The Bible hasn't made any mention of Moses' family since Exodus 4. It was in that chapter that he and his wife Zipporah seemed to be at odds with each other on their way down to Egypt. At some point Moses sent her and their two sons back to Zipporah's father's house, as we will be told in our study today. The Bible never tells us when exactly Moses sent his family to Midian but some scholars think it was right after Zipporah said harsh words to him in Chapter 4. They say he realized in Chapter 4 that he was asking too much of his family and perhaps putting them in danger by taking them to Egypt. Other scholars think his wife and sons originally accompanied him to Egypt but that he sent them back to Midian when he saw that the stubbornness of Pharaoh was going to cause ten plagues to be brought down on the land. .
Here in Chapter 18 Moses' father-in-law Jethro hears that the Israelites have made it safely out of Egypt and that they have won a military victory against the Amalekites. It seems like a safe time to deliver Moses' wife and children back to him, plus Jethro wants to provide as much help and advice as he can to his son-in-law.
"Now Jethro, priest of Midian and father-in-law of Moses, heard of everything God had done for Moses and for His people Israel, and how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro received her and her two sons. One son was named Gershom, for Moses said, 'I have become a foreigner in a foreign land'; and the other was named Eliezer, for he said, 'My father's God was my helper; He saved me from the sword of Pharaoh.'" (Exodus 18:1-4) His sons' names mean "foreigner" and "helper".
"Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, together with Moses' sons and wife, came to him in the wilderness, where he was camped near the mountain of God. Jethro had sent word to him, 'I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.'" (Exodus 18:5-6) Jethro sent a messenger ahead to let Moses know they were coming, probably so Moses would remained camped where he was until the caravan containing his family and their belongings could reach him.
"So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. They greeted each other and then went into the tent. Moses told his father-in-law about everything the Lord had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel's sake and about the hardships they had met along the way and how the Lord had saved them." (Exodus 18:7-8) What a riveting story this must have been! I picture Jethro listening to it while leaning forward in his chair, his eyes wide with excitement, his heart beating faster at every suspenseful turn in the tale. Moses gives a glowing report on the mighty deeds of God. It sounds as if every word he says extols the power and mercy of the Lord.
I don't know why but I can't help picturing Jethro clapping his hands in praise at the conclusion of the story. Maybe because the Bible tells us he was "delighted" and that he gave glory to God and made an offering to Him. "Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good things the Lord had done for Israel in rescuing them from the hand of the Egyptians. Now I know that the Lord is greater than all other gods, for He did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly.' Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with Moses father-in-law in the presence of God." (Exodus 18:9-12)
Why does Jethro say that now he knows the Lord is greater than all other gods? He's already a priest, presumably of the one true God, since he is a Midianite and the Midianites were descended from Abraham and his second wife Keturah. The Midianites would have started out worshiping the God of Abraham, although they appear to have mingled with other tribes as the years went on and may have picked up idolatrous practices from those tribes. The Bible never gives any indication that Jethro didn't worship the same God as Moses, but he lived in an area where he would have been surrounded by idolatry and it's possible some pagan practices had wormed their way into his life. At the very least, he would have been aware of the "gods" of his neighbors and would have been familiar with many pagan practices and with the altars and temples and idols in the land. He may think some of these other gods exist and he may have wondered whether God was more powerful than other gods and he may have been afraid God wouldn't be able to rescue Israel. It's very difficult to say for sure what Jehtro means by his statement in verse 11. He may have harbored no doubts whatsoever regarding the one true God and could simply be saying something like, "Lord, there is no one like You! You've put the false gods to shame. None of the idols of Egypt were able to lift a finger against You. No deity came to the Egyptians' aid. You are the God of gods!"
Whatever the case, we don't see Jethro serving any god but the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when he makes sacrifices and offerings in our passage today. Now, regarding these sacrifices and offerings, the burnt offering was given up wholly to God. No part of it could be kept for the bringer to consume. But in the case of other sacrifices the blood was poured out before God and sometimes other parts were offered to God but the majority of the meat was for the bringer to consume with his family or friends. We have to keep in mind that, upsetting as the idea of animal sacrifice may be to us, these people were an agricultural people. They were raising flocks and herds for consumption or for milk or for wool or for the performance of farm work, in the same way flocks and herds are raised in our own times. This means that these animals brought as offerings were destined for the dinner table to begin with. When the people consume a meal after offering an animal to God, they are doing what they'd intended to do with this animal all along. The only difference is that consuming an animal after it has been offered to God included an extra measure of thankfulness and praise. They offered it to God in thanks for all He has done; now they consume the meal in a reverent attitude as if they are sitting at the same table with God enjoying the meal with Him. This is why the Bible says that when Aaron and the elders come out to eat the meal with Jethro and Moses they are eating it "in the presence of God".
Aaron and the elders come out to the altar and share the meal with Moses and Jethro. They enjoy a time of sweet fellowship with God and with each other. This type of fellowship is valuable for bonding the people of God together and it's something we still do today in our churches or in our smaller groups that gather in our homes. We break bread together. We bond with each other. We form friendships that provide encouragement and comfort through the years. This type of fellowship is something we should never neglect. Many times in the New Testament we find Jesus breaking bread with His closest friends and with other believers, and if the Son of God needed and enjoyed fellowship with other human beings, then certainly you and I can benefit from it.
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