I’m just hitting highlights in Exodus, and I won’t write again about “A Day’s Portion Every Day,” a nice metaphor for daily time with God from Exodus 16. So God provides food in chapter 16 and water (again) in chapter 17 – this time through Moses striking the rock.

I love Exodus 18, the account of Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, the first management consultant. here’s how the consult starts:

The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening. When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning till evening?” And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God; when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make them know the statutes of God and his laws.” Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good…” (Exodus 18.13 – 17, ESV)

I love Jethro’s direct approach. I studied “coaching” for a while, where we were taught to guide people into coming up with life solutions through questions. I wasn’t very good at it. Jethro does open with a question: “What are you doing…?” But he follows quickly with a declaration: “What you are doing is not good.” And he explains to Moses that he will wear himself out doing what he’s doing, that he should find “trustworthy men who fear God” to help him.

Moses could have been like some pastors. “I am the only one who can teach, counsel, etc.” Not Moses. What’s really cool in this story is that Moses did what Jethro suggested:

So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. (Exodus 18.24, ESV)

Take advice from a non-Jew? Hear the word of God from someone on the outside? Moses did.

The ear that listens to life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise.
Whoever ignores instruction despises himself, but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence.
The fear of the LORD is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor. (Proverbs 15.31 – 33, ESV)