Study Desk

The whole Israelite community left the Desert of Sin and traveled from place to place, as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water there for the people to drink.

But the people were very thirsty for water, so they grumbled against Moses. They said, "Why did you bring us out of Egypt? Was it to kill us, our children, and our farm animals with thirst?"

Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, was the priest of Midian. He heard about everything that God had done for Moses and his people, the Israelites, and how the Lord had led the Israelites out of Egypt.

Jethro was very happy to hear all the good things the Lord had done for Israel when he had saved them from the Egyptians.

When Moses' father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he asked, "What is all this you are doing for the people? Why are you the only one to solve disagreements? All the people are standing around you from morning until night!"

Then Moses said to his father-in-law, "It is because the people come to me for God's help in solving their disagreements.

You and the people who come to you will get too tired. This is too much work for you; you can't do it by yourself.

Now listen to me, and I will give you some advice. I want God to be with you. You must speak to God for the people and tell him about their disagreements.

But choose some capable men from among the people—men who respect God, who can be trusted, and who will not change their decisions for money. Make these men officers over the people, to rule over groups of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.

Let these officers solve the disagreements among the people all the time. They can bring the hard cases to you, but they can decide the simple cases themselves. That will make it easier for you, because they will share the work with you.

After Moses went down from the mountain to the people, he made them prepare themselves for service to God, and they washed their clothes.

"You must not make for yourselves an idol that looks like anything in the sky above or on the earth below or in the water below the land.

You must not use gold or silver to make idols for yourselves; do not worship these gods in addition to me.

"Make an altar of dirt for me, and sacrifice on it your whole burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, your sheep and your cattle. Worship me in every place that I choose, and I will come and bless you.

If you use stones to make an altar for me, don't use stones that you have shaped with tools. When you use any tools on them, you make them unsuitable for use in worship.

Then God said to Moses, "These are the laws for living that you will give to the Israelites:

"If you buy a Hebrew slave, he will serve you for six years. In the seventh year you are to set him free, and he will have to pay nothing.

"If a man sells his daughter as a slave, the rules for setting her free are different from the rules for setting the male slaves free.

But if someone plans and murders another person on purpose, put him to death, even if he has run to my altar for safety.

Later if he is able to get up and walk around outside with his walking stick, the one who hit him is not to be punished. But he must pay the injured man for the loss of his time, and he must support the injured man until he is completely healed.