Exodus 17:8-18:27

Exodus 17:8-18:27

This is the first mention of Joshua in the Bible, and it appears from the start that he is a faithful man. He is trustworthy enough that Moses put him in charge of the Israelite army in their very first battle. Amalek came up against Israel, and I am sure that the Israelites probably felt overwhelmed, wondering why another trial had come upon them. But their leaders, led by God, took charge. God told Moses that as long as he held up his arm, God would give him strength to overcome Amalek. So Moses did just as the Lord had commanded, but he grew weary. This is a perfect example of how some things that we are commanded to do are not easy. It may require a lot of us, and we may grow weary and tired before we accomplish God’s tasks. But we must learn to persevere as Moses did. The good news is that we do not have to do it alone. For one, Moses had God’s strength in accomplishing this task. It was not Moses’ arms that were defeating Amalek, but God’s power through Moses and the Israelites. Secondly, Moses had the strength of his friends. They stood by his side, and when he could not go any further, they helped him. We too need people in our lives that will strengthen us in our faith, that will guide us along the right path. We cannot do it alone. God is our primary source of strength, but He has also given us friends to help us as well.

In Exodus 18 Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, meets up with Moses. Apparently Moses’ wife and two sons had not been with Moses all the time that he had met with Pharaoh. They did not leave Egypt with him along with the Israelites. They had remained outside of Egypt where Moses had fled to at the beginning of Exodus. But now they were finally coming to meet back up with Moses. Moses told Jethro of all that God had done with Egypt, showing Jethro who God is. It became obvious to Jethro that this God (the only God) is greater than any other “god.” God had performed all these signs and wonders in order to show His power to everyone (Israelites, Egyptians, and any other country who saw His power). This is proof that God had made Himself known to all.

Jethro then gives Moses some advice on leading Israel. He sees that Moses is over all the hundreds of thousands to millions of Israelites and realizes that it is an overwhelming task for just one man. He suggests that Moses choose men to help him rule, placing a certain number of men over so many Israelites. This would provide a hierarchy that would help Moses more easily manage the different disputes in Israel. So Moses does this and begins to organize the people of Israel. Now although this is not a direct command from God, this story does show how God can use people in our lives. Certain people are placed in our lives to give us advice that will sometimes make our lives easier or more manageable. It is important that we have godly people in our lives that will not only strengthen us but that will be there for us when we need direction or advice. That is what Aaron, Hur, and Jethro were for Moses.

Matt