Exodus 18 speaks of Jethro's advice to Moses - Hey, you are doing everything yourself. Get some peeps to help you, son!
I closed my eyes and thought of Moses as a picture of Yeshua. The Lord God had used Moses alone to part the Red Sea and lead the Israelites across to dry land. The fact that Moses stretched out his hand for physical redemption is a foreshadowing of our Messiah stretching out His hand on the cross for our spiritual redemption.
After Moses led the Israelites safely through the Red Sea, it closed up after them - completely destroying the Egyptian army. The closing of the Red Sea is a foreshadowing of baptism. The Egyptian Army represents the sin in our life that is completely wiped away by the water. It is the trip through the Red Sea that represents our justification through the redeeming arm of the Messiah.
So now on the other side, it will no longer be Moses that does everything. At his father-in-law's urging, Moses divides responsibilities among the people of Israel. Verse 21 says, Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
In Matthew 25, we read the parable of the talents. Each servant was put in charge of a different amount. They were then judged on what they did with what they were given. Verse 21 says, His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.'
Scripture promises that we will reign with Yeshua in the coming kingdom (Rev 20:6). The Word is telling us that we will have a position in the kingdom that reflects our works here on earth. We are not working for our salvation; that happened when we accepted the finished work of the Lord on the cross as payment for our sins. We are working out our salvation (Philippians 2:12) because of our justification (redemption). This is where we earn those jewels on our crowns! Sanctification is a lifelong process. 1 Corinthians 3 gives us a picture of the judgment of our works:
For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
Justification is the work of the Lord. Sanctification requires our cooperation, and will determine our position in the coming kingdom.
So what are those works of sanctification? We are told, firstly, to love the Lord our God with all we've got, and then love our neighbor as ourselves. Everything we do, to His glory, is considered a work. Praise, prayer, adoration, serving, using our gifts and talents... the list goes on. Colossians 3:23 says, Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord and not for men.
