Why is Jethro, at best on the fringes of the covenant people, allowed to play such an extraordinary role as counselor and confidant of Moses? The questions answer themselves. God may use the means of “common grace” to instruct and enrich his people. The sovereign goodness and provision of God are displayed as much in bringing Jethro on the scene at this propitious moment as in the parting of the waters of the Red Sea. Are there not contemporary analogies? Carson, D. A. (1998). For the love of God: a daily companion for discovering the riches of God’s Word. (Vol. 1). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

The sovereignty of God is strongly emphasized in Scripture. He is represented as the Creator, and His will as the cause of all things. In virtue of His creative work heaven and earth and all that they contain belong to Him. He is clothed with absolute authority over the hosts of heaven and the inhabitants of the earth. He upholds all things with His almighty power, and determines the ends which they are destined to serve. He rules as King in the most absolute sense of the word, and all things are dependent on Him and subservient to Him.  There is a wealth of Scripture evidence for the sovereignty of God, but we limit our references here to a few of the most significant passages: Gen. 14:19; Ex. 18:11; Deut. 10:14, 17; 1 Chron. 29:11, 12; 2 Chron. 20:6; Neh. 9:6; Ps. 22:28; 47:2, 3, 7, 8; Ps. 50:10–12; 95:3–5; 115:3; 135:5, 6; 145:11–13; Jer. 27:5; Luke 1:53; Acts 17:24–26; Rev. 19:6. Two attributes call for discussion under this head, namely (1) the sovereign will of God, and ...

This post comes from  the website of Sam Storms. 10 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT ELECTION April 25, 2016 |   by: Sam Storms | 0 Comments Today I continue the weekly series on 10 things we should know about specific Christian doctrines. Our focus today is divine election. [This was originally written for Crossway and posted on their blog on Tuesday, April 19, 2016.] 1. Election is a pre-temporal decision by God, a choice he made before any of us ever existed. God chose us in Christ “before the foundation of the world” ( Eph. 1:4 ). God “saved us,” said Paul, “and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began” ( 2 Tim. 1:9 ). 2. Divine election is not merely corporate, but also of individuals. Whereas it is true that Christ is himself the Elect One, and whereas it is true that the Church is the chosen or elect people of God, individuals are themselves...

Jethro, Moses' Father-in-law (18:1-27) The father-in-law of Moses goes by several names: Reuel in 2:16-22; Jether in 4:18; Jethro in 3:1; and Hobab in Nu 10:29. Moses had lived with his father-in-law as a shepherd (3:1). In Ex 3 he is called by God to return to Egypt. Although 4:19-20 makes it appear that Moses took his wife and two sons with him when he returned to Egypt, we learn from this passage that Moses had returned them to his father-in-law before going back to Egypt. Perhaps the purpose of the mysterious narrative in 4:24-26 is intended to give some motivation for the return of Moses' wife and family to Jethro. The present narrative has many parallels with the account of Abraham's meeting with Melchizedek in Ge 14. Just as Melchizedek, the priest of Salem, met Abraham bearing gifts as he returned from battle (Ge 14:18ff.), so Jethro, the Midianite priest, came out with Moses's wife and sons to offer peace as Moses returned from the battle with the Amal...

Whether or not we like it, whether or not we understand it, it is kind of the Lord to demolish our confidence in our own strength, abilities, and cherished methods. True, it doesn’t feel kind at the time. It’s terribly painful to watch your beloved son turn from the faith or to hear that your daughter has been disruptive in Sunday school again. It crushes our hearts when we try and try to explain the gospel to our little ones and they stare back at us in boredom and resentment. Yet, it is a kindness when he strips us of self-reliance, because it is there, in our emptiness and brokenness, that we experience the privilege of his sustaining grace.  It is only when we arrive at that dreaded place of weakness that we discover the surpassing power of Christ. It is only when we are finally freed from those oh-so-constricting straightjackets of self-righteousness that we are able to experience the true comfort and warmth of the robes of his righteousness.  Fitzpatrick, E., Th...