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.”  
 
Now we are studying about a principle which moved Moses and made him do as he did, which is “faith.”  Moses believed that God was all wise.  Reason and sense might tell him that his line of action was absurd.  He was throwing away useful influence and destroying the chance of benefitting his people by breaking with Pharaoh’s daughter.  But faith told Moses that if God said, “Go this way,” it must be the best.   
 
Moses believed that God was all merciful.  Reason and sense might hint that a more pleasant manner of deliverance might be found, and that some compromise might be effected and many hardships be avoided.  But faith told Moses that God was love and would not give His people one drop of bitterness beyond what was absolutely needed.  Faith was a telescope to Moses.  It made him see the goodly land afar off, rest, peace, victory, when dim-sighted reason could only see trial and barrenness, storm and tempest, weariness and pain. 
 
Faith was an interpreter to Moses.  It made him pick out a comfortable meaning in the dark demands of God’s handwriting, while ignorant sense could see nothing in it all but mystery and foolishness.  Faith told Moses that all this rank and greatness was of the earth, earthly, a poor, vain, empty thing, frail, fleeting, and passing away, and that there was no true greatness like that of serving God.  It was better to be last in heaven that first in hell.   
 
Faith told Moses that worldly pleasures were pleasures of sin.  They were mingled with sin, they led on to sin, they were ruinous to the soul and displeasing to God.  It would be small comfort to have pleasure while God was against him.  Better suffer and obey God than be at ease and sin.  Faith fold Moses that these pleasures after all were only for a season.  They could not last, they were all short-lived, they would weary him soon, and he must leave them all in a few years.   
 
Faith told Moses that there was reward in heaven for the believer far richer than the treasures in Egypt, durable riches, where rust could not corrupt, nor thieves break through and steal.  The crown there would be incorruptible.  The weight of glory would be exceeding and eternal, and faith bade him look away to that if his eyes were dazzled with Egyptian gold.   
 
Faith told Moses that affliction and suffering were not real evils.  They were the school of God, in which He trains the children of grace for glory.  The medicines which are needful to purify our corrupt wills, the furnace which must burn away our dross, and the knife which must cut loose the ties that bind us to the world.  Faith fold Moses that this despised people were the people of God, that to them belonged to the adoption and covenant and promises, and the glory, that of them the seed of the woman was one day to be born, who should bruise the serpent’s head, that the special blessing of God was upon them, that they were lovely and beautiful in his eyes, and that it was better to be a door-keeper among the people of God that to reign in the palaces of wickedness.   
 
Faith fold Moses that all the reproach and scorn poured out on him was the reproach of Christ, that it was honourable to be mocked and despised for Christ’s sake, that whoso persecuted Christ’s people was persecuting Christ Himself, and that the day must come when His enemies would bow before Him and lick the dust.  We must not forget that Moses saw by faith.  There are things he believed, and believing did what he did.  He was persuaded of them and embraced them.  He reckoned them as certainties, he regarded them as substantial verities, he counted them as sure as if he had seen them with his eyes, he acted on them as realities, and this made him the man that he was.  He looked far forward.  He saw with the eye of faith kingdoms crumbling into dust, riches making to themselves wings and fleeing away, pleasures leading on to death and judgment, and Christ only and His little flock enduring for ever.   
 
By faith, he beheld things below the surface.  He saw with the eye of faith affliction lasting but for a moment, reproach rolled away, ending in everlasting honour, and the despised people of God reigning as kings with Christ in glory.  Was he not right?  Does he not speak to us, though dead, this very day?  The name of Pharaoh’s daughter has perished, the city where Pharaoh reigned is not known.  The treasures in Egypt are gone, but the name of Moses is known wherever the Bible is read.   
 
Then, now let me wind up all by trying to set some practical lessons from Moses’ choice by faith.  What has all this to do with us?  We may find four lessons at least. 
 
The first lesson is, “if ever we would be saved, we must make the choice that Moses made, we must prefer God before the world.”  There is a worldly kind of Christianity in this day, a cheap Christianity which offends nobody, requires no sacrifice, which costs nothing, and is worth nothing.  We must choose who we will serve.   
 
The second lesson is, “nothing will ever enable us to choose God before the world except faith.”  Knowledge will not, feeling will not, a regular use of outward forms will not, or good companions will not.  A religion that is to stand must have a living foundation, and there is none other but faith.   
 
The third lesson is, “the true reason why so many are worldly and ungodly persons is that they have no faith.”  A faith that does not influence a man’s practice is not worthy of the name.  The true Christian believes and therefore lives as he does.  The mere professor does not believe and therefore is what he is.   
 
The fourth lesson is, “the true secret of doing great things for God is to have great faith.”  In walking with God, a man will go just as far as he believes and no further.  His life will always be proportioned to his faith.  His peace, his patience, his courage, his zeal, and his works, all will be according to his faith.  Thus, shall we, like Moses, make it clear as noonday that we have chosen God before the world?  Faith is the root of a real Christian’s character.   
 
Lovingly, 
Your Pastor 

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