Lesson #21

EXODUS 18
Lesson #21
LEARNING THE LESSONS OF AN ORGANIZED LIFE

• Memory verse: 1Tim 3:1
• When the Israelites camped near Mt. Sinai, Moses’ family joined him for the first time since the plagues began.
• Moses had spent 40 years in Midian working as a shepherd for his father-in-law, Jethro, before he left Midian to be Israel’s leader.
• Remember that Moses’ wife, Zipporah, and their two children had RETURN ed home to Midian before Moses became Israel’s leader. (Exo 4) That was approximately a year ago.
• Now the family is together again.

• Read Exo 18:1-6
• The names of Moses’ sons reflect Moses’ experiences with God.
• Moses’ first son, Gershom (3), means = banishment.
• The name comes from a root word that means “to cast out”.
• This name reflects Moses’ experience when he was banished from his people at the time he first fled to Midian.
• Moses’ second son, Eliezer (4), means = my God is help.
• This name reflects Moses’ encounter with God at the burning bush, when he realized that God was going to help His people.
• Read Exo 18:7-12
• What kind of relationship did Moses have with Jethro?
• These two men were very close. They loved each other, had respect for each other, and spent some time together catching up on what God had done through Moses.
• Why is this important?
• Moses is the authority placed over the people by God. However, Moses is also human and prone to making mistakes like all the rest of us. Then, what can we learn from Jethro in how to approach someone in leadership who you think is making a mistake?
• Principles in Approaching Leadership

:

• =1= Make sure you have a good relationship of respect for the person in leadership.(1-12)
• =2= Share an observation by using questions to ask why things are done the way they currently are. (14)
• These questions help to clarify the leader’s thinking.
• =3= Share the problem and the cause of it. (17-18)
• =4= Suggest a corrective plan, but make sure you think it through well ahead of time.
• =5= Suggest prayer for God’s will in the matter. (23)
• What kind of relationship did Jethro have with God? How do we know?
• Unlike many people in that area who worshipped pagan gods, Jethro worshipped Jehovah. We see him in this chapter participate in the worship of Jehovah as a priest.

• “And Jethro said, Blessed be the LORD, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians…”

(10)

• “Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them.”

(11)

• In regards to his priesthood, he is very much like Melchiseddek in Genesis. He, too, was not an Israelite but worked as a priest of Jehovah.
• He offered an animal sacrifice to Jehovah.

• Read Exo 18:13-27 Jethro’s Plan (Experience #7)
• Through the process of God’s choosing Moses as a leader, we have already examined some principles of leadership. Even though Moses is already an experienced leader, we see that he is still learning how to manage his leadership responsibilities.
• This passage is rather controversial as to whether Jethro’s plan was God’s perfect will or not. Therefore, let us first examine a few obvious truths so as to obtain a scriptural balance:
• Did the plan of leadership come from God or from man?
• It was specifically suggested by Jethro. This passage does not tell us that Jethro sought God’s wisdom on this.
• Did Moses seek God’s wisdom before he put the plan into practice?
• Moses did not seek God’s wisdom or approval of this plan in this chapter. He did not even question or consider God.
• However, Deu 1:9-15 says that Moses did not put the plan into practice by choosing judges until after God stated it in the Law and gave the Law to Moses on Mt. Sinai.
• Does the plan of leadership violate the principles of leadership in the New Testament?
• No. We will look at the New Testament principles of leadership and see the same plan.
• Therefore, we see that Jethro’s plan of leadership is found both in the Law of Moses and in the New Testament church.
• The leadership problem:
• A problem that confronts most leaders is one of too much work.
• Jethro saw how Moses spent all day dispensing justice in minor civil matters between people.
• Leadership Principle #1:

A great leader that is overburdened by small details fails to achieve God’s full potential.

• Moses’ rationalization:

• “…Because the people come unto me to inquire of God.”

(15)

• Moses knew he was to be the intermediary between his people and God, just as Jesus Christ would fulfil that role later in God’s plan.
• However, was Moses’ performing his task as intermediary in the best way possible? No.
• God already had begun to reveal to Moses a better way.

• “…I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.”

(16)

• Every time Moses judged the small matters, he learned God’s ways and God’s laws which served him later as he wrote down those laws in order to train the people.
• Jethro’s practical solution:

• “…Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God: And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt show them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.”

(19-20)

• =1= Moses was to seek God’s will for the people concerning the larger issues.
• =2= Moses was to teach others to be leaders by discipling them.
• =3= Moses was to establish smaller courts to which the people would go first to settle their civil matters.
• =4= Moses would be the supreme court to which the leaders could bring those issues they could not settle.
• From this plan, we see several Leadership Principles:
• Leadership Principle #2

: The wise leader will spend some of his time in God’s presence.

• Leadership Principle #3

: The wise leader will spend some time teaching others how to be leaders. (20)

• Leadership Principle #4

: The wise leader will learn to delegate his authority by freeing people in ministry rather than controlling them.

• Leadership Principle #5

: The wise leader will choose good leaders under him to whom he can delegate some authority.

• What are the characteristics of a leader that a wise leader like Moses should consider? (21)
• Read 1Tim 3:1-13
• Read Titus 1:5-9
• =1= A leader must have a healthy fear of God with a teachable spirit and in turn able to teach others. In other words, if a person is prideful, he will not be teachable. If he is prideful, he is the wrong model for teaching others what a leader should be like.
• =2= A leader must be capable to handle the job given to him and should be serious-minded about serving God in that position.
• =3= A leader must be truthful and honest. Why:?
• A person who builds a house of cards out of lies will soon discover that the house of cards will fall and that people will not trust him. Without the people’s trust, the people will not follow.
• =4= A leader’s motive must be one of generosity. He should not be covetous or seek to gain money. Why?
• The position of leadership sometimes requires a leader to spend his own resources for the good of the people. The promise of great sums of money compromises a leader’s objectivity and opens him up to bribes.
• =5= A leader must lead a “blameless” life with high morals so that if and when he is accused of anything, the accusations are without foundation because his life is an example of a godly life. Therefore, he will have a good reputation inside and outside the church.
• =6= A leader must not be easily angered. He must be able to keep his temper under control at all times, and he should be gentle, tolerant and forgiving.
• =7= A leader must be hospitable, treating all people equally, and able to make strangers feel comfortable.
• =8= A leader must know sound doctrine so as not to cause confusion among the people. Therefore, he should not be a new convert.
• =9= A leader should not be a drunkard.
• =10= A leader should treat his wife and children well and be in control of his own house and family.
• Jethro’s concept of delegation of authority in light of the New Testament Church:
• Jethro told Moses that he should have an organizational plan of levels of delegated authority. Does this plan conform to the New Testament plan of the church?
• In the book of Acts, we see this plan of delegated authority introduced early in the New Testament church.
• Read Act 6:1-4
• In the book of Acts, Paul was the authority over a network of new Gentile churches, some of which he had planted. Paul encouraged the ordaining of pastors and elders over the individual churches as delegated authorities. (Act 14:23) Paul maintained contact with this network of churches by letters, by personal visits, and by delegating others who went to visit these churches. (Phi 2:19-23, 25)
• Read Eph 4:11-12
• God established the delegation of ministry within the individual churches so as to maximize ministry.
• Along with the delegation of authority is the importance of priorities in leadership:
• In other words, for a wise leader to be able to delegate well, he needs to know how to personally prioritize his time well. Here are some guidelines:
• =1= The leader needs to know exactly what God has called him to do.
• It is this area that the leader does not delegate to someone else.
• =2= The leader needs to know exactly what his spiritual gifts are and how to use them effectively.
• =3= The leader needs to know what are secondary things that can be delegated to others to do.
• =4= The leader needs to know and manage his personal priorities in life to conform to the Word of God. Personal priorities should follow the following guidelines:
• Priority #1

Your responsibility to God (Mat 6:33):

• Personal prayer time, talking with God.
• Personal Bible reading and study.
• Personal worship.
• Your spiritual growth through church attendance and Bible Study classes.
• Priority #2

Your responsibility to your spouse (Gen 2:24 Eph 5:21-33)

• Communication
• Meeting personal needs of the other person
• Spend time with the other person.
• Priority #3

Your responsibility to your children (Pro 22:6 Efe 6:4 1Tim 3:4 Tit 2:4):

• Children includes those who live with you and those who do not, up to the age of 18.
• Spend time in communication
• Meeting their personal needs (physical, emotional, spiritual).
• Priority #4

Your responsibility to your extended family (Mat 15:4-9 Mat 19:19):

• Extended family includes primarily parents, then grandparents.
• Your responsibility is to make sure that you or someone else is meeting their needs physically, emotionally, personally, and spiritually.
• Priority #5

Your responsibility to your church family (Heb 10:24-25 Rom 12:1-5):

• Meeting the needs physically, emotionally, and spiritually of your brothers and sisters in Christ.
• Priority #6

Your responsibility to non-believers (Mar 16:15 1Tim 6:12 2Tim 3:10-12):

• To be a witness of Jesus Christ in your lifestyle.
• To witness to other people.
• Priority #7

Your responsibility to yourself (Gal 2:20):

• No scriptures give any priority to your own desires or needs. We are to trust God for all of these. We are to die to self and live to God.
• General Comments on Priorities:
• Where does my job fit in with the above priorities?
• Even though we spend most of our time during the day working at a job, there is no specific priority for it in scripture, why?
• A job is not a priority, it is a means of fulfilling the above priorities. Earning a living touches all the above categories of priorities.
• To arrive at a proper perspective regarding your job means you first have to examine your motive for the job you have.
• Is your motive to accumulate money, power, or prestige? An illegitimate motive.
• Is your motive to meet your responsibilities?A legitimate motive.
• Priorities determine how you spend your time, your efforts, and your money.
• Fulfilling priorities # 1 and #2 does not exempt you from your responsibility to the other priorities.
• The key word in all the priorities is balance.
• Summary and Application:
• This chapter concludes the 7 experiences of a new believer in Christ.
• In this chapter we see that God is a God of order. He wants our lives to be in order in every way, so that we might grow in Christ, so that ministry might flow out of us, so that the kingdom of God will function efficiently to maximize God’s gifts to expand His Kingdom.
• From the beginning of the Christian life, the believer needs to know how God wants things to function in his life and in the church.

HOMEWORK
EXODUS 19
This is a self-study. Please do not send homework answers to the teacher forcorrection.

• Application of Exo 18
• Select from the following list the one area of your life that you feel needs the most attention in becoming a mature believer in Christ (which incidentally would make you eligible for being a leader).
• =1= I need to establish Godly priorities in my personal life.
• =2= I need to develop the leadership qualities from 1Tim and Titus.
• =3= I need to develop better leadership abilities in delegating authority.
• =4= I need to learn how to apply the principles of leadership to my own ministry.
• Write out your first steps in accomplishing this goal.

• Preparation for Exo 19
• Read Exo 19:1-8
• What did God want the people to be?
• Read Exo 19:9-15
• Why did God tell the people not to touch the mountain?
• Read Exo 19:16-25
• Why was Moses allowed to approach God but the people were not?

• Memory Verse: 1Peter 2:9