Study questions for Exodus 18

Study Questions for Exodus 18

What is the context?

Vss. 1-9

v. 1—Who was Jethro?
What is a priest of Midan? Israel is friendly to those non-Israelites who are friendly to them. Num. 10:29-31; Jud. 1:16, 4:11; cf. Num 25:17-18
What made him want to come to Moses in the wilderness?
How did he hear all this news?

v. 2—who was Jethro to Moses?
Who was Zipporah?
When did Moses send her home? What was going on when he sent her home?

v. 3, 4—Who went home with her?
What were their names? Why were they named that? First time younger son is named.

v. 5—Where was Moses camped at this time?
How far from Jethro must they have been?

v. 6, 7—What happened when Jethro let Moses know he was on his way? Notice that Moses is humble toward Jethro. He holds nothing back in his greeting of Jethro.
No mention here of the family. Num. 12:1 not certain that the Cushite woman is Zipporah.

v. 8, 9—What kinds of things did the two men talk about?
What was Jethro’s response to all the things that had happened to Moses and the Israelites?

Vss. 10-12

v. 10—What did Jethro say as he rejoiced?
What word did he use for Lord?

v. 11—What made Jethro think God was above all the other gods? Psa 145:4-7
See the different translations.

v. 12—Besides writing a new song, what did Jethro do when he heard about the wonderful things God had done for the people?
Was he supposed to be bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices? Burnt offerings symbolize complete and total dedication to the God of the sacrifice. Bringing sacrifices is not the same thing as offering sacrifices.
Who else came to eat with him?
Is there any significance to Aaron’s coming for dinner?

Vss. 13-23

v. 13—What happened the next day?
What was Moses doing with the people? Teaching and judging.
For how long did he judge between the people?

v. 14—What was Jethro’s response when he saw what was going on?

v. 15, 16—Why was Moses doing what he was doing?
Why did the people come to Moses?

v. 17, 18—Why did Jethro think this was a problem?

v. 19, 20—What is Moses supposed to do? Teach literally is “warn 2 Chron 19:10. Show is literally to “make them to know.” The Hebrew idiom that views life as a journey along a path or road.

v. 21-23—What was Moses supposed to do after he taught the people the basics of God’s laws and statutes?
What were the qualifications supposed to be? Why those? Fear God Psa 111:10; pro. 8:13; Psa 147:11. Trustworthy men, dishonest gain (won’t take bribes) Psa 119:36; Isa 56:11.
How many people were they to oversee?
How was their oversight to relate to Moses oversight?
Why did Jethro think this arrangement would help Moses?
What did Jethro think God would think of this arrangement?

Vss. 24-27

v. 24-26—What did Moses do in response to Jethro’s idea? Listened and did. Deut 1:9, 13

v. 27—Why don’t we hear much about or from Jethro after this?

The first government of Israel was suggested by a non-Jew.