Jethro said, “Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh and has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods, because in this affair they dealt arrogantly with the people.” And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God; and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God.
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. You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone. Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you!
COMMENT: Does Jethro using the phrase ‘gods….. because in this affair they dealt arrogantly with the people.‘ mean that in his mind there are other gods? Are there other gods in reality apart from the Creator Jehovah God? I believe that this a question to which the correct answer is both ‘NO’ and ‘YES’ with both answers being correct. How can this be? In English at least many words have two or more meanings, depending on the context and even the tone of the speaker/writer. Some people make their sport or their occupation something to which they are so devoted that personal attainments or their commitments to it control their lives. In that sense their ‘god’ has power over them and controls their lives. It may have a huge effect on their reaction to their partners and children. And of course in days gone by (and sadly still up to this day) people carved out of wood or pour moulds to make the shaped god, which they desired. All these ‘gods’ have powers to shape peoples lives, but have no power to do anything constructively, they shape peoples attitudes but are powerless.
Jethro hears what a huge responsibility that Moses is carrying judging the peoples’ issues brought before him and is honest enough to tell Moses to get something else sorted out!
Prayer: Help me, please, to find wise friends to enrich my life and to help me to make sound choices in life.
As I read it! 