OceanSide church of Christ




Click here to see all of the YouTube videos belonging to OceanSide
(opens in a new browser)

 Previous Return to Sermons Next  Click to download Audio

JETHRO:  THE PRIEST OF MIDIAN

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.     He is mentioned by name 12 times in the Bible.

 

B.      One entire chapter of the Bible involves this man.

 

C.     I looked at 16 books dealing with characters of the Bible and only 2 had information about him.

1.       One had a small paragraph about him.

2.       The other only had a couple of paragraphs of information about him.

 

D.     The first time we read about him is in Exodus 2:18

 

And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon today?

 

1.       The name Reuel is not the name of which we are familiar.

2.       However, this name is revealing about this man.  It means:  “friend of God.”

a.       What is it that makes a person a friend of deity?

b.      Jesus provided this answer during His earthly ministry (John 15:14).

 

Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

 

c.       This man must have been obedient to Jehovah.  At least his name indicates that he was.

 

E.      We know this man primarily by the name Jethro.

1.       This name is used 10 times in the KJV in reference to Reuel.

2.       This name means:  “his abundance” or “his excellence.”

3.       He is known for two positions that he held.

a.       He was the priest of Midian.

b.      He was the father-in-law of Moses.

 

F.      In this lesson, we will examine a few things about this man and make application of him to our lives.

 

I.                    A PRIEST OF MIDIAN

 

A.     When Moses fled from Pharaoh at the age of 40, he went to the land of Midian.

1.       It is located “in the northwest Arabian Peninsula, on the east shore of the Gulf of Aqaba on the Red Sea.

2.       Map:

Midianites

B.      God’s providence brought him in contact with Jethro, “the priest of Midian.”

1.       While Moses sat by a well in Midian, seven young ladies came in order to water their father’s flock.

2.       When shepherds came and drove them away, Moses assisted them, “and watered their flock” (Exo. 2:17).

3.       These were the daughters of “the priest of Midian” (Exo. 2:16).

4.       When Jethro learned of the heroic efforts of Moses on behalf of his daughters, he told his daughters to find him and invite them to his home (Exo. 2:20).

5.       Moses came.  These men became friends.  Exodus 2:21 tells us:  “And Moses was content to dwell with him…”

 

C.     Three times Jethro is referred as “the priest of Midian” (Exo. 2:16; 3:1; 18:1).

1.       We know hardly anything about the priests of God who existed in the days of Patriarchy.

2.       In Genesis 14:18, we read of another priest named Melchizedek.  He is called “the priest of the most high God.”

3.       Priests carried out two main functions:

a.       They were a spiritual guide to others.

b.      They were go-betweens, that is, they stood between man and God and offered sacrifices on their behalf.

4.       Early in his life, Moses received spiritual training from his mother who nursed him.  From the age of 40 until the age of 80, he would receive spiritual training from Jethro, the priest of Midian.

 

II.                 HE WAS A DILIGENT FATHER

 

A.     As we have already read, Jethro had 7 daughters.

 

B.      When we first read about them, they were carrying out duties on their father’s behalf (Exo. 2:16).

 

Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters:  and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock.

 

1.       These ladies were given the task of shepherds.

a.       This was not a simple task.

b.      They had to find pastures for them.  They had to find wells and rivers of water for them to drink.  They would also be charged with protecting the flock if it were attacked.

2.       LESSON:  Parents can learn a lesson from Jethro.  They need to teach their children to work and labor with their hands. 

a.       Parents need to assign them chores around the house, even at an early age (Ex., Samuel in the house of Eli, “…and the child did minister unto the Lord before Eli the priest” 1 Sam. 2:12). 

b.      It is not that our children cannot do difficult tasks at a young age.  Parents just no longer require it of them. 

c.       Many children have become parasites instead of a profit to the home and society.

d.      Proverbs 22:6

 

Train up a child in the way he should go:  and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

 

C.     Jethro also gave one of his daughters to Moses as a wife (Exo. 12:21b).

…and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.

 

1.       Marriages were different in the culture of Moses and Jethro.

2.       The parents had a tremendous amount of input into the individuals their children would marry.

3.       Jethro saw something very positive in Moses and allowed him to be the husband of one of his daughters.

a.       It is interesting that Moses is also called “the friend of God” in Scripture (2 Chron. 20:7; Isa. 41:8; James 2:23).

 

And the Scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness:  and he was called the Friend of God.

 

                                    Thus, a friend of God gave his daughter to another friend of God.

b.      Moses was a man of responsibility.  “Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian…” (Exo. 3:1).

c.       Moses was a man of faith in God.  In the book of Hebrews, three actions of Moses are said to have been done “by faith (Heb. 11:24-28).

1)      He refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.

2)      He forsook Egypt not fearing the wrath of the king.

3)      He kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood.

 

III.              JETHRO WAS A SUPPORTER AND A COUNSELOR TO MOSES

 

A.     He allowed Moses to leave his home and return to Egypt to lead his people out of bondage (Exo. 4:18a).

 

And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father in law, and said unto him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren which are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive…

 

1.       This would be a difficult request to allow.

a.       First, it would mean that his daughter and grandsons would be leaving him.

b.      Second, he would lose a valuable laborer in his home when Moses departed.

2.       But, his answer was:  “Go in peace” (Exo. 4:18b).

3.       NOTE:  Moses did not receive hardship like Jacob did when he attempted to leave his father-in-law, Laban.

 

B.      At some point during the plagues that were brought upon Egypt, Moses sent Zipporah and their sons back to Jethro and he cared for them (See Exo. 18:2).

 

…after he had sent her back.

 

1.       Moses was probably concerned for their safety.

2.       This would be a big task for Jethro.  There was a possibility that Moses might never return for them.

3.       Once Moses and Israel were encamped at the mount of God, Jethro brought them back to Moses (Exo. 18:5).

 

And Jethro, Moses’ father in law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses in the wilderness, where he encamped in the mount of God.

 

 

C.     Jethro praised God for his deliverance of Israel from the Egyptians (Exo. 18:7-12).

1.       The reunion (Exo. 18:7)

 

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.

 

2.       The report (Exo. 18:8)

a.       “…all that the Lord had done…for Israel’s sake

b.      “…how the Lord had delivered them.”

3.       The rejoicing (Exo. 18:9-11)

a.       “And Jethro rejoiced…”

b.      “And Jethro said, Blessed be the Lord…”

c.       “Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods…”

4.       The reverence (Exo. 18:12a)

 

And Jethro, Moses’ father in law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God…

 

5.       The reception (Exo. 18:12b)

 

…and Aaron, came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses; father in law before God.

 

D.     Jethro counseled Moses with regard to judging the people.

1.       The problem (Exo. 18:13)

 

And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people:  and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening.

 

2.       The perplexity (Exo. 18:14-18)

a.       Question:  “What is this thing that thou doest to the people? (Exo. 18:14)

b.      Statement:  “”The thing that thou doest is not good” (Exo. 18:17).

c.       Concern:  “Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee…” (Exo. 18:18).

3.       The proposal (Exo. 18:19-23)

a.       “Hearken now unto my voice, and I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee…” (v. 19).

b.      Three things that were proposed:

1)      Moses would teach ordinances and laws (v. 20)

2)      Able men would be appointed over group thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.  They would judge the small matters (v. 21)

3)      Moses would only have to judge the great matters (v. 22).

4.       The performance (Exo. 18:24)

 

So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he said.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.     I have only ever known of two Jethros:  Jethro Bodine of the “Beverly Hillbillies” and Jethro, the priest of Midian.

 

B.      One of these individuals was entertaining.  The other is extremely informative. 

 

C.     Each of needs to study the Jethro of the Bible more.  We need to follow his example.