How to Receive Counsel
J. M. Gibson, D. D. Exodus 18:17-22 And Moses' father in law said to him, The thing that you do is not good.… He might have thought: "what presumption in this Midianite to dictate to the ambassador of Jehovah!" But Moses was a man of a very different spirit. In Montreal, some years ago, a certain English nobleman who had been recently converted, and was preaching the gospel to large multitudes who gathered to hear him, unfortunately had his heart lifted up within him, and began to speak bitterly and scornfully of the Churches of Christ in the city. An excellent and revered Presbyterian elder approached the young nobleman in the kindest way, spoke with great appreciation of the value of his work in preaching the gospel, but suggested that it would be better for the cause if he would cease abusing Christians and Christian Churches, and confine himself to the preaching of Christ. In reply he curled his lip in scorn, and said, "I take my counsel from the Lord!" What a contrast between the grand nobleman of the olden time, and the small one of yesterday. Moses might with some reason have claimed a monopoly of Divine counsel. God had chosen him out from all other men to make known His will to him; but when Jethro, though an outsider, and one who had only good common sense on his side, makes his suggestion, Moses does not scorn to listen to his advice, and take it too. And the event showed that the Lord fully approved His servant's course. (J. M. Gibson, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: And Moses' father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good. WEB: Moses' father-in-law said to him, "The thing that you do is not good.