By Faith Moses
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Introduction
Introduction
His name is mentioned over 800 times in the Bible. He was abandoned by his parents who felt they could save his life by placing him in a water proof basket on the river. He was found and adopted by the daughter of the Egyptian Pharoah. She drew him out of the water and gave him his name. He stuttered, he was not comfortable to speak in front of others. He was a murderer and tried to conceal his sin. He fled and was a fugitive on the run. Yet, he became a historian, an orator, a statesman, a legislator, and a patriot. His very name, Moses, means “he was drawn out of water.”
He lived to be 120 years old. the first forty years he learned to be somebody. The second 40 years, he learned to be nobody. His last 40 years, he learned that God was everybody, the One that he could speak face to face as a man speaks to his friends.
Moses had a beautiful faith. Our study of helps us see that a bit clearer.
Hebrews 11:23-2
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.
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. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.
By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.
There are 6 distinct areas of faith that we can see associated with Moses. First let’s look at
A Faith that is Courageous
A Faith that is Courageous
We see courage that was exemplified all throughout Moses’ life but we first see it in the actions of his parents. The Pharaoh did not like Hebrew boys being born. He was fearful of the Israelites growing and rising up against the Egyptians.
Exodus 2:
Now a man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. 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.
Every mother that has given birth thinks that her child is a fine child, a beautiful child. This Levite woman, being no different, thought her child was exceptionally beautiful and she felt he was a very special baby. She courageously disobeys the pharaoh’s order and prepares a safe haven and hopes that it would save his life. This was a phenomenal act of courage on her part. She could have been punished and even perhaps killed for her disobedience, yet she actually, the way I understand scripture, she became the one that pharaoh’s daughter paid to nurse and take care of him. That is a faith that is courageous.
What is God calling you to do that you have to be courageous about right now? God has called you and I to a courageous faith.
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Deuteronomy 31:6
A courageous faith also is a faith that conquers fear.
A Faith that Conquers Fear
A Faith that Conquers Fear
What would you do for your child? The Bible says that Moses’ parents were not afraid of the king’s edict.
There are many things that prevent us from doing things but nothing more than fear. We get stopped dead in our tracks because of fear.
You have heard me say that “fear no”t or “be not afraid” is mentioned at least 365 times in the Bible.
I will not fear the tens of thousands
drawn up against me on every side.
Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then will I be confident.
Psalm
Remember the acrostic for FEAR?
False
Evidence
Appearing
Real
When you have a faith in the One that created all things and holds all things, fear can be conquered.
What is the absolute worst thing that could happen to any of us?
I understand what Paul meant when he said the the Philippians
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
If I die, I am with Jesus. If I live, I am with Jesus. When I have that kind of a faith, I understand that my faith conquers fears just like it did for Moses’ parents.
So have a faith that is courageous, a faith that conquers fear, and a faith that chooses family.
A Faith that Chooses Family
A Faith that Chooses Family
Moses refused to be categorized with a group of people that were not his own. He knew that his true family was not the established Egyptians, but the homely Hebrews. He not only refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, he chose to be treated the same as the mistreated Hebrews.
Bob Goff is a Christ Follower and a lawyer. He serves as the honorary consul for the Republic of Uganda to the United States. In his book, Everybody Always, he tells of the problem of witch doctors in that country and how they sacrifice children. Until Bob Goff got involved, the judicial system of Uganda would not prosecute the witch doctors because of the fear they imposed on the country. Bob Goff says that he used his position of influence to stop their horrible crimes because of the courage of one boy to testify against one of the witch doctors named Kabi. They were able to put Kabi in jail and Bob Goff gloated in that achievement. Through a long process, Bob Goff realized that he needed visit Kabi in the maximum security prison and to build a relationship with this convicted witch doctor. Goff tells how Kabi asked for forgiveness and eventually accepted Jesus as His personal Lord and Savior. They grew as brothers in Christ and Goff was able to disciple him and teach him about the love of Christ.
Moses used his influence to help right that which was wrong and begin the process of setting his people free. He could have said, “you know, I want the wealth and the riches this prestige and power can give me.” However, he chose to help his family. You and I can have a faith that chooses family.
Who is your family?
I missed a family reunion a few weeks ago because of a another family event conflicted with the family reunion. I sent one of my cousins who was helping organize the reunion a message that said we have a conflict and can’t be there for the reunion, can we still be part of the family? She replied jokingly, “yes you can still be part of the family but you have to fill out a visitor’s card!”
I am thankful to be part of that family, just as I am, without having to fill out visitor’s card or any other credential. Sometimes we need to be willing to let others into our family without having to jump through a hoop or something else.
I am convinced that you and I need to be adding to our family every day. We need to become a voice that shares Christ with every person we come in contact with and invite them to become a member of our family. When we start loving others the way that Jesus loves us, we will always be inviting those to the table that need that warm fellowship.
I am also convinced that when we don’t choose to invite others into the family of God, we are enjoying the pleasures of selfishness. Why would I keep what God has done for me to myself? When I realize that my family is all mankind, I will have a faith that fights for social justice. I will demonstrate that faith helps choose our family.
According to verse 26, Moses “regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as greater than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.” One might ask, “How could Moses know about the sake of Christ when he was from the Old Testament and Jesus from the New Testament?
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
I and the Father are one.”
After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
Matthew 17:1-3
Moses intimately knew God so he intimately knew Jesus!
This intimacy helped Moses to have a faith that creates focus.
Faith Creates our Focus
Faith Creates our Focus
I am convinced that God calls us to do His will in our everyday lives through our vocation and our daily actions.
By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.
Moses had a faith that was focused on knowing and experiencing God. When you and I keep our spiritual eyes and thoughts on the things of God we will have a focused faith.
I meditate on your precepts
and consider your ways.
There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land.
Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.
Moses focused on the things of God and in doing so, his faith became one that was also focused. He had intention and attention on what he was called to carry out. He recognized that his reward was something worthy to attain.
But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.”
You can be busy for the Lord or you can do work for the Lord. We need more people to do work for the Lord instead of being busy for the Lord. What kind of work are you doing for the Lord? Is what you are doing making a difference in building the Kingdom or is it just busy work?
Moses was focused. Moses wanted to be and do.
When you are about doing work for the Lord with a faith that is focused, you will develop a faith that comprises to our foundation.
A Faith that Comprises to our Foundation
A Faith that Comprises to our Foundation
Hebrews 11:28
By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.
Why did Moses do this?
We learn in that God
Now the Lord had said to Moses, “I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. After that, he will let you go from here, and when he does, he will drive you out completely.
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.
The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt,
Exodus 12:1
Exodus 12:
So the Lord initiated this plague on the firstborn. Moses was instructed to take lamb’s blood and put it on the door posts and door frames so that the destroyer would not enter into the household and take the first born. Had Moses not had that foundation in trusting and experiencing God, many of the Hebrews would not have been saved. But Moses had a faith that was comprised of the foundation of the solid rock. What is your foundation comprised of? Are you building your house on the solid rock?
Matthew 7:24-
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
When you have the foundation of the solid rock, you can practice the sixth distinct area of faith that Moses had:
A Faith that Crushes our Foes
A Faith that Crushes our Foes
Hebrews 11:
By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.
Perhaps you grew up watching the 1956 movie, The Ten Commandments. Charlton Heston was Moses. Yul Brynner was the Pharaoh. The most vivid scene of that movie was the depiction of the crossing of the Red Sea. There have been many attempts over the years to say that really didn’t happen. That it was an unusual tide and the crossing was just a shallow part of the Red Sea. However, there is very credible evidence of the remains of chariots and chariot wheels that have been discovered at the bottom of the Red Sea. A scientific study in 2010 showed that it was scientifically plausible for the wind to blow in such a way to create a tunnel with an exposed sea bed that one could walk across.
When I read this, I confess I smirked and said “duh!” Moses had a faith that God would deliver his people. God is very capable of parting any sea if He so chooses and capable of crushing any foe that comes after His people.
What is the Red Sea in your life right now and what or who are the Egyptians that in pursuit of you? Perhaps you feel like the psalmist who wrote these words in Psalm 13:
How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and every day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?
Look on me and answer, O Lord my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;
my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
I will sing to the Lord,
for he has been good to me.
Psalm 13:1-6
Perhaps you have come to a place where you don’t think you can cross. Perhaps you feel your enemy is closing in and in hot pursuit. Keep trusting in God’s unfailing love. Rejoice in the salvation He can give you. Sing to Him for He has been good to you.