Free Bible Commentary
“Hebrews 11:23-29”
Categories: Hebrews“By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that he who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them. By faith they passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned.”
---End of Scripture verses---
The Hebrews writer had previously insisted that the word of Christ is greater than the Law of Moses (chapter 1), and that Jesus is to be greatly exalted over the old, Hebrew Law giver (chapter 3). But, lest someone think the author was disparaging arguably the greatest leader in Jewish history, he now shows us that the story of Moses was one of faithfulness from the very beginning. When Moses was just a baby, his godly parents risked their own lives by disobeying a direct edict from the most powerful lawgiver in Egypt in order to save their “beautiful” child (verse 23).
When Moses had “grown up” (verse 24) he came to the firm realization that the “passing pleasures of sin” were not a satisfactory substitute for a spiritual relationship with God (verse 25). Just think of all the wealth, privilege and power that Moses willingly chose to forfeit to be true to His Lord, and all the “ill-treatment” he was forced to endure to be loyal to his people. But Moses’ faith was forward-looking. He was “looking to the reward” (verse 26) of genuine, heavenly riches and not the kind that rusted and cankered in the king’s coffers in Egypt. He could “see” “Him who was unseen” (verse 27).
It takes real, spiritual maturity to choose to divorce yourself from the sinful culture in which you live, and it requires true, spiritual vision to see that sin’s pleasures are fleeting, physically harmful and eternally destructive. To be faithful like Moses, we must understand that we cannot serve wealth and God, self and God, sin and God simultaneously. We must make a choice every day of our lives. Choose wisely friends. Choose to be faithful to Jesus even if you must suffer “reproach” for doing so (verse 26). “If anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name” (1 Peter 4:16). If we endure with Him we will reign with Him (2 Timothy 2:12).
Please read Hebrews 11:30-34 for tomorrow.
Hope you all have a wonderful day!
- Louie Taylor
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