By Faith, Moses
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By Faith, Moses
Hebrews 11:24-26
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 fleeting pleasures of sin. 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.
The central theme of this chapter in the letter to the Hebrews is faith and the writer drives home the point that it is only by faith that we can ever live in fellowship with God and live for God. Faith gives us the assurance of things we hope for, and hope, for a Christian, is not a wistful longing; hope is looking forward with absolute certainty, being absolutely certain that what you believe is true and what you expect will come. It is a hope which is founded on conviction. In these days of uncertainty and fear, when common words are “I think”, or “perhaps’ or “if”, the Christian can say “I know”. When all around is changing and people don’t know which way to turn, the Christian can echo the words of Job that we know so well.
Chapter 19: 25-27
I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!
The Christian hope is belief in God, not in the world. The Christian says, “it is better to suffer with God than prosper with the world. The Christian hope is belief in the future, not a belief that all we have to live for is the present. The unbeliever says, “why should I refuse to take what I can from the present because I don’t know what the future holds.” The chistian will answer that the future is not uncertain. We may not know what the future holds, but we know who holds the future. The future belongs to God. The Christian believes that God’s promises are true and acts on that belief. That’s what faith is.
The writer to the Hebrews goes on to say that it was living by that principle that people of ancient times won God’s approval.
This is what the ancients were commended for
What follows from verse 4 is a roll call of great heroes of faith - a great cloud of witnesses. They all refused the greatness of what the world calls a career, refused the safety of what the world calls a safe decision and staked everything on God — and history proved them right.
In this roll call is Moses, the man with whom God spoke ‘face to face.’
Numbers 12:8
With him I speak face to face,
When we read about such Bible characters as Moses, it’s not surprising that we feel very small and insignificant. It’s not that we don’t believe that they were ordinary men and women, who needed to eat and drink just as you or I, but somehow they seem superhuman — somehow special, whereas I am nobody special. And if they are special, then how can I compare my nobody special life with theirs and learn from them? And why has God given us a whole list of special heroes the we individuals cannot hopet o be like?
The truth is, of course, that what made them special was nothing in themselves, but their faith in God. It is easy to think that God only uses mighty men. Do you remember Cornelius, who invited Peter to his house?
Acts Chapter 10: 25-26
As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.”
In Lystra barnabas and Paul had to retrain the crowds from offering sacrifices to them.
Acts 14: 11-18
When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them.But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: “Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them. In the past, he let all nations go their own way. Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.” Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them.
It is interesting to note that it wasn’t long before the crowd turned against them and Paul was stoned, dragged out of the city and left for dead.
So as we look at Moses let us keep in mind that he was a man, flesh and blood, faced with temptations, desires, longings, hopes.
Moses had everything going for him — destined, it seemed, to become a prince in Egypt, that great civilisation. And yet Moses was the man who gave up all earthly glory for the sake of the people of God, a dim reflection, if you like, of the Christ who gave up his glory for men. He became despised and rejected. He abandoned the glory of heaven to undergo scourging and shame inflicted be men. And it was for our sake. Just like Jesus, Moses was the man who chose the loyalty that led to suffering, rather than the ease which led to earthly glory.
The comparison I’m making between Moses and Jesus is one worth looking at. If you were to ask what is is that links the two, I would point you to just two places in the Bible. The first is in Matthew 11: 28,29
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
The second is in Numbers 12, a verse which is the key verse that opens up to us so much of the true Moses, the servant of God. It’s in verse 3, the verse that is in brackets.
(Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.)
Do you see the connection? Let’s read them from the King James Version.
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
(Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)
It is a pity that some of the best words in our language can no longer be used because they would be misunderstood. Do you know what the word ‘meek’ really means? The children’s hymn says: “Gentle Jesus, meek and mild.” What kind of picture does that evoke. Does it really tell you anything about Jesus? The word ‘meek’ really means “free from self-will.” In other words Moses has said to God, ‘Not my will, but yours.” Jesus said, “Father, not my will , but your will be done.”
The word ‘meek’ nowadays has the idea of submissiveness and cowering. But we must understand that meekness is not weakness. When you are submissive to the will of God then you are strongest.
But let’s go back to Moses. Moses did not begin by being a meek man. Indeed no one begins by being meek. It would be far nearer the truth to say the Moses, to begin with, was the hastiest and the hottest and the least meek and the least patient of men. One word out of place and it was a blow from young Moses. It was a word and a blow that laid you on the spot in your grave in the sand. Maybe the Egyptian slave driver derserved all he got, but was it right that Moses strike him down in such a manner? No, Moses was far from meek.
Moses had responded to God’s calling and had decided that his future lay with God’s people, but the trouble was that Moses was just like you and me. We say we trust in God and cary on thinking and behaving as if we know best. And where does it lead us? It leads us, as it did Moses into the barrenness of the desert. That could have been the end of Moses, but God is gracious and loving and has promised never to leave us or forsake us. The voice of God is gently urging us to prepare in the wildeness a road for the Lord. And if we will allow God’s spirit to work in our hearts he will turn the desert into pools of water and the dry land into flowing springs.
We can stay in our desert and God will go on loving us, but just as God called Moses to leave the desert, so God is calling you. “Come out of the wilderness” says God, “for I have prepared in advance good works for you to do.”
But again, aren’t we just like Moses? We find all kinds of excuses to try to convince ourselves and God that it would really be better if we stayed as we are and where we are, and we close our eyes to the needs of others and the will of God.
God said to Moses, and he says to us, “there are people out there who are dying because they are in bondage and I want you to lead them to me.” And we go on making excuses.
“But I’m nobody. How can I go?”
“I will be with you,” says God
“How will I convince them that I am from God?”
“I’ll give you words to make it clear.”
“Suppose they don’t believe me?”
“Then I’ll show you what to do”
“But I’m not a good speaker.”
“I’ll tell you what to say.”
“Lord, can’t you send someone else.”
No. I’ve prepared good works in advance for you to do, but I will send your brother with you.”
Mose knew what the will of God was — to set the people free. But there is one excuse that Moses doesn’t make. “I’ve tried it but it didn’t work.” His idea of becoming free was for the Hebrews to stop fighting among themselves and to unite together, perhaps to rebel. But by the time he says yes to God at the burning bush, we find no mention of this attitude — this pride. What we find is a changed Moses — a recreated Moses.
What has happened? We can be sure that Moses didn’t change himself. God in his mercy and patience went with Moses to Jethro’s household, and out among his sheep those forty exiled years. And Moses’ magnificent powers of mind; his possession of all the learning and religion of Egypt; all Egypt’s power and glory and cruelty, were before Moses as he wandered over Horeb; the past of his own people, and their future; his own wonderful youth and early manhood; that slave driver’s blood still on his hands, and God coming nearer and nearer, and becoming clearer and clearer, more awesome, but at the same time more good and more gracious every day - 40 years of that.
That was the way God took to make Moses the meekest man and the greatest prophet till Christ came. Moses didn’t change himself; God recreated him — recreated him in order that he might use him for God’s great purpose. And Moses is reluctant, not because he has no faith in God, but because he has failed him once and doesn’t want to fail him again. Moses is now a man who is no longer full of self will, but free from self will.
In the same way that God chose Moses and recreated him, God has chosen us and wants to recreate us.
For a few moments let us take a look at Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus in which we discover some amazing things. Let me point out just one or two.
God chose us. When? before the foundation of the world
What for? to be holy and blameless before him
Ephesians 1:4 (NIV)
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.
Why ? Ephesians 2:10
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
But man went and spoilt it all because he thought he knew better than God. Yet God in his love is prepared to recreate his masterpiece.
Look at the material he uses
Ephesians 2:1–3
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.
All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.
There is no way such material can ever recreate itself into a masterpiece because it is dead. But look at the first two words of verse 4
“But God..”
God can and does, so that his masterpiece can do the good works that God has already prepared for him to do.
What is the real reason behind our excuses? Don’t we trust God? Is it our pride? Are we too comfortable in our desert? Let us remember that our God is a rich God who wants to pour out his blessings to each one of us in the green pastures that he wants to lead us to.
Like Moses we ought to be spurred on by keeping our eyes on the future reward. I don’t know how much Moses really knew of his reward, but Ephesians again tells us clearly:
Ephesians 1:5
he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—
Not only that:
Ephesians 2:6
And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,
Think of it — although deserving of God’s punishment, God wants us to rule with Christ in the heavenly world. What a reward to keep our eyes on. No wonder that Moses was afraid that he might fail God. No wonder he felt inadequate. Nevertheless he went out in faith because he could go no other way.
And that is how God wants us to move forward — in faith because there is no other way. It may not be plain sailing but the writer to the Hebrews knew that and he says to us:
Hebrews 12:3
Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Think of what Jesus went through; how he put up with so much hatred from sinners. So do not let yourselves become discouraged and give up.
Let us then move forward in faith, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus.