Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt. Now Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, had taken Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her home, along with her two sons. The name of the one was Gershom (for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land”), and the name of the other, Eliezer (for he said, “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh”). Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was encamped at the mountain of God. And when he sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her,” Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. And they asked each other of their welfare and went into the tent. Then Moses told his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship that had come upon them in the way, and how the LORD had delivered them. And Jethro rejoiced for all the good that the LORD had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians.
Comment: Midian was a son of Abraham born to Abraham by his second wife (after Sarah died). His descendants became the Midianites a nomadic tribe which apparently was prone to attacking other groups and they were especially anti-Israel. Moses, fleeing Egypt after he had killed an Egyptian for attacking an Israeli, met and helped a couple of young maidens who were having a rough trot from several men when they were trying to water their father, Jethro’s animals. He worked for Jethro and married Zipporah, one of Jethro’s daughters. When God called Moses (speaking from a burning bush, which was not being turned to ashes) Moses went back to Egypt in obedience to God, leaving his wife with Jethro. We are not told much about Jethro except that he was a priest to the Midianites. As a descendant of Abraham it is reasonable to assume that he was monotheist. Because Moses entrusted his wife and children to him when he went back to Egypt we can assume that he was a nice guy.
Jethro, no doubt hearing by the ‘bush telegraph’ what had happened to the Israelites, set out to take Moses’ wife and children to him. Meeting the two had a long talk and Moses explained the details of what Jethro had heard second or third hand. Wha I have said before about Jethro is strengthened by what happened after their talk. ‘Jethro rejoiced for all the good that the LORD had done to Israel.’ In the Old Testament when ‘lord’ is spelt ‘LORD’ it refers to Jehovah the God of the Israelis.
Prayer: Teach me to listen well to wise people who are Your people.
As I read it! 