In the Exodus God sent a message to all the people in that region. It received a range of reactions. Two kinds of reactions are contrasted in Exodus 17 and 18. (Reactions from 40 years later are covered in the book of Joshua.)
The Amalekites launched an attack against Israel, and by implication, an attack on God's plan to bless the nations.
On the other hand, Moses' father-in-law Jethro confessed his faith in Yahweh as the supreme God (Exod 18:8-12) when he heard about all that had happened.
In his positive response to the Exodus, Jethro was influenced by his respect for Moses. In Exodus 18 we also see the mutual respect of Moses and Jethro, as well as Moses' characteristic humility. When Jethro passed along some wise advice about sharing authority and delegating responsibility, Moses quickly embraced it.
In a sermon at Church of the Messiah on June 5, 2021, Kyle Kettering emphasized that God's plan brings together those who are "near" and those who are "far off" (Isa 33:13-22; Jer 23:23). In Jesus he has brought together those who are near (Israel) with those who are far off (the nations) into one people united by one Spirit (Eph 2:11-22).
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