Year of the Bible
Exodus 18
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Commentary on the Book of Exodus, Chapter 18:
As the people of God continue their travels from Egypt, Moses meets his father-in-law, Jethro. This offers an opportunity to review the great work God had done in freeing His people. We discover that Moses’ responsibilities include settling disputes, and Jethro realizes this will exhaust Moses and prevent him from being an effective leader. Jethro recommends that Moses limit his role to mediating between God and His people and that Moses choose honorable men to settle the people’s disputes. This sharing of responsibility allows Moses to focus on only the hardest cases within the community and enables others to exercise their gifts in service to the community.
The Book of Exodus, Chapter 18:
Jethro’s Counsel to Moses
1 Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt. 2 Now Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, had taken Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her away, 3 and her two sons, of whom the name of the one was Gershom (for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land”), 4 and the name of the other, Eliezer (for he said, “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh”). 5 And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was encamped at the mountain of God. 6 And when one told Moses, “Behold, your father-in-law Jethro is coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her,” 7 Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and did obeisance and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare, and went into the tent. 8 Then Moses told his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship that had come upon them in the way, and how the LORD had delivered them. 9 And Jethro rejoiced for all the good which the LORD had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians.
10 And Jethro said, “Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh. 11 Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods, because he delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians, when they dealt arrogantly with them.” 12 And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, offered a burnt offering and sacrifices to God; and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God.
13 The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood about Moses from morning till evening. 14 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 about you from morning till evening?” 15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God; 16 when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between a man and his neighbor, and I make them know the statutes of God and his decisions.” 17 Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. 18 You and the people with you will wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you; you are not able to perform it alone. 19 Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God, and bring their cases to God; 20 and you shall teach them the statutes and the decisions, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do. 21 Moreover choose able men from all the people, such as fear God, men who are trustworthy and who hate a bribe; and place such men over the people as rulers of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 22 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, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.”
24 So Moses gave heed to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. 25 Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 26 And they judged the people at all times; hard cases they brought to Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves. 27 Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way to his own country.
*Daily Lectio Divina Question:
"You cannot do it alone" (18:18) How willing are we to ask for help with things? In all humility Moses took Jethro's advice and appointed minor judges to help make decisions. Lord, grant me the grace to ask for help and empower others.
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Jetró, sacerdote de Madián, suegro
de Moisés, se enteró de todo lo que
Dios había hecho con Moisés y con Israel
su pueblo, y cómo el Señor había sacado
a Israel de Egipto. 2 Entonces Jetró, suegro
de Moisés, tomó a Séfora, mujer de Moisés,
a la que éste había abandonado, 3 y a
sus dos hijos: el uno llamado Guersom, porque
Moisés dijo: «Huésped he sido en tierra
extranjera»; 4 y el otro Eliézer, porque dijo
Moisés: «El Dios de mi padre es mi protección
y me ha librado de la espada del Faraón
».
5 Se llegó, pues, Jetró, suegro de Moisés,
con los hijos y con la mujer hasta
Moisés en el desierto donde estaba
acampado al pie del monte de Dios. 6 Y
le hizo saber a Moisés:
–Yo, Jetró, tu suegro, vengo hasta ti
con tu mujer y tus dos hijos.
7 Moisés entonces salió al encuentro
de su suegro Jetró, se postró y le besó. Se
saludaron mutuamente y entraron en la
tienda. 8 Moisés contó a su suegro todo
lo que había hecho el Señor con el Faraón
y con los egipcios en favor de Is-
rael; y todas las adversidades que les habían
sobrevenido en el camino y cómo
el Señor les había librado de ellas. 9 Se
alegró Jetró de todo el bien que el Señor
había hecho a Israel, librándolo de
la mano de los egipcios, 10 y dijo:
–Bendito sea el Señor, que os ha librado
de la mano de los egipcios y de
la mano del Faraón. 11 Ahora reconozco
que el Señor es más grande que todos
los dioses, porque ha librado al pueblo
de la mano de los egipcios precisamente
cuando con más insolencia los trataban.
12 Después Jetró, suegro de Moisés,
ofreció un holocausto y sacrificios
a Dios: Aarón y todos los ancianos de
Israel vinieron a participar de la comida
con el suegro de Moisés en presencia
de Dios.
13 Al día siguiente Moisés se sentó
para administrar justicia entre el pueblo;
y el pueblo estuvo ante Moisés desde
la mañana hasta la noche. 14 Al ver el
suegro de Moisés todo lo que éste hacía
por el pueblo, le dijo:
–¿Qué sentido tiene que tú hagas
esto por el pueblo? ¿Por qué eres tú el
único que te sientas, haciendo que el
pueblo entero tenga que permanecer
ante ti desde la mañana hasta la noche?
15 Contestó Moisés a su suegro:
–Es que el pueblo viene a mí para
consultar a Dios; 16 cuando tienen un
pleito vienen a mí y yo administro justicia
entre unos y otros, dándoles a conocer
los decretos y las leyes de Dios.
17 Entonces el suegro de Moisés le
dijo:
–No está bien lo que haces. 18 Te agotarás
por completo tú y este pueblo que
te acompaña; es éste un quehacer demasiado
pesado para ti y no podrás llevarlo
a cabo tú solo. 19 Así pues, escúchame;
voy a darte un consejo y que Dios esté
contigo: Sé tú valedor del pueblo ante
Dios, y presenta ante Dios sus asuntos;
20 enseña al pueblo los decretos y las leyes,
y dales a conocer el camino que deben
seguir y las obras que deben realizar.
21 Pero elígete de entre el pueblo
hombres probados, temerosos de Dios,
hombres fieles y honrados, y colócalos
al frente, como jefes de mil, de cien,
de cincuenta y de diez. 22 Que sean ellos
quienes juzguen al pueblo en todo momento:
que te presenten a ti los asuntos
graves, pero en los demás que juzguen
ellos. Así se aliviará el peso que llevas
encima y ellos lo compartirán contigo.
23 Si atiendes mi advertencia, Dios mismo
te dará instrucciones, tu podrás resistir
y, además, este pueblo podrá volver
en paz a su puesto.
24 Escuchó Moisés la voz de su suegro
e hizo todo lo que le indicó. 25 Escogió,
pues, hombres probados entre todo
Israel y los colocó al frente del pueblo,
como jefes de mil, de cien, de cincuenta
y de diez. 26 Ellos juzgaban al pueblo en
todo momento; los asuntos más graves
se los presentaban a Moisés, y en los demás
juzgaban ellos. 27 Moisés despidió a
su suegro que se volvió a su tierra.
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