The Pulpit Commentaries
Exodus 18:27
EXPOSITION
DEPARTURE OF JETHRO. The time of Jethro's departure, and indeed of his entire visit, has been matter of controversy. Kurtz is of opinion that Jethro waited till the news of Israel's victory over Amalek reached him, before setting out from his own country. Hence he concludes, that "a whole month or more may easily have intervened between the victory over Amalek and the arrival of Jethro," whose arrival in that case "would not even fall into the very earliest period of the sojourn at Sinai, but after the promulgation of the first Sinaitic law." Those who identify Hobab with Jethro find in Numbers 10:29-4 a proof that at any rate Jethro prolonged his visit until after the law was given, and did not "depart to his own land" before the removal of the people from the wilderness of Sinai to that of Paran, "in the 20th day of the second month of the second year" (ib, Numbers 10:11). The position, however, of Numbers 18:1; together with its contents—beth what it says and what it omits—are conclusive against this view. Jethro started on his journey when he heard "that the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt" (Numbers 18:1), not when he heard that Israel had been victorious over Amalek. His conversation with Moses (Numbers 18:7-4) ranged over the entire series of deliverances from the night of the departure out of Egypt to the Amalekite defeat, but contained no allusion to the giving of the law. The occupation of Moses on the day after his arrival (Numbers 18:13) is suitable to the quiet period which followed the Amalekite defeat, but not to the exciting time of the Sinaitic manifestations. It may be added that the practice of inculcating general principles on occasion of his particular judgments, of which Moses speaks (Numbers 18:16), is suitable to the period anterior to the promulgation of the law, but not to that following it. The argument from Numbers 10:29-4 fails altogether, so soon as it is seen that Jethro and Hobab are distinct persons, probably brothers, sons of Reuel (or Raguel), and brothers- in-law of Moses.
Moses let his father-in-law depart. Literally, "dismissed him," "sent him away." This single expression is quite enough to prove that the Hobab, whom Moses made strenuous efforts to keep with him after Sinai was left, is not the Jethro whom he was quite content to let go. He went his way into his own land. He returned to Midian, probably crossing the Elanitic gulf, which divided Midian from the Sinaitic region. The exact time of the departure is uncertain; but it was probably before the main events related in Exodus 19:1.
HOMILETICS
Jethro the model of a friendly adviser.
A man's friends often hesitate to offer advice, from the fear of its being ill received. Jethro showed himself superior to this weakness, and risked being rebuffed for officiousness, confident in his singleness of purpose and honest intentions. He had all the qualities of a good adviser. He was—
1. SAGACIOUS. There can be no doubt that he rightly forecast the results, if Moses had continued his unwise monopoly of the judicial office, or that he suggested a prudent course in place of that whereof he disapproved. His reservation of a certain judicial power to Moses (Exodus 18:20-2) was especially wise, since had he not done so, it is highly probable that his counsel would not have been followed;—
2. SYMPATHETIC. Kindness and. warm feeling breathed in his warning words:—"Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou and this people … for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone." He feels for Moses; he feels for the people; he has no thought for himself; he is solely anxious, and deeply anxious, to save others from unnecessary suffering;—
3. STRAIGHTFORWARD. He does not use periphrases, or beat about the bush, but goes straight to his point, making his purpose clearly intelligible, and indeed unmistakable—"The thing that thou doest is not good"—"provide out of the people able men."
4. WHOLLY DISINTERESTED. The advice which he tenders can do him no good. He asks no employment, no place for himself. He will not even participate in the general prosperity of Israel if good results follow the adoption of his counsel; for he is not about to cast in his lot with the Israelites. On the contrary, he is bent on withdrawing at once into his own country. Moses will not find him that keen annoyance, an ever-present friend, who because his advice has been taken once, regards himself as entitled to obtrude it whenever he pleases, and to feel aggrieved if it is not in every case followed. If advisers generally acted in the spirit of Jethro, there would be far less unwillingness than there is to ask advice, and far more gratitude felt towards those who volunteer it.
HOMILIES BY D. YOUNG
Jethro's departure.
I. JETHRO DEPARTS AFTER A MOST SATISFACTORY VISIT. That visit was made not perhaps without some anxiety and doubt as to the results, but still under the clear dictation of duty. Therefore, it would have been satisfactory even if less successful. Moses might, conceivably, have looked on Zipporah coldly and. received her reluctantly; but there would have remained to Jethro the priceless satisfaction that he had done the right thing. But Jethro, we have seen, had more even than the satisfaction of a good conscience; he had been successful, and successful beyond all that he could have anticipated when he set out. To a man of Jethro's disposition, that would indeed be a joyous visit, which had proved so useful to Moses, to Zipporah, to their children, to Israel, and may we not add, towards the glorifying of Jethro himself? Keep ever in the path that is clearly right, and you have Jethro's experience to encourage you in the expectation that it may also be the path of noble and joyous opportunities.
II. JETHRO DEPARTS, AND MOSES IS MADE TO FEEL, MORE THAN EVER, THAT JEHOVAH REMAINS. Very helpful are human counsel and sympathy, and especially when they come from old friends. There are no friends like old friends, and Jethro was a very old friend t o Moses. But Jethro's abilities and opportunities as adviser extended only a little way. Like Moses we may all have our Jethros whom we may love, cherish and venerate; for God distributes such men everywhere about the world to be, as it were, fellow-workers with trim in giving stability and illumination to the perplexed. But we cannot keep them; we may lose them at any moment; and while it is great wisdom to listen to them, it would be great folly to put them in the place of God. Though Jethro was very decided in the counsels he gave, he knew equally when to stop. We may look at him as coming in here to teach us that what we can expect from the most competent and loving of human friends is but a trifle compared with the great total of our needs. We are allowed to have but small expectations from the brother sinner, the brother mortal, the brother who is liable to ignorance and error, just as much as we are ourselves. When Jethro went away, Moses would feel himself all the more shut up to Jehovah. When the earthly is dumb, misleading, estranged, or dead, then the heavenly will speak in clear and loving accents to all who have ears to hear.
III. Jethro departs into his own land, for HE HAD DOUBTLESS PRESSING CLAIMS UPON HIM THERE. He was just the kind of man to make his presence, as long as he lived, a kind of necessity to his neighbours, he had come on a matter of urgency, not for his own pleasure or ease; and we may imagine he went back as soon as he conveniently could to finish such affairs at home as had been left unfinished. Note, however, that in going back to his own land, and away from Moses, he did not therefore retire from the service of God and the reach of God's blessings. Jethro and Moses seemed to be going different ways; but they only differed in external circumstances. Moses does not seem even to have asked Jethro to stay with him; whereas we know that he pressed and urged Hobab. Perhaps he felt that he had no sufficient reason for asking Jethro, or that it would be of no use.—Y.