Monday, March 14, 2016

Hall of Faith Inductee #5: Moses Hebrews 11:23-29

For as long as sin has been in the world, there has been idolatry. C.S. Lewis correctly acknowledges that our hearts, fallen as they are, are idol factories, for, we cannot help but worship something in our lives. Though in our culture idols may not take the form of a statue or third party personality like they once did, worship of the self, political success, money, influence, one’s family, pleasure, and the like are just as false and harmful. Thankfully, God in the person of Jesus Christ has given us every reason to choose Him over all others. However, before we reflect on the person of Christ in a special way this Palm Sunday morning, let’s take a close look at one epic battle that between two gods that illustrates the superiority of the Lord in no uncertain terms. In this story, a Pharaoh claims to be God on earth and the absolute ruler of the world. Under his reign he gives evidence of his power and influence by constructing an empire filled with lush palaces and incredible architectural feats. Not only that, but his authority over his subjects and slaves is absolute. He is no doubt an intimidating figure on the world’s stage, and yet, one person, with faith in the one true God, challenges the status quo, and leads the oppressed in victory. Let’s take a look at five accomplishments of faith found in this familiar story as it is retold in Hebrews 11:23-29 and learn how this Old Testament epic provides a glimpse of a much greater victory over a much larger foe.

Faith Saves a Baby-11:23

The next exhibition in the hall of faith celebrates what God accomplished through the life of Moses. Five accomplishments of faith in his story are identified in this short passage that successfully summarize Moses’ life from birth to the Red Sea. The first accomplishment of faith in the life of Moses came during a troubling time for the Hebrew slaves.

Exodus 1:15-22-“Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was names Shiphrah and the other was named Puah; and he said, ‘When you are helping the Hebrew women to give birth and see them upon the birthstool, if it is a son, then you shall put him to death; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.’ But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them, but let the boys live. So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, ‘Why have you done this thing, and let the boys live?’ the midwives said to Pharaoh, ‘Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife can get to them.’ So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied, and became very mighty. Because the midwives feared God, He established households for them. Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, ‘Every son who is born you are to cast into the Nile, and every daughter you are to keep alive.”

For this reason, “Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three month by his parents” (11:23a). Risking life and limb, the parents of young Moses accomplished the task of hiding a baby boy for an extended period of time. 

Though the reasons for hiding this child may seem obvious, the text goes on to say that Moses’ parents did this “because they saw he was a beautiful child;” (11:23b). There was, according to this verse, something special about this young boy—something that goes well beyond looks. The only other time this word beautiful is used in the New Testament is in Acts 7:20 where it says that Moses was “beautiful before God.” It would seem that Moses’ parents had the spiritual acumen to discern Moses’ potential and were, because of this observation, motivated to protect him.

The text makes it plain that this motivating factor reigned supreme over and above any fear of the king’s edict, “and they were not afraid of the king’s edict” (11:23b). Therefore, the expected answer to the question “why did Moses’ Parents keep him hidden?” is not the correct answer. They hid him away from the king so that God might have his way in this special boy’s life. This family feared God more than any king or law and for this reason, Moses’ life was spared.

Who/what one fears most reveals a lot about one’s faith even to this day!

Faith Embraces a Heritage-11:24-26

After this three month span, Moses’ family sent him down river.

Exodus 2:3-10-“but when she could hide him no longer, she got him a wicker basket and covered it over with tar and pitch. Then she put the child into it and set it among the reeds by the bank of the Nile. HIs sister stood at a distance to find out what would happen to him. The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the Nile, with her maidens walking alongside the Nile; and she saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid, and she brought it to her. When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the boy was crying. And she had 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 a nurse for you from the Hebrew women that she may nurse the child for you?’ Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, ‘God ahead.’ So the girl went and called the child’s mother. Then 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. The child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. And she named him Moses, and said, ‘Because I drew him out of the water.’”

Not only did faith in God protect Moses at birth, it landed Moses in the palace where he grew up as a prince of Egypt. With the trappings of an Egyptian aristocrat, every comfort afforded him, and an education fit for a king, Moses was raised unlike any other Hebrew slave in his day.

However, “by faith, Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasure of sin…”(11:24)

Ultimately, Moses chose to identify with God’s people rather than with the godless. In spite of the luxury and affluence he grew up knowing, he instead identified with the slaves, why? Because though the slaves had no freedom, riches, or opportunities, they had one thing the Egyptians didn’t have—the one true God. This is what motivated Moses out of the palace and into the muck and mire. This is what led Moses to trade an audience of palace officials for an oppressed people.

The preacher in Hebrews reflects on Moses’ choice and connects it to another, far greater messiah figure--Jesus Christ, “considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward” (11:26). Both Moses and Christ experienced the same kind of reproach given the choices that each of them made. Both men stood on the side of God, proclaiming His truth and standing with His people against all kinds of oppressors. This, both did at great personal cost, giving up lofty positions (Moses: a prince, Jesus: the glory of heaven), and inviting intense mistreatment (Moses: at the hands of Pharaoh, Jesus: on the cross).

However, what is also true about each of these men is that they had their eyes firmly fixed on the future reward, “for he was looking to the reward” (11:26). “Looking” in the original language means “to keep thinking about, without having one’s attention distracted” (Louw Nida). The context in both Moses and Christ’s situation involves fixing one’s attention on something intently. Moses sought the reward of the Promised Land, not present pleasure. Jesus sought the glory of God and the salvation of mankind, not growing popularity.

In the first accomplishment of faith we learned that faith fears God over everything/everyone else, no matter how intimidating. Here we learn that faith chooses what is right, even when it is uncomfortable. How is this possible in our world that hails selfishness and personal preference? By doing what both Moses and Jesus did: by having a greater fascination with the reward to come than the pleasures of this world.

Faith Takes a Walk-11:27

The preacher next reveals that “by faith [Moses] left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen” (11:27). Though, as the story in Exodus reveals, part of the motivation in leaving Egypt stemmed from embarrassment and other negative implications surrounding Moses’ killing of the Egyptian who was abusing a slave, this verse in Hebrews reveals the positive motivations surrounding his decision to flee: Moses was following what was unseen instead of what was seen.

Hebrews 11:1-“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

Consider how difficult this must have been for Moses to leave Egypt. Few cultures were more visually stimulating, intimidating, and image-rich than Ancient Egypt. Everything from colorful hieroglyphics tattooed on the palace walls to the opulent quarters that Moses, no doubt occupied constantly surrounded this young man, inundating him with appearance of power and influence. If these images were not enough, the statues that decorated the city, massive pyramids, and scale of other construction projects echoed these intimidating overtures. However, on an even more intimate level, Moses must have known that, given his status, this killing of the Egyptians was of no legal consequence to him. Surely he could see his way out of his problem in Egypt. However, regardless of the beauty, power, and safety that surrounded him, Moses endured in his journey away from Egypt by focusing on what he could not see—the one true God.  

So far we’ve learned in Moses’ life that faith fears God over everything/everyone else, no matter how intimidating. We also learned that faith chooses what is right, even when it is uncomfortable by having a greater fascination with the reward to come than the pleasures of this world. Here, it is abundantly clear that faith is convicted and thereby compelled by what is unseen over what is seen.

Faith Obeys Orders-11:28

Next, the preacher makes a comment on how Moses obeyed peculiar orders, “by faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood” (11:28).

Exodus 12:3ff-“…’On the tenth of this month they are each one to take a lamb for themselves, according to their father’s households,…Your lamb shall be an unblemished male a year old;…then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel is to kill it at twilight. Moreover, they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses in which they eat it,…For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt…the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.”

Blood on doorposts? Angel of death? I imagine that as the Hebrew slaves went through these motions, many wondered what they were doing. However, under Moses’ leadership, they did it in faith!

Why? “So that he who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them,…” (11:28).

I cannot leave this verse without commenting on how divinely appointed it is for us to be journeying through this passage on Palm Sunday of all Sundays. On this day nearly 2000 years ago a man from Nazareth called the “Lamb of God” was brought into Jerusalem after living an unblemished life. Hailed as a king and ushered in on a donkey, he was quickly rejected by the masses as the week progressed. There, on Thursday night, in an upper room, Jesus lead his disciples in celebrating the Passover feast—a festival commemorating what Moses is said to have done in this passage and in Exodus. In so doing, Jesus foreshadowed His own death as the spotless lamb, sacrificed in an effort to cover those who, in faith, follow Him. For these, the judgment of God is no concern. Instead, death passes these over because of Jesus’ spilled blood over the doorposts of their lives.

As demonstrated with Moses and his people, faith not only fears God over everything/everyone else, chooses what is right, even when it is uncomfortable, and is compelled by what is unseen over what is seen, faith also obeys the Lord.

Faith Follows the Lord-11:29

Those spared by this last plague because of their obedience to God were eventually allowed passage out of Egypt under Moses’ leadership and in faith, began their journey to the Promised Land. They were free—free, that is, except for one more obstacle—the Red Sea. Approaching this large body of water was one thing. However, what made things precarious was that Pharaoh had changed his mind about letting God’s people go and was now pursuing them from behind. People were now crying out against Moses saying, “Why have you dealt with us in this way…it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die” (Gen. 14:11-12).

However, in faith, Moses says to them, “do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today” (Gen. 14:13). Soon after, “Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night and turned the sea into dry land” (Gen. 14:21). This is what the preacher in Hebrews references when he says, “by faith, they passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land” (11:29a). Here, the faith of Moses and the people of God followed the Lord to victory. When they went into the sea they were slaves on the run. When they came out of the sea, they were free—all because they followed the Lord in Faith.

By contrast, “the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned” (11:29b). Why? Practically, these threatened the livelihood of God’s people. However, more fundamentally, these did not follow the Lord as their faith was in other Gods. They believed in Gods with statues, clever names, and followed a Pharaoh who, for them, was their version of God on earth! This landed them in the bottom of the sea.

So What?

Moses’ story reveals that faith not only fears God over everything/everyone else, chooses what is right, even when it is uncomfortable, is compelled by what is unseen over what is seen, obeys the Lord, and follows Him wherever he leads. Such faith is able to stand up to the powers of this world, no matter how intimidating, and ultimately escape their unyielding grip. In faith, Moses was a savior for his people, and yet, he is a foreshadowing of a far greater hero—Jesus Christ. Like Moses, Jesus left a glorious place to serve God. Like Moses, Jesus was obedient to God, even when it was uncomfortable. Like Moses, Jesus faced an intimidating enemy and won! Because Jesus won over sin and death, the greatest and most existential enemy of humanity, through his sacrifice and resurrection, He is deserving of our worship and our faith over all potential idols. He is superior to all other objects of worship! What other deity humiliated Himself on your behalf? What other monarch was willing to die for you? What other ruler is still left standing—no matter what the opposition? Because Jesus is so great, we can place our faith in Him as we face the pharaohs of this world today—and ultimately, in the end, win!


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