HOMILETICS. Ver. 27.-Jethro thr model of a friendly adviser. A man's friends often hesitate to offer advice, from the fear of its being ill received. Jethro showed himself superior to this weakness, and risked being rebuffed for officiousness, confident in his singleness of purpose and honest intentions. He had all the qualities of a good adviser. He was-1. SAGACIOUS. There can be no doubt that he rightly forecast the results, if Moses had continued his unwise monopoly of the judicial office, or that he suggested a prudent course in place of that whereof he disapproved_ His reservation of a certain judicial power to Moses (vers. 20-22) was especially wise, since had he not done so, it is highly probable that his counsel would not have been followed ;-2. SYMPATHETIC, Kindness and warm feeling breathed in his warning words:-" Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou and this people . . . for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone." He feels for Moses; he feels for the people; he has no thought for himself; he is solely anxious, and deeply anxious, to save others from unnecessary suffering ;-3. STRAIGHTFORWARD. He does not UHe periphrases, or beat about the bush, but goes straight to his point, making his purpose clearly intel- ligible, and indeed unmistakable-" The thing that thou doest is not good"-" provide out of the people able men." 4. WHOLLY DISINTERESTED. The advice which he tenders can do him no good. He asks no employment, no place for himself. He will not even participate in the general prosperity of Israel if good results follow the adoption of his counsel; for he is not about to cast in his lot with the Israelites. On the contrary, he is bent on withdrawing at once into his own country. Moses will not find him that keen annoyance, an ever-present friend, who because his advice has beeD taken once, regards himself as entitled to obtrude it whenever he pleases, and to feel aggrieved if it is not in every case followed. If advisers generally acted iu the spirit of Jethro, there would be far less unwillingness than there is to ask advice, and far more gratitude felt towards those who volunteer it.
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Yer. 27. Jetltro's departure. L JETHRO DEPARTS AFTER A MOST SATISFACTORY VISIT. 'l'hat vil!it was made not perhaps without some anxiety and doubt as to the results, but still under the clear dictation of duty. Therefore, it would have been satisfactory even if less ~uccessful Moses might, conceivably, have looked , n Zipporah coldly and received her reluctantly; but there would have remained to Jethro the priceless satisfac- tion that he had done the right thing. But Jethro, we have seen, had more even than the satisfaction of a good conscience; he had been successful, and successful beyond all that be could have anticipated when he set out. To a man of Jethro'e disposition, that would indeed be a joyous visit, which had proved so useful to Moses, to Zipporah, to t 1,eir children, to Israel, and may we not add, towards the glorifying of Jethrn himself? -Kct·J• ever in the path Lha.t is clearly right, and you have Jethro's experience to Cll. XIX, 1-2.) THE BOOK OF EXODUS. 103
encourage you in the expectation that it may also be the path of noble and joyrJlls opportunities. II. JETHRO DEPARTS, AND MOSES IS MADE TO FEEL, MORE THAN EVER, THAT JEHOVAH REMAINS. Very helpful are human counsel and sympathy, and especially when they come from old friends. '!'here are no friends like old friends, and Jethro was a. very old frieud to Moses. But Jethro's abilities and opportunities as adviser extended only a little way. Like Moses we may all have our Jethros whom we may love, cherish and venerate; for God distributes such men everywhere about the world to be, as it were, fellow- workers with him in giving stability and illumination to the perplexed. But we cannot keep them ; we may lose them at any moment; and while it is great wisdom to listen to them, it would be great folly to put them in the place of God. Though Jethro was very decided in the counsels he gave, he knew equally when to stop. We may look at him as coming in here to teach us that what we can expect from the most competent and loving of human friends is but a trifle compared with the great tota of our nee s. We are allowed to have but small expectations from the brother sinnler, the brother mortal, the brother who is liable to ignorance and error, just as much as we are our- selves. When Jethro went away, Moses would feel himself all the more shut up to Jehovah. When the earthly is dumb, misleading, estranged, or dead, then the heavenly will speak in clear and loving accents to all who have ears to hear. HI. Jethro departs into his own land, for HE HAD DOUBTLESS PREBBING CLAIMS UPON HIM THERE. He was jllllt the kind of man to make his presence, as long as he lived, a kind of necessity to his neighbours. He had come on a matter of urgency, not for his own pleasure or ease; and we may imagine he went back as soon as he conveniently could to finish such affairs at home as had been left unfinished. Note, however, that in going back to his own land, and away from Moses, he did not therefore retire from the service of God and the reach of God's blessings. Jethro and Moses seemed to be going different ways; but they ooly differed in external circumstances. Moses does not seem even to have asked Jethro to stay with him; whereas we know that he pressed and urged Hubab. Perhaps he felt that he had no sufficient reason for asking Jethro, or that tt would be of no use.-Y.
SECTION XIII. JBBAEL AT SINAI.-PREPARATIONS FOR THE GIVING OF THE LAND.