“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.” Hebrews 11:24-25
November 15, 2023
Walking down the hall of faith we come to Moses. How did he make the list of faith heroes? Because faith chooses to sacrifice rather than to compromise. We hear that so and so is a “person of faith.” That really doesn’t tell us much. Faith in what, in whom? Moses was from the tribe of Levi and at the same time was well acquainted with the world and life view of the Egyptians. He refused to capitalize on his position in Pharaoh’s family when he reached mature years. This Jewish man demonstrated extraordinary spiritual courage by walking away from privilege and power to endure the same stigma as did the ultimate Jewish man, Jesus the Messiah. Vance Havner got it right: “Moses chose the imperishable, saw the invisible, and did the impossible.” Moses turned his back on Egyptian culture and chose identification with God’s people. This exhibited his faith that the Israelites were not just slaves of Pharaoh, but were a people whose destiny was appointed by God. “The pleasures of sin “ would have included the choice to pursue position, prestige, power, wealth, and freedom from a range of problems. This is the place to pause and reflect on what following Jesus Christ is costing us. Am I worshiping at the shrine of my perceived identity? We are faced with the choice that Moses had to make. Do I know what those choices are?
H
“Search me, O God, and know my heart.” Is the satisfaction of my desires the doorway to freedom and contentment? Is self-acceptance at the core of Christian contentment?