Exodus 18:7 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. Then 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. And 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. Jethro 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. Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods, because in this affair they dealt arrogantly with the people.” And 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.
Conversation concerning God’s wondrous works is good, and edifies. Jethro not only rejoiced in the honour done to his son-in-law, but in all the goodness done to Israel. Whatever we have the joy of, God must have the praise. (Henry)
They asked each other of their welfare; or “peace” (n); of their prosperity and happiness, temporal and spiritual, of their peace, inward and outward, and of the bodily health of them and their families. Moses told his father in law all that the Lord had done unto Pharaoh,…. After the proper civilities had passed, and Jethro had been refreshed with food and drink, as is highly probable, they entered into a conversation about what had lately passed, which Jethro had had a general report of, and which had brought him hither, and therefore it would be very entertaining to him to have the particulars of it; and Moses begins with what the Lord had done to Pharaoh, how he had inflicted his plagues upon him one after another, and at last slew his firstborn, and destroyed him and his host in the Red sea, and to the Egyptians, for Israel’s sake; the several plagues affecting them, especially the last, the slaughter of their firstborn; and who also were spoiled of their riches by the Israelites, and a numerous army of them drowned in the Red sea, and all because of the people of Israel; because they had made their lives bitter in hard bondage, had refused to let them go out of the land, and when they were departed pursued after them to fetch them back or cut them off, and all the travail that had come upon them by the way; to the Red sea, and at Marah, and Rephidim, and how Amalek fought with them, as the Targum of Jonathan observes; what a fright they were put into, when pursued by Pharaoh and his host behind them, the rocks on each side of them, and the sea before them; their want of water in the wilderness, not being able to drink of the waters at Marah because bitter; their hunger, having no bread nor flesh in the wilderness of Sin, and their violent thirst, and no water to allay it, in the plains of Rephidim, and where also they were attacked by an army of the Amalekites, and how the Lord delivered them; out of all this travail and trouble, and out of the hands of all their enemies, Egyptians and Amalekites. (Gill)
Jethro came to Moses and for sure had questions about what had transpired. He knew that word-of-mouth news he would’ve heard would possibly have embellishments. Moses tells him all that God had done and Jethro rejoices and blesses God for what He has done.
Henry makes a comment; “Whatever we have the joy of, God must have the praise.” I think this is an important reminder for us. How many times have you heard someone say, “Boy, I was lucky”, “The gods were looking after me.”, “I dodged a bullet there.” “I was fortunate.” We hear this routinely from those who are not Christian and those that are. It is to be expected from those who aren’t but should never be from those that are. If God is ever-present in our daily lives then we should be able to discern and know and see the Hand of God as it directs, protects, and guides us. When we go about our day without much thought to God it is very easy to use “Luck” as the reason for something happening good to us and for something bad not happening to us. This denies God’s Sovereignty, Power, Purposes, Plans, Protection, and Blessings. It gives what is rightly God’s, away to the wind which carries it away and deposits it in the hearts and minds of those who which to be just as lucky. Wouldn’t it be right for us to praise God, and give God the glory for what others may see as luck? Wouldn’t it be better for these words of praise and glory to be carried away to the hearts and minds of those lacking the presence of God in their lives?
Start today to discern the hand of God’s blessings that protect and bless you and keep you safe. Train yourself to see them from God and give praise to Him for what He has done and is doing. You will never know how many lives will be changed by the praise and worship you give honor and glory to Jesus Christ. There is peace in knowing that it is not by luck or chance but by the Might, Awesome, Loving Hand of God.