Jethro, another “priest forever in the order of Melchizidek (and the remnant)”.
(The position and not the person: God the Creator, the priests, Jesus the Son: sacrifices for God’s people.)
I have been accused of over speculating, but I like to think that outside the box is okay if we don’t lose sight of the box (like staying within the context of Scripture – if we all were closer, we would not be so divided?). I have been interested in Bible Chronology ever since I first opened a Bible to Genesis about 40 years ago. In particular I am interested in origins and finding a link between the Bible generations.
Not only do we find a time/date link, and I am referring to James Ussher’s Chronology which highlights approximately 6020 years of universal existence, but we may also find an animal sacrificial system and possibly a common language passed on from Adam down through the generations to Moses, and eventually to the final sacrifice wrought by Christ.
The first genealogies of Genesis influence me to see two distinct cultures existing before the flood of Noah’s time. One of Adam and Seth who saw significance in the first blood sacrifice (garments of skin, to cover their shame) and the promised return or appearance of the One who would ‘crush the serpent’s head’, and bring back the peace of Eden. And of course we have the descendants of Cain who lived in the land of Nod who scoffed at such a possibility (many crossovers – where did Cain get his wife?). We have about 1656 years of Adam’s people contending with Cain’s people and who knows how many remnants had to be rescued. Of course we have Enoch ‘who walked with God, and God took him’, 57 years after Adam died. Was he rescued? We do have Jude’s account of Enoch who prophesied about the evil, and to those who do, are usually persecuted.
Gen 4:3. And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering to the LORD. 4. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock, and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect to Abel, and to his offering: 6. And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? 7. If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. 8. And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.
When we get to the time of the great flood, we find only Noah and his family the only remnant of what must have been many followers of those ‘who called on the name of the Lord’, and believed Adam and Eve’s account of God and Satan. What happened to the rest? Would God have destroyed the righteous along with the most definitely wicked? Or like in many godly cultures, does a memory of God wane with following generations? Or was it war?
Gen 8:20. And Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt-offerings on the altar.
After the flood we find Shem, and 3 other patriarchs who are alive at the time of Melchizedek’s visit to Abraham 436 years after the Flood. I have to assume that these men as well as others made up a culture distinct from the Babel culture and lived in a place that is current day Jerusalem (Salem). Imagine a culture on the mountain top, living a priestly life style, and living to a ripe old age – the stuff legends or Shangri-La’s are made of.
What influence did these patriarchs have on a wandering sheep called Abraham, who saved them from a terrorist onslaught (kings of the east), and what happened to these patriarchs? Another waning? Or was it war? When Joshua returns to conquer the land we find the godless Jebusites living in Salem (898 years after the Flood). I am guessing that Eber, the 4th from Noah was the one called Melchizidek. His name was a variation of Hebrew and Abraham was referred to as a Hebrew at that time (also the Apostle Paul spends a lot of time on this subject in the book of Hebrews):
Gen. 14:13. And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram.
Gen. 14:18. And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.
20. And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.
When Moses flees from Egypt to Midian (817 years after the flood), we find a ‘priest of Midian’ Jethro, who for over 40 years seems to be a man of influence in Moses life. In addition to crowd control, what other information did Jethro impart to Moses? Was it more definitive information about what had happened prior in history, what was the sacrificial system of the ancients, and what was their language, and at what point was this language developed into written form?
(Was a father of Jethro a part of a remnant that had to be rescued from Salem? And of course we have Moses being prepared to rescue a remnant of Hebrews in Egypt. After the conquest of Canaan and the death of Joshua and Caleb, the Israelites had to be repeatedly rescued from their enemies. Later they had to be rescued from some of their own leadership (the problem in a nutshell! – a focus on a ‘chosen status, or we are not responsible’, has been so destructive to Church health and focus). Later we see a remnant being sent to Babylon and another remnant returning under Zerubbabel who had to be often rescued from the Persians and the Greeks. And then we have the Roman Occupation where the New Testament remnant is taken out of Jerusalem before 70 AD. And we can find rescues in Church History, including the early Church before Constantine, The Inquisitions, The Reformers, European and English theology wars, the Pilgrims coming to America (See Babel Tab), and the Church today in peril. And lastly, can we see the final rescue or rapture of the last remnant at the 2nd Coming? By all accounts, none of the prior rescues was pretty.)
Any information from Jethro was not meant to be a substitute for God’s verbal or inspired influence of the Books of Moses, but even the Apostle Paul had the Old Testament to help him understand what he was writing. And of course the sacrificial system and language of the ancients continued up to the time of Jesus and His crucifixion, 2380 years after the Flood and 4036 years after the first day of Creation.
And this Creation may include a spoken language used by God to communicate with Adam (how about Hebrew that Moses learned from Jethro, or at least the uncorrupted form?). I find it hard to believe that Adam and Eve grunted their way to maturity. And of course Adam and those who followed learned to write it down, and pass it on.
2513b AM, 3223 JP, 1491 BC
174. God appeared to Moses in a burning bush that was not consumed by fire, while he was keeping his father-in-law Jethro’s sheep on the mountain of Horeb. He called him to deliver His people Israel from their slavery and bondage in Egypt. Moses sought with many excuses to avoid doing this. At length however, he undertook the work, being persuaded partly by miracles and partly by assurance given him of the help of God. His brother Aaron was to be his assistant. {#Ac 7:30-35 Ex 3:1-4:18}
Exodus 18 :9. And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the Lord had done to Israel, whom he had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians. 10. And Jethro said, Blessed be the Lord, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, who hath delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. 11. Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them. 12. And Jethro, Moses' father in law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father in law before God.
2514c AM, 3224 JP, 1490 BC
233. Jethro, who was also called Hobab, brought his daughter Zipporah, with her two sons Gershon and Eliezer who were left with him, to Moses, his son-in-law. He congratulated him and the people for their deliverance from Egyptian bondage. He publicly declared, both by word and deed, his faith and devotion toward the true God. In accordance with his advice, Moses delegated the government of the people to various others and ordained magistrates for the deciding of lesser issues. {#Ex 18:1-27 De 1:9-18 Nu 10:29}
