Hebrews 11:24-26, “By faith Moses, when he was come to years, 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 pleasures of sin for a season; 26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.”

In the previous article, we thought of the first point about Moses’ faith choice that “Moses gave up and refused some things.” He refused rank, pleasure, riches, all three at once. Now,

Second, instead Moses chose some things. His choice was as wonderful as his refusal. He chose three things for his soul’s sake. The road to salvation led through them, and he followed it. In so doing, he chose three of the last things that man is every disposed to take up.

(1) He chose suffering and affliction. He left the ease and comfort of Pharaoh’s court and openly took part with the children of Israel. They were enslaved and persecuted, objects of distrust, suspicion, and hatred. To man’s eye, there seemed no chance of their deliverance from bondage without a long and doubtful struggle. A settled home and country for them must have appeared a thing never likely to be obtained, however much desired. If ever man seemed to choose pain, trials, poverty, want, distress, anxiety, perhaps even death, with his eyes open, Moses was that man.

Man naturally shrinks from pain. It is in us all to do so. We draw back by a kind of instinct from suffering and avoid it if we can. If two courses of action are set before us, which both seem right, we always take that which is the least disagreeable to flesh and blood. We spend our days in fear and anxiety, when we think affliction is coming near us and use every means to escape it. And when it does come, we often fret and murmur under the burden of it. If we can but bear it patiently, we count it a great matter indeed. Moses was a man of like passion with us, and he actually chose affliction!

(2) He chose the company of a despised people. He left the society of the great and wise, among whom he had been brought up and joined himself to the children of Israel. He who had lived from infancy in the midst of the rank and riches and luxury came down from his high estate and cast in his lot with poor men, slaves, bondservants, oppressed, destitute, afflicted, tormented labourers in the brick-kiln. It is amazing that Moses chooses it.

Generally speaking, we think it enough to carry our own troubles. We may be sorry for others whose lot is to be mean and despised, we may even try to help them, we may give money to raise them, we may speak for them to those on whom they depend, but here we generally stop. Moses does more than that. He not merely feels for despised Israel but actually goes down to them, adds himself to their society, and lives with them altogether. We would wonder if any one of the Hopefuls goes to live on a small allowance in some dirty and poverty-stricken town somewhere in Africa. Even if we may have such a person in our midst, this would convey a very faint and feeble notion of the kind of thing that Moses did. He saw a despised people, and he chose their company in preference to that of the noblest in the land. He became one of them, their fellow, their associate, and their friend.

(3) He chose reproach and scorn. Who can conceive the torrent of mockery and ridicule that Moses would have to stem, in turning away from Pharaoh’s court to join Israel. People would tell him that he was mad, foolish, weak, silly, or out of his mind. He would lose his influence. He would forfeit the favour and good opinion of all among whom he had lived. Many a man who would march up to a cannon’s mouth, lead to a forlorn hope, storm a breach, has found it impossible to face the mockery of a few companions and has flinched from the path of duty to avoid it. Yet, here is a man who made up his mind to it and did not shrink from the trial. Moses saw reproach and scorn before him, and he chose them and accepted them for his portion.

Set down beside all this, that Moses was no weak, ignorant, illiterate person, who did not know what he was about. He was a “learned” man. He was “mighty in words and in deeds,” and yet he chose as he did. Judge whether it is not true that his choice was as wonderful as his refusal.

So far, we have considered Moses’ choice by faith (1) Moses gave up and refused some things, and (2) Moses chose some things, and now the third point is:

Third, there was a principle which moved Moses and made him do as he did. How can his choices be accounted for? What possible reason can be given for it? To refuse that which is generally called good, to choose that which is commonly thought an evil, this is not the way of flesh and blood, this is not the manner of man, this requires some explanation. What will that explanation be?

In fact, we find the answer from the text we read in the beginning (Hebrews 11:24-26). It is in one little word, and that word is “faith.” Moses had faith. Faith was the mainspring of his wonderful conduct. Faith made him do as he did, choose what he chose and refuse what he refused. He did it all because he believed.

God set before Moses’ eyes of his mind His divine will and purpose. God revealed to him that a Saviour was to be born of the stock of Israel, that mighty promises were bound up in these children of Abraham and yet to be fulfilled, and that the time for fulfilling a portion of these promises was at hand, and Moses put credit in this and believed. Every step in his wonderful career, every action in his journey through life, after leaving Pharaoh’s court, his choice of seeming evil, his refusal of seeming good, all must be traced up to this fountain, all will be found to rest on this foundation, God had spoken to him, and he had faith in God’s Word.

Moses believed that God would keep His promises. That what He had said, He would surely do. What He had covenanted, He would surely perform. Moses believed that with God nothing was impossible. Reason and sense might say that the deliverance of Israel was out of question. But faith told Moses that God was all-sufficient.

Lovingly,
Your Pastor

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