MAJOR CORRECTION: Please accept my humble apologies, I misread the number of Israelites thought to be a part of the Exodus. The consensus is 600,000-plus, NOT the 6 million that I previously wrote. Which is still more people than most metropolitan cities, the logistics were still HUGE - and - 600,000 is still WAY more than I used to picture, but quite a LOT less than 6 million! PLEASE tell me, if you ever notice that I have ANY facts wrong. Thank you.
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After the victory over the Amalekites, the Israelites must have been pretty-well spent! I am sure they were exhilarated after the win, yet exhausted as well. Then, as He still does now, our Awesome, Wonderful, Merciful, and Loving God sent comfort, refreshment and provision to go on! This is a Chapter of God's Glory and of rejoicing and blessing!!!! Blessed be His Name!!!!
We pick up at Exodus 18: (bold lettering is my own emphasis)
1 When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel His people, and that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt;
~First of all, until this year, I did not remember that Jethro was a priest ... and of Midian at that! Not-so-small detail, yet we generally hear little about him. Well, it seems that news traveled fast, even if by camel! I imagine that just about everyone must have heard about the extreme acts of God *understatement* in Egypt, then the massive exodus of 600,000-plus people, PLUS all the outrageous miracles of God in the desert!
2 Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took Zipporah (bird), Moses' wife, after he had sent her back,
~Perhaps, Moses thought they would be better off with the family? NOTE: deeper treasure here: did he send them back before, or during the stuff going on in Egypt, or as they left, or ???
3 And her two sons; of which the name of the one was Gershom (stranger); for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land:
~Oh boy, don't we all know that feeling!!!?? The older I get, the more I REALLY feel like an alien, from another planet! I remember feeling similarly as a teenager. Maybe, that is when we get one of our first clues: that we are just sojourners here, our REAL LAND is in heaven! Our precious Nation is indeed becoming as a STRANGE land as well, and getting more so all the time! NOTE: reserve for another soapbox speech!
~Jethro was SO impressed with the LORD, that he, evidently, thought it time to bring Moses' wife and kids to see him. Or perhaps he "knew" that Moses would need fresh wisdom ... and perhaps, Zipporah and the boys tagged along?
4 And the name of the other was Eliezer (God my Helper); for the God of my father, said He was my Help and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh:
~Was this a foreshadowing of the Holy Spirit, Who was to come?
5 And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of God:
~A perfect place to encamp, for sure, at the feet of God!!!! NOTE: another whole lesson there. I am so impressed by the size of this encampment! WAY bigger than most of today's metropolitan cities! WOW! Again, I am AWEstruck at the immensity of this undertaking! My daughter and I were just discussing how we "naturally" picture maybe a few hundred people in the Exodus or maybe even few thousand - certainly not the approximately 600,000 or more!!!! Whoa!
6 And he said unto Moses, I your father-in-law Jethro am come unto you, and your wife, and her two sons with her.
~HER 2 sons??? (I know, it was the tradition) This reunion with his family, who knew, loved and trusted him, probably really lifted Moses up! Especially, after being so long with ALL the others who murmured against him, accused and blamed him all the time, and disobeyed the rules whenever he took his eyes off of them! YIKES, I hope I am not like that .... probably am :( Oh man .....
7 And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and did obeisance, and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare; and they came into the tent.
Click on picture to enlarge.
~What joy, comfort, and relief for Moses! I can only slightly relate: after all the planning and preparing for my daughter's wedding; when I walked up the drive to the rehearsal and saw our pastor and his wife there with the love of Christ, big smiles and open arms; I completely just crumbled. I was SO glad to see them! Just seeing them effected such a release of tension and gave me much needed reassurance and peace.
8 And Moses told his father-in-law all that the LORD had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, and all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how the LORD delivered them.
~What a testimony THAT was!!! Notice also that the travail came upon them "BY the WAY." NOTE: Study of "ways" reserved for future post.
9 And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, whom He had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.
~And don't we also rejoice each time we hear of God blessing his people??!! How precious is HE??? Oh, it is so humbling to meditate on God's goodness!
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, who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.
11 Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly, He was above them.
~Though already a priest, Jethro must have really been blown away by these first-hand accounts! Funny, like us when we experience a mighty move of God or the closeness of His Presence...we never cease to be amazed at the power and goodness and just the awesomeness of our GOD! He just becomes more and more real to us! That is why we HAVE to share, to tell everyone!
12 And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law before God.
~Have you noticed that the Lord mentions the words "father-in-law" a LOT here??? 6 times in the first 8 verses alone! Usually, when the Lord repeats something a lot, it is to draw special attention to that thing. Any enlightenment on this??? Please share with us!!!
We pick up at Exodus 18: (bold lettering is my own emphasis)
1 When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel His people, and that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt;
~First of all, until this year, I did not remember that Jethro was a priest ... and of Midian at that! Not-so-small detail, yet we generally hear little about him. Well, it seems that news traveled fast, even if by camel! I imagine that just about everyone must have heard about the extreme acts of God *understatement* in Egypt, then the massive exodus of 600,000-plus people, PLUS all the outrageous miracles of God in the desert!
2 Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took Zipporah (bird), Moses' wife, after he had sent her back,
~Perhaps, Moses thought they would be better off with the family? NOTE: deeper treasure here: did he send them back before, or during the stuff going on in Egypt, or as they left, or ???
3 And her two sons; of which the name of the one was Gershom (stranger); for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land:
~Oh boy, don't we all know that feeling!!!?? The older I get, the more I REALLY feel like an alien, from another planet! I remember feeling similarly as a teenager. Maybe, that is when we get one of our first clues: that we are just sojourners here, our REAL LAND is in heaven! Our precious Nation is indeed becoming as a STRANGE land as well, and getting more so all the time! NOTE: reserve for another soapbox speech!
~Jethro was SO impressed with the LORD, that he, evidently, thought it time to bring Moses' wife and kids to see him. Or perhaps he "knew" that Moses would need fresh wisdom ... and perhaps, Zipporah and the boys tagged along?
4 And the name of the other was Eliezer (God my Helper); for the God of my father, said He was my Help and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh:
~Was this a foreshadowing of the Holy Spirit, Who was to come?
5 And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of God:
~A perfect place to encamp, for sure, at the feet of God!!!! NOTE: another whole lesson there. I am so impressed by the size of this encampment! WAY bigger than most of today's metropolitan cities! WOW! Again, I am AWEstruck at the immensity of this undertaking! My daughter and I were just discussing how we "naturally" picture maybe a few hundred people in the Exodus or maybe even few thousand - certainly not the approximately 600,000 or more!!!! Whoa!
6 And he said unto Moses, I your father-in-law Jethro am come unto you, and your wife, and her two sons with her.
~HER 2 sons??? (I know, it was the tradition) This reunion with his family, who knew, loved and trusted him, probably really lifted Moses up! Especially, after being so long with ALL the others who murmured against him, accused and blamed him all the time, and disobeyed the rules whenever he took his eyes off of them! YIKES, I hope I am not like that .... probably am :( Oh man .....
7 And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and did obeisance, and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare; and they came into the tent.
Click on picture to enlarge.~What joy, comfort, and relief for Moses! I can only slightly relate: after all the planning and preparing for my daughter's wedding; when I walked up the drive to the rehearsal and saw our pastor and his wife there with the love of Christ, big smiles and open arms; I completely just crumbled. I was SO glad to see them! Just seeing them effected such a release of tension and gave me much needed reassurance and peace.
8 And Moses told his father-in-law all that the LORD had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, and all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how the LORD delivered them.
~What a testimony THAT was!!! Notice also that the travail came upon them "BY the WAY." NOTE: Study of "ways" reserved for future post.
9 And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, whom He had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.
~And don't we also rejoice each time we hear of God blessing his people??!! How precious is HE??? Oh, it is so humbling to meditate on God's goodness!
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, who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.
11 Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly, He was above them.
~Though already a priest, Jethro must have really been blown away by these first-hand accounts! Funny, like us when we experience a mighty move of God or the closeness of His Presence...we never cease to be amazed at the power and goodness and just the awesomeness of our GOD! He just becomes more and more real to us! That is why we HAVE to share, to tell everyone!
12 And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law before God.
~Have you noticed that the Lord mentions the words "father-in-law" a LOT here??? 6 times in the first 8 verses alone! Usually, when the Lord repeats something a lot, it is to draw special attention to that thing. Any enlightenment on this??? Please share with us!!!
Oh Father, God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses,
we too rejoice for all the goodness You did for the Israelites
and for all the goodness You do for us, as well!
Please forgive us for the sins we have committed against You,
especially for our lack of trust and for our times of disobedience.
Oh, let us learn from Your Word, and from the examples You have given us!
You are SO good to us always;
there is nothing we have or could do to deserve it! Abba Father,
we LOVE You soooo much!!!!
ALL glory and honor belongs to YOU!!!! Amen.
1 comment:
thanks for sharing your "tent" with a fellow sojourner in this alien land. Your wisdom and learning brings new Truth to my heart as well.
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