Moses Faithful in All His House
INTRODUCTORY WORDS
There are seven things which Moses did, as outlined in Hebrews 11:24-28, which we want to notice.
1. Moses refused. The first great step in Moses' maturity, as he turned his back upon Egypt, was his power to say, No. He refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. It is this spirit of positive rejection of sin and of Satan which must precede every forward step.
2. Moses chose. Moses' choice was to suffer affliction with the people of God, rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. There are some who would assert that Moses' choice was a very foolish one, but today as we think of Moses with the Lord, we cannot but feel that he chose right.
3. Moses esteemed. Moses' reason for esteeming the reproach of Christ as greater riches than the treasures of Egypt was that he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. Moses believed that the Lord would come and bring His rewards with Him. In the light of time it may seem to some better to serve for the things which are seen, even for worldly honor and glory. In the light of eternity, Moses' choice stands forth as the wise one.
4. Moses forsook Egypt. Moses did not only decide in his mind, but he put his decisions into action. He left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king.
5. Moses endured. Moses did not only take a stand, but he stood. He did not only start, but he continued. If ever a man had enough to crush his faith, and hinder his onward march with God, Moses had. Yet, through it all, he pressed his way.
6. Moses saw Christ. Here is the key to it all. The One who was invisible to the natural eye, was beheld with the eye of faith. At the burning bush Moses met the Lord. From that day on he never lived without having Christ steadfastly before him.
7. Moses kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood. He knew that his deliverance, and that of his people Israel, was by the way of the Cross.
We who live centuries after Moses should never forget the Cross, which has also been our deliverance.
I. THE PROTECTED BABE (Hebrews 11:23)
1. Moses was a babe born at a time of stress and strife. It was into a world rent and torn with sin and strife that Moses came. Egypt stands for the world and all of its tyranny against the Son of God. In Moses' day, Egypt was fighting against the Lord with a desperate struggle. A Pharaoh had arisen that knew not Joseph. The Children of Israel had grown into a mighty people. For four hundred years they had dwelt in Egypt, and now their numbers and increasing power made the king of Egypt fear for his kingdom. The result was that all the male children, born to the Israelites, were ordered to be slain; while harsh taskmasters, with whip and cursings, pressed the men of Israel into slavish fear.
2. Moses was a babe shielded from the wrath of the king. His parents had successfully hidden their infant child for three months, then the child had been put into a small ark and placed in the brink of the river where the princess came to bathe. There the king's daughter heard the cry of the baby boy, she sent for him to be brought to her. She took him into her arms, and he became her boy. Miriam, Moses' sister, suggested that she find a nurse for the babe; and Moses' mother became his nurse.
Thus, the king himself became involved in raising up, and training the babe whom he, himself, had ordered to be slain. Thus, too, the king reared the youth in all the wisdom of the Egyptians the youth that was destined to be God's deliverer of His people, from the tyranny of the king.
3. Moses a babe of Divine destiny. Jochebed had sent her daughter to watch the babe, and to see what would become of him, while she tarried at home, borne down by a mother's fear, and praying to the God of Israel to protect her child.
This God did, for Moses was a vessel chosen of God to deliver His people Israel. Paul was chosen of God from his mother's womb; so also was Moses.
II. MOSES TAUGHT AND TRAINED IN EGYPT (Acts 7:22-23)
Moses was taught in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in word and deed.
1. Early years of training. We would like to slip in behind the scenes and read the inner thoughts of Moses in those days of preparation. Moses had been taught by Pharaoh's greatest teachers. Another, however, had had a part in his training. His nurse-mother had done her part. She had taught the lad in the things of Jehovah. He knew he was a Hebrew. He knew he was a favored and protected son of a despised and hated people.
The effect of a mother's faith was not lost upon the young and budding life of the foster son of Pharaoh's daughter. The unfeigned faith that was in him had dwelt first in his mother, Jochebed.
2. Early deeds of valor. Moses early proved his leadership. He became mighty, both in words and deeds. Pharaoh knew his wisdom and his power. During those early years, Moses, no doubt, was sent forth on many a commission from the crown, which called forth his greatest skill in statesmanship, and in soldierhood. He had not been trained in vain.
During all of this time, however, Moses was inwardly waiting the hour when he might become the saviour of his people. Their sorrows were his; their bitter cup was the cup from which he drank. As the Israelites saw Moses moving about under the power and patronage of royalty, they knew nothing of the inner longings of his spirit. No doubt they only cursed him in their hearts, because of his affluence, and seeming freedom from the burdens that bore them to the ground.
III. THE ALIGNMENT (Acts 7:24-25)
1. Moses thought the hour had struck. With one great strategic step Moses pressed his way from the throne of Egypt, from the riches of Egypt, from its fame, and pleasures, down, down, down to the level of a hated and slave-driven, entangled people.
We cannot but stand and look on with admiration and wonder. Our minds go to another One, who left His Father's throne, and took upon Himself the form of a servant, and became obedient unto death. What a self-humbling was that step of our Lord's? From riches to poverty; from the joys of His Father's face to the sorrows of sin's wreckage down, down, down He came.
2. Moses thought that the people would receive him. Stephen said, "And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the Children of Israel. And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian: for he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would have delivered them: but they understood not." That must have been a sore trial to Moses. An unrequited love; an unwelcomed service that is the hardest of all griefs to bear.
Such was also the lot of our Lord. He came down to His own, but His own received Him not. Christ was rejected by His own town of Nazareth; He was exiled from His own Father's House; He was slain by His own people, whom He had come to save. He died for those who would not have Him to reign over them.
3. Moses in exile. Filled with fear, Moses fled. For forty years he was a stranger in the land of Midian.
At this moment our Lord is still in Heaven, whither He went as an exiled Son of Man. Despised and rejected of men, but received and exalted of the Father.
IV. RUNNING BEFORE YOU ARE SENT (Acts 7:27)
1. Israel was not yet ripe for Moses' leadership. The people of God had not come yet to their full end. Moses had not yet been fully prepared. He had gone through the school of the Egyptians, but he had not yet graduated from the school of the backside of the desert, where he was destined to come to the end of his own self life, and to the fullness of the knowledge of God.
2. Moses had to learn to wait patiently until God had spoken. We are prone to run ahead of God. We get in a hurry to accomplish our task. We want to reap our harvest before it is ripe. The husbandman hath long patience, until he receives the early and the latter rain. We lack in patience.
3. Moses, perhaps, felt the power of his own strength. He knew how to fight; he was skilled in generalship. He felt that he could accomplish his dreams of deliverance by his own prowess. Moses had not yet learned that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal. We war not after the flesh.
4. Moses, no doubt, allowed his sentiment to run away with him. He saw the pitiable condition of his brethren, and, moved with sympathy, he leaped to their aid, with his eyes closed. All of this was noble, but not wise. Moses was borne on by a chivalry full of pity. However, Moses was as yet wholly unprepared to carry a weak and vacillating people in his heart.
V. SENT FORTH BY THE ALMIGHTY (Exodus 3:8-10)
1. At the mountain of God in Horeb. As Moses led his flock he came to the mountain of God, at the backside of mount Horeb. It was not in the schools of Egypt, nor in the rush of the pleasures of Pharaoh's worldly court; nor was it on the battlefield as Moses demonstrated his valor with arms, that God spoke to him.
Moses, the son of Pharaoh's daughter, had now become Moses, the keeper of Jethro's sheep. There, in the quiet of the hidden recesses of Mount Horeb, Moses met with God.
He saw a bush burning, but not consumed. He turned aside to see so great a sight. There God met him. Out of the bush, God spoke, saying, "Moses, Moses." And Moses said, "Here am I."
2. God shows Moses His inner heart toward Israel. God said, "I have surely seen the affliction of My people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry * * and I am come down to deliver them."
3. God commandeers Moses. To Moses God said, "I will send thee unto Pharaoh." This was quite a different plan from that which Moses had at first conceived. God would go to the fountain-head of Israel's difficulty. He would not endeavor to better Israel's condition under Pharaoh, but he would demand that Pharaoh should let His people go.
4. Moses' temerity. How different was the Moses of God's choice, than the Moses of forty years before, when, in his own strength, he sought to undertake for Israel. Moses pled God to send by another. He pled his own inability, his utter nothingness. God found Moses in weakness, a fit channel for His strength, and He said, "I have sent thee"; "I will be with thee."
VI. MOSES BEFORE PHARAOH (Exodus 5:1-2)
1. To be forewarned, is to be forearmed. God plainly told Moses that Pharaoh would not, at the first let the people go. Thus, Moses was prepared for difficulties by the way. However, Moses knew that God was with him, and he started on his way as Israel's deliverer.
2. The wisdom of God's order of approach. The command of God was to go to Pharaoh, but the first step on the way was the gathering together of all Israel, that they might be prepared to receive Moses as their deliverer.
First of all, God sent Aaron to meet Moses, as he came toward Egypt. Secondly, Aaron and Moses called all the elders of Israel together, and Moses showed them all that the Lord had spoken, and all of the signs which the Lord had given. Then, hope was born in the hearts of Israel, and they rejoiced that the time of their defense had come.
3. The hardened heart of Pharaoh. Pharaoh showed no sign of submission. He coveted the work of the men, who made his bricks; and he would not easily allow them to depart from their servitude to the crown. Blatantly Pharaoh said, "Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go?"
4. God's dealing with Pharaoh and with the Egyptians. Plague after plague befell the Egyptians. So much as they had tormented Israel, so much did God mete unto them.
Finally with the tenth plague, the slaughter of the firstborn sons of Egypt, Pharaoh was not only willing for Israel to go, but he hastened their departure. The Egyptians also sent Israel out with a high hand, giving them a great store of jewels of silver, and of gold. God seemed to be forcing the Egyptians to pay to Israel much of the wages which they had kept back by fraud.
Out they went, with the pillar of cloud by day, and the pillar of fire by night marking their way.
VII. THE EXODUS (Exodus 12:41-42)
1. Delivered as God had said to Abraham. Abraham had been forewarned of Israel's bondage in Egypt. However, when the time four hundred and thirty years had passed, on the very day that God had promised, Israel went out of Egypt with a high hand. It must have been a marvelous sight. More than one million souls, their bag and baggage: their cattle, flocks and herds; all en route in one night toward the promised land. What a shout of joy must have been lifted, what praise must have filled the air as they went on their way!
2. Pursued by Pharaoh's hosts. Scarce had the Children of Israel been gone than Pharaoh repented himself of his seeming folly in loosing so great an asset to his kingdom. With his armies he followed hard after the slow-moving hordes of Israel.
He came upon them as they were hedged in by the mountains on the one hand, and by the Red Sea on the other. Israel, unarmed, seemed a helpless prey to Pharaoh's wrath. But God said, "Speak unto the Children of Israel, that they go forward." Forward they went, and, as they came to the sea, it parted from before them, and they went through by dry land.
Pharaoh's armies followed after them into the sea. However, with Israel safe on the farther shore, the Lord caused the waters to return, and the Egyptians were overthrown.
3. The song of Moses. Then sang Moses and the Children of Israel a song unto the Lord. Never was such soulful music sent Heavenward. Moses did not receive praise, but strength, and honor, and salvation, was given unto God. They sang "Thy right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power: Thy right hand, O Lord, has dashed in pieces the enemy." Even so shall it be to every soul who puts his trust in God.
AN ILLUSTRATION
THE FOOT-RACE
"'A true racer does not stand still, or look behind him, to see how much of the way is already past, or to see how much the other runners come short of him, but he sets to his business to get through the remainder of the race.' The claim to perfection, which some have started, raises a serious question as to whether they have ever entered that race, of which the Apostle Paul said, 'Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended; but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.' Surely these men must be of another order to Paul, or must be upon another race course. He saw much which he had not attained, and they see nothing; he was all for pressing on, and they are at the mark already. They speak fluently of their perfection, and he groaned over his imperfection.
"As for us, we have no belief in these pretenders, nor do we wish to think about them. We would have nothing to consider but the goal and the prize. We may not rest in what we are, we must hasten on to what we ought to be. Attainments and successes will breed no pride if we treat them as Paul did, when he regarded them as 'things which are behind,' and therefore forgot them. 'Onward' be our watchword. Satisfaction, glorying, ease, these are not to be mentioned among us. Swift as arrows from the bow we would speed towards the mark of our high calling. The last thing that a man may utter is that fatal 'Rest and be thankful;' for it marks the end of a progress which ought to last through life.
"Lord, if I am ever tempted to be satisfied, scourge me into a holy restlessness, and make the very ground beneath me burning to my feet With my Lord before me, I am a traitor to Him if I chink the pieces of silver in my hand, and accept a present satisfaction in barter for higher things.