"Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me to judge between one man and another, and I make known to them the statutes and laws of God." Whenever they have a disputeIn the context of the Israelites' journey through the wilderness, disputes were common among the people. This phrase highlights the role of Moses as a judge and leader, responsible for resolving conflicts. The need for a judicial system reflects the growing complexity of the Israelite community. This system prefigures the establishment of more formal legal structures in Israel, as seen later in the books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy. it is brought to me to judge between one man and another
Moses served as the primary judge for the Israelites, a role that required wisdom and discernment. This reflects the patriarchal leadership model prevalent in ancient Near Eastern cultures, where a single leader often held multiple roles, including that of judge. Moses' role as judge foreshadows the role of Christ as the ultimate judge of humanity, as seen in passages like John 5:22. and I make known to them the statutes and laws of God
This phrase underscores Moses' role as a mediator between God and the people, revealing divine laws and statutes. The statutes and laws refer to the covenantal instructions given by God, which were foundational for the community's life and worship. This anticipates the giving of the Law at Sinai and highlights the importance of divine revelation in guiding the moral and social conduct of God's people. Moses' role here is a type of Christ, who fully reveals God's will and law to humanity, as seen in Matthew 5:17-18. Persons / Places / Events 1. MosesThe central figure in this passage, Moses is the leader of the Israelites, chosen by God to deliver His people from Egyptian bondage. In Exodus 18:16, Moses is acting as a judge for the people, resolving disputes and teaching them God's laws. 2. JethroMoses' father-in-law, a Midianite priest, who visits Moses and observes his leadership style. Jethro's observations and advice lead to a significant change in how Moses administers justice. 3. IsraelitesThe people of God, recently delivered from Egypt, who are now in the wilderness. They bring their disputes to Moses for resolution. 4. Wilderness of SinaiThe location where the Israelites are encamped and where Jethro visits Moses. This setting is significant as it is a place of transition and learning for the Israelites. 5. God's Laws and DecreesThe divine instructions given to Moses, which he uses to judge the people and teach them God's ways. Teaching Points The Importance of DelegationMoses' initial approach to leadership was unsustainable. Jethro's advice highlights the importance of delegation and shared responsibility in leadership roles. Seeking Godly WisdomMoses' role as a judge required wisdom and discernment. Believers today are encouraged to seek God's wisdom in their decision-making processes. The Role of Community in Dispute ResolutionThe Israelites brought their disputes to Moses, emphasizing the role of community and leadership in resolving conflicts according to God's principles. Balancing Leadership and Personal Well-beingJethro's concern for Moses' well-being teaches the importance of balancing leadership responsibilities with personal health and sustainability. Teaching and Upholding God's LawsMoses' task of teaching God's decrees underscores the importance of knowing and upholding biblical principles in our daily lives. Bible Study Questions 1. How does Moses' role as a judge in Exodus 18:16 reflect the responsibilities of spiritual leaders today? 2. In what ways can we apply the principle of delegation in our personal and professional lives, as seen in Moses' leadership? 3. How does the advice Jethro gives to Moses in this chapter relate to the concept of seeking godly counsel in our own decision-making? 4. What are some practical steps we can take to ensure we are balancing our responsibilities with our personal well-being, as Jethro advised Moses? 5. How can we actively teach and uphold God's laws in our communities, following Moses' example in this passage? Connections to Other Scriptures Deuteronomy 1:9-18This passage recounts Moses' appointment of leaders to help him judge the people, echoing the advice Jethro gives in Exodus 18. Acts 6:1-7The early church faces a similar issue of leadership burden, leading to the appointment of deacons to assist the apostles, reflecting the principle of shared leadership. James 1:5Encourages believers to seek wisdom from God, which is relevant to Moses' role in discerning and teaching God's laws. People Aaron, Egyptians, Eliezer, Gershom, Jethro, Moses, Pharaoh, ZipporahPlaces Egypt, Midian, RephidimTopics Decide, Decisions, Decrees, Dispute, God's, Inform, Judge, Judged, Laws, Matter, Neighbor, Neighbour, Orders, Parties, Question, Statutes, ThemselvesDictionary of Bible Themes Exodus 18:16 5383 lawsuits
5882 impartiality Exodus 18:13-16 5897 judging others Exodus 18:13-24 5636 work, and rest Exodus 18:13-26 5054 responsibility, examples
5358 judges
8438 giving, of time Exodus 18:14-27 5685 fathers, responsibilities Exodus 18:15-16 1175 God, will of Library The Ideal Statesman [Footnote: Preached on Occasion of Mr. Gladstone's Death. ]
'Thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them.'--EXODUS xviii. 21. You will have anticipated my purpose in selecting this text. I should be doing violence to your feelings and mine if I made no reference to the event which has united the Empire and the world in one sentiment. The great tree has fallen, and the crash has for the moment silenced all the sounds of the forest. Wars abroad and controversies at home are …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy ScriptureGershom and Eliezer
'The name of the one [of Moses' sons] was Gershom ... and the name of the other was Eliezer....'--EXODUS xviii. 3, 4. In old times parents often used to give expression to their hopes or their emotions in the names of their children. Very clearly that was the case in Moses' naming of his two sons, who seem to have been the whole of his family. The significance of each name is appended to it in the text. The explanation of the first is, 'For he said, I have been an alien in a strange land'; and that …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture The Origin and Growth of Law.
MOSES' WORK AS JUDGE AND PROPHET.--Ex. 18; 1-27; 33:5-11. Parallel References. Hist. Bible I, 198-203. Prin. of Politics, Ch. VI. Maine, Ancient Law. Jehovah spake to Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend--Ex. 33: 11. And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard cases they brought unto Moses, but every small …
Charles Foster Kent—The Making of a Nation The Development of the Earlier Old Testament Laws
[Sidenote: First the principle, and then the detailed laws] If the canon of the New Testament had remained open as long as did that of the Old, there is little doubt that it also would have contained many laws, legal precedents, and ecclesiastical histories. From the writings of the Church Fathers and the records of the Catholic Church it is possible to conjecture what these in general would have been. The early history of Christianity illustrates the universal fact that the broad principles are …
Charles Foster Kent—The Origin & Permanent Value of the Old Testament That the Ruler Relax not his Care for the Things that are Within in his Occupation among the Things that are Without, nor Neglect to Provide
The ruler should not relax his care for the things that are within in his occupation among the things that are without, nor neglect to provide for the things that are without in his solicitude for the things that are within; lest either, given up to the things that are without, he fall away from his inmost concerns, or, occupied only with the things that are within bestow not on his neighbours outside himself what he owes them. For it is often the case that some, as if forgetting that they have …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great Opposition to Messiah Ruinous
Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel T here is a species of the sublime in writing, which seems peculiar to the Scripture, and of which, properly, no subjects but those of divine revelation are capable, With us, things inconsiderable in themselves are elevated by splendid images, which give them an apparent importance beyond what they can justly claim. Thus the poet, when describing a battle among bees, by a judicious selection of epithets …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2 Easter Tuesday
Second Sermon. Same Text. Acts 13, 26-39. THE WORD AND THE RESURRECTION.[1] [Footnote 1: This sermon appeared first in the Church Postil, the Explanation of the Epistle and Gospel Texts from Easter to Advent. Printed by Hans Lufft, Wittenberg, 1559.] 1. This sermon was preached by Paul in the synagogue at Antioch of Pisidia, where were gathered with the Jews some Greek converts. Wherever in a city Jews were to be found, there also were their synagogues in which they taught and preached; and many …
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. II After the Scripture.
"In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God created He him."--Gen. v. 1. In the preceding pages we have shown that the translation, "in Our image," actually means, "after Our image." To make anything in an image is no language; it is unthinkable, logically untrue. We now proceed to show how it should be translated, and give our reason for it. We begin with citing some passages from the Old Testament in which occurs the preposition "B" which, in Gen. i. 27, stands before image, where …
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit Appendix xii. The Baptism of Proselytes
ONLY those who have made study of it can have any idea how large, and sometimes bewildering, is the literature on the subject of Jewish Proselytes and their Baptism. Our present remarks will be confined to the Baptism of Proselytes. 1. Generally, as regards proselytes (Gerim) we have to distinguish between the Ger ha-Shaar (proselyte of the gate) and Ger Toshabh (sojourner,' settled among Israel), and again the Ger hatstsedeq (proselyte of righteousness) and Ger habberith (proselyte of the covenant). …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Exodus
The book of Exodus--so named in the Greek version from the march of Israel out of Egypt--opens upon a scene of oppression very different from the prosperity and triumph in which Genesis had closed. Israel is being cruelly crushed by the new dynasty which has arisen in Egypt (i.) and the story of the book is the story of her redemption. Ultimately it is Israel's God that is her redeemer, but He operates largely by human means; and the first step is the preparation of a deliverer, Moses, whose parentage, …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Exodus 18:16 NIVExodus 18:16 NLTExodus 18:16 ESVExodus 18:16 NASBExodus 18:16 KJV
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