Jethro was the father-in-law of Moses. He also went by the name Reuel, which means “Friend of God” (Exodus 2:18). The first mention of him in the Bible is in (Exodus 2:16), where he is referred to as a priest of Midian that had seven daughters.
How Moses And Jethro Met
Moses fled to the land of Midian when Pharaoh tried to kill him. He met Jethro’s daughters at a well that they often visited when filling water troughs for their father’s flocks. On this particular visit the girls were chased away by some other shepherds. Moses stepped in and rescued the ladies from the shepherds and then drew their water for them.
When the girls returned to their father they told him how the Egyptian had rescued them. Moses was invited to come eat and then agreed to stay there with them. As time went by, Zipporah the daughter of Jethro, was given to Moses in marriage. She gave birth to a son named Gershom. (Exodus 2:15-22)
One day as Moses was pasturing his father-in-law’s flocks, God called him from a burning bush and told him to return to Egypt. Moses went back to his father-in-law and said to him, “Let me return to my own people in Egypt to see if any of them are still alive.” Jethro said, “Go, and I wish you well.” (Exodus 4:18)
Jethro’s Visit
We read again about Jethro in (Exodus 18). After hearing about all that God had done for Moses and the Israelites in rescuing them from Egypt, Jethro came to visit Moses. He brought Moses’ wife and two sons along with him. The Bible tells of a good reunion between the two men, ending with Aaron and all the elders joining them in a sacrificial meal in the presence of God. (Exodus 18:1-12)
Advice From The Father-In-Law
When Jethro takes notice of all that Moses is doing for the people, including settling all of their disputes, he tells him he is going to wear himself out trying to handle the burden all by himself. Jethro advises him to select some capable and honest God-fearing men and appoint them as leaders to help settle some of the smaller disputes among the people.
The Bible says Moses listened to his father-in-law’s advice and followed his suggestions. Jethro returned to his own land soon after this (Exodus 18:13-27). From all appearances Moses seemed to have been greatly blessed with a good father-in-law who gave solid advice when needed.
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