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MOSES’ DECISION OF FAITH

"By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time.” He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward."

According to Hebrews 11:6, by faith we please God. By faith we come to God, we walk with God and we seek God’s reward earnestly. All the people mentioned in Hebrews Chapter 11 (Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph) are common in this. Today’s passage is about Moses. In the Bible, Moses’ position is rock solid. He is the law-giver. He is a deliverer and savior from slavery for the people of Israel. His life points to the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Among all the people mentioned in Hebrew 11, Moses is the only one who is explicitly connected to Christ. Today, let’s think about Moses and his life—his parents, himself, and the people of Israel.

First, “By faith Moses’ parents hid Moses…” (23) After Joseph’s death, about 400 years passed, and the children of Jacob settled in the land of Goshen and lived as shepherds in Egypt. They maintained their unique lifestyle and faith in God. Exodus 1:6-8 says, “Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died, but the Israelites were fruitful and multiplied greatly and became exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them. Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt.” People come and go but history continues. After 400 years the people of Israel (Jacob started with 70 of his family members) became a nation of millions of people. In fear, the king of Pharaoh adopted the depopulation policy. He made all the Israelites subject to hard labor. As the people multiplied more, he then ordered that all the male Israeli babies be thrown into the Nile River.

Look at verse 24: “By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.” Moses’ parents chose to defy the king’s edict because they saw that Moses was no ordinary child. Moses’ parents feared God more than the king of Egypt. By faith Moses’ parents hid the baby Moses for three months. Then, they decided to entrust him to God’s hand.

Look at Exodus 2:3-10. “But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him. Then Pharaoh's daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the river bank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her slave girl to get it. She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. ‘This is one of the Hebrew babies,’ she said. Then his sister asked Pharaoh's daughter, ‘Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?’ ‘Yes, go,’ she answered. And the girl went and got the baby's mother. Pharaoh's daughter said to her, ‘Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you.’ So the woman took the baby and nursed him.” In this way, Moses became a son of Pharaoh’s daughter and yet his mother nursed him. Certainly, Moses had many opportunities growing up as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He could have become a man of power, great wealth and honor and pleasures. He had the best elite education necessary to become a man of influence, and he was trained as a ruler over the people of Egypt. What could his real mother do for Moses? She prayed for him. She prepared him for the moment of decision.

Here, we see the power of parents’ faith. Many parents wonder how powerful their influence should be. However, the faith of parents is more powerful than all the power and glory of Egypt. The power of praying parents has more impact on their sons and daughters than all the worldly influences combined. Parents’ faith influences their children’s major decisions. Ultimately, sons and daughters are influenced not by the power of the world but by the faith of their parents. That’s why Christian parents must all the more live by faith while their children are with them and even more when their children are no longer with them.

Second, “By faith Moses, when he had grown up…” (24-27) Look at verses 24 and 25: “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time.” These two verses explain the meaning of “growing up.” Our Lord Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. (Lk 2:52) Young men and women need to grow up. What does it mean to grow up? Notice when Moses made this decision of faith. Moses was forty years old at that time. It was when one third of his life was over. In today’s terms it was just before or after college graduation. At that time young people make major decisions in regard to the direction of their lives. Moses saw how the people of Israel were suffering under the cruel treatment of the Egyptians. Out of his deep sympathy, he defended the helpless. In the course of doing so, he killed an Egyptian. Later, he tried to help his own people, but they said, “Who made you a ruler over us?” Moses’ decision did not result in immediate acceptance and success. Instead, what was awaiting him was misunderstanding and sufferings. Even so, Moses made a decision to live as a Hebrew, not as an Egyptian. He chose to suffer with his people.

To grow up means to clarify one’s identity and choose the kind of people to be with. To grow up means to have a clear sense of identity with the people whom one has decided to serve. Moses had to answer this question, “Who am I? What am I supposed to do with this life?” Moses certainly considered his personal values–whether it was more important to stay in the palace as an Egyptian ruler, or to become identified with the children of Israel and with their God. One path was to remain as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter and live for the glory of the world. Moses rejected this path, because he found spiritual direction in serving God and God’s people. 

Verse 26 tells about Moses’ spiritual priorities. “He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.” It is unclear whether Moses really knew Christ. This is the interpretation of the author of the book of Hebrews. Throughout his life Moses ultimately regarded all disgrace for God. It was the deliverance of his people and beyond. It was for the sake of Christ. He regarded disgrace and suffering for Christ as of greater value than all the treasures of Egypt.

Young people face similar moments of decision as they grow up. It is about who they are and whom they will share their life with. One young man had to choose between a life of pleasures with his girlfriend and a life of growing up as a man of faith. He chose to grow up as a man of God. Such a decision is not just once and for all. Rather, such decisions require perseverance. Decision with perseverance makes history. Over the years I have seen numerous people. Many would like to live a meaningful life. However, small pleasures of this world knock them out. On the other hand, more people choose the right paths—the narrow path for Christ and his kingdom. They make clear decisions on what to do with their marriage and career. They make their decision to live as men or women of God first. For this they “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness” and thus receive all these things as God’s gifts and his rewards. (Mt 6:33) Upon graduation from college many receive a life of mission training for one to two years. Such time of spiritual formation is most fruitful in the long run for strength to persevere in life. 

Verse 27 says, “By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.” This is about Moses’ departure from Egypt. Moses left Egypt twice. The first time was toward the Midian wilderness for an escape. The second one was the Exodus toward the Promised Land. According to the book of Exodus, Moses’ initial departure from Egypt was for his survival after his initial decision to live as a Hebrew. In the Midian wilderness he became a forgotten man. He spent his second forty year period as a nameless shepherd in the wilderness. When he was eighty years old God called him for the task of delivering his people from slavery.

From verse 27 we see that Moses “persevered because he saw him who is invisible.” This is about Moses’ entire life. Moses was a man of perseverance. Perseverance is about staying on the right course. Stubbornness is about staying in the wrong course. The people of Israel were known for their stubbornness while their leader Moses became known for his perseverance. What did Moses persevere about? He persevered to deliver the message of God’s judgment to the king of Egypt ten times─ten messages and ten plagues! He saw the process of intensifying God’s judgment. Moses also preserved after the departure of Egypt. On the way to the Promised Land, too often his people wanted to go back to the land of slavery. They complained and challenged, opposed, rebelled, disobeyed, and rejected him. But Moses did not give up. Moses persevered because he came to God. He walked with God. He earnestly sought God’s reward. A real mark of a grown up man or woman is to the ability of making a decision of faith that perseveres.

Third, “By faith the people passed through the Red Sea.” (28-29) Verses 28-29 tell us about some important work Moses did with his people. The children of Israel had lived in slavery for many years. They had no hope as a people, yet Moses led them out of Egypt. Moses planted faith in God in the children of Israel. Before their departure, Moses and the people of Israel kept the Passover. In Exodus 12:21-28, we read: “Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, "Go at once and select the animals for your families and slaughter the Passover lamb. Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood on the top and on both sides of the doorframe. Not one of you shall go out the door of his house until morning. When the LORD goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down. Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance for you and your descendants…And when your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ then tell them, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.’ Then the people bowed down and worshiped. The Israelites did just what the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron.”

The Passover lamb represents God’s judgment, and also God’s salvation. In order for the Israelites to leave Egypt, they had to keep the Passover. For the Israelites, the sprinkling of the blood on the doorway represented God’s forgiveness for their sins, permitted their escape from God’s judgment, and established their identity as God’s chosen people. Moreover, when the Israelites obeyed Moses’ commands, God spared their homes. Through the Passover, they depended on God for their deliverance. The Passover was a defining moment for Moses and the people of Israel.

Moses and his people acted just like one man when they faced the Red Sea with the pursuing army of Egyptians behind. The children of Israel obeyed God. Exodus 14: 21-23 reads: “Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh's horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea.” Then from verses 27 and 28 we read: “Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and the LORD swept them into the sea. The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen─the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived.” When the Israelites crossed the Red Sea, they left behind their lives as slaves in Egypt and chose a new life forever. They were no longer slaves–they had listened to Moses, and made their own choice to belong to God. No matter what was ahead, Moses and the children of Israel would no longer return to their old life of slavery but live as God’s chosen people.

In conclusion, by faith Moses’ parents saved Moses’ life. By faith Moses made a decision of faith. By faith Moses received God’s calling when he was eighty years old and two thirds of his life was already over. By faith he gave his last one third of his life for God and God’s people. By faith Moses and his people crossed the Red Sea and moved toward the Promised Land.

January 24, 2010; Dr. Paul Hong; Toledo, UBF

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. NIV®;. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.
Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.