You Don’t Have To Be In Control

Moses’ wife and sons had originally traveled to Egypt with him, but after Pharaoh’s response to the request to go and worship, Moses had sent them back to Midian to stay with her father for safety.  Upon learning that Israel was camped nearby, at Rephidim, Jethro brought them to meet him.   When the met, Moses described how God had blessed them and Jethro was impressed, as Exodus 18:8-12 describes.  “And Moses told his father in law all that the LORD had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, and all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how the LORD delivered them. And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, whom he had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.

 

And Jethro said, Blessed be the LORD, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, who hath delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.  Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them.  And Jethro, Moses' father in law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father in law before God.”

 

As an outsider, Jethro actually had a better understanding of what God had done than many of the Israelites, because they were caught up in their feelings at the moment and didn’t step back to look at the overall picture.  Moses had grown up in Egyptian society where Pharaoh’s government controlled everything, and when he began to lead Israel, he followed much the same pattern, addressing all the conflicts personally.  Jethro questioned why he did it that way, in Exodus 18:13-16.  “And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening.  And when Moses' father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even?

 

And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to inquire of God: When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.”  Rather than taking responsibility for themselves and developing their own relationships with God, the people were depending on Moses to make all the decisions and take all the responsibility.     

 

Jethro realized that Moses’ efforts to retain control were counter-productive, hampering and potentially defeating his efforts to teach the people to serve God.   It would be far better to teach the people, and let them take some of the responsibility, as he explained in Exodus 18:17-23.  “And Moses' father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good.  Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.

 

Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God: And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt show them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.  Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens: And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.  If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace.”

 

As Jethro warned, Moses trying to control everything would exhaust him and the people, delaying action on minor situations and causing frustration among the people.  It would prevent them from learning how to apply God’s principles, hampering their spiritual growth.  He recommended assigning responsibilities to others, and trusting God to guide them, so that he could concentrate on the things where his expertise was needed. 

 

After a month of dealing with all the problems, Moses understood the need to let others take responsibility, and followed Jethro’s advice, as Exodus 18:24-26 describes.  “So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said.  And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.  And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.”

 

God never intended leaders to become dictators or kings.  In Deuteronomy 16:18 he commanded, “Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment.”  If the issues were beyond the knowledge of the officers or judges, they were to bring the questions to the Priests and Levites for advice, according to Deuteronomy 17:8-11.  “If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, being matters of controversy within thy gates: then shalt thou arise, and get thee up into the place which the LORD thy God shall choose;  And thou shalt come unto the priests the Levites, and unto the judge that shall be in those days, and inquire; and they shall show thee the sentence of judgment: And thou shalt do according to the sentence, which they of that place which the LORD shall choose shall show thee; and thou shalt observe to do according to all that they inform thee: According to the sentence of the law which they shall teach thee, and according to the judgment which they shall tell thee, thou shalt do: thou shalt not decline from the sentence which they shall show thee, to the right hand, nor to the left.”

 

When we feel like we have to have control, it is because we don’t trust God.  Moses hadn’t realized how much control he was exercising, but, because he believed God could control things, he was able to relinquish control when he realized it was a problem.  We need to stop trying to control things that are not our responsibility and trust God.  Too often in our efforts to control things that are not our responsibility, we neglect the things we should be doing.  Let God be God instead of playing god yourself.