Moses, One Man

FROM: JULY 18 @ 24, 2017

TOPIC: "Moses, One Man" Exodus 18:13-27

Midian is a Semitic town. The Midianites are Abraham's direct descendants of one of his sons named Midian, who was the fourth of six sons he had with Keturah (Genesis 25:1, 2 "Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah."). After Sarah died Abraham married Keturah; Abraham died at the age of one hundred and seventy-five years. Sara had died at the age of one hundred and forty-seven. But, Abraham gave everything he had to Isaac (Genesis 25:5 "And Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac." Abraham sent the other sons far away from Isaac. So Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, comes from the descendants of Abraham. It is said that Jethro was a priest of Midian (Exodus 18:1); therefore, in the beginning we see that the Midianites believed in God and worshipped him (Exodus 18:12). Jethro gives Moses back his wife and sons. "Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, together with Moses' sons and wife, came to him in the desert, where he was camped near the mountain of God. Jethro had sent word to him: I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons." (Exodus 18:5, 6) The man of God must not be far from his family! The people of Israel had in Moses a leader, a fighter, one who was detached, passionate and abnegated even more than the rest, one who was completely dedicated to his own. Moses, who with the guidance and power of God had brought the people from Egypt that was so numerous, now had to teach and direct them. That was a further demand for him after his great battle and great war with Egypt. What did Moses think? Well, I can't even imagine, but I can see his great supernatural effort so that the people can learn and do the will of God and walk in justice. We can see the great zeal and ability of Moses as the leader of God's people. This man of God had redeemed and delivered Israel from slavery. Now that they are no longer slaves, there is a great deed to do and it is to teach them what God wants; Moses has to educate them in the Law of God. This man would declare to them the ordinances of God and His laws. (Exodus 18:16 "Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God's decrees and laws."). He knew what it was to be a servant. The servant thinks that there are no rights for himself, better said, there is no proper life for him. Moses had left his wife, children, everything, to do what God asked. Exodus 18:13 "...Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening." He had to decide on the controversies of the people in judging situations between one and the other. If they were so quarrelsome with God (brawlers), there is no doubt that Moses would have before him a great number of causes to judge. It is very evident that he was doing everything he could to resolve what was presented to him. With all his strength he did it, but, what did God want? The people wanted their own things; but, what was God's will concerning this? Well, through Jethro his father-in-law and priest with the reins of experience, God wanted to teach Moses something. What Jethro lived is what leads him to speak to Moses, who personally knew the life of his father-in-law. With all liberty Jethro tells Moses that he did not like the method he used. (Exodus 18:14 "When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said: What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?") It was a duty too great for Moses to carry out alone. (Exodus 18:17, 18) Moses' father-in-law replied: What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The

work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.") He advises him on a type of government that would serve better his objective, that he would only attend those difficult cases that required a "divine" decision (Exodus 18:22 "...but have them bring every difficult case to you..."). Exodus 18:19 "You must be the people's representative before God and bring their disputes to God." It is what the people need; someone who takes on matters, the agony, the pain and the concerns so that the people can be in peace and content. Of course, this was an honor only for Moses, where it was not adequate for anyone else to have a part with him. (Numbers 12:6-8 "He (God) said: When a prophet of the Lord is among you, I reveal myself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams. But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house. With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?") This was Moses! And with God's special treatment, his body was bound to be a mortal body, even if he was the most spiritual man on earth. Every mater concerning the congregation in general had to go through him. So Moses needed judges to judge every common cause between a man and his fellowman, and every serious matter would be brought to him. One of the requirements to be chosen as judges was to be MEN OF VIRTUE (with a habitual disposition to do good; difficult it is for someone to be willing). Another requirement is for them to be FEARFUL OF GOD, to fear God, for they will not sin. Let them be MEN OF TRUTH, that there be no deception in them, without any change or mutation. AND THAT THEY ABHOR GREED (which is the desire to possess many riches for the sole pleasure of treasuring them without sharing them with anyone) (Exodus 18:21). Those who meet these characteristics are the only ones who can manage the people because they are spotless! Clear heads and firm hearts make good judges! May no vileness be found in them even if they could do it without being discovered! Moses had to follow God's direction in each case. (Exodus 18:23 "If you do this and God so commands...") It is God, it is not your thoughts, or your laziness. Moses did not despise this advice, but rather he heard the voice of his father-in-law (Vs.24). Moses was neither Aaron nor Mary, he was a man who could be with God in a relationship of communion. The prophets had visions and dreams, but Moses was faithful more than all and God spoke to him face to face. Moses, a man! God wanted to organize him earthly using his fatherin-law Jethro, who knew that his son-in-law would perish because of the fatigue he was accumulating in a corruptible body. Amen.