I don’t have Father-in-law but I have capable father figure-in-law.
Over the years, I have noticed that 99% of father-son-in-law are very cool and deep freeze.
It is more like the Father-in-law saying, ‘stay on your lane of being my daughter’s husband and I will stay on my lane of being my daughter’s father’ and the son-in-law replying, ‘no problem.’ 🤷🤷🤷.
It is Hi! Hello! Kind of communication. Nothing more. Nothing less.
But where there is correct Father-in-law (and if you are lucky to have one), there are a lot of blessings that can be gotten from it. Jethro and Moses is our examples.
Let start with the first blessing; the blessing of establishment of deep worship of YHWN will be established.
Now Jethro, the priest of Midian and father-in-law of Moses, heard of everything God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, and how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt…Moses told his father-in-law about everything the Lord had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel’s sake and about all the hardships they had met along the way and how the Lord had saved them. Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good things the Lord had done for Israel in rescuing them from the hand of the Egyptians. He said, “Praise be to the Lord, who rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and who rescued the people from the hand of the Egyptians. Now I know that the Lord is greater than all other gods, for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly.” Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God. (Exodus 18: 1ff).
We can see from all the bolded part of the passage that Moses and Jethro’ father/son-in-law relationship bring testimony of the awesomeness of Yahweh, confirmation of the power of God and worship of God.
Ours can also produce such where both FIL and SIL are Jehovah worshipers.
In addition, the second blessing is blessing of restoration.
Moses has been separated from his wife and two young sons en route to answering God’s call in Exodus 4 but here in chapter 18, God is using his FIL to restore his family
Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, together with Moses’ sons and wife, came to him in the wilderness, where he was camped near the mountain of God. Jethro had sent word to him, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.” (vs 5).
Furthermore, the blessing of FIL is honour and respect, both ways.
7 So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. They greeted each other and then went into the tent.
Now, tell me who wouldn’t thrive in an atmosphere of mutual respect?
The fourth blessing is the blessing of divine guidance.
Moses wouldn’t have lived to 120 years, had he not listened to the advice of his FIL.
He would have died from over-burdenness, frustration, heart attack, weariness and what-have-you but his wife’s father advised him thus:
When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, “What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?”
Moses answered him, “Because the people come to me to seek God’s will. Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and instructions.”
Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him. Teach them his decrees and instructions, and show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave. But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said.
Your FIL is probably older than you and he come with loads of experiences which can be of benefit to you.
These are the benefits of a Christian father-in-law. If you have one, cherish him while he is still with you.
Courtship Forum 