Today Pastor A preached about how we can be a light, a witness of the gospel, to our families this holiday season. He relayed to us his own example of how as a young believer he witnessed to his father who eventually came to Christ. He closed the service with another story, one found in Exodus 18, in which Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came to see him following the Exodus of the nation. As we look at Exodus 18, let’s think about ways we can direct family discussions to the gospel during this season.
1. Setting the Scene (Exod 18:1–4) 1Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt. 2Now Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, had taken Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her home, 3along with her two sons. The name of the one was Gershom (for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land”), 4and the name of the other, Eliezer (for he said, “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh”).
1. Exodus 18 assumes the reader knows certain facts. Take a moment to refresh yourself with this content. Moses’ family: Exod 2:11 – 22; 4:18 – 26. The Exodus and the events surrounding the event: Exod 5–14 (for an abbreviated account see Exod 15).
2. Family Reunion (Exod 18:5–7) 5Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was encamped at the mountain of God. 6And when he sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her,” 7Moses 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.
1. How does Moses respond to Jethro’s arrival?
2. Do the two of them seem to genuinely care about one another?
3. Can you think of some ways to make your (extended) family comfortable this season? Share them with the group.
4. Are there some family members you don’t particularly like or seem to get along with? Pause and pray for these folks as a group. Also pray for yourself and your attitude toward them to change. Commit to pray for them during this season.
3. Moses Talks about God’s Goodness (Exod 18:8) 8Then Moses told his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship that had come upon them in the way, and how the LORD had delivered them.
1. List the good things God did for Israel?
2. Can you, right off the top of your head, think of three good things the Lord has done for you that you could share with your family?
4. Jethro’s Response (Exod 18:9–12) 9And Jethro rejoiced for all the good that the LORD had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians. 10Jethro said, “Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh and has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. 11Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods, because in this affair they dealt arrogantly with the people.” 12And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God; and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God.
1. List how Jethro responds to Moses’ good news?
2. How does Jethro know that “the LORD is greater than all gods”?
3. What has the Lord done for you that would lead someone to declare he is “greater than all gods”?
4. What “good news” could you share with your family this holiday season? Could you share the gospel with them? If you’re uncertain, take some time as a group to explain basically what the gospel is.
5. Remember, it’s not your job to save anybody. You’re only required to share the gospel with the lost. It is the Holy Spirit who does the work of conviction of sin and drawing someone to repentance and faith in Jesus.
Application
Close your time together praying for lost family members and for humility and confidence to share the gospel with some of them.
