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The DEEP

Pride

goeth before the malfunction.

Exodus 18:13-27 (ESV)

The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening. When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning till evening?” And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God; when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make them know the statutes of God and his laws.” Moses' father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone. Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God and bring their cases to God, and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do. Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. And let them judge the people at all times. Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. If you do this, God will direct you, you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.”

So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. And they judged the people at all times. Any hard case they brought to Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves. Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went away to his own country.

As great as Moses is, his pride will be his undoing. He knows that YHVH is God, but he’s still hot stuff – so hot that no one else can do anything. He has to carry the team.

Jethro doesn’t fall for this baloney and calls him out on it. Moses, to his credit, listens and does the right thing. For now, the monarchy is nipped in the bud.


Pride is the black lining in every silver cloud; it threatens everything good. Pride lies at the heart of our sin. It’s the attack from within that we can’t get away from. So, how can we fight it?

By seeing it. The ugliness of pride is pretty curative, but we avert our eyes and trick ourselves in other ways so that we don’t see it – or at least don’t notice it. If only we could see it. But how?

Well, others see our pride (and notice it) just fine. So, if you can get into a relationship where someone else is willing to be honest with you, that’ll help. That someone can be a good friend or your spouse. In fact, your spouse should be someone who gives and takes substantive criticism.

The other avenue is prayer. If you’re up for some pretty tough lessons, ask God to show you your pride.

It’s a painful sight. It takes courage to look.


The weekly study guides, which include discussion questions, are available for download here:

https://www.ailbe.org/resources/itemlist/category/91-deep-studies

Mike Slay

As a mathematician, inventor, and ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church in America, Mike Slay brings an analytical, conversational, and even whimsical approach to the daily study of God's Word.

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