When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin. (Psalm 32:3-5)
In my experience the guilt of wrongdoing is most effectively handled by talking about it. Talk that leads to confession and to asking for forgiveness gets to the "heart" of such matters, making it possible for those injured to forgive. Choosing not to talk leaves the guilt of wrongdoing unexpressed, and unless those injured by wrongdoing speak out, forgiveness for wrongdoing is "put on hold."
January 28 Readings: Exodus 16-18
After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro received her and her two sons. (Exodus 18:2-3a)
I suspect there is a lot of information not recorded in the Bible connected with Moses' sending his wife and sons to live with his father-in-law for a time and then receiving them back again. I imagine Moses sent Zipporah, Gershom, and Eliezer to the safety of Jethro's home before Moses went back to Egypt on his mission of leading the Hebrew people from Egypt to Canaan. But the Bible doesn't explicitly say so. Maybe their "send off" occurred during the exodus itself. Perhaps the contentiousness between the migrant Hebrew people and their leader had increased to the point that Moses believed his family's safety was at risk. After all, he complains to the LORD, "They are almost ready to stone me." (Exodus 17:4b)
I also imagine that Moses' wife and children continue with him, not Jethro, after Moses sends his father-in-law away. (Exodus 18:27) But again, the scriptures do not give explicit information.
The trials and rewards of leadership concern not only the leader, but also the leader's family. Leaders, take heed!
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