June 16 - INTEGRITY - Exodus 18:13-21

¹³ The next day Moses sat

as judge for the people …

¹⁴ When Moses’ father-in-law saw …

he said, “ … Why do you sit alone

… from morning until evening?” 

¹⁵ Moses said … ¹⁶ “When they

have a dispute, they come

to me and I decide …

I make known to them the

statutes and instructions of God.” 

¹⁷ Moses’ father-in-law said …

“¹⁸ You will surely wear yourself out …

for the task is too heavy for you …

²¹ You should … look for

able men among all the people,

men who fear God, are trustworthy,

and hate dishonest gain; set such men

over them as officers over thousands,

hundreds, fifties, and tens.”

Exodus 18

 

I am mentoring a young man. We’re reading a classic old book by Gene Getz, called “The Measure of Man.” Pastor Getz originally taught it as a men’s Bible study on the New Testament books of 1 Timothy and Titus.

 

Timothy and Titus were young pastors, and the elder shepherd – the Apostle Paul – was giving advice on what to look for when recruiting godly assistants. In 1 Timothy, for example, Paul suggests the following: “[A godly leader] must be above reproach, married only once, temperate, sensible, respectable, hospitable, an apt teacher, ³ not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, and not a lover of money.”

 

And that’s only half of the list to Timothy! To Titus, Paul repeats most of these characteristics … and adds a few more.

 

The point? Godly people must choose their leaders wisely. Indeed, they must be godly!

 

And there’s a second point too, listen to the advice of the old shepherd … who will tell you that they must be godly and above reproach.”

 

Moses’ father-in-law – Jethro – was a literal, old, old shepherd. (He was the one who let Moses shepherd some sheep on the west side of the wilderness.) And what does the old shepherd advise? More or less the same thing Paul said:

 

“You should …

look for able men …

who fear God,

are trustworthy, and

hate dishonest gain.”

 

The question, then, is how well does that describe you?!

 

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who doesn’t

want to get old, but

wouldn’t mind being

an old, old shepherd,

worthy of being listened to

because I consistently

demonstrated

reverence and trust

 

 

 

 

 

 ⁴ He must manage his own household well, keeping his children submissive and respectful in every way … ⁶ He must not be a recent convert, or he may be puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.”

 

The list in Titus is mostly similar, with Paul a

 

 

 ²² Let them sit as judges for the people at all times; let them bring every important case to you, but decide every minor case themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. ²³ If you do this, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people will go to their home in peace.”