How does Exodus 18:1 connect with God's promises to Moses in earlier chapters? Setting the Scene in Exodus 18:1 “Now Moses’ father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, heard about everything that God had done for Moses and His people Israel—how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt.” • One verse, yet loaded with fulfillment: God’s mighty works are now public news, reaching even Midian. • The spotlight shifts from Pharaoh’s resistance to worldwide recognition of the LORD’s faithfulness. Echoes of the Burning Bush Promise (Exodus 3) • Exodus 3:8—“I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land…” • Exodus 3:12—“When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.” Connections: 1. Rescue promised (3:8) → Rescue accomplished (18:1). 2. Moses first met God while tending Jethro’s flock (3:1). Now Jethro re-enters the story to witness the promise kept. 3. The “mountain” in the promise is Sinai/Horeb—the very region where Jethro meets the nation (18:5). The sign God gave Moses quietly unfolds before his father-in-law’s eyes. The Covenant Assurance Repeated in Egypt (Exodus 6) • Exodus 6:6-7—“I will bring you out… I will deliver you… I will take you as My own people, and I will be your God.” How 18:1 reflects this: • “Brought Israel out of Egypt” echoes the four “I wills.” • Jethro’s report confirms that God’s covenant words were not mere comfort; they are now historical fact. Making His Name Known to the Nations (Exodus 7–14) • Exodus 7:5—“The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD…” • Exodus 9:16—“…that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” • Exodus 14:4—“…the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.” Fulfillment seen in 18:1-11: • A Midianite priest, outside the covenant line, hears and believes. • Exodus 18:10-11—Jethro blesses the LORD: “Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods…”. • God’s fame is spreading exactly as He said, starting with Egypt and rippling outward. Fulfilling the Sign of Worship at the Mountain (Exodus 3:12) • Israel is camped “near the mountain of God” (18:5). • By the time chapter 19 opens, the nation will be assembled in worship—sign completed. • Moses can trace every step back to that first conversation beside the burning bush. Encouragement for Today • God keeps His word down to the smallest detail—rescue, relationship, and worldwide witness. • Delays and obstacles (plagues, Red Sea, wilderness) never cancel His promises; they become the stage on which He displays faithfulness. • What God speaks in private (burning bush) He performs in public (Jethro’s testimony), inviting outsiders to acknowledge His greatness. |
    |