAHUSHA had rescued them from Egypt, and before travelling to Egypt (at Aaron’s request) Moses had sent his wife Zipporah, and his two sons back to Jethro, who had taken them in and looked after them.
(Moses’s first son was named Gershom, for Moses had said when the boy was born, “I have been a foreigner in a foreign land.” And his second son was named Eliezer, for Moses had said, “The Alahim of my fathers was my help and deliverance from the sword of the Pharaoh.”)
Jethro now came to visit Moses in the wilderness and he brought Moses’ wife and two sons with him, and they arrived while Moses and the people were camped near the mountain of YAHUSHA. Jethro had sent a message to Moses informing him of his arrival, so Moses went out to meet him, bowing low when he got to him and he kissed him. They asked about each other’s lives and then went into Moses’s tent.
And Moses told Jethro everything that YAHUSHA had done to the Pharaoh and Egypt for the sake of Yisharal. He also told him about all the hardships they had experienced along the way and how YAHUSHA had rescued His people from all their troubles. Jethro was delighted when he heard about all the good things that YAHUSHA had done for Yisharal as He delivered them from the hand of the Egyptians. “How amazing is Yahuah for rescuing you from the cruelty of the Egyptians and from that wicked Pharaoh. Yes, He has indeed delivered Yisharal from the powerful hand of slavery and bondage! I now believe that Yahuah is greater than all the other deities, because of the way He rescued His people from the oppression of those stuck-up Egyptians.”
Then Jethro, Moses’s father-in-law, slaughtered some animals and sacrificed a burnt (ascending-near) offering to YAHUSHA, then Aaron and all the elders of Yisharal came out and had a meal with them in the presence of YAHUSHA.
The next day, Moses took his seat to hear the people’s disputes against each other, for they had been waiting all day to speak with him. And when Jethro saw the state that Moses was in with the people, he asked, “Why on earth are you bending over backwards for all these people day after day, carrying this heavy burden by yourself?"
“Who else is gunna do it? The people are lost and seek Yahuah’s Instruction, and when a dispute arises, I'm the one who settles the case between the quarreling parties and tells them what Yahuah says to do”, Moses replied.
“Nah, that ain’t gunna work son! You’ll just wear yourself out, you and the people too. You can’t do this job all by yourself. If you ask me, you should keep representing the people to Yahuah and bring all their problems to Him and keeping teaching them how they should behave in their lives to please Him. But grab a few capable, honest men who fear Yahuah and hate scams and bribes - you know, some guys you can trust. Make them leaders over groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten, and they should always be available to solve the people’s problems, and tell them only to bother you with the big stuff. Let all the leaders step up and decide the smaller problems themselves, then they’ll help you carry this load, making the task easier. That’s what I think anyway. Hopefully Yahuah agrees, so you can follow my advice, and handle all the pressures much easier, and all these people will go home in peace.”
Moses listened to his father-in-law’s advice and followed his suggestions. He chose capable men from all over Yisharal and appointed them as leaders over the people. He put them in charge of groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten and these men were always available to solve the people’s common disputes. Then they brought the serious matters to Moses, and they took care of the smaller problems themselves. Soon after this, Moses said good-bye to his father-in-law, who returned to his own land.
