Midian מִדְיָן

We moving into chapter eighteen of Exodus with our word for today. מִדְיָן Midian, a Midianite, strife, contention. It is used 59 times in the Old Testament. An Arabian tribe descended from Abraham. After the death of Sarah his first wife. Genesis 25:1-2 Abraham had taken another wife, whose name was Keturah. She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, מִדְיָ֑ן Midian, Ishbak and Shuah. We see the nation identified when Moses fled from Pharaoh after killing the Egyptian. Exodus 2:15-17 When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in מִדְיָ֖ן Midian, where he sat down by a well. Now a priest of מִדְיָ֖ן Midian had seven daughters, and they came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father’s flock. Some shepherds came along and drove them away, but Moses got up and came to their rescue and watered their flock. Before God delivers his people from slavery in Egypt it all begins in the land of our word where God meets with Moses and calls him into service. Exodus 3:1-2 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of מִדְיָ֑ן Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness...There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. Exodus 4:18-20 Then Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, “Let me return to my own people in Egypt.” Jethro said, “Go, and I wish you well.” Now the Lord had said to Moses בְּמִדְיָ֔ן in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all those who wanted to kill you are dead.” So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey and started back to Egypt. And he took the staff of God in his hand. We have already looked at all the amazing things God did through Moses now let’s look at how our word is used in our chapter when Moses comes back to where God called him. Exodus 18:1 Jethro, the priest of מִדְיָן֙ Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. We will look at how Jethro responds to all of this in the days to come. What is interesting today is how Jethro is identified as כֹהֵ֤ן מִדְיָן֙ priest of Midian 3 out of the 9 times he is mentioned in the Old Testament. This will be a significant detail in the days to come. For now, we will simply say that there was a good connection between God’s people and this priest of Midian. But unfortunately, like so often things between these groups grow hostile. Later on the Midianites become the enemy of God’s people. Numbers 22:4-7 The Moabites said to the elders of מִדְיָ֗ן Midian, “This horde is going to lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” So Balak son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, sent messengers to summon Balaam... Balak said: “A people has come out of Egypt; they cover the face of the land and have settled next to me. Now come and put a curse on these people, because they are too powerful for me. Perhaps then I will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land…The elders of Moab and מִדְיָ֔ן Midian left, taking with them the fee for divination. As we will see when we get to Numbers God protects his people from the evil that was planned by Midian. Then later we also see a lot of conflict between them culminating in battle with Gideon leading God’s people. Judges 6:14 The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of מִדְיָ֑ן Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” Judges 7:14 His friend responded, “This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the מִדְיָ֖ן Midianites and the whole camp into his hands.” This is a good reminder that God shows himself faithful in each generation. I’ll close with this Passage. Psalm 100:5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.