17th September 2025

17th September 2025


Pray (ACts)


Read (Exodus 18:1-27 focus v5-12)


Message (Alan Burke)


As I begin to write this devotion I know for many of you it will be hard, you can either stop reading now or read on and find our for yourself but the reason why I say this is that I have often heard the heartbreak of parents for their children who have been brought up in the church and rejected the faith. There are many of you I know wish you could rewind the clock, that you’d do it over again but unfortunately we do not get the chance to. On the other hand this passage for those of you with children, or who have an opportunity to speak into the lives of children as a grandparent, or sitting in the pew at worship and can be praying for our covenant children even if you’re unable to leave the house. 


Let’s look at what is going on here in the passage. Jethro comes to Moses with Zipporah and his two sons. Now remember last week we learnt about how the Amalekites attacked the congregation in the wilderness, the visible assembly of God’s people. 


Remember the scriptures that we have before us are a covenantal story, of the covenant of Grace, of how god would provide for us a saviour, through the seed of Abraham that all the nations of the earth would be blessed (Gen 22:18). Well the covenant promises passed through his son Issac and to his son Jacob. Well remember Jacob, he had a twin brother called Esau who sold his birthright for a bowl of stew, his direct descendants were the Amalekites.


We often forget that after Sarah died Abraham married Keturah and had six sons to her. Well one of those was Midian (Gen 25:2) who was the father of the Midianites ie the people whom Jethro had come from and was a priest. So the descendants of Midian where the children of Abraham in a biological sense. Abraham had sent the sons of Keturah away from Isaac his son while he lived eastward (Gen 25:6) to protect and preserve the line of promise. 


When we are first introduced to Jethro in Exodus 2 he is called Reuel. Reuel was his name, Jethro was his priestly title meaning excellence. He is the third priest we are told of in Scripture, Melchizedek then Potiphera, then Jethro. Melchizedek we are told in Hebrews that he was a priest of the Most High God, Potiphera means ‘he whom Ra has give’ so that is obviously in reference to the sun god Ra but then there is Jethro, the friend of God. Jethro like Melchizedek was a worshiper of the God most high, he was a descendent of Abraham second wife, whose children he sent off so that the line of promise that was to come through Isaac would not be in danger. Midian passed down the faith of the LORD God to his children and they to theirs, while never 400 years have passed or more, the Lord God is faithful as he has promised. 


While we cannot make the decision for our children for a brief time in those formative years we have a chance to pass on the hope in the Christ, the promised one of God who has now come and will come again. I haven’t met anyone who regrets how much time they took in sharing the faith with their children, teaching them the truth of the gospel, who regret teaching that God is more important than sport or school and anything else in life, but I’ve met many who have regrets because their children followed the ways of this world and have rejected the LORD God. 


For many of you, you look to your adult children and your heart breaks, you have regrets, it pains you that unless the LORD shows his mercy and intervenes in a profound way in their lives that they are facing a lost eternity. If you have opportunities with your grandchildren, take them, read with them, pray with them, speak of the Lord. For those of you who have young children, speak of your love of the LORD, what Jesus has done for you, listen to the warning of the Psalmist from Psalm 78, do not hide the truths of what God has done for you, teach your children so that the next generation would know him. If you do not have children of your own you still play a part, encourage those children you come in contact with and most of all pray for them and that their parents would pass down the faith to them so that the next generation would know the surpassing worth of knowing Christ and have an eternal hope.


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q76 Which is the ninth commandment?
A. The ninth commandment is, Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
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