Reunion and Redemption

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REUNION AND REDEMPTION

Exodus 18:1-12

Psalm 107

“Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the

redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble.”

Our text today has a lot to say about redemptive conversations.

-God wants His people to speak of His redemption!

-This is especially true of His work of redemption in the Exodus.

-Psalm 106:7-12

Today’s story shows us how God used a reunion to proclaim His work of redemption –

-It teaches us a lot about the redemptive conversations God will us to have.

Read Exodus 18:1-12

Pray

A Family Reunion

Exodus 18 begins with a family reunion of sorts –

-Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brings Moses’ wife, Zipporah, and his two sons, Gershom

and Eliezer to him at Mt. Horeb.

-We know from chapter 2 that when Moses first went back to Egypt from Midian,

that he took his wife and two sons with him.

-Sometime after that Moses had sent them back to live with Jethro, probably

being concerned for their safety.

-Since the text never tells us specifically when they were sent back or why they were

sent back, then that must not be the point.

What does God want us to see about Moses’ family reunion?

-One – Jethro is Moses’ father-in-law –

-If you, after reading or hearing this Scripture read, don’t know that Jethro is

Moses’ father-in-law, then you’re not reading or listening very well!

-Eight times in 12 versus the text says “father-in-law”.

-Every time, but twice, when it refers to “Jethro”, it says something about

Jethro being Moses’ father-in-law.

-That relationship is emphasized.

-Two – The genesis for this family reunion was what God had done for Israel –

-v. 1 – “Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard all that God had

done for Moses and for Israel his people…”

-It doesn’t say, “Jethro, being concerned that Moses and his family were

apart for too long decided to unite them…”

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-The text tells us this reunion is happening because the new, the good news, of

God’s redemptive work for His people, had reached Jethro in Midian!

-News of Redemption is what draws Jethro to Mt. Horeb.

-Three – The names of Moses’ sons tell a story –

-People named their children, especially their sons, names that commemorated

life events or experiences.

-Things that they wanted memorialized.

-His first son is “Gershom” which means “I have been a sojourner in a foreign

land.”

-That was true but notice there is no reference to God.

-By the way the story is told, it seems as if Gershom was born early on in their

marriage –

-Exodus 2:22

-Sometime after that, the second son is born, and he is named “Eliezer” which

means “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of

Pharaoh.”

-Moses’ thinking is way more redemptive at the birth of his second son.

The common thread in these details is redemption.

-Exodus 18:1-12 is a story of redemption.

-And this becomes even more apparent as we continue to unpack it…

A Redemption Story

We see a typical ancient eastern way of greeting someone which was part of part of hospitality

tradition –

-“Tradition” is not a strong enough word for these ancient laws of hospitality were

binding.

-Battles were fought over lack of hospitality!

-v. 7 – “Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him and

they asked each other of their welfare and went into the tent.”

-We already know that Jethro is there to get confirmation on the good news of

redemption that he has already heard about!

Moses’ redemptive story has three parts (it’s a redemption sandwich) –

-One – God rescued Israel from Pharaoh –

-This story begins and end with God – and the work God did for His people!

-v. 8 – “Then Moses told his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh

and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake…”

-All that the LORD had done!

-What a story Moses had to tell!

-The plagues, the Passover, the Red Sea!

-And God did it all for the sake of His people!

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-All the people did was hide under the blood of the Lamb!

-Two – The people proved their unworthiness –

-There’s a reality check here; the last months hadn’t been all roses –

-v. 8b – “…all the hardships that came upon them in the way…”

-They wanted to kill Moses!

-They grumbled against Moses and accused him of evil intentions in

bringing them out of Egypt.

-Moses, you interrupted the good life!

-Moses, you didn’t have enough grave space in Egypt!

-Moses, you wanted to kill our children!

-And yet, there true complaint was against the LORD –

-Sin is a reality in the telling of any redemption story.

-Three – God was faithful to deliver –

-v. 8c – “…and how the LORD had delivered them.”

-Red Sea!

-Bitter water to sweet!

-Meat in the evening and bread from heaven in the morning!

-Water from the rock!

-God saved!

-And He kept saving…and saving…and saving…and saving!

A Sincere Conversion

(Read verses 9-12)

This reminds be of another story – one that Jesus told –

-Luke 15 – The Prodigal Son comes home and there is a great celebration!

If Jethro as “a priest of Midian” had any knowledge of the God of his father Abraham, it wasn’t

saving and life-changing like it now became –

-Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods!

What Can We Learn about Redemptive Conversations?

1 – God is already at work

2 – Relationships should be leveraged for God’s glory

3 – God, overcoming sin, is always the story

4 – Just share your story