Exo 18:13-26 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Exod 18:13-27: 18:13-27 Jethro’s wise advice is a further example of God’s providence, although it was not given in a miraculous way. Jethro introduced Moses to a style of leadership that involved delegation of authority. It appears that Moses had been following an Egyptian style of leadership that was heavily hierarchical and based on circumstances. No Egyptian law code has yet been discovered. It appears that all authority flowed downward from the pharaoh, who ruled by fiat. Jethro proposed a structure of delegation that would make Moses’ life easier. Summary for Exod 18:13-16: 18:13-16 Moses had set himself up in place of Pharaoh, making himself indispensable to the people.

a18:13-27►

b18:13-16►

c18:17-18►

e18:19-22►

f18:19-20►

g18:21-22►

‏ Exodus 18:13-26

Summary for Exod 18:13-27: 18:13-27 ^a Jethro’s wise advice is a further example of God’s providence, although it was not given in a miraculous way. Jethro introduced Moses to a style of leadership that involved delegation of authority. It appears that Moses had been following an Egyptian style of leadership that was heavily hierarchical and based on circumstances. No Egyptian law code has yet been discovered. It appears that all authority flowed downward from the pharaoh, who ruled by fiat. Jethro proposed a structure of delegation that would make Moses’ life easier.
Summary for Exod 18:13-16: 18:13-16 ^b Moses had set himself up in place of Pharaoh, making himself indispensable to the people.
Summary for Exod 18:17-18: 18:17-18 ^c Such a leader-centered approach is not good for either the leader or the people (see also 18:23 ^d).
Summary for Exod 18:19-22: 18:19-22 ^e Moses needed to distinguish between his teaching function, in which he received and declared God’s decrees and instructions (18:19-20 ^f), and his administrative function, in which he applied all of those decrees and instructions (18:21-22 ^g).