YEA Lesson Library
Lighten the Load
About This Lesson
This lesson teaches that Jethro helped Moses implement a system of judges to make things work more efficiently; the lesson, then, is that the student also needs to find a way to help others and lighten their load.
Scriptures
Exodus 18:1-27
Matthew 11:28-30
John 17:4
1 Corinthians 14:33, 40
Ephesians 2:10
2 Timothy 2:15
James 1:22
Words to Know
EFFICIENCY EXPERT - a person who has the skills and training to produce a decided, decisive, or desired effect
The Lesson
The famous composer-pianist, Paderewski was backstage during an intermission during his concert when a small restless boy entered the stage and sat down at the grand Steinway piano. He began to play "Chopsticks." Frowning faces remaining in the audience pointed in the boy's direction and began shouting, "Get that boy away from there."
The master overheard the sounds out front and quickly realized what was happening. He quickly grabbed his black tuxedo jacket and rushed on stage. Without one word, he stooped over behind the boy, reached around both sides, and began to improvise a counter melody to harmonize with and enhance "Chopsticks." As the two of them played, Paderewski kept whispering in the boy's ear: "Don't quit. Keep on playing. Don't stop . . .”
Do you think the Great Master looked down on the Israelites as they marched out of Egypt and whispered in their ears, “Don't quit; keep on walking; don’t stop”? Well, this didn't literally happen, but God was always there encouraging them each step of the way.
It had been along time since Moses had seen his wife. God must have known that Moses needed encouragement. Word reached Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, who was a priest of Midian, about all the miracles God had performed and how He had brought the Israelites out of Egypt.
Jethro took Moses' wife, Zipporah and his two sons to be with Moses. They arrived while Moses and the people were camped at Mount Sinai. Someone told Moses that his father-in-law, wife, and two sons had arrived. They had a lot to talk about. So they went into Moses' tent to hang out and catch up on the latest. A lot had happened since they had seen each other - the Israelites were freed from Egyptian slavery, they miraculously crossed the Red Sea, God supplied them with food and water, and they won the battle with Amalek.
"Jethro offered sacrifices to God, and afterwards Aaron and the leaders of Israel came to meet Jethro, and they all ate the sacrificial meal together before the Lord.”
"The next day Moses sat as usual to hear the people's complaints against each other, from morning to evening." When Jethro saw how much time this was taking, he asked Moses why he was doing this all by himself, especially when people had to stand all day long to get his help? Moses explained that the people came to him with their disputes, to ask for God’s decisions. "I am their judge, deciding who is right and who is wrong, and instructing them in God's ways. I apply the laws of God to their particular disputes.”
Jethro told Moses, “This isn't right. This job is too heavy a burden for you to bear all by yourself. You're going to wear yourself out and then how will the Israelites cope?” Jethro appears to have been some sort of an efficiency expert who wisely suggested that Moses modify Israel's leadership structure. Jethro said to Moses, "Now listen, and let me give you a word of advice, and God will bless you: Be these people's lawyer - their representative before God - bringing him their questions to decide; you will tell them his decisions, teaching them God's laws, and showing them the principles of godly living" (Exodus 18:19-20 TLB).
Jethro went on to set up an organizational structure which would take this heavy burden off Moses. He was to find and appoint capable, godly, honest men who hated bribes to be judges for each 1000 people. Each judge would have ten judges under him, each in charge of 100 people. He broke it down even further. The ten judges would have five judges under them who would council ten people each.These judges were responsible for serving the people with justice at all times. Important and complicated things would still be brought to Moses.
"Moses listened to his father-in-law's advice, and followed this suggestion. He chose able men from all over Israel and made them judges over the people - thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. They were constantly available to administer justice.They brought the hard cases to Moses but judged the smaller matters themselves" (Exodus 18: 24-26 TLB).
It wasn't long before Moses let his father-in-law go back to his own land.
What can you learn from this portion of the Bible? This gives us insight into God's character. He is Spirit and not encumbered with the weaknesses of the flesh. Moses was flesh and blood and had limitations. He could only do and take so much. He was to the point that his fleshly body couldn't take on anymore. It was time to Lighten the Load. He needed to share the responsibilities with others so he would be with the Israelites on their march to the Promised Land. God is a God of love. He knows we are but flesh and doesn't expect the impossible of us.
1 Corinthians 14:40 says that "Everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way." Verse 33 tells us that, "For God is not a God of disorder but of peace." The structure Jethro put in place gave order to every day. When a person had a problem, he no longer had to wait in line all day long to see Moses. The work load was distributed so many capable, godly, honest men shared in the responsibilities. God wants us to understand that not just anyone can be used in His work, that is, until they become capable, godly, and honest men. God needs laborers for His work. Will you measure up?
Student Prayer
Loving Father,
Thank you for understanding that we are but flesh and you are not expecting the impossible from us. But at the same time, help us to strive to be capable, godly, and honest people so we can measure up to be helpers in your work.
In Jesus' name I pray.
Amen.
Daily Devotions
Sunday - Exodus 18:1-19
Monday - 1 Corinthians 14:33, 40
Tuesday- Matthew 11:28-30
Wednesday- Ephesians 2:10
Thursday- John 17:4
Friday - James 1:22
Saturday - 2 Timothy 2:15
Objectives
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
1. Explain that everyone can have an excuse for not serving if they look for one.
2. Discuss how YEA classes are not a dead-end street for our teens. It is training for leadership roles in the church and community.
3. Tell the story of this section of the Bible.
Topics & Themes
Encouragement
Helping Others
Jethro
Judges
Leadership
Miracles
Responsibility
Materials Needed
Bible, YEA Students' and Teacher's books, attendance and memory verse charts, songbook, butcher's paper, markers, prize
How to Teach This Lesson
Greet the students warmly and open the class with prayer. Discuss how the students felt about the field trip you planned last week. Explain that the students are to pick one of the assignments and match it with one of the captions on the butcher paper on the wall. They can use their YEA lessons and/or their Bibles to draw the story on their section of the paper. They will have about 25 to 30 minutes. When time is up, call the students to return to their seats in a semicircle. Vote on the best drawing and give the prize.
Debrief - Ask: Which portion of this lesson do you feel was the easiest to draw? Which portion was the most difficult? Which portion told the best story? Why? How did you feel about Jethro's organizational plan? Why do you think Moses needed a better plan? How did it save Moses time? In what situations do you see that Jethro's plan would work today? Why do you think God allowed this plan to be put into place?
A God of love - Ask: Why did God not expect Moses to carry that heavy load of judging the people all day long, every day, alone? What are some differences in man and God? (Man is flesh and tires. God is Spirit and never tires.)
Application - Ask: What can you learn from this lesson? Ask a student to read 1 Corinthians 14:40. Ask another student to read verse 33 in the same chapter. What were some advantages of Jethro's plan over the way Moses was doing things? What characteristics was Moses to look for in the men he appointed? (They were to be capable, godly, honest men who hated bribes.) How are these characteristics like or unlike what God is looking for in church leaders? What can you do to develop these characteristics in your life?
Background - Ask a good reader to read the second and third paragraphs under Background in your book. God wants us to understand that not just anyone can be used in His work, that is, until they become capable, godly, and honest men. God needs laborers for His work. Will you measure up?
Teacher-Directed Activity
Go over the Activity in the Students' Book with the class. Go around the class and ask for each student to read one of the scriptures they wrote in their book. Ask for another student to give the "key action word" they circled in each verse.
REACH Activity
Memory Verse Spotlight: Matthew 11:28-30
Look up the word “rest.” Write down the Greek word and its meaning. Then find three other Scriptures where this word is used.
Is this physical rest? Spiritual rest? Both? Using the other scriptures you found where this word is used, build a case to support your answer to those questions. Write your apology (reasoned argument) in your Bible notebook.
Where in the World? Midian
Moses’ father-in-law was from Midian. Where would that region have been at this time? What do scholars think? Remember this is where Moses had spent 40 years and where he met and married his wife. Add Midian to the map you started in Lesson One.
They Did What Back Then? Judgments
Moses was trying to hear all of the “court cases” for the Israelites by himself. Remember, we’re talking about a group of people of more than two million. You and your siblings have difficulty getting along all of the time, and we’re talking about a few more people than just your family. You can see how the situation would have been extremely overwhelming and frustrating to Moses. He needed someone with an unbiased perspective to give him a solution.
The system Jethro suggested sounds a whole lot like our hierarchy of court systems today. There are low-level, mid-level, and high courts. If a problem can be solved simply, it can be quickly and efficiently dispatched. If it is more complicated or isn’t satisfactorily resolved, it gets bumped to the next higher court. If the case is very complicated and one party isn’t satisfied that they have gotten a good answer, the case goes to the highest court. In Exodus, Moses was the highest court, but he certainly didn’t need to waste his time on something that could be settled expeditiously.
Sometimes when you are in the middle of a problem, you can’t see a logical way to solve it. Rely on someone close to you, like a family member, to give you practical and valuable advice.
Making It Mine: Don’t Stop.
There are a lot of times in life when you are tempted to give up. A job gets very hard and you’re very tired. You face a lot of persecution. You don’t see any reward from the work you are investing. It’s at those moments you have to reassess the situation. Is what you are working toward worth the time, effort, sweat, and tears you are investing? Is it what God wants you to do? Does it have value in building God’s kingdom? Is it the right thing to do?
There are times when something isn’t working and you have to try something else. It’s time to give up. I have two peach trees growing in my yard. They produced a dozen small peaches just one year out of the last ten. My husband wants to cut them down; they’re a pain to mow around. I have been unwilling to let him cut them down, but one of them died after a late freeze killed it this spring. I don’t have any other choice; the tree is dead. Should I have given in earlier? As long as there was life, there was hope the tree was going to produce fruit. Most of the decisions you will have to make in your life are not as insignificant as a peach tree, but it’s a good illustration of what I want you to spend some time contemplating.
Worldview Collisions: Qualifications
Where do you get your qualifications to perform a certain job? Well, it depends upon the job. But in the majority of cases, a certain number of classes need to be taken and core competencies need to be demonstrated. You need to be able to demonstrate a mastery knowledge of how to accurately do your job. That obviously makes sense if you are an accountant or a brain surgeon. I want to take my dog to a vet who did very well in school and who has a good rapport with animals. But what do you do about jobs in church ministry? You would think that going to seminary would be a must. But what if there isn’t a seminary who is teaching the Bible accurately, in your opinion?
The worldview of most Protestant Christians is that you have to go to seminary to become a pastor of a church.
How does your church decide on who will be the pastor in your congregation? Sometimes it falls on the only person who is willing to do the job. Sometimes it’s someone who is the most vocal and outgoing. There’s an idea that you have to be mature. Church leadership shouldn’t be left to children. But when is a young man old enough to begin speaking to the group, doing seminars or sermonettes? Is baptism a definite requirement?
Have a conversation with your parents. Talk about these ideas. Then go back to the Bible and see how elders came to be elders in the New Testament. Write about this topic in your Bible notebook.
Questions
As you’re working through the YEA lesson, Daily Devotionals, doing the activity, or reading the Bible, be sure to write down any questions you have. That way you’ll remember to ask someone. Also remember to share the really interesting things you’re learning with family and friends.
Song
"The Greatest Thing" is on page 17 of The Group Songbook.
Closing Prayer
Ask the students to form a circle and join hands. Let each student give one of the “key action words" in the scriptures in their Activity. Ask for a volunteer to lead in prayer asking God to prepare them for church leadership roles.
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