Exodus Chapter 18 Verses 1-12 

:1 “When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father in law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, and that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt; 2 Then Jethro, Moses' father in law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her back, 3 And her two sons; of which the name of the one was Gershom; for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land: 4 And the name of the other was Eliezer; for the God of my father, said he, was mine help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh: 

5 And Jethro, Moses' father in law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of God: 6 And he said unto Moses, I thy father in law Jethro am come unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her. 7 And Moses went out to meet his father in law, and did obeisance, and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare; and they came into the tent. 8 And Moses told his father in law all that the LORD had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, and all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how the LORD delivered them. 9 And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, whom he had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians. 10  And Jethro said, Blessed be the LORD, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, who hath delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. 11 Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them. 12 And Jethro, Moses' father in law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father in law before God.” 

“When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father in law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, and that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt;”  This verse shows the abundant evidence of what is recorded for us in Rom. 9:17: “For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.”  Jethro had heard of all the great things that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, and that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt.  This knowledge, no doubt, spread far and wide and the name of the God of Israel was declared in all the earth.   

“Then Jethro, Moses' father in law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her back,” We are not told why Moses had sent his wife and two sons back to the house of Jethro while he and the children of Israel were making their exit from Egypt.  I expect it was for their safety that he sent them back, but that is only speculation.  We do know that Jethro was diligent in bringing them to Moses after he had heard of all the goodness of the God of Israel who had manifest his power over Pharaoh and his hosts and had parted the waters of the Red Sea that the children of Israel might pass over and the Egyptian army and Pharaoh might be destroyed. 

“And her two sons; of which the name of the one was Gershom; for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land: And the name of the other was Eliezer; for the God of my father, said he, was mine help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh:”  As was the custom in Old Testament days children were often named based on circumstances in the lives of either their father or mother.  Thus we see that Gershom’s name means Refugee and Eliezer’s name means God is my help.  Moreover, the names of these two sons reflect circumstances in the lives of all of God’s children.  We are all aliens in a strange land and we all have God as our help in this time world in which we live.   

“And Jethro, Moses' father in law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of God: And he said unto Moses, I thy father in law Jethro am come unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her.”  The reuniting of Moses with his wife and their two sons was no doubt a cause of great joy for them.  Moreover, Jethro had been exceeding kind to Moses when he had fled from the wrath of Pharaoh who sought to kill him.  We can just imagine the emotion that was present with this reunion. 

“And Moses went out to meet his father in law, and did obeisance, and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare; and they came into the tent.”  While Moses was the leader of the entire nation of Israel and under the authority of God gave many commandments and instructions to Israel, yet we see that he maintained a proper servants attitude in all his affairs.  He, and rightfully so, did obeisance unto his father in law.  After all his father in law was father to his wife and grandfather to his children.  This kind of respect and honor should be maintained in this modern era as well.   

“And Moses told his father in law all that the LORD had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, and all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how the LORD delivered them.”  Notice that Moses gave all the credit for the great works of the LORD unto the LORD.  He did not try to claim any credit for the wonderful and mighty works that were done.  As servants of the Lord we should be careful to maintain the same attitude as Moses maintained.  We should not try to claim any credit for the wonderful and mighty works of the Lord that we have either experienced or that we have been witness to or heard of.   

“And Jethro said, Blessed be the LORD, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, who hath delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.  Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them.”  When Moses declared the mighty works and wonders that God had performed in Egypt and had delivered the children of Israel, then Jethro, likewise, proclaimed the greatness of the LORD and how that he was greater than all the proud powers of Egypt and Pharaoh.           

“And Jethro, Moses' father in law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father in law before God.”  After hearing of all the great things that God had done, then Jethro sought to worship the God of Israel by offering burnt offerings and sacrifices.  Then the elders of Israel came to eat bread with Moses father in law.  Eating bread with someone in the scriptures is a sign of fellowship with the individual you are eating bread with. 

Verses 13-16 

:13 “And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening. 14 And when Moses' father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even? 15 And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to inquire of God: 16 When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.” 

“And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening.”  The question of everyday judgment of the people is presented to us here.  The people would have been approximately 2 million in number.  Moses sat to judge the people.  One judge for two million people would seem to be an almost impossible task both for the judge and for the people who would have had to wait in line for perhaps weeks  or months to have their matter heard.   

“And when Moses' father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even?”  Moses’ father in law certainly saw the dilemma that both Moses and the children of Israel were faced with.  

“And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to inquire of God: When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.”  The statutes and judgments of God and his laws had been revealed from God to Moses.  In his efforts Moses was trying to apply the judgment of God to the problems and situations of the people who were in need of judgment and counsel.  Thus, Moses as one man, was trying to apply the statutes, judgments, and laws of God to the problems of each individual who came to him and to teach each individual the statutes, judgments, and laws of God.  Again, we point out that this was tantamount to one man trying to judge 2 million or so people each on an individual basis.