Lives of Scripture

Jethro, a priest of Midian, took in Moses after Moses fled Egypt as a fugitive, giving him work as a shepherd and his daughter Zipporah as a wife (Exodus 2:16-21). It was while tending Jethro's flock near Horeb that Moses encountered the burning bush and God's call to deliver Israel (3:1). Years later, after the exodus, Jethro brought Zipporah and Moses' two sons out to meet Moses in the wilderness, rejoicing at hearing all God had done for Israel and offering a sacrifice and praise to the LORD (18:1-12) -- a striking response from a Midianite priest outside Israel's covenant. The next day, Jethro observed Moses sitting alone from morning to evening judging every dispute the people brought him, and told him plainly, 'What you are doing is not good... you will surely wear out, both yourself and these people' (18:14-18). His counsel was concrete: appoint capable, God-fearing, honest men as leaders over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens, so only the hardest cases would reach Moses himself (18:19-23). Moses did exactly as Jethro advised, and the text notes the arrangement worked (18:24-26). Jethro's brief but pivotal appearance shows God's provision for Moses coming, at two different critical moments, through the household and wisdom of an outsider to Israel.