Be Governed by the Truth, not by Man-Exodus 17-18

• Video. Did the Israelites confuse Moses with God (Exo 17:2)? What characterises chronic complainers (Exo 17:3)?
• Did Moses express a lack/lapse of trust in God (Exo 17:4)?
• How is saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?” testing God (Exo 17:7)? What does this question imply about God? Do you trust God when you feel danger?
• Why would God completely blot out the name/memory of Amalek (Exo 17:14; Dt 25:17-18)?
• From whom does Moses receive help (Exo 18:4; cf. Gen 2:18)?
• What can you learn from the [only] 4 kisses in the Torah (Gen 29:11; 33:4; Exo 4:27; 18:7)? Did Moses kiss his wife and kids? Why is there no further mention of Moses’ wife and 2 sons?
• How did Moses respond to criticism and advice (Exo 18:17-23)? Are you easily offended by criticism and advice? How important is it to have {or be} a Jethro in one’s life [or a Nathan in David’s life (2 Sam 12:1-14)]?
• What are 4 characteristics of good leaders and judges (Exo 18:21)? Should you judge based on compassion (Lev 19:15)?

The “best“ verse (for Christians) to live by may be Micah 6:8: “And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” We live as such both individually and communally as a church. The newly liberated Isralite slaves have been treated unjustly and mercilessly by Pharaoh and his Egyptian underlings for 430 years, and all they could do was to helplessly cry out, which was heard by God (Exo 2:23-25). But now that they are liberated and no longer enslaved, how would live and function in community? Unlike ruthless Pharaoh, they need to learn to be just, to be merciful, and to know the God who delivered them.

Be governed by the truth–not people–and govern yourselves. A just justice system is critical in a community that has been ruled by the will of one violent man, Pharaoh. Even if not violent like Pharaoh, the world is ruled by leaders who lord it over their subjects and exercise their authority over them (Mk 10:42). The largest question confronting any stable human community is internal self–government, the internal ordering of communal life in peacetime. How will these ex-slaves–formerly ruled by the despotic Pharaoh–manage their own internal affairs, especially in the absence of law and established authority?

Exodus 18 [Jethro’s visit with Moses and the Israelites explicitly examines self-government] covers:

1. Moses’ reunion with his father-in-law and with his wife and children (18:1-7).
2. Family Matters–or Does It (1-5)?
3. Moses and Eros (Exo 18:6-7). Moses kissed Jetho with no mention of kissing his wife or kids.
4. The private conversation between Moses and Jethro about what occurred in Egypt and since (18:8-11). Jethro Testifies for the Lord.
5. Jethro’s initiation of sacrifices in the company of Aaron and the elders (Exo 18:12). Jethro Feeds the Altar.
6. A review of Moses’ judicial activities and practices on the 2nd day (18:13-16).
7. Judge or Philosopher-King (Exo 18:13-14).
8. God’s Mouthpiece or Divining Judge? (Exo 18:15-16).
9. Jethro’s advice concerning (18:17-26):
10. the right way to govern (Exo 18:17-19),
11. the need for law (Exo 18:20),
12. the institution of delegated authority from and by Moses, the division of functions (Exo 18:21-22),
13. the relation between the leader and the led,
14. man’s relationship to the divine: right sacrifice (Exo 18:12),
15. man’s relation to man, their conduct toward one another: fair judgment (Exo 18).

Transition. Structurally, Exodus 18 is between the wilderness journey from Egypt to Sinai (Exo 15-17) and the first encounter with the new covenant at Sinai (Exo 19-23).

Confusing Moses with God (17:1-3). They demand that Moses, not God, provide them with water (Exo 17:2)–understandable since Moses is visible cf. the invisible God, who performed miracles through Moses, and that their previous life was under Pharaoh–a man-god. The confusion of Moses with God looms as a major theme in the Torah, which is ultimately the reason Moses is not allowed to enter the Promised Land. Characteristic of chronic complainers and malcontents is that they exercise no restraint and say whatever mean-spirited thoughts come into their heads–such as Moses taking them out of Egypt to kill them (Exo 17:3).

Not a family man. Imagine Jethro‘s surprise (Exo 18:1). He marries off his daughter to an “Egyptian” stranger (Exo 1:19, 21); his son-in-law, going off after many years to see his “brethren” in Egypt (Exo 4:18), sends the woman and her children back to him–presumably after the “Bridegroom of Blood” episode (Exo 4:24-26)–and then disappears for a long time (Exo 18:2-4). But it turns out that this son-in-law of his has friends in very high places and is now back in the neighborhood. Suitably impressed but not content with hearsay, Jethro goes to see for himself (Exo 18:5-6). Shockingly, the text is completely silent on Moses’ greeting of his wife and children: no kisses, no words, nothing, not even acknowledging their presence. Indeed, we never hear Moses say anything to his wife or his sons, and we will never again hear of his sons. Moses seems to be not much of a family man. It’s as if the leader as leader has no family. The people as a people are his children. He is like George Washington–the father of his nation. To his people he may seem to them almost self–sufficient and godlike; correlatively, they may be difficult for him to understand and empathize with. [For Moses, Jethro–a person of comparable stature and intellect–is the attraction. Since leaving for Egypt, Aaron was not one with whom he could speak freely and hope to be understood.]

Moses kissing Jethro (Exo 18:7) is the last kiss in the Torah, which has 4 total. The most famous kisses in Genesis both involve Jacob/Israel: 1st, kissing Rachel (Gen 29:11), the only time in the Torah a man kisses a woman; 2nd, Esau kisses him (Gen 33:4). The only 2 kisses in Exodus both involve Moses: the 1st was brotherly when Aaron kisses him (Exo 4:27) on their reunion on the mountain of God, their first meeting since baby Moses was taken into Pharaoh’s house. Here the recipient of Moses’ kiss is not his wife [or children] but her father. This sheds light on Moses’ soul.

Moses’ help [ezer] is from God (Exo 18:4; Gen 2:18). Moses is a man of thumos [spiritness], not a man of eros–or, rather, his eros is not for woman. [The chiastic structure of the 4 kisses: Jacob kisses Rachel; Esau kisses Jacob; Aaron kisses Moses; Moses kisses Jethro–not his wife.] Jacob fell in love with Rachel at first sight at the well, while Moses rescued 7 unmarried girls from bullying shepherds at the well, motivated only by righteous indignation and fellow feeling. From the women, he did not even get an invitation home. It was Jethro who summoned Moses and gave him a wife, without Moses asking for one (Exo 2:21). It’s not that Moses is without eros. He names his younger son Eliezer–“My God is my help [‘ezer]” (Exo 18:4). The text hints that Moses’ eros is for God, as ‘ezer refers to God’s creation of woman to be “a help [‘ezer]” (Gen 2:18). God’s help for man is woman; Moses’ help for himself is God. Going forward there are more overt signs of Moses’ longings for God.

Judge or Philosopher–King? Moses judged the people who came to him (Exo 18:13-14). Moses is enthroned on a seat of respect and authority. But the people hover near and over him, making him subject to their will, and is a prisoner of their needs and unruliness. Moses’ ability to govern depends on:

• people liking his judgments.
• his not antagonizing them.
• the sufficiency and durability of his charisma.

For now he has their trust and respect, based on his leadership at the Sea of Reeds (Exo 14:13-14,26-31) and in the war against Amalek (Exo 17:8-16), and on the belief that he has divine connections or even godlike powers. But people’s trust is fickle. Many may lose their trust in him should his verdicts go against them. Though he appears to be in charge, Moses is in fact at their mercy (Exo 17:4). The people, accustomed to being ruled by 1 man, relate to Moses (at least for now) as if he were a new and better Pharaoh. He is embraced, as described most famously by Socrates in Plato‘s Republic, as the only just regime: the rule of 1 good and wise man–a “philosopher–king“–who has a god’s-eye understanding of justice, but also as a divine–like lawgiver and judge, dispensing [intuiting, channeling, or manufacturing?] divine teachings, which is NOT the Torah‘s preferred political arrangement.

Best way to govern: It is not to get a better Pharaoh. It is not the rule of the best and wisest man, who then often becomes someone whom people will revere as a god. Whether he knows it or not, Moses is increasing the already dangerous gap between himself and the people, making it more likely that they will seek a “replacement god” when he is absent.

The PRIMACY of the RULE of LAW–NOT the rule of man–is the proper way–not just any law (Exo 18:15-16), but divinely ordained law–equally applicable to the leaders and the led alike, and administered by human beings for the benefit of all members of the community. Only this approach can hope to bring justice and civil peace. The rule of law takes prominence when the Israelites are ready to enter the Promised Land to live under the Law, when Moses the lawgiver must disappear from the scene. There must be no appeal from the law to the lawgiver, who may have his/her own biases, favorites, prejudices and preferences that favor some but not others. 

Jethro‘s advice and help (18:17-18). Moses, due to bodily fatigue, needed help on the hill at the battle with Amalek for his hands grew heavy (Exo 17:12). But now as judge for the people, he could suffer “burnout,” a matter of the spirit (Exo 18:18). Jethro’s 1st words–“Not good is the thing that you are doing” (Exo 18:17) echos God in the Garden of Eden–“Not good is it for the man to be alone: I will make him a help [‘ezer] opposite him” (Gen 2:18). To help and correct Moses’ aloneness, Jethro, like God, had already twice brought Moses his woman, both years ago (Exo 2:20-21) and again on this visit (Exo 18:5-6). In this instance Jethro corrects a different aloneness: he will bring him lower-court judges.

Letting one man be the sole ruler and judge is precarious for the leader and bad for the people (Exo 18:19). Moses is at risk as he is alone and all the people are over against him. He needs to involve others in the process of judging so that they too will bear some of the responsibility. Jethro gives specific advice but adds a codicil [addendum, supplement, postscript, addition, modifier] (Exo 18:19a). In other words, may God approve my counsel and implement it. While giving his own political advice, Jethro keeps the divine [elohim] in view; he reminds Moses of the need for divine approval (Exo 18:19).

How you respond to criticism and advice (Exo 18:17-23). Moses was not resentful or annoyed by Jethro’s critique and avice, and immediately acted on his recommendation. Though not common, this is the intelligent and mature way to respond to criticism and advice. People are often offended when they receive advice, let alone criticism, especially when unsolicited. But it is egotistical and even catastrophic for a leader who refuses to listen to criticism or advice. In extreme cases, they forbid and even punish it, as tyrants often do. Joseph Telushkin, an American rabbi [b. 1948], said, “If no one feels comfortable criticizing you, the likelihood that you will be better tomorrow is most probably nonexistent.”

Reference:

1. Leon R. Kass. Founding God’s Nation. Reading Exodus. 2021.
2. James K. Bruckner. Exodus. New International Bible Commentary. 2008.
3. John Goldingay. Exodus & Leviticus for Everyone. 2010.
4. Robert Alter. The Hebrew Bible. A translation with commentary. The Five Books of Moses. 2019.
5. Dennis Prager. Exodus. God, Slavery, and Freedom. The Rational Bible. 2018.

• 613 commandments.
• God’s name “I Will Be What I Will Be” is not necessarily a name of who God is [Hi, I’m Ben], but God is saying, “Watch what I say. Watch what I do.”
• Apotheosis [noun].  From the Gk apotheoun, to make a god or to deify. Apotheosis implies a polytheistic conception of gods while some individuals straddle the boundary between gods and men. It is the glorification of a subject to divine levels and commonly, the treatment of a human being, any other living thing, or an abstract idea in the likeness of a deity. The term has meanings in theology, where it refers to a belief, and in art, where it refers to a genre.  The highest point in the development of something; culmination or climax.
• Dionysian:relating to the god Dionysus, relating to the sensual, spontaneous, and emotional aspects of human nature [Canaan].
• Apollonian: relating to the god Apollo, relating to the rational, ordered, and self-disciplined aspects of human nature [Egypt].
• Technocracy: The government or control of society or industry by an elite of technical experts.
• Exodus shows, “No God, no Law. No Law, no Children of God/Israel. Conversely, no Children of Israel as led by Moses, no knowledge of God.” Culture and theology are upstream from politics.
• Halachic: the body of Jewish law supplementing the scriptural law and forming especially the legal part of the Talmud.
• Solicitude: care or concern for someone or something. “I was touched by his solicitude”
• Mensch [noun]: a person of integrity and honor.  The word “Mensch”, in Yiddish, is “someone to admire and emulate, someone of noble character. Sentence exampleHe was a real mensch : a decent and responsible person, a particularly good man of integrity and honor.
• To read philosophically–the pursuit and love of wisdom, to living well, and for human flourishing. Let the book inhabit you, sympathize with the characters, let the experience work on you. Gen 1-11 is human life unrestricted, in the absence of instruction, we take pride in human reason and freedom, i.e. uninstructed human life. Genesis teaches the need for a new way: through the patriarchs–through divine inspiration/instruction–God got a toe hold into the world.
• Tabernacle, Hebrew Mishkan, (“dwelling”), in Jewish history, the portable sanctuary constructed by Moses as a place of worship for the Hebrew tribes during the period of wandering that preceded their arrival in the Promised Land.