Faith Like Mo

Hebrews 11:23–28 ESV

23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. 24 By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them.

Fearless Faith is Contagious

Hebrews 11:23 (ESV)

23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.

Let’s come in close for a moment to three of the sections of this verse:

The faith of the parents

The beauty of the child

The lack of fear.

Moses’ parents had a fearless faith:

No concern for the Pharoah.

Willingness to look to Someone More

Look at the word Beautiful — it is hard to extrapolate the full meaning of this word from the English/Greek/Hebrew.

The word carries a connotation of one who is approved of God, delighted in by God, or set aside as something more by God.

How do we know? We have to look to the fulness of the text and the mentions of this story in other canonical books.

Acts 7:20 (ESV)

20 At this time Moses was born; and he was beautiful in God’s sight. And he was brought up for three months in his father’s house,

The writer of Acts is not speaking of God looking at the physical appearance of Moses, but the fulness of what He would make/who He would make Moses to be.

So what do we grasp here: Amram & Jochebed recognized God’s purposed hand would be upon Moses.

They were willing to risk it.

Maybe they would, in their action prove the modern song: “You Get The Glory From This”

“Not matter what I have to go through in this world, you get the glory from this...”

So they are willing to be killed, willing to be punished, or willing to suffer fro the glory of God/purpose of God.

So we say, “Fearless Faith is Contagious” but how well let’s look this morning at how these two faithful parents’ faith will be replicated by their son & how our faith can bear up and blossom in our own children.

If we are honest about it, we find that our human nature gets excited and exuberant as we see it in others.

Fearless faith testifies of the faithfulness, provision, and even goodness of God.

Point 1 — Fearless Faith is Contagious

Secondly,

Fearless Faith Consummates

Hebrews 11:24–26 ESV

24 By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.

You see, what Moses’ parents started in faith, he completed.

They saw God’s hand upon their son and risked for his safety and God’s glory.

Moses could have easily taken the posh route of being the “son of Pharaoh’s daughter”

He could have held onto the fulness of what this sinful world might offer

He could have dwelt with the best of the best in this life, yet “he considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth...”

So what God began and the parents rested in …the son tabernacled in.

If we grasp the outflow of vs. 25— that Mo could have easily grabbed hold of the momentary pleasures of this life.

But God! The Lord’s hand on Moses drew him to more.

It was not lip service, but life service:

Exodus 2:11–15 (ESV)

11 One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people.

12 He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.

13 When he went out the next day, behold, two Hebrews were struggling together. And he said to the man in the wrong, “Why do you strike your companion?”

14 He answered, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid, and thought, “Surely the thing is known.”

15 When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by a well.

This story is repeated in Acts 7:23-25, but the idea conveys Moses’ willingness to follow the after what is right.

He looked out for the oppressed, he longed to do the right things, he desired to be amongst his own people and serve the Lord God.

In essence, Moses was fleshing out the faith of his parents, but it was not theirs alone. It was his own faith.

Hebrews 11:26 (ESV)

26 He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.

The peace and completeness of faith are born out of the understanding that The Lord not only is the one give us the peace that surpasses understanding, but the one who is more valuable than anything this world offers.

Psalm 16:11 ESV

11 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

So “Fearless Faith is Contagious”; Secondly, “Fearless Faith Consummates”; and thirdly:

Fearless Faith Celebrates

Hebrews 11:27–28 ESV

27 By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them.

Moses definitely did leave Egypt in fear of the Pharoah in Ex. 2, but by chapter 13 he has a trust in God that is guiding his steps faithfully.

Certainly there could be a conflation of these two accounts, but the reality of this text is pointing to a singular even based on Moses’ history with the Lord.

He is leaning on the invisible one and going to celebrate the eventual Risen One.

Exodus 12:14 (ESV)

14 “This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast.

Moses would celebrate the deliverance of the Children of God, by God, for the Glory of God.

Do you get the clear picture or foreshadowing:

Christ would die in our stead that His blood may be placed on the doorpost of our life sparing us from the death we owed and Moses would place the blood on the doorpost of the house that the “Destroyer” “may not touch them.”

Walking Away, But In...

Trust Him — For Life

Walk in His Peace — He Comforts

Celebrate His Provision — Others Will Follow