That they may know that I am God (Exod 18:1-12)

For many who live with family members who are not Christians, feeling that invisible separation is a heartache. When we ourselves have experienced God’s redemption, it saddens us to see a gap between us and our loved ones in this respect. God’s desire is to make Himself known to all the earth; indeed, Israel’s dramatic deliverance served just that purpose (Exod 9:16; 10:2). Nevertheless, a response to those events can be varied. Pharaoh’s was defiance, Amalek’s in our last reading attack. Now we encounter Moses’ family, specifically his father-in-law who is the priest of another religion yet receptive to hear about his son-in-law’s God.

The last time we met Moses’ immediate family, they were on the journey to Egypt, but after the mysterious attack on his son (read my posts on this here, here and here) we do not hear of them again until chapter 18. Perhaps the shock of that event was too much or Moses felt that his mission in Egypt was too risky after all and he sent them home to Midian. Though our passage does not focus on this temporary separation it is the unspoken cost of Moses’ mission in following God’s will. I remember in my undergraduate days at Bible college/seminary, some of the African students had to leave their wives and children behind because they could not afford to bring them over to the UK.

Such separation is not ideal, though, and God enables the re-uniting of Moses’ family. However, the question remains how they can be integrated into this redeemed community of God’s people. While the story focuses on Jethro, he effectively represents that side of the family, so that his relationship with Moses and the two men’s interaction are indicative of the dynamics within the family unit. It is worth noting that from the start, there is a certain harmony and understanding that goes a long way to explain the outcome. Back before the exodus, Moses parted from his father-in-law in peace (Exod 4:18) and now that the news of Israel’s release has reached Midian, Jethro recognises Moses’ claim on Zipporah and the children, and the old man brings them to him. Blood relations can sometimes put expectations of loyalty on sons or daughters that is no longer appropriate when marriage has created a new unit, but Jethro is not like that.

Thus, there is a relationship of trust and respect, evident also as the two men meet (Exod 18:7) that opens the door to genuine conversation and to the testimony about God. Moses tells his father-in-law what has happened since they parted, but the focus is not on himself or his achievements but on the amazing deeds of God (Exod 18:8). Jethro’s response is overwhelmingly positive. He rejoices with Moses over God’s goodness to His people, publicly acknowledges the Lord as supreme over all other gods and offers sacrifices to Him (Exod 18:9-12). The two common sacrifices before the law was given were the burnt offering and what later became known as the peace or fellowship offering, where the meat was shared among the worshippers and created the opportunity for a feast. Such a meal expresses the bond among participants united in their worship before God.

We do not know if Jethro has become an exclusive worshipper of the Lord (the necessity of such sole allegiance may not have been clear at this point), but the message of the story is two-fold. It shows that Israel’s redemption had wide-reaching consequences that involved other nations hearing and coming to know the Lord and it also completed Moses’ story connecting his life before the exodus with the events since. Our redemption too is more than a personal affair. God wants us to share the good news of what He has done for us, so that others may come to know His power and love. Moreover, the Lord cares about our loved ones who do not yet know Him. It is important that as much as it depends on us, we keep our channels of communication open towards family, so that when the opportunity arises to share, there may be trust and openness to receive God’s good news.

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