Jethro’s Faithful Fathering

 Jethro’s Faithful Fathering

Introduction:

I love my Dad.  I am so grateful for him.  Our relationship has changed drastically over the years.  It is fun to see how he reacts with my children now.  It is really funny to see him in that grandfatherly role now.  Dad will always be Dad to me.  However, he is Pop to my boys.  A few years ago, Jack was learning to read and he came to the marvelous discover.  He said, “you know what Pop, you are one ‘o’ away from Poop”. Got to love boys.  

Illustration: 

In a recent father’s day article by the Reader’s Digest, the article discussed 5 things that you will never hear a father say.  

1. Can you please turn up that music.

2. Go ahead and take my truck.  Here’s $50 bucks for gas.

3. I LOVE your tattoo. We should both get new ones.

4. And lastly, Here you take the remote.

Point:

Don’t you just love Dad’s.  Everyone needs a Dad. It stinks to say it but not everyone has had a good Dad.  There are plenty of bad Dad’s in this world.  Today we will be looking at the example of Jethro.  No, he was not Moses’ Dad, but he nevertheless stood in the gap for Moses at a very important time in Moses’ life.  

When It Came To Moses, Jethro Was Present, Proud, and Practical!

Point:

We know an awful lot about Moses.  We know the story of his birth.  We know how he was found.  We know how he was raised.  We know what he did and we even know how called him into service.  Question, do you remember who Moses’ father’s name?  Most of you probably won’t get this answer because it is a very obscure name and it is only mentioned once.  His father’s name was Amram.  He was husband to Jochebed…Moses’ mother and father to Moses, Aaron and Miriam.  We are introduced briefly to Amram in Exodus 6 and that’s it.  He disappears into history after that moment.  We have no idea what happens to him after Moses is raised in the Pharaoh’s courts.  There is no mention of him when Moses comes back to Egypt to set his people free. Most people think that Amram and Jochebed had passed away.  So it was just Moses and his sisters.  

Take a second and let the weight of what Moses is about to do sink in.  He will lead the overthrow of the Egyptian government, he will speak to the false Egyptian regions of the day, and he will lead the entire Israelite nation from Egypt to a new promised land.  That is a some big news and a heavy responsibility.  

Imagine doing that without any advice from your Dad.  You have no one to call.  You have no man to help you.  You have no Father to bounce ideas off of.  Sure, he had God, but Moses was as human as you and me.  Surly he must have felt overwhelmed.  What would he do?  Where would he go?  How would he manage?

Enter Jethro.  No, Jethro was not Moses’ father.  Moses meets Jethro and his family as a fugitive from Egyptian authorities.  He meets and falls madly in love with Jethro’s daughter Zipporah. After meeting Jethro, and marring Zipporah, Moses has the encounter with the burning bush.  God sends Moses back to Egypt and you know the rest of the story.  Plagues.  Running. Red Sea splitting.  

So, here we are.  Moses is on the other side of the Red Sea.  He is leading more than a million people.  He has had a few military victories.  He has seen God bring manna and quail.  Moses has seen some great things but he is exhausted.  He needs help.  He needs some advice.  Thankfully God sends Moses’ father in law Jethro to encourage him and give him some helpful hints on how to govern this rag tag group of individuals. 

Exodus 18:13-24 ESV

13 The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening. 14 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?” 15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God; 16 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.” 17 Moses' father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. 18 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. 19 Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God and bring their cases to God, 20 and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do. 21 Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 22 And let them judge the people at all times. Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. 23 If you do this, God will direct you, you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.”

24 So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said.

Now normally we would read the entire piece of Scripture, but unfortunately the entire chapter is long and we have to consider our time together this morning.  So, I will read a portion of the Scripture that really helps us understand the relationship that Moses and Jethro had.  I will say this thought, I have stopped at this point in the Scripture for a specific purpose. It says that Moses listened to Jethro. Moses, one of the greatest leaders in all of the Bible, one of the greatest men to have ever lived, listened to Jethro. Why is that? Why do you think that Moses would have inclined his ear to his father in law. There are probably many reasons but I think there is probably on critical answer. An answer that should inspire all of us fathers this morning. I believe that Moses listened to advice in leadership from Jethro because Jethro himself was a great leader. Jethro lived by example and Moses saw firsthand how to lead from the lessons of his father in law. Dad’s, don’t chastise your children for their language if you constantly use bad language. Don’t get angry at your children when they lie if you are guilty of lying yourself. Don’t get upset when your children have lapses in their character and flaws in their integrity. Where do you think that they learn such lessons? They learn from us. 

This point reminds me of a quote by Anne Frank. Listen to what she said about her father. 

"My father didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it."

-Anne Frank

Men your children will not grow up to be godly by ancient. They will not develop character by accident. They will not learn to be followers of Christ by accident. These lessons are learned purposefully. They are learned faithfully. 

So, let’s continue to learn from Jethro this morning men. Let’s learn from his faithful fathering. 

3 Lessons From Jethro’s Faithful Fathering 

I. Jethro’s Care vs. 13-14

Exodus 18:13-14 ESV 

13 The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening. 14 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?”

Point:

So, early in the story we see that Jethro travels from a great distance to see Moses.  He brings along with him all of his family.  He sends word ahead and Moses comes out to great him.  They meet and exchange greetings.  Moses tells stories of how God has done amazing things and Jethro is overjoyed to hear what the Lord is doing.  The following day, it is take your father in law to work day I guess because Jethro goes to watch Moses work.  

Can you see the love and affection this man has for Moses?  Can you sense his pride in Moses?  Just like a loving father right?  Jethro loved Moses.  He cared for him deeply not just as the father to his grandchildren but as man to man.  We know that he cared for him because he gave to Moses his most precious resource…his time.  Exodus 18 is filled with Jethro spending time with Moses.  

Good fathers spend time with their children.  They invest in their children.  They converse with their children.  

Question:

Dad’s how much time do you spend with your children?  How much do you invest in them? 

Point:

Father’s there is a spiritual component to this time that we will cover in a moment.  But for right now, understand that your children are your legacy.  What are you implanting in their lives? What legacy are you leaving.  Know this, your kids are starving for your time.  

illustration: An Hour of Your Time

A man came home from work late again, tired and irritated. He found his 5-year-old son waiting for him at the door. “Daddy, may I ask you a question?”

The dad replied: “Yeah, sure, what is it?”

“Daddy, how much money do you make an hour?”

The dad got mad and said, “That’s none of your business! Why do you want to know?”

The little boy said, “I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?”

The dad, wanting to sit down and relax, said, “If you must know, I make $20 an hour.”

The little boy sighed and bowed his head. Looking up, he asked, “Daddy, may I borrow $10 please?”

The father flew off the handle, “If the only reason you wanted to know how much money I make is so that you can hit me up for some cash to buy some stupid toy, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. You’re so selfish. I work long, hard hours every day and don’t have time for this.”

The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door.

The dad sat down and started to get even madder about the nerve of his little boy. How dare he ask questions only to get some money. After an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think that maybe he was a bit hard on his boy. Maybe his son really needed the money for something important. And so, the father went up to his boy’s room and opened it, “Are you asleep, son?”

“No daddy. I’m awake,” replied the boy.

“I’ve been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier. It’s been a long day, and I took it out on you. Here’s that 10 bucks you asked for.”

The little boy sat straight up, beaming. “Oh, thank you, daddy!” he exclaimed. Then, reaching under his pillow, he pulled out a wad of crumpled up bills.

The dad, seeing that the boy already had some money, started to get angry again. The little boy slowly counted out his money, and then looked up at his dad.

The dad, now ticked off, demanded to know what was going on, “Why did you want more money if you already had some?”

The little boy replied, “Because I didn’t have enough, but now I do. Daddy, I have $20 now…and I’d like to buy an hour of your time.”

Point:

Remember that Jesus loved children.  How do I know this to be true? He gave them His time.  

Matthew 19:14 ESV

but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”

3 Lessons From Jethro’s Faithful Fathering 

I. Jethro’s Care vs. 13-14

II. Jethro’s Correction vs. 15-17

Exodus 18:13-14 ESV

5 And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God; 16 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.” 17 Moses' father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. 

Point:

So Dad in law goes to work and discovers that Moses is essentially the personification of the Israelite government.  If any disagreement breaks out between the people, Moses hears the issue and makes a decision.  Moses is literally running himself in the ground with work.  

An experienced Father can usually see the imbalance of our lives can’t he.  Moses had no balance in his life.  It was all work and no play.  Moses had no time for himself, his family and his faith.  Everything was out of whack as they say.  

So what does Jethro do?  He correct Moses.  That’s right, Moses was out of line and Jethro corrects him.  

Point:

Our culture is so interesting.  There is a prevailing opinion in parenting circles that loving your child means that you never correct your child.  God forbid you hurt their feelings.  Friends, correction is love.  It is the epitome of love.  

Father’s it is our job to loving correct our children when they are out of line.  We are the God given boundaries for their lives and without us guarding them and protecting them, they are head for potential destruction.  

Friends, let me tell you that at no time during my childhood, adolescence, teenage years, or college years was my father my friend or buddy.  Don’t misunderstand me, he loved me.  I loved him.  I knew that I could go to him with my problems and I certainly did and do even today.  However, I never saw him as my buddy or pal, he was my father and I respected him as such.  As my father, he placed boundaries on my life and corrected me when I got out of line or when I disobeyed.  

Jethro loved Moses enough to correct him.  Moses was heading for potential disaster.  He had no compass in his life and his life was prioritized incorrectly.  

Quote:

Janet Lehman of Empowering Parents has this to say about our buddy/friend parenting model…

Here’s the truth: if being your kids’ friend was enough to raise them successfully, we would all probably parent that way. But our job is way more complicated than that. Children and teens really crave boundaries, limits and structure. At the same time, they also need some healthy separation from us as they go through adolescence and develop into adults. Our role as parents is really to teach, coach and give our kids consequences when they misbehave. If you slip into that friend role, however, it’s virtually impossible to lay down the law and set limits on your child’s inappropriate behavior.  When you treat your child like a friend, you’re telling her that she is your peer, and that her power is equal to yours.

Point:

Just take few moments and listen to what the Bible says about correcting children Dads…

Proverbs 13:24 ESV

Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.

Proverbs 23:13-14 ESV

Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die. If you strike him with the rod, you will save his soul from Sheol.

Hebrews 12:11 ESV

For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Proverbs 22:6 ESV

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 29:17 ESV

Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart.

Point:

Obviously correction does not mean abuse.  We correct.  We do not beat or harm.  We correct in keeping with issue.  There is never a moment when a father should abuse a child for a mistake.  Remember Paul’s instruction to father’s in Ephesians 6.

Ephesians 6:4 ESV

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Illustration: Papa’s Gone

Lucille Ball, shortly before her death, did a remarkable TV interview with Merv Griffin. He asked her a very serious and pointed question: “Lucille, you’ve lived a long time on this earth and you are a wise person. What’s happened to our country? What’s wrong with our children? Why are our families falling apart? What’s missing?” Lucille Ball answered without hesitation: “Papa’s missing. Things are falling apart because Papa’s gone. If Papa were here he would fix it.”

3 Lessons From Jethro’s Faithful Fathering 

I. Jethro’s Care vs. 13-14

II. Jethro’s Correction vs. 15-17

III. Jethro’s Connection vs. 23-24

Exodus 18:23-24 ESV

If you do this, God will direct you, you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.”24 So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said.

Point:

So Jethro encourages Moses to share the Lord.  Find trusted people to help him with the affairs of the people. This way there will be peace in his life and the lives he is trying to help.  Notice what Jethro is really up to.  He realized that Moses was missing something.  Moses was missing direction.  Jethro provided him direction. Jethro was concerned that Moses had lost his spiritual direction and Jethro helped him reconnect to that spiritual element of his life.  

Point:

Dads, we are here to direct our kids to God. We are to point them towards Jesus so that they don’t end up as strung out adults who have no compass and foundation.  We point them to Jesus so that they will find balance in their lives.  

Dad’s how often do you pray with your kids, out loud and in their presence?

Dad’s how often do you read scripture with your kids, out loud and in their presence?

Dad’s how often do you lead the way to church without having your wife drag you out of bed?

Dad’s how often do your kids see you here at church worshipping, giving, and serving missionally?

Point:

Jethro did something powerful for Moses.  If you read up to verses 10-12 of the same chapter you see the example that Jethro was setting in worship for Moses.  Let’s read it together.

Exodus 18:10-12 ESV

10 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. 11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods, because in this affair they dealt arrogantly with the people.” 12 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.

Point:

Look at all the things that Moses saw:

1. Jethro blessed him.

2. Jethro gave a testimony to God’s greatness.

3. Jethro made a sacrifice.

4. Jethro fellowship with other like minded believers.  

Dad’s when is the last time you did any of that for your kids.  Wow, what an example of faith.  

Point:

Guys, your children are hungering for your time.  Show up.  

Guys, your children are hungering for your loving correction. Don’t withhold it from them.

Guys, your children are hungering for your care spiritual guidance. Are you trying to serve them from an empty well today?  For many of us it is much easier to show up to a baseball game than to lead our kids in prayer.  

Dad’s lets commit today to renew our sacred responsibility to raise up Godly children.  

Remember…

Psalm 127:3-5 ESV

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

Illustration:

You have probably noticed this little baby toy that I have here with me on stage.  It is a little baby lawn mower.  We have this toy for years.  First it was Jay’s.  Then it was Jack.  Now it belongs to Jett.  I can remember as my boys grew up they would break out the mower every time I would cut the grass.  Each one would walk be me.  Following along closely.  If I turned, they turned.  If I stopped they stopped.  Wherever I went, there they were, walking in my steps.  

It hit me one day that if my kids are truly walking in my footsteps, where am I leading them?  Am I leading them closer to God or further away from him?  What am I teaching them?

Dad’s you are God’s first line of defense and direction to your children.  What an honor it is to be a Father, don’t take it lightly.  For your children are the legacy you leave behind.  

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