Day 1149: An example of meekness – Exodus 18 vs 13 - 27

13-14 The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening. When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning till evening?” 15-16 And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God; when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make them know the statutes of God and his laws.” 17-19 Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone. Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you!

20 You shall represent the people before God and bring their cases to God, and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do. 21-22 Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. And let them judge the people at all times. Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. 23 If you do this, God will direct you, you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.”

24-27 So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. And they judged the people at all times. Any hard case they brought to Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves. Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went away to his own country. Exodus 18:13-27 English Standard Version

God did not bring angels out of Egypt! Nor did he bring out mature, well instructed Christians. He brought out a people who quarrelled, fell out with each other, and were open to taking bribes. Sad to say, they were people just like us. And Moses' father-in-law, Jethro, saw that Moses would soon burn himself out trying to settle the many disputes that arose. “What you're doing is not good”, he said, “now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you!”

The heart of the problem was that Moses was trying to do the work on his own. “You, and the people, will wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you” said Jethro. This is a principle that's just as true for much Christian endeavour. The load is heavy, and is far better shared. Jesus sent His disciples out in pairs. The apostle Paul told the Philippians: “You know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel.”

And, just as important, Moses was to teach the people and “warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do.” This is what discipleship is all about. The role of pastors and elders is to teach Christians everything God has revealed in His word, so they might make wise choices in their lives. Paul wrote of this and said: “Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ!” Ephesians 4:17-20

And Moses was to 'appoint elders'. “Look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people.” Many years later the Church is still called to appoint men who are “above reproach, not arrogant or quick-tempered, or a drunkard or greedy for gain.” So Moses did what his father-in-law suggested. He was not too haughty, nor to stubborn headed, to take on board godly advice. Numbers 12:3 says that “the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth.” No wonder then that he was able to judge the great cases that were too hard for the people.