Ministry Is Not a One Man Job – Exodus 18:13-27
18 (13) The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning until evening. (14) When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all the people stand around you from morning until evening? (15) Moses answered his father-in-law, Because the people come to me to know God’s will. (16) Whenever they have a dispute, they come to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor and I inform them of God’s statutes and laws. (17) Then Moses’ father-in-law said to him, What you are doing is not good. (18) You will surely wear yourself out, both you and the people who come to you. The work is too much for you; you cannot do it by yourself alone. (19) Listen to me and I will give you advice, and may God be with you. You be the peoples’ representative before God and bring their disputes to God. (20) Teach them the statutes and the laws and show them the way in which they are to walk and the duties they are to perform. (21) Furthermore, select capable men from among the people—men who fear God, men of integrity, men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, officials over hundreds, officials over fifties, and officials over tens. (22) Have them serve as judges for the people at all times; let them bring every difficult case to you, but let them decide every small matter by themselves. In this way it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. (23) If you do this and God so commands you, you will be able to endure, and all these people will go to their homes satisfied. (24) Moses listened to his father-in-law and did all that he said. (25) So Moses chose capable men from all Israel and appointed them as leaders over the people, officials over thousands, officials over hundreds, officials over fifties, and officials over tens. (26) They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but every small matter they decided by themselves. (27) Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went back to his own country.
Now proceed to the next section of this study, entitled, Exploring the Passage.
