Because we struggle so much with pride, correction can be difficult to give graciously and difficult to receive graciously.
That’s one reason to be very thankful for Exodus 18. God is so kind to have Jethro and Moses give us a clinic on what humble correction looks like on both sides.
The Context
At this point in the story, Jethro,
Moses’s father-in-law, had escorted
Moses’s wife (his daughter) and two boys to rejoin the wild wilderness
adventure and heard first hand all
the amazing things that God had
done for Israel through Moses. Jethro burst into praise and proclaimed God’s supremacy (verses 10–11). Then Jethro observed his son-in-law at work. Moses was clearly an extraordinary prophet, leader and judge. But there was a problem. Moses spent his whole day judging one dispute after another. Pending cases were backing up. Jethro could feel the mounting frustration and draining fatigue. Here’s where the clinic begins.
Corrector: Ask Clarifying Questions
When Moses finally took a break,
Jethro asked him a clarifying question: “Why do you sit alone, and
all the people stand around you from
morning till evening?” (verse 14).
Asking this question was wise and
kind. Jethro didn’t jump to a conclusion based on his own
perspective. He asked first. This gave Moses a chance to explain
what he was doing and why (verses
15–16): The LORD instructed Moses
regarding the law, and Moses’s job
was to teach the people and help
them apply it to their particular
situations. That explanation was
helpful.
Corrector: Be Graciously Frank
Understanding this, Jethro said to
Moses, “What you are doing is not
good. You and the people with you
will certainly wear yourselves out,
for the thing is too heavy for you.
You are not able to do it alone” (verses 17–18). Jethro was frank: “what you are doing is not good.” No beating around the bush. But Jethro was also gracious. Defective systems can undermine the best mission. His goal was to lift a burden, not tear down intentions.
Corrector: Undergird, Don’t
Undermine
Notice that Jethro’s critique wasn’t ad hominem. He didn’t say, “Moses,
you’re a lousy leader. It shouldn’t
take an administrative genius to see
that your system doesn’t scale. Do
you think you’re qualified to lead two
million people?” No. Jethro’s goal wasn’t to undermine Moses leadership but undergird him. He observed a problem, sought to understand it, identified the core weakness, and offered a helpful solution (verses 19–23). Jethro aimed to increase the effectiveness of Moses’s time use and the meeting of people’s needs.
Correctee: No Prideful Deflections
Now note Moses’s remarkably humble response: “So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said” (Exodus 18:24). Moses didn’t bristle defensively at Jethro. He didn’t brush him off as an outsider who didn’t understand the organization. He didn’t try to save face by lying that he’d been thinking about doing that very thing himself. And he didn’t pull spiritual rank on Jethro by reminding him who of the two of them heard directly from God more.
No. Moses gratefully received and
immediately implemented Jethro’s
counsel.
Correctee: In Correction Listen for
God’s Direction
Even though Moses frequently
received immediate verbal direction
from God, he was not narrow in his
understanding of how God speaks
and directs. Since God ruled everything he could just as easily
direct him through a father-in-law as
from a cloud. If God used Jethro’s correction to direct Moses to greater effectiveness, how much more should we be humbly listening for God’s direction in the correction of those he sends to us?
Correctee: Correction Is a Gift, and
Not Only For You
Jethro’s correction wasn’t just God’s
provision for Moses, it was also God’s provision for the needs of thousands of people. When God brings correction to us through the loving observation of someone else, it’s a gift, but not only for us. It’s often for many others as well. If we pridefully resist correction, we are likely plugging up a channel of grace to others. There’s more at stake in our humility than we realize.
Summary
So to sum up the lessons from the
Exodus 18 Correction Clinic:
WHEN GIVING CORRECTION:
1. Ask clarifying questions to gain
a more accurate understanding.
Don’t assume.
2. Be graciously frank. Don’t hint
or over-qualify. Just say what
you see with the humility that
you might not be seeing
perfectly.
3. Undergird, don’t undermine.
Construct, don’t destruct. Be a
strength by helping to find a
solution that pursues the good of
everyone involved.
WHEN RECEIVING CORRECTION:
1. No prideful deflections. If the
correction is needed, humbly
receive it.
2. Listen for God’s direction. God
likes to lead us in ways that
cultivate our humility.
3. Correction is a gift, and not only
for you. Your correction may
also be someone else’s provision.
Correction is a form of the Lord’s
discipline. And Proverbs 12:1 says,
“Whoever loves discipline loves
knowledge, but he who hates reproof
is stupid.” May the Lord help us to
love knowledge today.
Written by: Jon Bloom
