Exodus 18:5-12 – Be a bearer of the good news of God

Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, was not a believer of Jehovah when he came to see him at Horeb. How do we know? Exodus 18:1 says that he was the priest of Median and was serving a pagan god. Verse 11 further attests to it. It was not until he heard all the marvellous things that the God of Israel did for Moses and the children of Israel that he exclaimed, “Now I know that the Lord is greater than all the gods; indeed, it was proven when they dealt proudly against the people.” So convicted was he that we are told in the very next verse that he “…took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God….” So he became a believer of the LORD, and he joined in a fellowship meal before God with Aaron and the elders of Israel.

Moses was very respectful toward the father-in-law. He must have liked Moses since the day he was told by Zipporah, his daughter, how Moses had defended her against some bullies at the well. In that incident, we are told how Moses even helped to water Jethro’s sheep whom Zipporah had brought to the well. It was he who chided Zipporah for not inviting him to the tent. And when he met Moses, he was glad to give to him his daughter’s hand in marriage. Moses also had regard for him, that was why when he was leaving for Egypt he came and sought his permission. Now when told of his coming at Mount Horeb, Moses quickly arose and went out to meet and greet him. The relationship had always been a warm one. So, Moses took him into the tent to show hospitality. Like him, we must also be hospitable people. It is one good way to open the heart of the people we meet to introduce them to the Lord.  

On that day Moses probably had only one thing in mind, i.e. to tell Jethro about all that God had done for him and the people of Israel. So, he must have poured out a lengthy and wonderful testimony of all that God had done. He told him how God had delivered them. No doubt he would talk about the parting of the Red Sea and how they crossed over it on dry ground. And how Pharaoh’s army was drowned when they followed suit. He even shared with him the many difficulties he had encountered in the journey and how God saw him through each one of them. So reverting was Moses account of what God had done that Jethro was convicted. Like him, we must seize every opportunity to tell of the wondrous things of the Lord. We should make evangelism an objective in our life. One easy way to begin in conversation is to confidently share about the things God had done in our life. We don’t need to be a pastor or a theologian to share about God. We only need to have a personal encounter with Him and then share about that experience of what He has done for us in our life. The conviction is the work of God. We just need to be an instrument. What’s critical in any sharing of our testimony is to be God-centred. That was what Moses did. He gave God all the credit for the victories in his life.  

In a short while, Jethro was won over to the Lord. So, he showed his belief and began to praise the Almighty, saying, “Now I know that the Lord is greater than all the gods; indeed, it was proven when they dealt proudly against the people.” He was convinced of the supremacy of God and embraced Him as His own LORD. How do we know? Verse 12 tells us that he offered a burnt offering and sacrificed to Him. Though Jethro was a Median and thus was an enemy of Israel, yet the love of God knew no bounds. He reached out to him through Moses and brought him into His eternal family. That’s the extent of God’s love. So, God’s love for the world is not just a New Testament concept. Right here in the Old Testament, the love of God for all can be seen and felt. Jethro was said to rejoice when he heard about God. There is no doubt that the good news of God always bring joy.  So, let us joyfully bring good news to the world. But like Moses, let us begin with our family. Why don’t we identify those unsaved members in our family, pray for them and then seek for an opportunity to share the goodness of God with them? Don’t be surprised at what God can do to draw them to Himself through us. This is our obligation to them and to the Lord. Like Paul said in the book of Romans, we are debtors. We must discharge the Gospel debt by sharing about the goodness of Christ. Just do it for His glory!