094 - There is a Balm From Midian

You pick up your Bible. Is there more. Is there something here for me. I mean it's just words printed on paper right may look like just print on the page but it's more than Inc. join us for the next half hour, as we explore God's word together as we learn how to explore it on as we ask God to meet us there in its pages welcome to more than what do you know how many jokes about God still wanted the bottom is nothing good about today were going to look at Moses and because we think is a family man today. His father, his wife yesterday on more than Inc. Dorothy and we again return to the great book of Exodus, because what we just finished.

That's what about the halfway mark. Yes, Trussell points feel like it's been a long time you think you know if you get the Red Sea stuff will let you know there's just nothing as the most important part is it's really something.

So it's kind of fun. Something to think the Exodus is just about Charlton Heston in the movie since smiling this week and next week were going to do something a little unusual still serve the text for chapter 18 but chapter 18 is dedicated to this guy kind it is a cameo walk on in the Old Testament narrative guy named Jethro who who's actually the father love Moses so far that we've been following Moses and Aaron is a is a come out of Egypt as a going to the desert all the things going on and then boom, there is the father-in-law. So were going to split this up in a couple weeks and just so you might might inkling many times I'm going to pester Scripture will like where I read this chapter 18 Jethro and then get passed on to bigger and better things.

My inkling is to say, you know something's happened. I'm not sure what that way so so my instincts that is to say I'm back and slow down this little take two weeks to come slowly look at Jethro because you as you will see it's a it's it's sort of distinct. It's interesting because of the emphasis on the family relationship. Yeah yeah like 10 or 11 versus a red cover today Jethro's name and his relationship to Moses shows that seven-time repeatedly right Jethro Moses father-in-law his father-in-law his father-in-law so that emphasis on that relationship and we maybe have forgotten that Moses had been part of Jethro's family for 40 years. Yeah let's review that before restarting the passenger seat.

Does this walk on and you remember what when Moses was in Egypt and he's grown up now right is in the Pharaoh's court stuff like that. He eventually leaves Egypt 40 and he gets in hot water because he said acts like the judge of the Israelites he killed the guy and anyway he fears for his life.

Actually because because of that, and he ends up leaving and he goes about as far away as you can only process. I'm a member of the Pharaoh's court you know and becomes leader of sheep since he goes to Midian and and while he's in Midian and certainly cool his heels over there for four years. He meets this wonderful woman, the daughter of Jethro but his name is not Jethro Medi-Cal.

His name is rule rule right well I look at that story that the account goes that an actually read it earlier in Exodus chapter 2, but that when Moses comes into that country.

He actually he helps the daughters at the well is being bullied by the shepherd and then becomes acquainted with their father and agrees to dwell with him and his relationship with rule actually comes before Israel really say because of that whole wandering the sheep got incident I he is something someone impressed with most right right you says would just leave them out the right moment to speak to them so so it's yeah it's a it's a it's a what you want to call its relationship with great respect between these two men start with, and in the end Moses ends up marrying one of the seven dollars and he becomes he becomes roller Jethro's chief Shepherd and that's what he's doing when God encounters him at the burning bush. It's right there several years before this now so yeah that's important for us to remember at this point. Yet all around us who this guy so such a start is not just an anonymous walk on by character. This is someone that Moses knew for quite some time on time and were told at the very beginning there. In Exodus 2 that this man was the priest of Midian, now it doesn't say he was a priest of God most high. Right. It does say he was a priest of Midian. However, there there is some speculation because of the name Midian rule means friend of God. Romans friend of God. But since he but but Midian is a priest of Midian, you know, can there be anyone who respects the God of Israel in Midian and S routes connecting to come back to Abraham.

Abraham's wife could tour. I think I was right varies after Sarah dies to tours want to tours, children son's name Midian right in that needle grows out with him. So these are deep descendents of Abraham so they could of been some residual knowledge of the God of Abraham, exactly. So there is a connection to Abraham so you know. Perhaps you could talk about a priest of Midian, you know, he might be right on in many respects we get some hints of peace, maybe a little off, but not much. Well, his his relationship with the God of Abraham seems to be a distant one and this is the story where it really becomes a personal one. So let's see what happens because he will change.

He will change his perspective of the God of Israel in the story now before we present the story less to say. One other thing that the end of our last time together. We talked about the battle with the Amalekites. Yeah, that Moses had sat on the rock right in the battle had, so I will the Amalekites were also descendents of three Abraham distant descendents, and they were through the rest of history of Israel associated very often with the Midianites as people prayed upon Israel yeah so it's really interesting to me since I'm studying Genesis concurrently that the Midianites were the people who were coming through, to whom Joseph's brothers sold him over the training they brought him down to Egypt and that's a really interesting direction. It was because of the Midianites that Joseph was in Egypt in the first place out of which the whole nation of Israel grew up there and here we are. Some hundreds of years later and Moses is going to leave them out goes into wells among Midianites and there's something really interesting. There will be facts in fact is this the high priest meets Moses in the desert. Moses is carrying the bones of Joseph oh.

At this point that this is sort of Egypt. All that is alarming for full circle things going on really track small world. So now we really have to get a list Jethro Jethro but by the way, I just love the name Jeff though if we had another son.

I think suggested Jethro our son by the way thing John through his Jethro told me read group. Let me read this chapter is updating Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses father-in-law heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel is now the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. Now Jethro Moses father-in-law had taken zipper up Moses wife after he had sent her home along with her two sons. The name of the one was Gershom.

He said I have been a sojourner in a foreign land and the name of the other.

Ellie answered 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 by your father not Jethro coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her. Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bow 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 done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians or Israel say 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. Okay, step their great meeting, great meeting. So somewhere in the history of these things. It's it it looks like Moses sent his wife and son or sons. Well, remember, we read that actually is back in chapter 4 when Moses they had Moses had gone to his father-in-law and told him now. I need to go back to Egypt. But what he told this is very interesting to me. God has told me to go and deliver the ball he when he told him was, I want to go back to Egypt and my people and still living so he packs up his wife and sons and takes off across the desert so that implies it. Moses had led Jethro to believe they were just going back to Egypt to live right which sets up that whole incident was sorry that zipper circumcise is the son's touches Moses his feet. Now we've spent some time talking about that and that is that cryptic event and there's a lot there that we don't understand, but in any case. At that point she seems to go back to her father with the children associate we don't have that documented. When now and she shipped back over there's a clue in the names of the two sons right because Gershon was clearly there when when they left Midian and then went back to Egypt because his name means he was basically born born as a sojourner but then Eliezer was born after that, you know, God is my help. He's delivered me from a sort of Pharaoh right so Eliezer is at least is named after they get out of Egypt right so anyway, the two sons are sent back along with her mother zipper back to Midian and back to live with Jethro now here Jethro, her father and Moses father-in-law is bringing them back and we don't know precisely how long Moses was in Egypt right, it could've been a few months, it could have been up to a couple of years. If you figure out how long it took all those planks to play out. We really don't know, but it's been quite some time and and it is implied here. I think that zipper is coming back to stay because we have another account in Numbers 12 where Miriam and Aaron grumble against the woman that Moses had married because they had not met her up to this point until after all this phenomenal escape from Egypt. So anyway that's yeah and it is interesting hereto that it seems as though Jethro is bringing back the family because he's gotten news of what's right right and you know like you said back in chapter 4. The last lustrous outlook he heard from Moses when he left was. I'm going to go back and see if my people were still alive is not exactly at all. Jethro's getting all this news about what God's doing for Israel. How the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt. And so he's very well there out of Egypt are out of danger.

I guess they're wondering in the place that I know of in the world and it all just just reunite the family so that's what he does and what we don't know is whether Jethro expected Moses to lead the people out right because Moses had that assignment from God. Back in Exodus 3, but he we don't have it in the text told Jethro I'm just going back to see if my people are still far as we know, the news is news to to Jethro so but there are Midianite traders going back and forth through this part of the of the land and so Jethro, here's here comes Moses with 2 million people following.

So let's bring the family back together. Yeah that's it. That's exactly what he does and he brings him he brings him back to Moses and I love you through seven. There it says Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bow down and kissed him. You know Moses is trained in Pharaoh's court. So he had a kind and uppity problem to start with but now he's he's literally in charge of you know, over half a million families going to the desert and you would think because he's in charge that that would do something to his humility. But here, his father-in-law shows up and he pays such a great respond to welcome he bows down and kisses them that that's an astonishing thing gone relationship. Yeah that's true but you know they talk about the fact that power corrupts and absolute power and know that you know it doesn't seem to happen to Moses right here because when he sees his father-in-law. He he does such a warm welcome respect and this guys you know this because present in the country okay will Moses has come down from his lofty, you know, being raised in Pharaoh's court and having at least the appearance of power and then having to run away from there and he winds up spending 40 years herding sheep in the desert very humbly. You know those 40 years were a lot of time to think well this is my life now. Right Moses never expected the call of God to come and ended and he lived largely on the grace of Jethro.

You know, in effect, even to the end when he left and we leave Jethro he still tending Jethro's flock right most doesn't have his own flock.

So again, these men are tight to start with but you would normally think you know if you think of someone power like a king or prison or something like that and someone says to the present. All you know your father-in-law's here you go. Well, yeah. Whatever the case, or Moses is still overly a really humble man fact later on in the narrative. You'll see it said is a talk about Moses that he was the most humble man that ever lived and used and you see if you're just in the simple thing bowing down and kissing his father-in-law and they asked each other about their welfare. They caught up and then went into the tent. That's a sign of great hospitality like that.

Sit down and talk some more and then I love this. Inversely, Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh to the Egyptians for Israel. See all the hardship he did leave out the bad times of hardship that had come upon them in the way and how the Lord delivered them. III really like that. I like the fact that included the hardship as you know it wasn't an easy thing that happened God did do this but it was tough well if you think back over the 10 plagues that would've been horrendous enough and think they been three months there roughly 3 months into the wilderness at this point and they've experienced some rough things battle, no water, no bread, but God has begun giving the man he has provided water for them so Moses has seen not just the God of Abraham, but the Lord the eye and become a very real intimate presence, yet God does not write a theoretical God. So that's interesting to me because at this point in the text.

The conversation shifts from being about God, to being about the Lord by name name that he had given to Moses back in chapter 3 of the good that the Lord had done to Israel. Yeah, I did this with the smoke would've been just a great conversation in the tent you over to you and sitting there and then Moses sits there and just spells out the entire history like since I last saw you guess what cars look what happened. You won't believe through you as an astonishing thing and that that had for Jethro whose he OKs a priest of Midian. This is doing something, I think, to his theology is listening to the intimate and insightful care that God is given to his people following through on his promises. The way that that God deals with the most powerful nation on the earth. The most powerful man on the earth. Pharaoh, I mean this is gotta be expanding the boundaries of understanding just tremendously so in in real flesh and reels is hearing it first person from his son-in-law. Yeah exactly exactly. So this this would be just thrilling. So after the end of hearing this astonishing story which by the way, listeners.

You just listen to with us as we go in the last few weeks you just turn up to this point what Moses told Jethro here in Jethro shoes so there you go and your understanding who the who this guy is in his heart for this people he cares for how he shepherds them and and so now Jethro's response is is just really touching and comes up in the next verse you know is what is wholly absent intent. So Jethro said, Blessed be the Lord uses that proper name, the Lord, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and the hand of Pharaoh and has delivered to 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 his 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 his father-in-law before God's pessimism only end to this part is really really is, and it's expected.

But it's just heartwarming. You know, Jethro says, Blessed be the Lord blessed be this covenant, God of years as a look what he's done he's delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians out of the hand of Pharaoh that that's just nearly impossible in the ancient world delivered you from interfere delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians system is this emphasis on deliverance here. It shows up four times in just a couple of verses the Lord delivered the Lord had done this, the Lord delivered Blessed be the Lord delivered you. He's delivered to people so that really underscores that he suddenly aware that God has done something amazing amount over these 2 million people.

And again, what you don't see here is is a proud father-in-law. So Moses you know you were my chief Shepherd. You really made a name for yourself. You really going places in the world really come up is that all not at all all… But that's sort of what you expect, you know, Caceres is top Shepherd who goes often comes back and is leading nation. Now the question that was ringing in my mind as I was reading this is how have we seen Moses change right because, as he leaves Jethro sometime before how to get there in the first place. Will he met Jethro because he was on the run on the run, you're right. He was scared he was disoriented. He didn't know he was. He didn't thought his life was all he was right. They enter this family relationship. He spends 40 years taking care of Jethro sheep becoming part of his family and then says he doesn't even tell them I'm going back to deliver my people places I want back to see how they are right now it's possible that he had told him it's not in the text and here he comes he returns as this heater. God has shaped him and grown him so significantly and will continue to grow, but Jethro must see the difference in most must he must. And yet in the discussions in the tent and all the celebrations it's all about the conduct of the Lord, and I think that's that's a telling thing to talk about leaders and in present Christendom you know which sweet syrup would boost up a man a lot I think is an error you. We shouldn't lose them up instead NLN and the humble want to say this is really not about me gods made me who I am God's one is doing this, but we don't we give lip service to that without truly believing it.

So we talk about a great leader a great teacher or great pastor stuff like that we really focus a look what God has done what God has done here and end, and that's the focus here is Moses telling what what God is done because clearly Moses summing Moses can't bring the plagues in the store.

He gave so so when you get to this point what what he's impressed with what his father was impressed with is not Moses.

Although Moses is changed and I think he's worthy of some praise for this change I think. But in this discussion has nothing to do with him now because FS is now I know that the Lord Yahweh your God, who introduced himself to you as the one who is the I am now I know he's greater than all gods.

So here we have a little inkling that perhaps being priest of Midian encompassed other God, the God of Abraham, right, and we don't know where his allegiances are. Although he could also be talking about the evident gods of Egypt that's for correct answers.

So, I mean, but he's saying you know your God. He's the guy there's just no doubt about this. I'm convinced of this and so is driven not just of proclaiming and and glorify who this guy does but he says I we need to sacrifice so you bring sacrifice distress.

He is a priest, had been in the custom right of offense rectify what he does.

So the sacrifice and Aaron came so you know that Aaron had not actually been officially instituted as the high priest of Israel. This is before I get anything of the law yet but Aaron is Moses's brother.

He probably hasn't met Jethro know so this is the first is a settled here comes the family right in his all the elders of Israel come right well and only come to eat bread with Moses father-in-law Mrs. this is a big deal. It's really a great celebration a great honor to Jethro just a great grading creating the business floundering. It's an evidence of peace right to sit down to a meal after sacrifice together is only something done. We recognize we all are eating at the same table. We all are worshiping the same God. Here and so even though you know I think Jethro's primary motivation to come out and meet Moses was to reunite the family, which makes a lot of in the end the families not even figuring in the end of this this just a great encouragement that God has designed through the priest of Midian through Jethro to encourage Moses to encourage Aaron to encourage the elders because they all get together at this point and basically are love each other and I had to think you know this is a wonderful thing because through the trudging through the desert and stuff like that. There's been lots of ups and lots of downed lots of drama.

Lots of conflict as will see next week but to have to have this very warm little island in the middle of what is. It's a tough thing that they're doing as God leads into the desert while what a great encouragement makes me think that you know when you least expect when you're going through some the deepest waters in your life. Even though God is still on his throne and things you know are working okay but life can be tough.

By God's design. Still, God comes out of the blue and says you know I think you need to do a little kickback on your bring your father-in-law. Remember that guy that you love so much and will sit down the tent get RT out and talk about the great things that God has done and you will be deeply incurred and Aaron and all the yelled as I'm bringing your wife and your kids and your wife and we don't often think of Moses as having a wife and children and it must've been tremendously meaningful to him to his wife and his sons. So this is this is like an oasis. This is an emotional oasis in the middle of Exodus so many ups and downs and you next week. As I mentioned, were going to get to the fact that there's some really some struggles going on with this new nation. It's wandering some more than just the grumblings we talk about it. Mirabal and stuff like that but I mean it's tough. So to have this kind of guest appearance of his father-in-law, whom I think he always had deeply loved for years and respected and then out of the blue he is there to encourage Moses. I think this is great I love it.

As were talking about an end to have that kind of validation you're still a part of the family you still love you. Here's your wife and kids.

We still were still your people and you know, although we don't know. But think about my what it happened through Jethro's. He goes back to Midian.

This man, who now one of the few people that whole region of the world has up as a front row seat from the from the lips of Moses himself about what this God had done in Egypt that they'd heard about but they didn't know the half of it until he sat down with Moses was not going to do to this virtual climate in Midian when he goes back story to tell you and you will believe about the coming that's got to be a big thing but we don't. I don't have any clue what happened, but there is an investment in Jethro as well giving understanding what we are high and so next to come back and finish chapter 18 and where and when not done with the general Jethro still have some good visit time on the books so you want to come back in here exactly what that's all about being something that changed the nature of Israel for a long time. This discussion with Joe throughout the land with Hope you are chapter 18 joints. There is a production of mainstream church sitting solely responsible to contact us with your questions or comments in this okay