In this week’s Parashat we have the government of Israel established. In chapter 18 of Exodus we have Jethro, Moses’s Father-In-Law, coming to meet with Moses. Moses tells him all God has done for Israel. Jethro then offers a burnt offering and sacrifices for the Lord and all the elders have a meal with Jethro. The next day Moses sits from early morning too late night to judge the people. Jethro sees this and tells Moses that this is not a good thing he is doing. Jethro then gives him instruction through the wisdom of God to get 70 trust worthy men to judge the people and anything they are unable to judge then bring those things to Moses for him to take to the Lord. Here is how the JPS says it:
Exodus 18:19-21
19Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God be with thee: be thou for the people before God, and bring thou the causes unto God. 20And thou shalt teach them the statutes and the laws, and shalt show them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do. 21Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating unjust gain; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
Moses and the people agree to Jethro’s council. The next event we hear about is the giving of the 10 Commandments. Now follow me on this Moses took the people as far as he could. He brought them to the land of Sin which is named after Mount Sinai. Moses is stuck in a pattern of judging the people everyday. They are no longer moving forward until an outsider arrives and brings Godly Council. As soon as the 70 Elders were chosen things begin to move again. This is a pattern all throughout the Word of God. Look at Sodom and Gomorrah. What is the story just before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah? The story is Abram enters a covenant with God. Abram’s name is changed to Abraham and he is circumcised ie a blood covenant is made. Once the blood covenant is made God has to do something about the sin in Sodom and Gomorrah. So if you look at the destruction from a certain point of view it is Abraham’s fault Sodom and Gomorrah is destroyed. It is him coming into covenant with God that brings them to judgment because of the sins they have committed. God could not destroy these cities until He had a covenant with someone who was just and upright.
The next event in the Exodus is the giving of the Law the 10 Commandments. You cannot have a law until you have a government established to enact the law. God was waiting on the people to create a government so He could give them the next stage of them becoming a special nation set apart from all the others. What in your life is God waiting on? What is He waiting for you to accomplish, so He can thrust you into the next thing He has for you? Have you missed an opportunity? Ask your Heavenly Father to give you another chance. Ask Him to bring a Jethro back around to give you the wise council you need in this season. He is faithful and He desires the very best for you so ask Him now.
