Hebrews 11:23–28 (ESV)
“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. By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them.”
Exodus 2:1–15 (ESV)
Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank. And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him. Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it. When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby was crying. She took pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, “Because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.” 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. He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 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?” 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.” 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.
The writer of Hebrews, in verse 23 of Chapter 11, begins the story of Moses. Moses’ story does not actually start with his faith but the faith of his parents. These two people are not superstars of faith, and the reason behind their faith was not as lofty as what we have read before or after. Their son was threatened by the king of Egypt. The Israelites were growing in population even under extreme working conditions as slaves. The king declared that the midwives would kill all the male children by casting them into the Nile. Moses’ mother technically did as directed but made a basket that floated, put Moses in it and strategically floated him in front of where Pharaoh’s daughter bathed. He was picked up by a servant girl, and Moses’ sister recommended that she find a woman to nurse the child, and with the approval of Pharaoh’s daughter she has Moses’ mother nurse him.
1. God responds to faith at all levels.
Hebrews 11:23 “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.”
Moses’ parents were acting in faith because they cherished what God had given them. They saw that the child was beautiful. (Like a fine piece of clothing). Do we cherish the things God has given us enough to act out in faith and not fear? “And they were not afraid of the kings edict.”
Never forget that we cannot anticipate what ramifications faith will have. It always produces more than we expect. The basket positioned Moses to be able to fulfill God’s purpose for his life. What basket are you providing for your children and not fearing the edict of the king? We are in a culture war for our kids, and we must be at the business of making baskets.
2. Purpose or Possessions
Hebrews 11:24 “By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter,”
Exodus 1:11–12 “Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel.”
Moses had everything anyone could ever want. He was living the opposite life of the Israelites. He had time and freedom to walk around and observe the mistreatment of the Hebrew slaves. Moses had wealth, access, power, stability, and ease. In an act of faith, he refuses to identify with what he could possess and instead identifies with his purpose.
Faith may cause you to possess more, but faith ceases when the possessions overshadow God’s purpose (rich young ruler.). When Moses kills the Egyptian, he walks away from the very thing society tells us will satisfy.
3. Hope allows us to embrace suffering and avoid sin.
“Choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible.”
When Moses suffered his pain, he pointed toward Christ’s suffering. When we suffer, we participate with Christ.
1 Peter 4:12–14 “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.”
The church must look at suffering as an integral part of the life of a disciple. How could it be possible for a follower of Christ to live in a fallen world with sin as the driving force behind society’s actions and not experience suffering? The writer of Hebrews specifically says that Moses chose suffering over sin. If the choice was the pleasure of sin or suffering, he would choose the latter.
The church has become light on sin. We equivocate on what is truly right and wrong in order not to upset people.