Exodus 18 – Jethro’s Counsel and Shared Leadership
Exodus 18 offers a moment of rest, reunion, and reflection. Moses welcomes his father-in-law Jethro, who praises God for the deliverance of Israel. But as Jethro watches Moses wear himself out judging the people alone, he offers timely wisdom: delegate. This chapter is about celebrating victories and learning to lead with others—not alone.
God’s Victories and Man’s Limits
Moses has led a nation through plagues, a sea, and a wilderness—but now comes a lesson in wisdom and structure. Exodus 18 reminds us that no one is called to carry God’s work alone. Victory stories are shared, but burdens must be shared too.
✔ Moses reunites with Zipporah, Gershom, and Eliezer.
✔ Jethro praises God for Israel’s deliverance.
✔ Moses judges the people alone—and is warned.
✔ Shared leadership is instituted for sustainability.
📖 Key Verse: “The thing that thou doest is not good… thou wilt surely wear away.” – Exodus 18:17–18
🔎 Sometimes wisdom comes not from a prophet—but from a father-in-law watching you tire yourself out.
Exodus Chapter 18 Overview
Exodus 18:1–12 – Reunion, Testimony, and Worship
📖 Exodus 18:1–4 – “When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father in law, heard of all that God had done…”
🔎 Jethro hears before he sees:
🔹 News of God’s deeds reached even Midian—God’s fame was spreading beyond Israel.
🔹 Jethro is a Gentile priest—but a believer who respects and recognizes Yahweh.
🔹 Moses’ sons are mentioned by name—Gershom (“a stranger here”) and Eliezer (“God is my help”)—both testifying to God’s faithfulness in exile.
➡️ Legacy Insight: Your children’s names can carry the story of your walk with God.
📖 Exodus 18:5–7 – *”And Moses went out to meet his father in law… and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare…”
🔎 A humble and heartfelt reunion:
🔹 Moses honors Jethro with a kiss and bow—a gesture of respect, humility, and peace.
🔹 This is a family reunion, not just a leadership meeting.
🔹 After all the chaos of Egypt and the Red Sea, Moses takes time to reconnect personally.
➡️ Relationship Reminder: Even in great spiritual work, family matters deeply.
📖 Exodus 18:8–9 – *”And Moses told his father in law all that the Lord had done… And Jethro rejoiced…”
🔎 Testimonies ignite worship:
🔹 Moses shares everything—the hardship and the miracles.
🔹 Jethro rejoices, not out of duty, but from genuine awe.
🔹 Victory stories become a source of encouragement to others.
➡️ Evangelism Truth: Sharing your testimony can cause others to praise God with you.
📖 Exodus 18:10–12 – *”Blessed be the Lord… Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods…”
🔎 Worship from a Gentile priest:
🔹 Jethro blesses the Lord, publicly praising Israel’s God above all others.
🔹 This is a powerful moment—a non-Israelite openly worships Yahweh.
🔹 He brings burnt offerings and sacrifices, and joins in sacred fellowship with Moses and Aaron.
➡️ Prophetic Glimpse: This foreshadows the day when every nation will praise the God of Israel (Isaiah 2:2–3).
Exodus 18:13–27 – Shared Burdens and Delegated Authority
📖 Exodus 18:13–16 – “Moses sat to judge the people… from the morning unto the evening.”
🔎 A noble act becomes an unsustainable burden:
🔹 Moses takes personal responsibility for every dispute in the camp.
🔹 The people stand in line all day, showing how overwhelming the need is.
🔹 Moses explains his desire to inquire of God and teach His statutes.
➡️ Leadership Insight: Good motives do not guarantee wise methods.
📖 Exodus 18:17–18 – “The thing that thou doest is not good… thou wilt surely wear away.”
🔎 Jethro speaks truth in love:
🔹 He sees what Moses cannot: exhaustion and inefficiency.
🔹 The phrase “not good” echoes Genesis—this structure was not God’s design.
🔹 Without change, both Moses and the people would suffer.
➡️ Wisdom Principle: God’s work must be done God’s way, with endurance in mind.
📖 Exodus 18:19–23 – “Thou shalt provide out of all the people able men… rulers of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.”
🔎 A divine model of delegation:
🔹 Jethro recommends training trustworthy, God-fearing leaders to share the load.
🔹 Each level handles matters according to their capacity, preserving Moses for the most difficult cases.
🔹 This model becomes a pattern for biblical eldership and structured leadership throughout Scripture.
➡️ Kingdom Order: Delegation is not just practical—it is spiritually wise and God-ordained.
📖 Exodus 18:24–27 – “So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law… and let him depart to his own land.”
🔎 Moses listens and implements change:
🔹 He humbles himself to receive instruction from another.
🔹 Jethro departs in peace, knowing he has blessed Moses and Israel.
🔹 The chapter closes not with a miracle—but with a wise shift in structure.
➡️ Final Reflection: Sometimes the greatest breakthroughs come not through signs and wonders—but through listening and applying wise counsel.
Exodus Chapter 18 - Deeper Study
Overview: Reflection and Restructure
🔹 Timeframe: Shortly before arriving at Mount Sinai.
🔹 Setting: Wilderness encampment—after major military victory.
🔹 Theme: God provides not only miracles—but mentors and methods.
Jethro The Midianite Priest
Jethro is described in Exodus 18:1 as “the priest of Midian.” The Midianites were descendants of Midian, a son of Abraham by Keturah (Genesis 25:1–2). So while they were not part of the covenant line through Isaac and Jacob, they still had some knowledge of the true God, especially early on.
So what was Jethro a priest of?
🔹 He was likely a priest over a patriarchal clan in Midian, serving as both religious and civic leader.
🔹 While Midianite worship later became mixed with idolatry (see Judges 6–7), Jethro appears to be a worshiper of Yahweh, at least by the time of Exodus 18.
🔹 His response to Moses’ testimony and his offering sacrifices to Yahweh (Exodus 18:11–12) show he acknowledged the God of Israel as supreme.
Key Takeaways
🔑 God honors reunion and family restoration.
🔑 Sharing testimonies strengthens faith.
🔑 Wise counsel is a gift, even from unexpected sources.
🔑 Leaders need help to endure.
🔑 Order brings peace to the people—and strength to the servant.
Prophetic Patterns & Dual Fulfillment
🔮 Priestly intercession and testimony – Echoed in Revelation 12:11.
🔮 Delegated judgment – Foreshadows New Testament deacons and elders (Acts 6:1–7, Titus 1:5).
🔮 Gentile priest praising God – A hint of the future global inclusion in God’s covenant.
Historical & Cultural Context
📜 Jethro as priest of Midian – A non-Israelite believer who recognizes Yahweh’s greatness.
📜 Ancient judicial customs – Elders and judges handled disputes in tribal communities.
📜 Workload and burnout – Even in ancient times, leaders needed rest and shared structure.
💡 Final Reflection: Are You Leading Alone?
Moses didn’t need another miracle—he needed perspective. Jethro’s wisdom reveals that God’s work is best sustained by many hands, one mission.
📌 Are you celebrating victories—but ignoring exhaustion?
📌 Are you willing to hear wisdom from unlikely sources?
📌 Have you trained others to help carry the load?
🚀 God’s mission is too great for one person—but not too great for a faithful team.
Jethro’s Advice
Exo 18:1 When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father in law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, and that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt;
Exo 18:2 Then Jethro, Moses’ father in law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back,
Exo 18:3 And her two sons; of which the name of the one was Gershom; for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land:
Exo 18:4 And the name of the other was Eliezer; for the God of my father, said he, was mine help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh:
Exo 18:5 And Jethro, Moses’ father in law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of God:
Exo 18:6 And he said unto Moses, I thy father in law Jethro am come unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her.
Exo 18:7 And Moses went out to meet his father in law, and did obeisance, and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare; and they came into the tent.
Exo 18:8 And Moses told his father in law all that the LORD had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, and all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how the LORD delivered them.
Exo 18:9 And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, whom he had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.
Exo 18:10 And Jethro said, Blessed be the LORD, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, who hath delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.
Exo 18:11 Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them.
Exo 18:12 And Jethro, Moses’ father in law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses’ father in law before God.
Exo 18:13 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening.
Exo 18:14 And when Moses’ father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even?
Exo 18:15 And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to enquire of God:
Exo 18:16 When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.
Exo 18:17 And Moses’ father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good.
Exo 18:18 Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.
Exo 18:19 Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God:
Exo 18:20 And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.
Exo 18:21 Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:
Exo 18:22 And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.
Exo 18:23 If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace.
Exo 18:24 So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said.
Exo 18:25 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.
Exo 18:26 And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.
Exo 18:27 And Moses let his father in law depart; and he went his way into his own land.
Date Written
1446-1406 BC
Written By
Moses
Language
Hebrew
Verses
27