The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Exodus 18:5,
"Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, together with Moses' sons and wife, came to him in the wilderness, where he was camped near the mountain of God."
This chapter about Jethro appears as something of an interlude in the account of Israel's deliverance from slavery in Egypt just prior to Moses' meeting with the Lord on Mt. Sinai. It is something of a fascinating account to me by virtue of its turn to things of a very practical nature for Moses. Moses had already sent his wife, Zipporah, and his two sons, Gershom and Eliezer, back to Zipporah's father, Jethro. Jethro now returns with Zipporah and the two boys and we are provided the account of Moses telling Jethro the story of things that have happened since seeing him last, "Moses told his father-in-law about everything the Lord had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel's sake and about all the hardships they had met along the way and how the Lord had saved them." Verse 8.
The inclusion of Jethro's response, his praise of the Lord, verse 10, and the subsequent offering by Jethro, the feast, and Jethro's practical advice on distributing the responsibilities of judging among the people all seem to be a bit of a departure from the overall account Exodus has provided so far. It is something of a refreshing account that adds the element of human historical reality to the material in Exodus.
As I think of how Peter tells us Scripture was produced, that the prophets, the writers of it, spoke, wrote as they were "carried along by the Holy Spirit", 2 Peter 1:21, I recognize it is material the Lord determined we have. Obviously, the Scriptures provide us with only certain details in its accounts of things, while leaving others out. (For instance, we have no idea what was happening with Zipporah and the boys during her father's visit with Moses.) But, we have what has been provided, and since it is the Holy Spirit who has decided what is included within the Scriptural accounts, this is here intentionally by him.
"Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, together with Moses' sons and wife, came to him in the wilderness, where he was camped near the mountain of God."
This chapter about Jethro appears as something of an interlude in the account of Israel's deliverance from slavery in Egypt just prior to Moses' meeting with the Lord on Mt. Sinai. It is something of a fascinating account to me by virtue of its turn to things of a very practical nature for Moses. Moses had already sent his wife, Zipporah, and his two sons, Gershom and Eliezer, back to Zipporah's father, Jethro. Jethro now returns with Zipporah and the two boys and we are provided the account of Moses telling Jethro the story of things that have happened since seeing him last, "Moses told his father-in-law about everything the Lord had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel's sake and about all the hardships they had met along the way and how the Lord had saved them." Verse 8.
The inclusion of Jethro's response, his praise of the Lord, verse 10, and the subsequent offering by Jethro, the feast, and Jethro's practical advice on distributing the responsibilities of judging among the people all seem to be a bit of a departure from the overall account Exodus has provided so far. It is something of a refreshing account that adds the element of human historical reality to the material in Exodus.
As I think of how Peter tells us Scripture was produced, that the prophets, the writers of it, spoke, wrote as they were "carried along by the Holy Spirit", 2 Peter 1:21, I recognize it is material the Lord determined we have. Obviously, the Scriptures provide us with only certain details in its accounts of things, while leaving others out. (For instance, we have no idea what was happening with Zipporah and the boys during her father's visit with Moses.) But, we have what has been provided, and since it is the Holy Spirit who has decided what is included within the Scriptural accounts, this is here intentionally by him.
I suppose what strikes me this morning about this passage is the reality that the Holy Spirit has selected this very practical, and in a sense, somewhat personal, material for a reason. The impact it has on me is that it provides the historical account of the book of Exodus with material that reminds me the things I am reading about took place in real time and space and was attended to by all of the things we might expect of a true account in a human setting. It has the effect of authenticating (not that it needs it) the reliability of the other accounts I read of.
Just musing here. How does this chapter strike you?
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment