Exodus 18:1-12 (NKJV)

And Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel His people—that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt. Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back, with her two sons, of whom the name of one was Gershom (for he said, “I have been a stranger in a foreign land”) and the name of the other was Eliezer (for he said, “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh”); and Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness, where he was encamped at the mountain of God. Now he had said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her.”

So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down, and kissed him. And they asked each other about their well-being, and they went into the tent. And 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 on the way, and how the LORD had delivered them. Then Jethro rejoiced for all the good which the LORD had done for Israel, whom He had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians. And 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 who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. Now I know that the LORD is greater than all the gods; for in the very thing in which they behaved proudly, He was above them.” Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and other sacrifices to offer to God. And Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God.

Jethro shows up late in the game but quickly becomes an important player. It’s curious that his being absent from all the action in Egypt and crossing the Red Sea actually seems to help.

He is older and more mature, and he’s some kind of priest, but he’s only just now figuring out that YHVH is God. In some ways, he’s not all that spiritually mature.

But Jethro hasn’t lived under the rule of Pharaoh. Thus, his reaction to what God has done is normal and rational. This stands in stark contrast to how the Israelites act (and will continue to act).

That almost looks like Stockholm syndrome.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockholm_syndrome

Stockholm syndrome might be the most puzzling of all our psychological quirks. Apparently everyone is susceptible, yet we can’t imagine ourselves doing that. Surely we’re above that kind of weakmindedness.

Except we’re not. I don’t know what I’d do in such an extreme situation. No one knows. That’s what makes it so puzzling. How can we be so different from who (or what) we think we are?

The cold, hard truth is that we’re weaker than we realize.

That’s the point of all these Old Testament stories. They show the truth, without all the sugarcoating.

The weekly study guides, which include discussion questions, are available for download here:

https://www.ailbe.org/resources/itemlist/category/91-deep-studies