Who was Jethro, Moses
father-in-law and what did he do?
Jethro: (his excellence
) We know for sure: He was called a priest or prince (Exodus 18: 1) He taught Moses how to administer justice to a large group of people (Exodus 18:13-24) He rejoiced in God's goodness and offered sacrifices to Him. (Exodus 18:9-12)
He
was familiar with the area and was asked to stay with the Israelites
for the length of their journey through Canaan (Number 10: 31, 33)
Conflicts about Jethro: Is
his name Reul or is Reul the name of Jethro's father? (see
Numbers 10:29 and Exodus 2:18) Easton's and Smith's Bible
dictionary take opposite points of view on this.
Is he a follower of the God of Israel or just going along with the custom of Moses people?
Whatever
his real name was, whether or not he was a follower of the Israelite
faith, he was a true friend and mentor to Moses, an example of
excellence in in-lawing.
|