Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20091004.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Exodus: God's Forming The Nation Israel For His Abrahamic Covenant
Part II: God's Training Israel To Heed Him, Exodus 15:22-40:38
D. God's Training On Gaining Wisdom In Resource Management
(Exodus 18:1-27)
    Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

    God has pledged to meet the godly believer's mental, emotional and spiritual resource needs in Bible passages like Philippians 4:6-9 and all his material resource needs in verses like Philippians 4:19. However, in today's troubled world, even believers struggle to use their limited resources to meet huge demands, a temptation for great stress:

    (1) A local popular talk show host is refusing to get the (H1N1) "Swine" flu shot due to negative reports he's heard about it!

    He has reason to be concerned: the Sunday Times of London reports that "British health officials have warned doctors of possible similarities between the new H1N1 vaccine and a shot linked to 25 deaths in the U. S. in the 1970s." ("Health Officials Warn of H1N1 Vaccine's Link to Deadly Nerve Disease," 8/16/2009, foxnews.com) That case caused the Center for Disease Control to halt inoculations, "(t)he U. S. government was forced to pay out millions of dollars in liability claims, and the CDC's once sterling reputation was tarnished." (Mary Ellen Egan, "Should You Get A Swine Flu Shot? Definitely Maybe," Forbes, October 1, 2009 as cited on the web site, http://health.msn.com/print.aspx?cp-documentid=100245385&page=0)

    In the end, many in weak health are left anxiously wondering what is the best route for them to take to prepare for the flu season!

    (2) Seniors struggle not only financially, but emotionally and mentally with the forecast government freeze on annual Social Security increases. The article, "Seniors in Waterbury rally to retain benefit increases" by Lauresha Xhihani in the September 29, 2009 Waterbury Republican-American, p. 1A, told how trustees of the Social Security system predict there will be no cost of living raise for the next two years because the cost of living is being held in check by the recession.

    However, Gabrielle Pirone of Waterbury, age 80 who gets $900 a month in Social Security benefits said this report is "very, very stressful to hear!" Her supplemental medical insurance just increased by $30 a month, and a typical 3 percent annual Social Security increase would add $27 a month to her income. Gabrielle thus wonders how she is going to be able to thrive on her current income. (Ibid., p. 7A)


    Need: "With today's demands on our limited material and immaterial resources, how can we gain God's wisdom on managing them well?"


    Thus, we ask, "How do we discern God's practical wisdom on managing the limited mental, emotional, physical and financial resources He gives so we can function in our demanding world?!"

  1. While Moses and Israel were in the wilderness, they faced a lot of stress due to the improper management of their limited resources:
    1. Moses initially judged the disputes of the nation Israel, Ex. 18:15-16.
    2. Yet, how this activity was managed made it an overwhelming burden:
      1. There were two million people in Israel when she left Egypt (Bible Know. Com., O. T., p. 129), so for Moses himself to handle all the nation's disputes occupied him and Israel all day long, Ex. 18:14!
      2. This created a mentally, emotionally and physically exhausting practice that would have eventually worn them out, Ex. 18:15-18.
      3. However, Moses was in this way trying to do his job of teaching Israel God's ways (Ex. 3:10; 19:3-7; 18:16c), so the resources to achieve this goal had already been given by a good and wise God!
      4. Consequently, HOW their RESOURCES were then being MANAGED had to CHANGE for them to DO God's WILL!
  2. For the SOLUTION, GOD sent a QUALIFIED MAN to give ADVICE on GOOD RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, Ex. 18:1-27:
    1. God provided a QUALIFIED adviser to give a MANAGEMENT IMPROVEMENT SUGGESTION to Moses, Exodus 18:1-12:
      1. The suggestion was from an experienced man, Exodus 18:1a-2:
        1. Exodus 18:1a shows Jethro was "the priest of Midian," one who would have been experienced in handling groups of people.
        2. He was also Moses' father-in-law (Ex. 18:2), an aged family man with a wife and daughter who had experienced life itself!
      2. The suggestion was from one with a personal interest in Moses' welfare, meaning it was a trustworthy suggestion, Ex. 18:1b-7:
        1. Moses was the father of Jethro's own grandsons and the husband of his own daughter, Zipporah, Exodus 18:2-7.
        2. Thus, Moses knew Jethro's suggestion to keep Moses and Israel from being worn out would be an honest one as Moses' success with Israel directly affected the welfare of Jethro's own kinfolk!
      3. The suggestion was from one with godly credentials, Ex. 18:8-12:
        1. Though we do not know if Jethro originated as a pagan priest or as a priest of God in Midian, upon hearing Moses' testimony of God's blessings to Israel, he certainly confessed faith in Israel's God, and worshiped Him with Israel's elders in Exodus 18:8-12.
        2. Thus, Jethro's suggestion coming AFTER his expression of faith in God (Ex. 18:13, 14ff) arose from one with godly credentials, making his suggestion even more CREDIBLE!
    2. God's SUGGESTION through Jethro involved DELEGATING RESPONSIBILITIES in a way that PRESERVED Moses' ROLE as LEADER and TEACHER in Israel, but in a WAY that EASED the BURDEN of ALL INVOLVED, Exodus 18:19-27:
      1. The suggestion directed Moses to delegate to lesser judges God's rulings that they in turn could teach the people, Exodus 18:19-20.
      2. The suggestion directed that the delegated leaders be qualified to judge and teach the people of Israel well, Exodus 18:21:
        1. Jethro suggested these lower judges revere God, Ex. 18:21a.
        2. He suggested these lower judges be truthful, Exodus 18:21b.
        3. Jethro proposed these judges hate covetousness so they would not take bribes and pervert judgment, Exodus 18:21c.
      3. The suggestion directed that there be an ascending court system under Moses to maintain orderly justice in Israel, Exodus 18:22.
      4. The suggestion had to meet with God's approval, Exodus 18:23.
      5. The suggestion involved "congregational polity" where judges were nominated by the people, Exodus 18:24-25; Deut. 1:9-13:
        1. Though Exodus 18:24-25 indicates Moses chose able men to rule in the lower courts, Deuteronomy 1:9-13 provides the detail that he utilized the people to nominate qualified men they knew.
        2. Moses thus tapped the knowledge of the people on the character of individual judges involved for the good of the whole nation!
        3. [Note how this pattern was used by the Church in Acts 6:1-7!]

Application: If we struggle to meet life's demands on our limited material and immaterial resources, (1) may we trust in Christ as Savior to become a child of God and come under God's "much more" care, John 1:11-12; Romans 8:32. (2) As a believer, (a) may we realize that IF we DO God's WILL (Phil. 4:6-9, 19), we have all the resources He feels we need, (b) so may we accept the qualified advisers God sends us and (b) heed their Biblically aligned words to manage our resources more effectively to meet life's demands!

Lesson: When Moses and Israel needed to improve their practical management of human resources, God provided a qualified adviser, one who was experienced, with a personal interest in their welfare and with godly credentials, to suggest a better management of resources to ease the burden on all involved in accord with fair, Biblical guidelines.


Conclusion : (To illustrate the message . . .)

In our sermon introduction, we noted that there is a question over whether the H1N1 "Swine" flu vaccination is a worthwhile shot to receive. Whether it may or may not be good, I cannot say, for I am certainly no medical expert, and our sermon does not address the issue.

However, instead of fretting about whether or not to get the shot, God last week sent us qualified advice in the mail on what all of us should do to help avoid getting the flu. It was in the form of the Fall 2009 issue of "Health Matters", a circular by Charlotte Hungerford Hospital. This hospital has "one of the lowest infection rates in the state at 1 percent compared to an expected 5 percent or greater" according to a column on page 1 of the circular by Daniel J. McIntyre, President and Executive Director of the institution. Thus, it is a credible institution to heed on ideas of best not getting the flu.

Well, on page 3 of that circular, besides its understandable support as a hospital of getting the flu shot, sensible, inexpensive, practical self-managment ideas are offered on cutting down on one's chance of getting the flu! Here is the list:

(1) "Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze" and "(t)hrow the tissue in the trash after you use it."

(2) "Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze."

(3) "Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread this way."

(4) "Try to avoid close contact with sick people. While sick, limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

(5) If you are sick with flu-like illness, stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities."

I believe God wants us to heed these recommendations from this reputable source as He has let it come our way this week in the mail regardless what our conscience directs about getting the flu shot!



May we trust in Christ as Savior for salvation from sin and so be put into His Biblically-described "much more" care. Then, may we HEED the CREDIBLE ADVICE GOD sends us for IMPROVED MANAGEMENT of the LIMITED RESOURCES we have in an ERA of GREAT DEMANDS on our RESOURCES.