A Curious Comment Part Two

 

Another day has dawned, so let’s continue this story.

Moses accepted the invitation, and he settled there with him. In time, Reuel gave Moses his daughter Zipporah to be his wife. Later she gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom, for he explained, “I have been a foreigner in a foreign land.” – Exodus 2:21-22 (NLT)

Have you noticed that in Exodus chapter 2, Moses’ father-in-law’s name is Reuel but by the time you turn the page to chapter 3, he’s Jethro? Curious.

What’s in a name? Well names are important, they establish identity and especially in ancient times, a person was named to signify the circumstances of their birth, names were given according to prevailing situations and names were changed to demonstrate a person’s nature, character or new status.

For instance, God changed Abram and Sarai to Abraham and Sarah. After wrestling with the Angel of the Lord, Jacob received a name change, becoming Israel. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were renamed Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Simon became Cephas (Aramaic) or Peter/Petros (Greek). Saul became Paul after his incredible conversion. And there are many more. 

Even Moses wasn’t born Moses but was given that name by Pharaoh’s daughter because she “lifted him out of the water” (Exodus 2:10).

So yes, Reuel became Jethro.

It was Reuel who invited the fugitive Moses to live with him and after some time “gave Moses his daughter Zipporah to be his wife”. But it was Jethro who lied and changed his mind when Moses asked permission to leave and was on his way out of Midian.

Reuel means “friend of God” or “shepherded by God”, so as the priest of Midian, you can say that his name reflected his vocation. Now, this Reuel was a descendant of Midian, who was the estranged son of Abraham and his wife Keturah.

Now Abraham married again. Keturah was his new wife, and she bore him several children: Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, Shuah.  Abraham deeded everything he owned to Isaac; however, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them off into the east, away from Isaac. – Genesis 25:1-2 and 5-6 (TLB)

This Reuel, the priest of Midian, was not an Israelite, he was a Midianite, a nomadic tribe of people. His religious beliefs and practices were not the same as the people of Israel. Reuel, the priest, served and worshipped a god, not God. So, in his case, his name meant, “friend of god” or “shepherded by god”.

Moses’s father-in-law was an idolator.

The name Jethro signifies abundance, excellence and pre-eminence. Oh what a name change from “shepherded by god”. Was this an indication of a promotion in status?

Reuel or Jethro, different name, same lout. Yes, I wrote what I wrote. I am sure that some persons are in full disagreement with me but there’s nothing wrong with looking at something from a different perspective.

Beloved, you must never be afraid to venture deep into the pages of the bible under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Why a lout? Even though, at a glance, Zipporah’s father’s names describe a person of upstanding character they were not indicative of who this man really was. So who was the father of Zipporah?

In many places, he’s presented as a humanitarian, who out of empathy and compassion, provided a home for Moses, a man on the run. He is described as a single father lovingly caring for seven daughters. He’s portrayed as not just a priest but the priest of Midian, devoted to his god and temple.

But was he all that? On the surface maybe, but beneath the words, who was he? 

Shall we venture out into the deep?

Are you with me? Are you ready to dive into Part 3? Amen? Well, get those flippers and mask on, let’s go.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “A Curious Comment Part Two” © August 25, 2025