2. Jethro: Introduction He was a Midianite (Ex. 2:15-16) –Descendents of Abraham through Keturah (Gen. 25:1-6) –An idolatrous & wicked people (Num. 22:7; 25:6-8) –God commanded Israel to destroy them (Num. 31:1-20) –Jethro lived in the Sinai peninsula (Ex. 2:15; 3:1) His occupation –Priest of Midian (Ex. 2:16; 3:1; 18:1) –Perhaps a shepherd (Ex. 2:15; 3:1) His family –7 daughters (Ex. 2:16); at least one son (Num. 10:29) –Daughter, Zipporah, married Moses (Ex. 2:21) –Moses & Zipporah had two sons (Ex. 2:22; 18:3-4) He was a Midianite (Ex. 2:15-16) –Descendents of Abraham through Keturah (Gen. 25:1-6) –An idolatrous & wicked people (Num. 22:7; 25:6-8) –God commanded Israel to destroy them (Num. 31:1-20) –Jethro lived in the Sinai peninsula (Ex. 2:15; 3:1) His occupation –Priest of Midian (Ex. 2:16; 3:1; 18:1) –Perhaps a shepherd (Ex. 2:15; 3:1) His family –7 daughters (Ex. 2:16); at least one son (Num. 10:29) –Daughter, Zipporah, married Moses (Ex. 2:21) –Moses & Zipporah had two sons (Ex. 2:22; 18:3-4)

3. Jethro: Lessons We Need to Learn He was a grateful & hospitable man. –He wanted to meet the man who helped his daughters with the flock (Ex. 2:20) –He wanted to feed the man who helped his daughters with the flock (2:20) –He was kind and sympathetic to a man in need –He was trusting and helpful to a stranger –He was willing to house Moses in his home for 40 years (2:21; cf. Acts 7:30) He was a grateful & hospitable man. –He wanted to meet the man who helped his daughters with the flock (Ex. 2:20) –He wanted to feed the man who helped his daughters with the flock (2:20) –He was kind and sympathetic to a man in need –He was trusting and helpful to a stranger –He was willing to house Moses in his home for 40 years (2:21; cf. Acts 7:30)

4. Jethro: Lessons We Need to Learn He was a grateful & hospitable man. He was a generous & helpful man. –Gladly gave his daughter up to serve God with her husband in a distant land (Ex. 2:21-22) –He helped Moses to grow & mature:  Giving him a place to stay away from home  Giving him a job to do – as a shepherd (3:1) –Permitted, without argument, Moses to return to Egypt after 40 years, taking his family (4:18-20) –Kept Zipporah & boys while Moses was on his “dangerous” mission (18:2-6; 4:24-26) He was a grateful & hospitable man. He was a generous & helpful man. –Gladly gave his daughter up to serve God with her husband in a distant land (Ex. 2:21-22) –He helped Moses to grow & mature:  Giving him a place to stay away from home  Giving him a job to do – as a shepherd (3:1) –Permitted, without argument, Moses to return to Egypt after 40 years, taking his family (4:18-20) –Kept Zipporah & boys while Moses was on his “dangerous” mission (18:2-6; 4:24-26)

5. Jethro: Lessons We Need to Learn He was a grateful & hospitable man. He was a generous & helpful man. He was a respected & loved man. –The fact that Moses asked permission to return to Egypt shows his respect for Jethro (Ex. 4:18) –Obvious his daughters loved & respected him  Told him the truth about Moses (2:19)  Lived with him for 40 years after marriage  Lived with him while Moses was in Egypt (18:2-6) –When met at Sinai, Moses bowed down, kissed him & told him all God had done (18:7-8). He was a grateful & hospitable man. He was a generous & helpful man. He was a respected & loved man. –The fact that Moses asked permission to return to Egypt shows his respect for Jethro (Ex. 4:18) –Obvious his daughters loved & respected him  Told him the truth about Moses (2:19)  Lived with him for 40 years after marriage  Lived with him while Moses was in Egypt (18:2-6) –When met at Sinai, Moses bowed down, kissed him & told him all God had done (18:7-8).

6. Jethro: Lessons We Need to Learn He was a grateful & hospitable man. He was a generous & helpful man. He was a respected & loved man. He had a deep reverence for God. –When he heard “all that the Lord had done…and how the Lord had delivered them” (Ex. 18:8):  He rejoiced (18:9)  He said, “Blessed be the Lord” (18:10)  He then said, “Now I know that the Lord is greater than all the gods…above them” (18:11) –He saw the blessings, goodness & care of God! He was a grateful & hospitable man. He was a generous & helpful man. He was a respected & loved man. He had a deep reverence for God. –When he heard “all that the Lord had done…and how the Lord had delivered them” (Ex. 18:8):  He rejoiced (18:9)  He said, “Blessed be the Lord” (18:10)  He then said, “Now I know that the Lord is greater than all the gods…above them” (18:11) –He saw the blessings, goodness & care of God!

7. Jethro: Lessons We Need to Learn He was a grateful & hospitable man. He was a generous & helpful man. He was a respected & loved man. He had a deep reverence for God. His reverence led to his true worship of God. –In Midian, where did he learn of Jehovah?  Is it not likely that Moses taught Jethro & his family? –He was “the priest of Midian” (2:16; 3:1; 18:1), but there is no indication which deity he served before Moses came.  It could have been Jehovah (?), we just don’t know. He was a grateful & hospitable man. He was a generous & helpful man. He was a respected & loved man. He had a deep reverence for God. His reverence led to his true worship of God. –In Midian, where did he learn of Jehovah?  Is it not likely that Moses taught Jethro & his family? –He was “the priest of Midian” (2:16; 3:1; 18:1), but there is no indication which deity he served before Moses came.  It could have been Jehovah (?), we just don’t know.

8. Jethro: Lessons We Need to Learn His reverence led to his true worship of God. –In Exodus 18, when Jethro learned all that Jehovah had done, his joy and faith led him to:  Worship!  Worship Jehovah!  Worship immediately!  Worship in a way that involved sacrifice on his part! –His worship was a natural response of his faith. –His reverence for God made worship a priority. –He would not allow anything to interfere—even though he lived in an idolatrous & immoral land. –He knew the privilege of worshiping GOD! His reverence led to his true worship of God. –In Exodus 18, when Jethro learned all that Jehovah had done, his joy and faith led him to:  Worship!  Worship Jehovah!  Worship immediately!  Worship in a way that involved sacrifice on his part! –His worship was a natural response of his faith. –His reverence for God made worship a priority. –He would not allow anything to interfere—even though he lived in an idolatrous & immoral land. –He knew the privilege of worshiping GOD!

9. Jethro: Lessons We Need to Learn He was a grateful & hospitable man. He was a generous & helpful man. He was a respected & loved man. He had a deep reverence for God. His reverence led to his true worship of God. He offered sound judgment & godly advice. –He observed before speaking (Ex. 18:13-14) –He was straightforward in his suggestions (18:17). –He respected Moses’ authority. –He told Moses to check with God first (18:23) –He did not seek anything for himself. He was a grateful & hospitable man. He was a generous & helpful man. He was a respected & loved man. He had a deep reverence for God. His reverence led to his true worship of God. He offered sound judgment & godly advice. –He observed before speaking (Ex. 18:13-14) –He was straightforward in his suggestions (18:17). –He respected Moses’ authority. –He told Moses to check with God first (18:23) –He did not seek anything for himself.

10. Jethro: Lessons We Need to Learn He offered sound judgment & godly advice. –He observed Moses trying to handle all the judging of all the people by himself (Ex. 18:13-14). –He told Moses what he was doing was not good:  Moses would soon wear himself out (18:17-18)  It would wear the people out (18:18).  He would not be able to do an adequate job (18:18).  It interfered with his most important duty (18:19-20).  It denied other good men the privilege to serve (v. 21-22). –Many good judicial systems are based on this pattern:  Select men from the people  Able men, who fear God, are men of truth, hate covet-ness  Authority at various levels – see Deut. 1:9-18 He offered sound judgment & godly advice. –He observed Moses trying to handle all the judging of all the people by himself (Ex. 18:13-14). –He told Moses what he was doing was not good:  Moses would soon wear himself out (18:17-18)  It would wear the people out (18:18).  He would not be able to do an adequate job (18:18).  It interfered with his most important duty (18:19-20).  It denied other good men the privilege to serve (v. 21-22). –Many good judicial systems are based on this pattern:  Select men from the people  Able men, who fear God, are men of truth, hate covet-ness  Authority at various levels – see Deut. 1:9-18

11. Jethro: Lessons We Need to Learn He was a grateful & hospitable man. He was a generous & helpful man. He was a respected & loved man. He had a deep reverence for God. His reverence led to his true worship of God. He offered sound judgment & godly advice. We need more Jethro’s in the church today. He was a grateful & hospitable man. He was a generous & helpful man. He was a respected & loved man. He had a deep reverence for God. His reverence led to his true worship of God. He offered sound judgment & godly advice. We need more Jethro’s in the church today.