The Faith of Moses

Opening:

It is a beautiful thing to open the Word of God on the Lord’s Day.

Introduction of the Passage:

This morning we are going to be in Hebrews 11:24-27. This morning we are examining the faith of Moses. And Moses is one of the most prominent characters in all of Scripture. Moses, theologically is often referred to as the Mediator of the Old Covenant. He was the man God used to speak to and lead Israel. God worked through Moses. And the Apostle Paul here highlights the early days of Moses’ faith specifically.

Reading of the Passage:

Hebrews 11:24–27 “24 By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26 esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. 27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.”

Behold, the Word of God. Let’s pray.

Prayer:

Our Gracious Heavenly Father, we commit this time in Your Word to You this morning. Please bless this time and use it to grow us and conform us more into the image of Your Son to the glory of Your name. We ask this in Jesus name, Amen.

Introduction:

This is such an amazing passage. The language used is so beautiful and packed with such rich and deep truths.

Text Idea:

By faith, Moses boldly gave up the life of royalty, riches, and comfort for the sake of Christ.

Sermon Idea:

This morning I pray that we can see that Christ is worth far more than anything sin can give us.

Transition:

So let’s begin. The first movement of the text we really see is that:

By Faith Moses Refused to be Egyptian.

Explanation:

The first thing the Apostle tells us is “By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter...” Moses knew he was a Hebrew. We are not given all the details on how exactly he knew this or even what all he knew. He was raised most of his life in Pharaoh’s house. Remember, he was allowed to stay with his mother and father until he was weened. But after this he was taken to Pharaoh’s daughter and she adopted him. This has been dramatized in multiple films and it isn’t hard to understand why. This is a dramatic story.

Argumentation:

But Scripture does not give us all the details. What we do know is that Moses knew he was a Hebrew and refused to be an Egyptian. He did not embrace Egyptian royalty. All we know is that he had faithful parents for mere months after his birth and then was taken to be raised by the Egyptians. And I want to highlight something here.

The Heritage of the Faith of the Parents of Moses.

The only thing we know for certain from Scripture is that Moses’ parents were faithful. And then when Moses was older he rejected his pagan adoption. I believe God chose in His will as He so often does to work through the faith of Moses’ parents. Somehow in those mere months they had with him in infancy, God worked.

And here in our modern way of thinking, we are tempted to object. We are tempted to think that there is no way God could do that. Each individual must come to a specific age and after that age, then God can work in their hearts. But beloved, that’s not the biblical view. In fact, we have several examples of God working within the souls of infants.

David said this in Psalm 22:9 “9 But You are He who took Me out of the womb; You made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts.” God made him trust in Him from infancy. God told the prophet Jeremiah this in Jeremiah 1:5 “5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”” According to God, Jeremiah was sanctified which means “made holy” before his birth. John the Baptist was filled with the Spirit in the womb of his mother and actually worshipped the pre-born Christ.

To me, it is not a stretch to say that God did this with Moses. The only faithful influence that Moses had in his youth were his parents for those brief months, maybe a little over a year. And think of the account. His parents are incredibly faithful, but Moses is taken from them, and then suddenly in his adulthood he is found to be faithful to God.

I bring this up as an encouragement. Think of the parents of Moses. They may have never seen Moses again after taking him to the palace. How many nights did they weep over their son comforted only by knowing he was alive? How many sleepless nights did these faithful parents sit in prayer, begging God to be with their son in Pharaoh’s palace? As a parent I cannot even imagine this. But I know what I would pray for. I would pray that God would save my son. Save his soul. And this is what is so beautiful. Their faith has a legacy. God was with Moses. Moses was saved.

Those sleepless night where they wondered if those months were enough is answered by God. It was enough. What a beautiful legacy. It was enough. God was with their son. Moses went on to be one of the most faithful men in all of history. The limited amount his parents could instill in him at that young age left a legacy. The faithful prayer of parents weeping over their children bears fruit. This is encouraging. Pray for the souls of your children, your grandchildren, and the children of this church. God hears your prayers. Those hours spent in prayer over your children is not for nothing. God hears you and you can trust Him.

Moses’ parents may not have ever known what came of their prayers, but their trust in God was well founded. So pray for the souls of your children and trust God. Wear out your knees praying for them and then trust God for He hears you. And trust that as Scripture says, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” So be fervent in prayer for your children. It avails much. I believe that God being with Moses had much to do with his faithful parents. Moses became a man of faith.

Transition:

And we see this in what Moses chose. His faith shines out here.

By Faith Moses Chose Suffering Over Sinful Pleasure.

Explanation:

In rejecting his royal adoption as a prince of Egypt, Moses was actively choosing to suffer. He chose to suffer with God’s people. And the wording of this is so beautiful. Moses chose to suffer with God’s people rather than enjoy the passing pleasures of sin. And this cuts to a central truth. Sin is pleasurable. Sin is fun. But sin is only pleasurable for a season.

Sin is Only Pleasurable for a Season.

Sin often brings momentary pleasure. And there can even be seasons where it seems like everything is going great. We often deceive ourselves. We think we can live in sin and escape the consequences. But there are always consequences. How many men have thought their wives would never find out about that illicit affair or pornography addiction. It’s fine, its just my secret. It’s not hurting anyone. But sin always hurts. Sin always affects everyone around us weather we like it or not. Many families have been broken over this. How many families have been destroyed by men who refuse to take up the charge of masculine leadership and lordship God has called them to?

How many relationships have been ruined by women who indulge in gossip? How many wives have torn down their houses around themselves like proverbs says because they refuse to confront that sinful bad attitude they like to keep around? How many families have been destroyed because of women who refuse to submit to their husbands as God calls them to? It may seem like there are no consequences for a time, but the bill always comes do. Our actions always have consequences. And sin will always breed destruction, death, and ruin.

Matthew Henry said, “The pleasures of sin are and will be but short; they must end in speedy repentance or in speedy ruin.” These are the only outcomes. Repentance or ruin. Sin is not and cannot be a long term strategy. It’s fruit is pain and death. And because of this, Henry went on to say “Suffering is to be chosen rather than sin, there being more evil in the least sin than there can be in the greatest suffering.”

When confronted with suffering for righteousness or reward for sin, the Christian must always embrace the suffering. Now it would clearly be better to be rewarded for righteousness. This is how things ought to be. In a proper society good is rewarded and sin is punished. That is how things ought to be. But so often, due to great evil or even tyranny, that is not the case. And that was not the case for Moses. Moses did not have the option of being rewarded for righteousness. He had to choose between committing sin or suffering for righteousness. And he chose suffering. And this is righteous.

You see, Pharaoh was an evil tyrant who enslaved Israel. He was a wicked, pagan tyrant. And Moses had to choose. He could not stay neutral. Moses could not stay in the palace and be righteous. He could not be an Egyptian and be righteous. So in faith, he chose suffering. He was one of the people of God. He must live like it.

And there will be times where we are forced into the same choice. Suffering is not good. But it is better than sin. When faced with the choice of suffering or sin, we too must choose suffering. It is better to suffer than to sin. If there are ways to avoid suffering without sinning, we must take that option. Moses chose to flee Egypt rather than die. But he still chose suffering over sin. We must be as bold and faithful as Moses.

Argumentation:

But I want to make a distinction here.

Not All Pleasure is Sin.

I say this often and it is still relevant. We are not Gnostics. The physical world is not evil. God gave us this world to take joy in and there is joy to be had. I bring this up because inevitably whenever two or more Christians are having a good time and enjoying something, a third Christian will show up and condemn them simply for having fun.

Do not forget, joy is a fruit of the Spirit. A Christian is marked by loud laughter in the face of trying times. This passage is not saying that pleasure is sin. A Christian is not permitted to be a grump. We are to enjoy the world God has given us. We are to have fun. And righteousness is fun. There is true joy found in following God.

Having a faithful family is far more joyful and rewarding than the modern hookup culture. True and trusting relationships are far more rewarding and fun than the thrill of gossiping. Husbands who lead well and wives who submit end up having a much better and more joyful marriage that those who are always kicking against God’s design. It is just plain and simply more fun. There is more joy in that relationship. And keep this in mind, being joyful is more fun than having a bad attitude. In the long run, righteousness is far more pleasurable than sin. This passage is not telling us that the only pleasures of life are sinful. It is actually saying quite the opposite. Sin brings momentary pleasure. Righteousness brings lasting joy.

So in short, obey God. Its more fun anyway.

Transition:

But there is a specific way in which Moses suffered. He did not just suffer with Israel. The Apostle tells us it is deeper than that.

By Faith Moses Chose Suffering With Christ Over the Riches of Egypt.

Explanation:

The Apostle Paul tells us here the deeper matter of Moses’ faith. He chose to suffer with Christ rather than to be the prince of Egypt. We see the greatness of what Moses gave up. Moses was a child of the king of the most powerful nation on earth. He could have someday become the ruler of all of Egypt. He was royalty. But Paul tells us that he chose to give that up for the sake of Christ.

And here we may wonder how Moses could esteem the reproach of Christ or suffer with Christ? Christ had yet to be born. But do not forget, all of Scripture and history itself points ahead to the suffering, death, and resurrection of Christ. In the Old Covenant people were saved by faith in Christ. And beyond this, Jesus is God the Son, the eternally existent Second member of the holy Trinity. Christ has always existed. Moses chose to stand with Christ, to suffer with Christ because Christ has always been and will always be.

The central point here is that Moses gave up his status as Egyptian royalty for the sake of Christ. As one author put it, “See how Moses weighed matters: in one scale he put the worst of religion—the reproaches of Christ, in the other scale the best of the world—the treasures of Egypt; and in his judgment, directed by faith, the worst of religion weighed down the best of the world.”

This is such vivid imagery. He weighed the options. On one hand was the worst of the faith, to suffer and share in the sufferings of Christ. On the other side was the best of sin, all the riches of the world. Which one was better? Which one was more valuable? Which one held more weight? The answer is clear. It is better to suffer for Christ than be rewarded for sin.

And that really is the escalation Paul is making here. Moses first refused to be associated with sin. Then he chose to suffer rather than to sin. Then he chose to continue in suffering rather than be rewarded for sinning. I pray that we would all have that kind of faith. He refused to be associated with sin. He refused to be an Egyptian. Then he chose to suffer rather than sin. He chose suffering with God’s people. And then Moses chose to continue in that suffering, rejecting his adopted privileges as a prince in Egypt for the sake of Christ. May we all be so bold for Christ. May we all refuse sin at all costs, no matter how enticing the sin is. Reject sin, embrace Christ!

Transition:

But there is one final act of faith recorded in this passage.

By Faith Moses Did Not Fear the King.

Explanation:

Bravery comes by faith. This is a very important truth we must know in our age. Bravery comes by faith. But before we get there, let us examine the facts. This is actually quite a confusing statement from the Apostle Paul. Because Exodus tells us Moses did fear. He was afraid.

Exodus 2:14“14 Then he said, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” So Moses feared and said, “Surely this thing is known!””

According to this, when Moses learned his defection from Egypt by killing the Egyptian guard was known, he was afraid. So what is Paul saying? How can Exodus say Moses did fear and then Paul tell us Moses did not fear? Well, there are two options.

Option 1. Moses was only afraid for his life but still fully trusted God.

This option means that while moses was fearful for his life, he did not give up ultimate trust that God was going to protect him. This is a valid reading. Fear can have multiple meanings. A person can be “afraid” of sticking his hand into the belt of a tractor engine but still be a brave person. Moses could have feared for his life, meaning that he simply was acknowledging the fact that Pharaoh was going to kill him. This does not mean he was fearful in the cowardly sense. He still fully trusted that the king could do nothing to him outside of God’s will and he knew God would preserve him. Moses knew that to live he had to leave Egypt and was “afraid” in this sense.

As I said, this is a viable option, but personally I think it means something else.

Option 2. Paul is saying when Moses returned to Egypt, he did not fear the king.

Paul is not adhering to a strict timeline here. He is not tying his statements on Moses’ faith to an exact event or moment. There is what we could call chronological wiggle room. I think Moses was afraid. I think he was afraid to go back. Much of the dialogue between Moses and God when God finally told Moses to return to Egypt seems to show Moses struggled with doubt and fear. But after seeing God, something changed. Moses left the encounter with God changed. And when he returned there was no fear. Moses, when he returned to Egypt did not fear the King.

Moses has encountered the One True and Living God in the wilderness. Remember the burning bush. Moses Encountered the Great I AM. This changes a person on a fundamental level. When you encounter God, you are never the same. We see this every time anyone in Scripture encounters God. No more fear. Moses had true faith and this faith gave him true bravery.

Illustration:

And we can see how faith gives bravery. Trust in God is the death of cowardice. We see this in Scripture all over. Think of Isaiah after being taken to the throne room. He is no longer afraid. But we also see this in history as well. One of the great American heroes, Stonewall Jackson is a great illustration of this. Stonewall Jackson was named Thomas Jonathan Jackson. But he recieved the moniker “Stonewall” from his men for his habit of sitting completely still under enemy fire. He would sit tall in the saddle unmovable as bullets whizzed by him. His men said he sat immovable under enemy fire like a stone wall. Hence the name, Stonewall Jackson. And when asked why he did not fear, he said one of the most profound statements of the Christian faith.

“My religious beliefs teach me to feel as safe in battle as in bed. God has fixed the time of my death. I do not concern myself with that, but to be always ready whenever it may overtake me. That is the way all men should live, and all men would be equally brave.”

― Stonewall Jackson

Faith brings bravery. Faith brings courage. We see this in Moses. Faith brings Moses from fear to an unshakable courage to stand before the most powerful man in world and declare the Word of God against him.

And notice that Paul tells us exactly what it was about Moses’ faith that did this. Why was Moses brave and without fear? Because he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. This is beautiful language. Moses had spoken to God. And Moses had stood before God. This language is very similar to a Latin phrase you have likely heard me use before. Coram Deo. Before the face of God. Moses was brave because Moses was living Coram Deo.

Living Coram Deo.

That phrase means to remember God. To stand in His presence. To hold Him always before you. Moses remembered God and His faithfulness. This is where his bravery came from. John Chrysostom, the ancient church father spoke on this as well. On this verse he said this: “For if a person seeing one whom he loves, or rather, remembering him is roused in spirit, and elevated in thought, and bears all things easily, while he delights in the remembrance; one who has in mind Him who has vouchsafed to love us in deed, and remembers Him, when will he either feel anything painful, or dread anything fearful or dangerous? When will he be of cowardly spirit? Never.”

He who remembers God, who lives before the face of God, will find it impossible to be a coward. You cannot see God and be a coward. Faith kills cowardice.

Argumentation:

And we have a great need for bravery in our age. Chrysostom went on to say this: “Therefore let us also, as being in Babylon, [do the same]. For although we are not sitting among warlike foes, yet we are among enemies.” He noticed the need for this mind in all Christians. We must all be brave for we are all surrounded by enemies.

There is only one difference I would make with Chrysostom's point. In our day, we are surrounded by warlike foes. Today, there are countless enemies who wish to see the church actually destroyed. They desire our physical harm. Remember, right now in our nation there are people facing prison sentences for merely praying outside an abortion clinic. There is more than one case of this. We have real warlike foes. Churches have been shot up on many occasions in the past several years. The news refuses to cover it, but it has happened. Just last year Covenant Christian school was the victim of a mass shooting. Those murders were committed because of the school’s stance against the LGBT religion. Pastors have been fined and jailed for holding services during the lock downs. The list goes on and on.

Beloved I do not say any of these to discourage you. I tell you of this to call you to courage. Be brave. We live in a dark hour, and I fear it may get darker. But this is not the darkest hour. Our fathers lived and fought in much darker hours. They faced more dire situations. But they did this with a firm jaw and brave hearts. They held their lines in the face of certain defeat, and their courage did not leave them. They did this by faith. Faith is the death of cowardice. Do not give in to the sin of cowardice. Be brave. Look to Christ and be brave. The hour is dark, but the Son of God shines brighter.

I know it looks as if we will not win. The task seems to great and we are tempted to cower in fear. But do not give in. G.K. Chesterton once said “The one perfectly divine thing, the one glimpse of God's paradise given on earth, is to fight a losing battle - and not lose it.” And we see that in Moses. Moses returned to Egypt to tell the most powerful man on earth to obey God and let God’s people go. This was a losing battle. What hope did Moses have? He had hope only in Christ. Faith killed his cowardice.

And we must learn this same lesson. Our day looks dark. It looks dire. But hear me clearly on this. A Christian has no right to despair while Christ is on the Throne. A Christian has no right to despair while Christ is on the Throne. And beloved, where is Christ? On the Throne. He is seated on high, far above all rule and authority. He has all authority in heaven and on earth. He is seated at the right hand of the Father. He is Lord and King of all. So beloved, can we despair? No. There is no cowardice or despair while Christ is on the throne.

Moses knew this. Stonewall knew this. Luther and Calvin knew this. Sobieski and Arthur the great and Richard the Lionheart knew this. Our fathers knew that if we live with God ever before our eyes there is no fear. While Christ is on the throne, there is no cowardice or despair. In fact, there is joy. We may die but Christ is still on the throne. Nothing can change that. And this gives the Christian not only ability to be brave, but to be jolly as well. Christians can laugh and even celebrate in the midst of apparent defeat because God is always in control. Christ is on the throne!

So be brave. Be jolly and brave. This is actually a line from my favorite poem by Joffre Swait. It seems appropriate to quote it here.

Give thanks,

Weigh anchor,

Strap your packs.

Clean the sparkplugs and turn the key.

Yes, kick the tires and light the fires,

My jolly brave boys!

But why must we be jolly?

And why brave?

Jolly for the wars

And brave enough to come home.

Jolly for the assembly

And brave for the watch.

Merry for meeting

And steady for standing.

...

Blessed be the hour

You cinch your belts.

Happy the hefting of your glasses

And glad the gripping of your hammers.

When faced with dark hours, the Christian who knows Christ is ever on the throne is jolly and brave. They are bold and laugh loud. The work and fight well. So be jolly and brave.

Transition:

So let us ask our question.

Conclusion:

How did Moses live by faith?

Moses lived by faith by choosing righteousness over sin and bravery over fear, by seeing God.

Visualization:

Moses chose to suffer with God’s people rather than enjoy sin. He chose to embrace the reproach of Christ rather than be a prince of sin. He was brave in the face of earthly threat rather than give in to fear and cowardice. He remembered God and was bold.

Application:

So how can we live by faith like Moses?

1. When Faced with Sin or Suffering, Choose Suffering.

As Calvin said, “we ought to shun as a deadly poison whatever cannot be enjoyed without offending God.” We must fear offending God more than offending man. We must be willing to face punishment for faithfulness. We must determine in our hearts that we will not disobey God. No matter the consequences, we will obey God. That must be etched on our very souls. We must teach it to our children. We must be willing to lay down our very lives for this. Death before dishonour. Death before dishonoring our Lord.

2. Remember Christ Always, and Be Jolly and Brave.

Remember Christ. Remember our Lord. Keep His Word ever before you. And then be brave. We live in dark days. But do not give in to cowardice or despair. Be brave. Be jolly. Laugh loud. Enjoy the pleasures God has given us. And do not fear. Christ is still King. Nothing happens outside of His will. Never give in to that fear. Never forget the God we worship. Be brave. Let faith kill any cowardice in your heart. Trust in the one who determines all of history. Here is the secret of courage. Christ is King forever and ever. Amen. Let’s pray.

Closing Prayer:

Offering:

Offertory Prayer:

Benediction:

Psalm 31:24 “24 Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the Lord.”