WEBVTT - #977 - Exodus 17-18 – Water, Victory, Good Advice

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<v Speaker 1>Life Audio The Bible Study Podcast, Episode nine seventy seven. Today,

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<v Speaker 1>The Bible Study Podcast continues the study of the book

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<v Speaker 1>of Exodus with chapter seventeen. Welcome to the Bible Study Podcast.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm your host, Chris Kristensen. We're going to continue on

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<v Speaker 1>with the study of Exodus with chapter seventeen, Water from

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<v Speaker 1>the Rock. But first a word from this sponsor. Exodus seventeen,

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<v Speaker 1>the whole Israelite community set out from the desert of sin,

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<v Speaker 1>traveling from place to place as the Lord commanded. They

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<v Speaker 1>camped at Refidim, but there was no water for the

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<v Speaker 1>people to drink, so they quarreled with Moses and said,

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<v Speaker 1>give us water to drink. Moses replied, why do you

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<v Speaker 1>quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to

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<v Speaker 1>the test. But the people were thirsty for water there,

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<v Speaker 1>and they grumbled against Moses. They said, why did you

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<v Speaker 1>bring us out of each to make us and our

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<v Speaker 1>children and livestock die of thirst. Then Moses cried out

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<v Speaker 1>to the Lord, what am I to do with these people?

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<v Speaker 1>They are almost ready to stone me. The Lord answered, Moses,

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<v Speaker 1>go out in front of the people. Take with you

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<v Speaker 1>some of the elders of Israel and take in your

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<v Speaker 1>hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go,

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<v Speaker 1>I will stand there before you by the rock of Horeb.

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<v Speaker 1>Strike the rock, and water will come out of it

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<v Speaker 1>for the people to drink. So Moses did this in

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<v Speaker 1>the sight of the elders of Israel, and he called

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<v Speaker 1>the place Masa and Marabah, because the Israelites quarreled and

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<v Speaker 1>because they tested the Lord, saying is the Lord among

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<v Speaker 1>us or not? And the two words there, Masa means

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<v Speaker 1>testing and Marabah means quarreling. This is not an isolated instance.

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<v Speaker 1>We will have Moses standing in front of a rock

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<v Speaker 1>again and the people thirsty again. We're going through a desert.

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<v Speaker 1>So this is a theme that will keep coming up,

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<v Speaker 1>and each time it's like it never happened before. Each

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<v Speaker 1>time it's like God did not bring him through the

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<v Speaker 1>Red Sea. God did not the destroy the Egyptians. Their

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<v Speaker 1>faith is still pretty darn shallow. But Moses strikes a rock,

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<v Speaker 1>water comes out, and they are no longer thirsty. Continuing on,

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<v Speaker 1>the Amellekites defeated the Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites

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<v Speaker 1>at Refidem. Moses said to Joshua choose some of our

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<v Speaker 1>men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I

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<v Speaker 1>will stand on top of the hill with the staff

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<v Speaker 1>of God in my hands. So Joshua fought the Amelekites

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<v Speaker 1>as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Her went

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<v Speaker 1>to the top of the hill. As long as Moses

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<v Speaker 1>held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever

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<v Speaker 1>he lowered his hands, the Amellekites were winning. When Moses'

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<v Speaker 1>hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it

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<v Speaker 1>under him, and he sat on it. Aaron and Her

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<v Speaker 1>held his hands up, one on one side, one on

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<v Speaker 1>the other, so his hands remained steady till sunset. So

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<v Speaker 1>Joshua over came the a Meleekite army with the sword.

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<v Speaker 1>Then the Lord said to Moses, write this on a

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<v Speaker 1>scroll as something to be remembered, and make sure that

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<v Speaker 1>Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the

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<v Speaker 1>name of Amelek from under heaven. Moses built an altar

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<v Speaker 1>and called it. The Lord is my banner, he said,

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<v Speaker 1>because hands were lifted up against me the throne of

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<v Speaker 1>the Lord. The Lord will be at war against the

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<v Speaker 1>Amalekites from generation to generation. A couple of interesting things

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<v Speaker 1>to note here. First of all, the role of Joshua

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<v Speaker 1>is starting to get defined here. Joshua is Moses's assistant.

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<v Speaker 1>He's going to be very key in the story going forward,

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<v Speaker 1>as we sort of get that little hint of when

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<v Speaker 1>the Lord tells Moses write this to remembered that the

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<v Speaker 1>Amalekites will be destroyed, and I'm going to and give

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<v Speaker 1>it to Joshua. And why Joshua doesn't make sense as

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<v Speaker 1>much now as it will later on in the Book

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<v Speaker 1>of Numbers, which is two books from now. But this

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<v Speaker 1>is interesting thing where they're fighting the Melachites and Moses

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<v Speaker 1>is holding up and now remember this used to be Moses' staff,

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<v Speaker 1>but this staff is from now on really going to

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<v Speaker 1>be called the staff of the Lord, the staff here

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<v Speaker 1>that Moses used to part the water, or that the

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<v Speaker 1>Lord used to part the water with Moses holding it

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<v Speaker 1>hit in his hand. And as long as they're holding

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<v Speaker 1>that up, they have victory. Their victory therefore, is because

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<v Speaker 1>God was giving them victory. We're going to continue on.

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<v Speaker 1>We're going to go a little faster this week and

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<v Speaker 1>go on to chapter eighteen. Also, Jethro visits Moses. Now Jethro,

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<v Speaker 1>the priest of Midian and father in law of Moses,

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<v Speaker 1>heard of everything God had done for Moses and for

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<v Speaker 1>his people Israel, and how the Lord had brought Israel

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<v Speaker 1>out of Egypt. After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah,

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<v Speaker 1>his father in law Jethro, received her and her two sons.

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<v Speaker 1>One son was named Jersham, for Moses said, I have

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<v Speaker 1>become a foreigner and a foreign land. The other was

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<v Speaker 1>named Elizar. My father's God was my helper. He saved

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<v Speaker 1>me from the sword of Pharaoh. Jethro, moses father in law,

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<v Speaker 1>together with moses sons and wife, came to him in

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<v Speaker 1>the wilderness where he was camped near the Mountain of God.

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<v Speaker 1>Jethro had sent word to him, I, your father in law, Jethro,

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<v Speaker 1>am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.

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<v Speaker 1>So Moses went out to meet his father in law

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<v Speaker 1>and bowed down and kissed him. They greeted each other,

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<v Speaker 1>and then went into the tent. Moses told his father

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<v Speaker 1>in law about everything the Lord had done to Pharaoh

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<v Speaker 1>and the Egyptians for Israel's sake, and about all the

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<v Speaker 1>hardships they had met along the way. And how the

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<v Speaker 1>Lord had saved them. Jethro was delighted to hear about

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<v Speaker 1>all the good things the Lord had done for Israel

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<v Speaker 1>in rescuing them from the hand of the Egyptians. He said,

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<v Speaker 1>praise be to the Lord who rescued you from the

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<v Speaker 1>hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and who rescued

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<v Speaker 1>the people from the hand of the Egyptians. Now I

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<v Speaker 1>know that the Lord is greater than all other gods,

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<v Speaker 1>for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly.

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<v Speaker 1>Then Jethro, moses father in law, brought a burnt offering

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<v Speaker 1>and other sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all

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<v Speaker 1>the elders of Israel to eat a meal with Moses'

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<v Speaker 1>father in law in the presence of God. The next day,

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<v Speaker 1>Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people,

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<v Speaker 1>and they stood around him from morning till evening. When

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<v Speaker 1>his father in law saw all that Moses was doing

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<v Speaker 1>for the people, he said, what is this that you're

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<v Speaker 1>doing for the people. Why do you alone sit as

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<v Speaker 1>judge while all the people stand around you from morning

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<v Speaker 1>till evening. Moses answered him, because the people come to

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<v Speaker 1>me to seek God's will. Whenever they have a dispute,

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<v Speaker 1>it is brought to me, and I decide between the

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<v Speaker 1>parties and inform them of God's decrees and instructions. Moses

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<v Speaker 1>father in law replied, what you're doing is not good.

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<v Speaker 1>You and these people who come to you will only

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<v Speaker 1>wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you.

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<v Speaker 1>You cannot handle it alone. Listen now to me, and

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<v Speaker 1>I will give you some advice, and may God be

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<v Speaker 1>with you. You must be the peoples representative before God

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<v Speaker 1>and bring their disputes to him. Teach them His decrees

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<v Speaker 1>and instructions, and show them the way that they are

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<v Speaker 1>to live and how they are to behave. But select

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<v Speaker 1>capable men from all the people, men who fear God,

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<v Speaker 1>trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain, and appoint them as

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<v Speaker 1>officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. Have them serve

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<v Speaker 1>as judges for the people at all times. But have

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<v Speaker 1>them bring every difficult case to you. The simple cases

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<v Speaker 1>they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter

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<v Speaker 1>because they will share it with you. If you do this,

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<v Speaker 1>and God so commands, you will be able to stand

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<v Speaker 1>the strain, and these people will go home. Satisfied, Moses

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<v Speaker 1>listened to his father in law and did everything he said.

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<v Speaker 1>He chose capable men from all Israel and made them

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<v Speaker 1>leaders of the people, officials. Over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.

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<v Speaker 1>They served as judges for the people at all times.

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<v Speaker 1>Dificult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones

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<v Speaker 1>they decided themselves. Then Moses said his father in law

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<v Speaker 1>on his way, and Jethro returned to his own country.

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<v Speaker 1>So one of the things that I missed in the

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<v Speaker 1>beginning of this book was that Jethro was a priest

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<v Speaker 1>of Midian, And I'm not sure if it said that

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<v Speaker 1>way back in chapter two when we first met Jethro.

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<v Speaker 1>But Jethro comes, he brings the kids, he brings his

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<v Speaker 1>daughter who's Moses's wife, and he brings some really good advice.

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<v Speaker 1>He watches what they're doing where Moses is having to

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<v Speaker 1>answer all the questions and says, this doesn't make any sense. Now.

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<v Speaker 1>I remember a time that my company was growing rapidly

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<v Speaker 1>and I wasn't yet putting in a layer of management

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<v Speaker 1>below me, and I ended up at one point managing

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<v Speaker 1>over twenty people personally, and the people below me said

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<v Speaker 1>that that doesn't make sense. You're working too hard, divide

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<v Speaker 1>up the effort. Well, Moses is doing that, but with

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<v Speaker 1>hundreds of thousands of people coming to him for answers.

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<v Speaker 1>And Jethro says, first, make sure people know what the

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<v Speaker 1>rules are, make sure they know the law, make sure

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<v Speaker 1>they understand what God wants. And then if you tell them,

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<v Speaker 1>for instance, things like well, let's say don't kill and

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<v Speaker 1>don't steal, then somebody else can decide if in that

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<v Speaker 1>particular case they think the person killed or stole. Right.

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<v Speaker 1>You just have to be there for the big decisions.

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<v Speaker 1>It's more like in our country, we don't have the

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<v Speaker 1>Supreme Court answer all court cases, but they interpret the law.

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<v Speaker 1>They deal with when is the law need to be

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<v Speaker 1>changed or when is there a problem with the law,

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<v Speaker 1>And then everybody else, all the other judges below them,

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<v Speaker 1>deal with in this case, who is guilty and who

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<v Speaker 1>is innocent? And that's the same sort of thing that

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<v Speaker 1>Jethro is suggesting. The other interesting thing about this, as

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<v Speaker 1>they're putting in this layer of management here is how

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<v Speaker 1>do you choose capable men? Men? In this case, no

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<v Speaker 1>women chosen to do this sort of thing. Who do

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<v Speaker 1>you want in this sort of position of authority. You

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<v Speaker 1>want men who fear God, one trustworthy men two who

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<v Speaker 1>hate dishonest gain. Now why is that? Because you're giving

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<v Speaker 1>them power. And if somebody doesn't fear God and isn't

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<v Speaker 1>trustworthy and likes dishonest gain, they're going to be someone

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<v Speaker 1>who if you slip them a few denarii, then you

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<v Speaker 1>can have whatever justice you want, and all the prophets

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<v Speaker 1>will be talking about those kind of judges. It's still

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<v Speaker 1>the case today. If we want people to represent us,

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<v Speaker 1>if we want people to be our leaders, we ought

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<v Speaker 1>to look for these kind of characteristics. People who are

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<v Speaker 1>trustworthy and hate dishonest gain, because if you don't, it's

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<v Speaker 1>not going to turn out good. That's a great thing

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<v Speaker 1>to know about choosing leaders. And with that, we're going

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<v Speaker 1>to end us upisode of the Bible Study Podcast. If

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<v Speaker 1>you have any questions, send an email to Chris two

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<v Speaker 1>x at gmail dot com, or, better yet, leave a

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<v Speaker 1>comment on this episode at the biblestudypodcast dot com. And

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<v Speaker 1>as always, thanks so much for listening. I want to

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<v Speaker 1>take just a second to thank the team at Life

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<v Speaker 1>Audio for their partnership with us on this podcast. If

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