In Exodus 18:13-27, God used Jethro (Moses’ father-in-law) to guide Moses in managing the two million children of God in the wilderness. Jethro’s method became a form of governance that continued into the New Testament church (Acts 15). In God’s system, the appointed leaders are responsible for making decisions and are held accountable to God for the decisions they make.

1. Stop doing the work alone (Exod 18:13-18): In Deuteronomy 1:9-12, God had multiplied His people. Moses’ burden to care for the increased population got heavy. This also happened in the New Testament church (Acts 6). As the number of believers increased, the Apostles were accused of neglecting the Grecian widows’ welfare. In order not to neglect their primary duties of prayer and the ministry of the Word (Acts 6:4), the Apostles appointed deacons to “serve tables” (Acts 6:2). It is not God’s design that they serve alone. There may be exigencies when the pastor has to handle many things himself, but when others are available and suitable, he must share those responsibilities that can be shared, and the people must be willing to serve. Otherwise, the overall ministry will suffer.

2. Solution to doing the work (Exod 18:19-21): God provided the qualifications of those who were to serve. It is unwise to just appoint anyone just because there is a need. The person must be spiritually mature and called to serve by God. When there is much work to be done, we are to bring our burdens to God. He is with us (Exod 18:19). In Deuteronomy 1:9-18, the appointment procedure was that the people (who knew their own best) were to choose the most suitable: able, resourceful, spiritually mature men who fear God and who know the truth and hate covetousness. The people were to bring them to Moses who would then appoint them to do the work. There must be no partiality.

3. Service in doing the work (Exod 18:22-27): Moses set up a hierarchy for the leaders (Exod 18:25) in their work of judging the people “at all seasons” (Exod 18:26), and they were to bring to Moses those cases they could not handle. They were to judge without respect of persons (Deut 1:16-17). In the hierarchy, some leaders ruled over more, some less. Thus, in serving, we are not to compare with one another. God gives us different spiritual gifts and different degree of service.

This form of governance is showed forth in Acts 15 as the Presbyterian system. The elders teach God’s Word while the deacons serve tables. As God cares for every area of our life, we too must desire to help and bear others’ burdens. The church is God’s family, no one is to bear the burden alone.