Matthias

I've never heard of Moses' delegating authority by the advice of his FIL, Jethro, to be a bad thing before. I was always taught that it was a good thing.

I just went back and re-read Exodus 18. It seems to me that Jethro was in the right spirit and had just finished praising the LORD and sacrificing to Him after confessing that He was indeed God, alone. He says this after Moses returns and after he presents Moses' wife and sons back to him.

That seems like a man who is speaking from truth. So the next day when he sees Moses having to deal with ALL of those people's complaints and problems, I think that God has impressed this idea of delegation on to Jethro.

There was MUCH Godly wisdom in his advice.

I'm more convinced now, after reading Exodus 18 again that Jethro was in the right and that God was in the delegation.

 

.....oh, and I did look up to see what David Guzik had to say after I read Exodus 18. He seemed to think this was the right thing, too. (Not that David Guzik is the final authority on the Bible - there are quite a few things that I think he is interpreting incorrectly and he displays a little presumption in some places - but I think he's on track most of the time. Frankly, one of the reasons that I like him is because he seeks out the opinions and writings of so many others who came before him. He's not a "lone ranger" commentator.)

He did have something interesting to say that I hadn't put together, but reading it - it makes sense.