The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1919-02-07
LESSON FOR FEBRUARY 8
JETHRo's COUNSEL.

JETHRo's COUNSEL.
LESSON TExF-Exodus 1911.
GOLDEN TEXT-Bear ye ons> anothsr's
burdens ana so fulfill the law Of Christ.
Gal 81
Acts Ills; Rom. 1914; Cor. H:n-n
ers. Memory Yerse-"Come thou with
" and we win do thee good"
JUNIOR TOPIC-Workin8 together.
Memory Verse; Cor. 80.
INTERMEDIATE ToPIc-Team work
in religion.
SENIOR AND ADULT ToPIc-Co-sD-
GRAFTON In tho work Of the Kingdom.
I. Jethre's Visit to Moses (1s:1-e).
1. The occasion ". u. Upon receipt
Of the news Of the marvellous deliver
ance Of the 1sraelites from the Egyp-
tians Jethro went out to meet Noses.
2. The object wv. 2-4). It was to
bring to Moses his wife and children.
When God called him to 80 to Egypt
to deliysr his people Moses did not
deem It wise to take with him Lis, wife
and children, tAeretQfs lsft thsu With
his fathsr.in-law. Now that God had
wrought % wonderfully It WAS deemed
wise for his family 70 join him.
5. III. place Nv. s. 81. 1t Mt Sinai.
where the Israslites were saeamped.
n. ksast Rsosptssa to Jsthro (1S:
7.12). ... ,>>>,
Noses honsrsd him not only as bis
fathss-in-law, but as the priest Of Md
ian. Jethro, though outside Of the
covenant people, evidently retained
traditions Of the true God, as Melchi.-
edek before him did. II seems to have
been q case Of mutual affection and O.
team Moses rthearssd to Jethro the
wonders which God had wrought
through him. and Jethro ~ "Rejoiced
for all the goodness which the LORD
had done unto Pharaoh and the Egyp-
tans for Israsl's sake" ". 81. (2)
Rlsssed the Lord ". 10y. (S) Con-
fesssd tho supremacy Of the Lord ".
I). a. Offered sacrifices to God ".
10y.
III. Jethr0s Counsel (18:13-26).
1. The occasion thereof wv. 1879.
The day after Jethro came to Moses
he observed how completely Moses
time was taken In judging Israel.
When be saw the greatness Of the task
he inquired as to why he was doing
the work all alone. Jethro was a
shrewd mamie saw that a wise ad-
ministrauon of affairs would make q
division Of labor. Moses explained to
him that his task was not merely a
matter Of judging. but of teaching the
statutes and laws of God to the peo-
pie. Jethro recognized Moses motive,
but insisted that the method was not
a good one, as It would result In the
wasting away of his strength. Many
times one wastes his strength In doing
that which others could do 80 that he
is unable to DO the more important
things.
4 Jethrc's plan Nv. 1929. ~
Moses to be INTO the people 9odward
to bring their causes unto God and
teach them the ordinances and Laws, to
show them the way wherein they must
walk, and the work which they must
do. (2) Suitable men should Be pro
vided as rulers over thousand2 hun
drsds, fifaes and tens ". ~. Al
great matters should be disposed af By
Noses and all subsidiary matsers
-shoald be adjusted by these judges.
8. Qualifications Of these subordinate
judges ". M). ~ able men," that
Is, men Of strength. They must be men
Of such Intellectual power as would
enable them to understand the prob
lens presented, and Of such will power
, as to execute the, judgments rendered.
A strong man is one who knows his
own mind and 10 faithful 10 1t. (2)
~Such as fear God" This u the bads
OF true strength. Only those are ft
to fudge and rule men who. recognize
the rule Of God over their lives. The
true statesman is tho man who gives
God the dghtful place In his life. The
ono who really trusts and fears God
can be trusted to administrats the af-
fairs Of men, (8) Men Of truth" The
ole who really trusts and fears God
must himself be q lover Of the truth.
He must be willing to follow after the
truth at any cost. His nature must
be open to the truth. az "Hatng Gov
etousness." He must be q hater Of un-
Just gain. The man who Is to be q
ruler Of the people must be free from
the suspicion af following his profes-
sion because Of personal gain. The
one set to do such work should be able
to show clean hands.
w. Moses Aeesdss 10 Jethro's coun.
sei (1S :24-28). - ....
This common sense advice met re-
Spouse In Moses heart. he recog-
nized that God was speaking through
Jethro. After al, the knowledge and
fear Of God was wider than the