ALL ROADS LEAD TO CHRIST
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST
EXODUS 18 Study Guide & Breakdown
Jethro’s Advice
18 And Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel His people—that the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. 2 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back, 3 with her two sons, of whom the name of one was [a]Gershom (for he said, “I have been a [b]stranger in a foreign land”) 4 and the name of the other was [c]Eliezer (for he said, “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh”); 5 and 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. 6 Now he had said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her.”
7 So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down, and kissed him. And they asked each other about their well-being, and they went into the tent. 8 And 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 on the way, and how the Lord had delivered them. 9 Then Jethro rejoiced for all the good which the Lord had done for Israel, whom He had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians. 10 And 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 who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. 11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all the gods; for in the very thing in which they [d]behaved proudly, He was above them.” 12 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, [e]took a burnt offering and other sacrifices to offer to God. And Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God.
13 And so it was, on the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening. 14 So when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone [f]sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?”
15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. 16 When they have a [g]difficulty, they come to me, and I judge between one and another; and I make known the statutes of God and His laws.”
17 So Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you do is not good. 18 Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you; you are not able to perform it by yourself. 19 Listen now to my voice; I will give you [h]counsel, and God will be with you: Stand before God for the people, so that you may bring the difficulties to God. 20 And you shall teach them the statutes and the laws and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do. 21 Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. 22 And let them judge the people at all times. Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So, it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you. 23 If you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people will also go to their place in peace.”
24 So Moses heeded the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. 25 And Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people: rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. 26 So they judged the people at all times; the hard[i] cases they brought to Moses, but they judged every small case themselves.
27 Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way to his own land.
NOTES EXODUS 18 – (vv. 3-4, & 14)
18:3-4: The names of Moses’ two sons summarize two aspects of salvation … (1): First aspect is deliverance from Pharaoh and all of Egyptian tyranny, who were the type of sin, death, and the devil and his fallen angels … (2): Second aspect is sojourning in a foreign land; this world was not Moses’ true home, for Moses looked toward the reward of the world to come … - (Hebrews 11:26) …
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
HEBREWS 11:26
esteeming the [a]reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures [b]in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.
-This is talking about the faith of Moses …
18:14: Although Moses had done mighty works in God, he was still only a man and needed wise counsel … Similarly, wise leaders in the Church seek the godly counsel of others, for they are not dictators … Rather, they are counselors who seek the wise counsel of others … (JohnChr) …
PSALM 77 (78) Study Guide & Breakdown
PSALM 77 (78): Concerns understanding – (v. 1) … What needs to be understood is that Christ is speaking to His Church – (vv. 2, 14; see also Matthew 13:34-35; and 1Corinthians 10:4, 14), called CHILDREN YET TO BE BORN – (v. 6), HIS SANCTUARY … FOUNDED FOREVER ON EARTH – (v. 69), and HIS PEOPLE … HIS INHERTIANCE – (v. 71) … The content of His instruction is the entire PSALM ITSELF, an overview of the history of Israel …
ADDITIONAL NOTES FOR PSALM 77 (78)
Matthew 13:34-35:
All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them, 35 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:
“I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world.”
1 CORINTHIANS 10: 4, 14:
1Corinthians 10:4: and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.
1Corinthians 10:14: Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.
CLOSING …
PROVERBS 27:6
The wounds of a friend are more trustworthy Than the voluntary kisses of an enemy …
- Be watchful to be in counsel of good people, Judas Iscariot betrayed the Lord Jesus Christ with a VOLUNTARY KISS, and He said of him: “It would have been good for that man if he had never been born” – (Mark 14:21) …
PROVERBS 27: 17
Iron sharpens iron, and a man sharpens the countenance of his friend …
- IRON is a dull metal, but it glistens when sharpened … Man’s nature is like iron we become dull overtime because of the deception of sin … We are good underneath, but we all need sharpening so we may all glisten and show our true nature … So, true friends SHARPEN one another so the God-given virtues may develop and shine on THE COUNTENANCE … Moses had his father-in-law Jethro to sharpen him when he needed an ear to hear him …
Lastly, we will end with Ecclesiastes 11:1-10:
The Value of Diligence
11 Cast your bread upon the waters, For you will find it after many days. 2 Give a serving to seven, and also to eight, For you do not know what evil will be on the earth.
3 If the clouds are full of rain, They empty themselves upon the earth; And if a tree falls to the south or the north, In the place where the tree falls, there it shall lie. 4 He who observes the wind will not sow, And he who regards the clouds will not reap.
5 As you do not know what is the way of the [a]wind, Or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, So you do not know the works of God who makes everything. 6 In the morning sow your seed, And in the evening do not withhold your hand; For you do not know which will prosper, Either this or that, Or whether both alike will be good.
7 Truly the light is sweet, And it is pleasant for the eyes to behold the sun; 8 But if a man lives many years And rejoices in them all, Yet let him remember the days of darkness, For they will be many. All that is coming is vanity.
Seek God in Early Life
9 Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, And let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; Walk in the [b]ways of your heart, And [c]in the sight of your eyes; But know that for all these God will bring you into judgment. 10 Therefore remove [d]sorrow from your heart, And put away evil from your flesh, For childhood and [e]youth are vanity.
-It’s all about understanding, but God’s ways are just His ways … Here this Chapter is teaching us that we are not to hold on to that which we have given from an earthly perspective, but give it all away … Our citizenship is of heaven, and like Moses we must also look for the reward of the life and the world that is to come …
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