moses and jethro relationship
Now ask someone to read Exodus 18:812. (Ex 3:1; Jg 1:16) Jethro is also called Reuel. You can come up with your own. He is introduced in Exodus 2:18. 7:7), so also Jethro blesses Moses by helping him judge the people better, thereby demonstrating that Moses is not the savior of the world. Whats so important to see here is that Jethro, the high priest of Midian, converts not because of a warm feeling, or because he thinks that Yahweh worship is beautiful, or because he feels that the worshipers of Yahweh were nicer or better in some way than other worshipers. Jethro is a title, meaning: Overflowing (excellency). Why not rather be defrauded? There is strong evidence that Judges 4:11, regarding Hobab, should be translated Moses brother-in-law, because the Hebrew word simply means one who is related by marriage. 25 and Soah 43a, "Judges 4 / Hebrew - English Bible / Mechon-Mamre", http://jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=258&letter=J&search=Jethro#1035, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jethro_(biblical_figure)&oldid=1162383936, This page was last edited on 28 June 2023, at 19:50. Midianites lived in the northwest region of the Arabian Desert. It may also be possible that Ive too often seen the Charlton Heston version of The Ten Commandments, and Jethro plays a small role in the film, offering hospitality to Moses. What was the source of the pre-Abrahamic genealogies in the Genesis scrolls? In Exodus 27:18-23, God called Moses to transfer his mentoring spirit as the leader of Israel to Joshua. The time Moses spent with his father-in-law, after fleeing from Egypt, is said to have been forty years. He is a reluctant leader who ascended to his position only at God's insistence. The author of more than 30 novels, plays and profiles of Biblical figures, Elie Wiesel received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986. The gospel is about God and what God has objectively done in history. In Exodus 18:11, Jethro says, "Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods, for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly.". Moses and Jethro: 3 Life Lessons From Exodus 18 I feel some credence could be given to David Rohls suggestion (The Lost Testament chapter nine pp 188-189) that Jethro, as a descendant of Abraham, would have been more familiar with the traditions and fireside stories about his lineage than the Hebrew slaves in Egypt. [16][17] He is called Shuayb and viewed as the most important prophet for the Druze. 16, iv. Bible Studies for Life: June 4 - - Journal of the Mississippi Baptist 2:18, 21; in Exodus 2, Jethro goes by the name "Reuel"). Jethro was most likely Moses brother-on-law. In Exodus Moses takes his leave of Jethro by Jan Victors, c. 1635, from the incident in Exodus 4:18. Moses has not earned the designation "father" and he does not even attempt a rebuttal. Moses had worked for Jethro as a shepherd for more than 40 years before he heard a voice from God calling him to rescue the Hebrew people in his burning bush experience (Exodus 3). The Bible does not say when Zipporah and her sons rejoined Reuel/Jethro, only that after he heard of what God did for the Israelites, he brought Moses' family to him. His occasional series for BR will focus on characters in the Bible that do not occupy center stagethose who play supporting roles. However, the Hebrew expression normally rendered father-in-law can in a broader sense denote any male relative by marriage and so could also be understood as brother-in-law. To say that Hobab instead of Jethro was Moses father-in-law would disagree with other texts. Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? Grateful, Jethro invited Moses to stay and break bread with him: Moses consented to stay with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah as wife (Exodus 2:21).Later, when Moses returns from freeing the Israelites from Egypt, Jethro proclaims the Israelite Gods glory, saying, Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods (Exodus 18:11). His people were destroyed because of their corruption except for the believers. Exodus 18 contains something of an interlude between the stories of the exodus of Israel out of Egypt and their wilderness wanderings on one side, and the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai on the other side. They should judge simple cases and bring the more difficult ones to Moses. This online publication is adapted from Wiesels article Supporting Roles: Jethro, which was published in Bible Review in June 1998. While the Israelites/Hebrews were captives in Egypt, Moses killed an Egyptian who was striking a Hebrew, for which offense Pharaoh sought to kill Moses. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, Fruitfulness & Faithfulness: The Mission and Mandate of Every Christian, Jethro was a foreign priest of Midian (Ex. The Israelite Samaritan Version of the Torah: First English Translation Compared with the Masoretic Version. His wife Sarah bore him Isaac, whose children became the Hebrews. (13-27) Verses 1-6 Jethro came to rejoice with Moses in the happiness of Israel, and to bring his wife and children to him. In Marcel Proust's story Swann's Way (1913), Swann is struck by the resemblance of his eventual wife Odette to Sandro Botticellis painting of Zipporah in a Sistine Chapel fresco, and this recognition is the catalyst for his obsession with her. Converted to the Jewish faith!!! 7 So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. Jethro was very excited about how God blessed and used Moses. First, Jethro acknowledges that the plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, and leading the entire cadre of Jews into the wilderness were miracles that only God could do. Moses jumps in to help the women and learns that they are the daughters of a man named Jethro (also called Reuel), the priest of Midian. According to the Illustrated Dictionary and Concordance of the Bible, the names Jethro and Reuel represent two different traditions but refer to the same character., Jethro took Moses in. Moses had worked for Jethro for 40 years and therefore knew him quite well as a man of integrity. Illustrated Dictionary and Concordance of the Bible, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. It is meant as a reproach for their ingratitude: Despite all the miracles that were performed for you, you have not believed enough to praise the Lord until Jethro did.. Moses's delight in seeing Jethro is palpable. And Jethro ends his talk on organizational structure this way at the end of v. 22 () , "it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden WITH you. [15], Jethro, Moses' non-Hebrew father-in-law, is a central figure, particularly in the rites and pilgrimages, of the Druze religion. [5][6][7] For the Druze, Shuayb is considered the most important prophet, and the ancestor of all Druze.[8][9]. [15][16][17][18][19] Moses was allowed to wed Zipporah after helping save Jethro's daughters and their flock from competing herdsmen. They last appear in the Bible as Gideon drives them out into the west to Palestine. Jethro had a familial relationship with . He worked as a shepherd for his father-in-law and had two sons with Zipporah. Pharaoh's daughter finds baby Moses in the basket on the Nile River and adopts him into the Egyptian royal family. For most, he is considered to have converted to the Jewish faith. It was not good for Moses because he was going to wear away. By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. [18][19], Nabi Shuayb is the site recognized by Druze as the tomb of Shuayb. Sorry Paul, but for me the Zohar and most of the other rabbinic writings (excluding Maimonides) are little short of fairy tales. Following this event, it was Jethro who encouraged Moses to appoint others to share in the burden of ministry to the nation Israel by allowing others to help in the judgment of smaller matters coming before him. Bright (2002:2) defines leadership as "a relationship in which one person seeks to influence the thoughts, behaviours, believes and value of another person." Furthermore, Joyce (2006:23) opines that leadership is the art of combining ideas, people, things, time and faith to . No doubt, this relationship relationship had been cultivated over the forty year period that Moses was a shepherd in the wilderness (Exodus 3:1). In Sh'mot ( Ex. Jethro then tells Moses what all leaders need to know: how to delegate. Then he "brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with Moses' father-in-law in the presence of God .". After this amazing holy ground encounter with God, Moses asks Jethro for permission to leave with his wife and sons to find his people back in Egypt. THE VISIT OF JETHRO. After Jethro blessed Moses, Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own country (Exodus 18:27). Previously she served as Marketing Communications Director for a large healthcare system. But there were well over 1.5 million. It was likely Zipporah, and calling her a woman from Cush (a part of Northern Africa) was a racist slight because her skin was darker than the Israelites. Surprisingly, even the non-religious site Britannica.com reports the plagues have a historical basis. One can ony wonder: are we here dealing with two different traditions? When Pharaoh finally gave in, the Jews crossed the opened Red Sea and began to make their way through the wilderness. Paul is urging us to try our cases within the church by consulting someone among you wise enough to settle a dispute rather than dragging each other before the unrighteous courts of the world, spoiling our witness and making a mockery of the gospel. The Complex Relationship of Moses and God | Reform Judaism In other words, in this account Jethro appears more loyal to his faith than Moses does to his. In 1986, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Read more. He wanders in the wilderness and comes upon a group of women tending their flocks who are being harassed by men attempting to chase off their flocks. He questioned Moses' method (18:14). Another example in this series of posts about GBs in The Bible is the relationship between Jethro and his son-in-law, Moses. 1. When Jethro saw this, he was shocked, concerned that Moses would wear himself and the people of Israel out if he continued to work at that pace. Enduring Word Bible Commentary Exodus Chapter 18 The Untold Story of Zipporah, Wife of Moses - Chabad.org (1-6) Moses entertains Jethro. God then left Moses alone (Exodus 4:2426). I must admit that I wanted to write about Jethro, Moses father-in-law, because he is one of those characters Ive unfortunately passed over when reading the Bible. [14]:248,253254, In the Druze religion, Zipporah's father Jethro is revered as the spiritual founder, chief prophet, and ancestor of all Druze. (Ex 18:1-12) The next day, Jethro observed Moses listening to the problems of the Israelites from the morning till the evening. Perceiving how exhausting this was for both Moses and the people, Jethro suggested a system of delegating authority. [20] It has been expressed by prominent Druze such as Amal Nasser el-Din[21] and Salman Tarif, who was a prominent Druze shaykh, that this makes the Druze related to the Jews through marriage. Pharaoh and the mighty Egyptian army were humiliated and the news of the exodus quickly spread. Jethro is called a priest of Midian and became father-in-law of Moses after he gave his daughter, Zipporah, in marriage to Moses. This criticism displeases God, who punishes Miriam with tzaraath (often glossed as leprosy). PDF July 10, 2022 Jethro and Moses - A Mentoring Relationship - Foothills Yethro, if ever existed, was just a priest of Midianatic God. This early 13th-century illustration from the Bible moralise depicts Jethro (seated under the arch on the right) rewarding Moses (left) for rescuing his daughters (six of whom are pictured in the center) and their flocks from rival shepherds. After some 40 years of caring for Jethros flocks in the vicinity of Mount Horeb (Sinai), Moses was summoned by Jehovah back to Egypt, and he returned with his father-in-laws good wishes.Ex 2:15-22; 3:1; 4:18; Ac 7:29, 30. Wm. He would listen to their problems, plead to the Lord on their behalf, and solve the disputations among them. Yes, I agree that Jethro knew Jehovah, he was a descendant of Abraham through his wife Keturah. (Nu 10:29-33) Judges 4:11 calls Hobab the father-in-law of Moses rather than his brother-in-law, and this has caused difficulty in understanding. Without a close relationship built by trust, love, and mutual commitment, mentoring will not work. "His Excellence/Posterity"; Arabic: , romanized:Yathrn) was Moses' father-in-law, a Kenite shepherd and priest of Midian,[1] sometimes named as Reuel (or Raguel). All rights reserved. Person to Person - Jethro and Moses - The Greater Heritage Zipporah - Wikipedia He was happy when things were going well for Moses. How Should Christians View the Quiverfull Movement? Apparently, Hobab was a common Midianite name, and it was needful to distinguish this particular tribal member from the others sojourning with the nation of Israel. Moses and Jethro Creating a Model of Leadership - Reform Judaism The sages go so far as to exaggerate his virtues. God calls him to know Him as the great I Am and to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses wasnt even Jewish, but he was Israelite, of which Judahites (later Jews) were a tribe, then more or less a nation (Judah). This isnt a knock on Moses, but a biblical acknowledgment that Moses isnt the end of the story. This would be a job for someone possessing the strength of youth, accuity of senses, and Hobab was the man. Zipporah, or Tzipora (/ z p r , z p r /; Hebrew: , ippr, "bird"), is mentioned in the Book of Exodus as the wife of Moses, and the daughter of Reuel/Jethro, the priest and prince of Midian.. She is the mother of Moses' two sons: Eliezer, and Gershom. He is mentioned three times in the Pentateuch, once in the Prophets and in numerous places in rabbinic literature. But this neat arrangement of 40 (Egypt) 40 (Midian) 40 (desert)=120 is in part challenged in the book of Exodus. Noah gets drunk and sleeps naked in his tent. Thus, there were not 600,000 men and women with Moses. Because Yahweh had objectively defeated the Egyptians and their gods to redeem Israel out of their bondage. Moses flees across to Midian (in northwestern Saudi Arabia) where he meets a priest named Jethro, who becomes his father-in-law when Moses marries the priests daughter, Zipporah. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Why Is it Important to Remember That Jesus Was Jewish? Jethros association with his future son-in-law began shortly after Moses fled from Egypt in 1553 B.C.E. This is why Zipporah knows what to do in Exod 4:24-6. Train other capable and worthy men as chiefs over tens, fifties, hundreds, and thousands to decide cases, so that you will hear only what they cannot handle. Moses agreed, and later Jethro returned to his own land.Ex 18:13-27. Now I know that the Lord is greater than all the gods; for in the very thing in which they behaved proudly, He was above them". By clicking below to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Box 682789, Franklin, TN 37068, 4017 Rural Plains Circle, Franklin, TN 37064, DR UPDATE: CHAIN SAW TEAMS NEEDED IN MEMPHIS AREA. [11], The Samaritan Pentateuch text refers to Moses' wife Zipporah as "Kaashet" (which translates to "the beautiful woman"), rather than "Cushit" ("black woman" or "Cushite woman"). After Moses succeeded in taking the Israelites out of Egypt, and won a battle against Amalek, Reuel came to the Hebrew camp in the wilderness of Sinai, bringing with him Zipporah and their two sons, Gershom and Eliezer. We read in Exodus 18:1 that Jethro hears of all of the miracles that God has performed for His people and goes out to visit Moses to see this amazing thing that has been done. His daughter Zipporah and her two children by Moses Gershom and Eliezer. 18:1518). ", In Numbers 10:29, the Hebrew for the name Raguel is the same as the Hebrew for Reuel. He chose workers, delegated authority to them, and they got busy judging (18:21,24-26). To be sure, Jethro is shown in a positive light. Dig into more than 9,000 articles in the Biblical Archaeology Societys vast library plus much morewith an All-Access pass. Important work, but not what she felt called to do. Who were the Midianites? | GotQuestions.org Chapter 18. In the Torah/Old Testament, Zipporah was one of the seven daughters of Jethro, a Kenite shepherd who was a priest of Midian. Notice several things we can learn about mentoring for their relationship in Exodus 18. Nothing is said about a possible trip when they would have been brought back to Midian apart from the group led by Moses. They greeted one another. 3:11) Moses asks God, "Who am I?". He could have ignored Jethro as soon as he suggested that what he was doing wasn't good or he could continue listening to what he had to say. We can also learn that character counts when we decide who to listen to. 8 years of Archaeology Odyssey online, exploring the ancient roots of the Western world in a scholarly and entertaining way, The New Encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land. Each time he married off a daughter, he changed his name and moved to avoid the bill collectors. They call him Ger shel emeta genuine convert or a convert to the truth. Jethro is seated on the left, in red. [27] She is the main character in Marek Halter's novel Zipporah, Wife of Moses (2005).[28]. These Read more, My year-long journey through The MANual, my NIV Bible for Men, has reached the end of the Christian New Testament. It was not good for the people because they had to wait all day. No one would ever accuse him of nepotism. 2 Now Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, had taken Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her home, 3 along with her two sons. Mentoring Program - Officers' Christian Fellowship He got at least as excited if not more excited than Moses over what God had done for him.
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