Now Jethro, the priest of Midian and father-in-law of Moses, heard of everything God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, and how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt. —Exodus 18:1 NIV
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. —Exodus 18:5 NIV
So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. They greeted each other and then went into the tent. —Exodus 18:7 NIV
1. Great father figures should be
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. —Exodus 18:8 NIV
Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good things the LORD had done for Israel in rescuing them from the hand of the Egyptians. —Exodus 18:9 NIV
2. Great father figures
The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. —Exodus 18:13 NIV
When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, “What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?” —Exodus 18:14 NIV
3. Great father figures ask great
15 Moses answered him, “Because the people come to me to seek God’s will. 16 Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and instructions.” —Exodus 18:15–16 NIV
4. Great father figures make it easy to give an
Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good. —Exodus 18:17 NIV
5. Great father figures tell us the
You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. —Exodus 18:18 NIV
6. Great father figures
Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him. —Exodus 18:19 NIV
7. Great father figures give advice in a way that make you
Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him. —Exodus 18:19 NIV
8. Great father figures can help you prioritize what is most
20 Teach them his decrees and instructions, and show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave. 21 But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 22 Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. —Exodus 18:20–22 NIV
If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.” —Exodus 18:23 NIV
9. Great Godly father figures know that their
If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.” —Exodus 18:23 NIV
Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. —Exodus 18:24 NIV
Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own country. —Exodus 18:27 NIV