Hebrews 11:23-29
23 By faith Moses was hidden by his parents for three months after his birth, because they saw that he was a beautiful child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. 24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; 25 he chose to be ill-treated along with the people of God rather than enjoy the fleeting pleasure of sin. 26 He considered the reproach of the Anointed greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the recompense. 27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s fury, for he persevered as if seeing the one who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them. 29 By faith they crossed the Red Sea as if it were dry land, but when the Egyptians attempted it they were drowned.
The earliest Christians–Peter, Paul, James, John etc., and after them the “Apostolic Fathers” and then the “Fathers of the Church”– all the great Christian teachers of the first few centuries–saw Christ all throughout the Old Testament. The original Covenants set the pattern that was to be fulfilled in the life of the Church. Here we have some examples from the life of Moses. In some ways Moses is easier for pagan converts to identify with because most of his life was not lived under the Law. Though born an Israelite, he was raised and educated by pagan Egyptians, married and had children by a Midianite, sinned greatly by killing a man and had to flee for his life, etc. In the verses above our Preacher gives examples of FAITH operating (that is, faith “working”) in Moses’s life and in that whole “mixed crowd” that left Egypt in the Exodus. Examples that still ring true for us Christians many centuries later.
Verse 23: As an infant, Moses’s life is saved from death by water and the trust and faith of his parents. (He is too young to have faith, so their faith and the water carry him).
Verse 24: When grown up, Moses chooses to be identified with the way of life of his parents and steps away from the pagan culture he was raised in. He repudiates their way of life and choses to trust in the promise made to Abraham, and to suffer for that choice.
Verse 27: He “perseveres” in his adult trust in this “invisible” God, who gives him illuminating experiences (even though he cannot see God “face-to-face”) and difficult directions to follow. His relationship with God grows to the point he is brave enough to return, face Pharoah for the good of his own people. Moses is open to day-by-day direction from God as he negotiates for his people.
Verse 28: All his efforts do not win his people’s freedom until at God’s direction the sprinkled blood of the sacrificed-and-consumed lamb saves them from death. That defeats that prince of this world, the Pharoah. That inaugurates a pattern for all time.
Verse 29: Salvation for the whole community now comes by trustingly going through water that will wash away the sinful, vengeful emissaries of the evil prince. That opens the path to freedom and fulfillment for all God’s people.
Note the sequence:
God reaches out with care, first.
Learning to conform to his way of life follows later.
“I am with you. Now learn from me.”
God starts that way with all of us, again, every day, when we wake up.
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