Single lesson
Jethro Helps Moses Share the Work
Exodus 18:1–27
This lesson helps children follow Exodus 18 in order and notice two big parts of the chapter: Jethro praising Yahweh for his rescue, and Jethro helping Moses find a wiser way to lead the people.
Before you teach
In this passage, Jethro hears what God has done for Moses and Israel, comes to meet Moses in the wilderness, and listens as Moses tells about Yahweh’s rescue. The next day Jethro watches Moses judge the people and offers counsel about sharing the work. Moses listens and acts on it.
Students will be able to retell the main events of Exodus 18:1–27 and identify how Jethro’s counsel changed Moses’ work among the people.
Welcome: Who came to see Moses?
5 minBegin by introducing the people in the passage. Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, heard what God had done for Moses and Israel. He came to Moses with Zipporah and her two sons. Ask children to listen for what Jethro learned about God and what advice he gave Moses later in the chapter.
Exodus 18:1, Exodus 18:2, Exodus 18:3, Exodus 18:4, Exodus 18:5, Exodus 18:6
Read and explain: Jethro hears about Yahweh’s rescue
7 minRead verses 7 to 12 aloud. Moses welcomed Jethro and told him what Yahweh had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians, the hardships on the way, and how Yahweh delivered them. Jethro rejoiced, blessed Yahweh, and said that Yahweh is greater than all gods. Then he brought offerings, and the leaders ate before God.
Exodus 18:7, Exodus 18:8, Exodus 18:9, Exodus 18:10, Exodus 18:11, Exodus 18:12
Discuss: What problem did Jethro see?
6 minRead verses 13 to 18. The next day Moses sat to judge the people from morning to evening. Jethro saw that Moses sat alone while the people stood around him all day. Moses explained that the people came to inquire of God and to learn God’s statutes and laws. Jethro said this pattern was not good because it was too heavy.
Exodus 18:13, Exodus 18:14, Exodus 18:15, Exodus 18:16, Exodus 18:17, Exodus 18:18
Make and respond: Build the new plan
8 minShow how Jethro’s counsel worked. Moses was to represent the people before God, teach the statutes and laws, and show the way to walk. Able men who fear God, love truth, and hate unjust gain were to judge smaller matters. Great matters would still come to Moses. This would make the load shared and lighter.
Exodus 18:19, Exodus 18:20, Exodus 18:21, Exodus 18:22, Exodus 18:23
Closing: Moses listens and the work is shared
4 minFinish with the outcome. Moses listened to Jethro and did what he said. He chose able men from Israel and set them over groups of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. They judged at all times, bringing hard cases to Moses. Then Jethro departed. Close by reviewing the sequence from arrival to advice to action.
Exodus 18:24, Exodus 18:25, Exodus 18:26, Exodus 18:27
Questions to explore
What did Moses tell Jethro when they met, and how did Jethro respond?
Look for the report about Yahweh’s actions, the hardships on the way, and Jethro’s words of rejoicing and blessing.
Exodus 18:8, Exodus 18:9, Exodus 18:10, Exodus 18:11
Why did Jethro say Moses’ way of judging the people was not good?
Notice both parts of the problem: Moses would wear away, and the people were also affected by waiting so long.
Exodus 18:13, Exodus 18:14, Exodus 18:17, Exodus 18:18
What kinds of people did Jethro tell Moses to appoint, and what jobs would they do?
Find the character qualities first, then the different levels of responsibility and which matters they would judge.
Exodus 18:21, Exodus 18:22
Make, think or respond
Sequence and Share Cards
What you’ll need
- Plain paper or scrap card
- Pencils or textas
- Scissors
- Bible
Try it together
- Make six simple cards: Jethro hears, Jethro arrives, Moses tells God’s rescue, Moses judges alone, Jethro gives counsel, Moses appoints leaders.
- Work together to place the cards in the right order from Exodus 18.
- On each card, add one short detail from the verses, such as Jethro rejoiced or the hard cases came to Moses.
- Talk about which choice changed the situation for the people and for Moses.
- If time allows, children can draw the rulers of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens on the final card.
This activity helps children retell the passage in order and see how Jethro’s counsel led to shared responsibility in Exodus 18.
Adapt for your group
- For younger children, prepare the six card titles in advance and let them match pictures or symbols to each event before putting them in order.
- For older children, ask them to sort details under two headings: what Moses still did himself and what the appointed leaders did.
An optional closing prayer
You may pray: “God, thank you for what you did for Israel. Please help us listen carefully, learn your ways, and do our work wisely with honesty and peace.”
Read the Bible passage World English Bible Classic
Exodus 18
1 Now Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, how Yahweh had brought Israel out of Egypt.
2 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, received Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her away,
3 and her two sons. The name of one son was Gershom, for Moses said, “I have lived as a foreigner in a foreign land”.
4 The name of the other was Eliezer, for he said, “My father’s God was my help and delivered me from Pharaoh’s sword.”
5 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with Moses’ sons and his wife to Moses into the wilderness where he was encamped, at the Mountain of God.
6 He said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, have come to you with your wife, and her two sons with her.”
7 Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and bowed and kissed him. They asked each other of their welfare, and they came into the tent.
8 Moses told his father-in-law all that Yahweh had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardships that had come on them on the way, and how Yahweh delivered them.
9 Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which Yahweh had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians.
10 Jethro said, “Blessed be Yahweh, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh; who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.
11 Now I know that Yahweh is greater than all gods because of the way that they treated people arrogantly.”
12 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God. Aaron came with all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God.
13 On the next day, Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from the morning to the evening.
14 When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did to the people, he said, “What is this thing that you do for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning to evening?”
15 Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God.
16 When they have a matter, they come to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor, and I make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.”
17 Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you do is not good.
18 You will surely wear away, both you, and this people that is with you; for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to perform it yourself alone.
19 Listen now to my voice. I will give you counsel, and God be with you. You represent the people before God, and bring the causes to God.
20 You shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and shall show them the way in which they must walk, and the work that they must do.
21 Moreover you shall provide out of all the people able men which fear God: men of truth, hating unjust gain; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
22 Let them judge the people at all times. It shall be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they shall judge themselves. So shall it be easier for you, and they shall share the load with you.
23 If you will do this thing, and God commands you so, then you will be able to endure, and all these people also will go to their place in peace.”
24 So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had said.
25 Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
26 They judged the people at all times. They brought the hard cases to Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.
27 Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way into his own land.
World English Bible Classic. Public domain.