Much of the Old Testament scriptures
is devoted to a study of the lives of people who believed
God, people who awaited the Messiah. There were some people back there
that believed God. They believed God and they waited
the coming of the Messiah. And much of the Old Testament
is given to the study of their lives and to reveal many things
that happened in their lives. For example, Abraham. Much of
the scripture is given to the life of Abraham, who believed
God, and of whom Christ said, he saw my day, and he rejoiced
to see my day. And then much of the Old Testament
scripture is given to the life of Moses. Moses, God's great
prophet, of whom the Savior said, he wrote of me. Moses wrote of
me. They said, we have Moses. He
said, if you'd have believed Moses, you'd have believed me,
because Moses wrote of me. And then Isaac, he was the miracle
child. He was called the promised seed.
And is he not a type and picture of our Lord Jesus Christ, miraculously
born, the promised seed? And David, Much of the scripture
is given to the life of David. David, God's great king. David,
type of the son of David. The Messiah was called the son
of David. And then in my text today, I want you to turn to
Hebrews chapter 11. The 11th chapter of Hebrews.
I wanna talk about Moses. Moses, example of faith. Moses,
man of God. Turn to Hebrews chapter 11. Now,
the 11th chapter of Hebrews. Someone said, it deserves to
be printed in golden letters. Someone else said, when I read
the 11th chapter of Hebrews, my heart beats a little faster. When I read the 11th chapter
of Hebrews, I am made to rejoice in the faith, in the faith of
these great men and women. When I read the 11th chapter
of Hebrews, I am determined, I am determined to exercise more
faith. But especially, I want you to
look at verses 24 through 26, and these are the words about
Moses. And I said, by faith, Noah, and by faith, Enoch walked
with God, and by faith, Abraham left his father's house, and
by faith, different ones. And here in Hebrews 11, 24 through
26, the words are about Moses. Now then, why does this mean
so much to me? Well, it seems that the story
of Moses, Fits my situation better than these other verses. I can't
do literally what some of these other people did. I'm not called
upon to build an altar and offer a sacrifice like Abel. And I'm
not called upon to build an ark like Noah and gather the animals
in. And I'm not called upon to leave
my father's house like Abraham of old or even offer my son on
the mountain as a sacrifice to God. And I'm not called upon
to let a scarlet line out of the window like Rahab. But when
I read these verses about Moses and what Moses did because he
believed God, because he believed God, what Moses did is I see
what every true disciple not only can do but must do. must do if he would have the
mercies and blessings of Christ. Now look at the text. Do you
have it in your Bible? Hebrews 11, beginning with verse 24.
It says, There's the key. Says that about all of these
men and women. By faith, Enoch walked with God. By faith, Noah,
being warned of things not seen, built an ark. By faith, Abraham
departed from his father's house. By faith, he offered Isaac. And here it says, by faith, Moses.
Here's another clue. When he was come to years, he
was no child. He was 40 years old. When he
was come to years, he refused. something. He refused to be called
the son of Pharaoh's daughter, and he chose something. He chose rather to suffer affliction
with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for
a season, esteeming he knew something, esteeming the reproach of Christ. even the reproach of Christ,
to be greater riches than all the treasures of Egypt. Now,
my comments from these verses are going to be very simple.
I like to make my preaching as simple as I possibly can. And
I think you'll have no trouble following or understanding the
points that I'm going to present to you. Now here's the problem,
whether we have grace to imitate Moses, that's another matter.
And you're going to understand, and I'm going to understand what's
said. But whether we have the grace to imitate Moses and follow
his example, well, that's another matter. But here goes. I'm going
to show you what Moses refused. He refused three things. Emphatically
refused them. And then secondly, I'm going
to show you what Moses chose. He chose three things. decidedly. And then I'm going to show you
in closing why Moses did what he did at such a great cost. First of all, what Moses refused. It says, by faith Moses, when
he was come to years, refused He refused. Because he believed
God, Moses turned his back on three things. And these are three
things that most people crave. Most people seek. Most people
live for. Most people would sell their
souls to obtain these three things. But Moses turned his back. He
refused them. What was it? Well, first of all,
he gave up rank and greatness. It says Moses, when he was come
to years, refused, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's
daughter. Do you know what this is saying?
Now evidently, Pharaoh didn't have but one daughter. And Moses
had been brought up in her home. Forty years. She got him when
he was just an infant child, a baby, found there where his
mother had placed him in the river, in that little grass boat
she made for him to escape the wrath of the king. And he had
been brought up in Pharaoh's daughter's home. In other words,
he was the grandchild of Pharaoh. It was her daughter's son. And
evidently she was his daughter's son. Evidently she was the only
daughter he had. And Moses, brought up in that
home, Pharaoh's daughter's son, educated in their school, Moses
evidently could have become the king of Egypt if he had stayed
there, most powerful nation in the world. And yet here's a man,
40 years old, standing on the threshold of honor, power, rank,
greatness, and honor, but it's said he refused it. and walked
away from the throne of Egypt. He walked away out into the desert. All right, notice the second
thing now, verse 25. It said, he refused to be called
the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer the
afflictions of God's people than to enjoy the pleasures of sin
for a season. In other words, he not only gave
up rank and greatness, but he gave up the pleasures of sin.
Choosing rather to suffer the affliction of the people of God
rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin. Pleasures of every kind
were at this man's feet. Sensual pleasure, social pleasure,
fleshly comforts and pleasures, all that could possibly, all
that could possibly appeal to the lust of the eye, the lust
of the flesh, and the pride of life, was his. All he needed
to do was take it. It was his. He's the most powerful
man in Egypt, and yet he refused it. You know, my friends, pleasure
is what most people live for. Pleasure is what most people
seek. From the time that the little schoolboy waits for vacation
time. He goes through nine months of
school just waiting for vacation, waiting for the time of pleasure.
A man will work all his life in a mill or a plant or somewhere
on a job all his life waiting for one thing, what? When he
retires to go hunting and fishing. The pleasure of retirement. And
here Moses had the cup of pleasure. Any pleasure. The pleasures of
sin, the pleasures of the world, the pleasures of the flesh, the
pleasures of Egypt, the pleasures of all things. He had this cup
at his lips. at 40 years of age and dashed
it to the ground and said, I refuse it. And then thirdly, he gave
up riches, rank, pleasure. Thirdly, he gave up riches. It
says here he chose to suffer affliction with the people of
God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season,
esteeming the reproach of Christ greater treasure than the riches
of Egypt. Do you know how rich Egypt was?
Egypt, the most powerful nation in the world, how wealthy Egypt
was. Do you know what the wealth of
Egypt consisted of? Do you know what the riches of
Egypt are? Do you know what unlimited wealth
can do? Do you have any idea of the power
of such wealth all over the world? Why, everyone craves to be rich
and to be wealthy and to be famous and to be honorable and to have
pleasure, and yet Moses had it all. Honor, power, rank, pleasures,
riches. Everything he wanted at his fingertips. And yet, he walked away into
the desert. Now here's the interesting thing
about this. Add to all this, he refused rank,
he refused pleasure, he refused riches, and add to the fact he
did it deliberately. Now you listen to me a moment.
Listen to me. He did it deliberately. He was
not an impulsive boy. This wasn't an emotional decision.
If you read the life of Moses, you'll find that he spent a great
deal of time on this particular decision or choice, a great deal
of time. In fact, he tried to deliver
Israel on his own for his own strength at one time. This wasn't
an impulsive emotional decision. Moses was 40 years old. I noticed
people in religion, you know, they'll try to get little children
down the aisle. They'll appeal to little children.
They'll use all kind of impulsiveness and emotionalism and entertainment
and sad stories and just anything to get people to make a decision
now. When I count three, one, two, three, raise your hand,
or raise the other hand, or come down while the iron's hot. You
know, all the pressure they put on. This wasn't an impulsive
decision. Moses refused to be called the
son of Pharaoh's daughter. Moses refused the pleasures of
sin, and Moses refused the riches of Egypt, contending that even
the reproach of Christ was greater treasure than the riches of Egypt,
but he didn't do it emotionally. He didn't do it impulsively.
He didn't do it as an uninformed man. He was an educated, intelligent,
40-year-old man who knew exactly what he was doing. Exactly. And he went from the wealth of
the palace down to the company of a despised people in slavery. It wasn't an attractive thing.
And somebody didn't lie to him and present some attractive emotional
experience that they couldn't fulfill. Tell you something else.
When Moses did this, when he refused these things, he was
not in trouble in Egypt. He was not in ill favor. like people who get religion
when they go to prison. I've had a little experience
with people going to prison. Everybody who goes to prison
gets religious. They accept Jesus or they write
a book or they get religion. Anything to get out, you know.
They get under trouble and in trouble and they get religion.
But Moses wasn't in trouble. He wasn't in trouble. And he
was in the prime of life. He wasn't sick. Everybody I know
goes to the hospital and you think they're gonna die so they
get religion but Moses wasn't gonna die. He was in the prime
of life, 40 years old. Wasn't impulsive, it wasn't emotional. It wasn't because he's in trouble
and it wasn't because he's dying. It's because he loved God and
believed God and believed God's word. And he turned down rank,
riches and pleasure and they didn't leave him, he left them. He left them. I know a lot of
these famous singers and movie stars, when they get too old,
they make a lot of money, then they get in religion, you know.
And that way, riches left them. They didn't leave it. But Moses
left that. Oh, here's the second thing.
What did Moses choose? I believe Moses' choices were
as wonderful as his refusals. He refused rank, he refused the
pleasures of sin, he refused the riches of Egypt for the good
of his soul, and he chose three things for the glory of God.
He chose three things. Now look at your text there,
Hebrews chapter 11, verse 24 through 26. It says, choosing
rather to suffer affliction. He chose affliction. Affliction
and suffering. The cause of God and truth, the
gospel of Jesus Christ, the way of saving faith, my friends,
is the way of affliction. Did you know that? It's the way
of trouble, and it's the way of suffering. That's what the
Bible says. They that would live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer
persecution. Christ said, I didn't come to
send peace, but a sword. I've come to set a man at variance
against his mother, against his father, and the father-in-law
against his son-in-law. and a man's enemies shall be
those of his own household. In this world, Christ said, you
shall have tribulation. Marvel not, my brethren, if the
world hate you. David said, it's good for me
that I've been afflicted. What is Moses choosing? He's
choosing the path of the cross, and it's not an easy road. He
chose affliction. He chose affliction. He chose
to suffer the afflictions of the people of God. He knew exactly
what it meant when he walked away from Egypt. It meant trouble. It means suffering. It meant
hunger. It meant thirsting. It meant weariness. It meant
pain. It meant loneliness. It meant all of these things.
When he walked away from the rank and greatness and power
of this world, it meant trouble. And then secondly, verse 25 says,
he chose to be identified with the people of God. He chose the
afflictions. He chose with them to suffer
affliction, with the people of God. Moses left the so-called,
the company of the so-called great and wise. Now do you know
the circle in which he moved in Egypt? Being the grandson
of Pharaoh, being one of the leading men in the cabinet, and
in the kingdom and being the son of Pharaoh's daughter, do
you know the people with whom he rubbed shoulders? Do you know
the people who called him by his first name and he them by
their first name? Do you know the great, the mighty,
the intellectual, the wise that Moses knew and with whom he associated
and he left them and joined himself to whom? To a hated, despised
and persecuted people who were dirt poor. dirt poor. He chose, he chose to suffer
affliction with the people of God. You know, some people admire
believers. They talk about great preachers
and great believers and great prophets. Some people feel sorry
for preachers and prophets and believers and so forth. And some
people occasionally will visit them on a special holiday or
service. but they don't want to be identified
with them. But Moses chose, chose to be identified with the people
of God. He cast his lot with them and
became one of them, like Ruth of old, who said to Naomi, don't
make me leave you. Where you go, I go. Where you
lodge, I lodge. Your God be my God. Your people
be my people. And where you die, I'll die.
and where you're buried, that's where I'll be buried. That's
identification. And Moses chose that. And then
thirdly, watch this third choice. He chose reproach. He esteemed
the reproach of Christ. He esteemed, choosing rather
to suffer affliction with the people of God, esteeming the
reproach of Christ. Can you imagine the reproach
that fell upon this man when he did what he did? Now you think
about who he was, where he was, with whom he was, and what he
owned, and the prospects he had for the future. And he left it.
He walked off into the desert. He shut the door. He chose affliction
and identification with slaves, dirt poor people because they
were the people of God. Can you imagine the ridicule?
Can you imagine the scorn? Can you imagine the reproach
heaped upon this man who turned from Pharaoh's court to join
the slaves of Israel? Why, they said, he's crazy. He's
got to be crazy. The man's mad. The man's a fool. The man's got everything. He's
throwing everything away. And they laughed at him. That's
hard to take. Many a man had rather face a
cannon than to be laughed at, to be thought a fool. But Moses
chose affliction. Moses chose to be identified
with God's people. Moses chose the scorn and reproach
that came from what he did and what he believed, whom he believed.
Why do you suppose he did all this? Why do you suppose? He was no weak man. He was no
fool. He wasn't forced to do it. He
wasn't made to do. Why do you suppose Moses did?
Why do you suppose Moses, when he came to years, mature man,
40 years of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter,
and he chose rather to suffer the affliction of the people
of God, esteeming the reproach of Christ, greater riches than
the treasures of Egypt. I'll tell you why. Moses believed
God. You go back and read that first
verse, verse 24, it'll tell you why. It says, by faith, by faith,
Moses, by faith. By faith in Christ, the effectual
sacrifice, Abel offered a blood sacrifice. By faith in the Word
of God, the coming Word of God, Noah built an ark, which is nothing
in the world but a picture of Christ who delivers us from the
judgment and wrath of God. By faith in the promise, Abraham
left home, offered his son. He said to that son, God will
provide, God will provide. God will provide himself a sacrifice. By faith in the Redeemer, Christ
Jesus, Moses turned his back on the world's rank and the world's
pleasure and the world's riches and chose deliberately affliction,
identification with the people of God, reproach and scorn because
Moses believed God. Moses saw something that no one
else saw. just like Noah, Noah being warned
of things not seen. Moses heard a voice that other
people had not heard. Moses knew a Lord that other
people did not know, and that Lord had set before him his eternal
will and his purpose. God had set before Moses the
kingdom of the Messiah. You know what our Lord said?
Moses wrote of me. Moses wrote of me, saw my day,
wrote of me. Like Abraham, Moses saw the Redeemer
and the world and all that the world could offer faded into
insignificance. What are soap bubbles when you've
got a home in glory? What are sand castles when you've
got a building, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heaven?
What are the praises of men compared to the praise of God? What is
the honor of this world compared to the glory of heaven? Huh? Moses saw that. Moses believed
that God is God over all. Pharaoh was a temporary ruler.
Moses believed that with God nothing is impossible. Moses
believed that Earth's riches are temporary and God's riches
in Christ are eternal. Moses believed the kingdom of
the Messiah is an eternal kingdom and other kingdoms will fade
away. Moses believed that God will fulfill every promise. Like
Abraham of old it said he believed God was able to do all that he
promised. He believed God. He didn't walk
out into the desert carelessly and flippantly. He had a purpose,
he believed God. He walked away from that upon
which the wrath of God someday would fall. He knew, he believed
God. Don't weep for Moses, weep for
those who were left behind. Moses believed that pleasures
of the earth are pleasures that are only for a season and the
pleasures of God are eternal. Moses believed that the treasures
of the earth are unworthy to compare with the riches of Christ.
You don't even utter them in the same breath. Moses believed
that the sufferings of the earth will give way to eternal comfort
and glory in Christ Jesus. Moses believed that the despised
Israelites were truly the people of God. And I want to tell you
something else. This thing called faith is not
blind faith. He that seeth the Son and believeth
on him hath everlasting life. And Moses looked beyond the veil
into the Holy of Holies and saw the glory of God in the blood
of the mercy seat. And he saw the world crumbling
to dust. And he saw the Lord Jesus Christ
exalted in that great day. Was he right? Well, let me ask
you, who remembers Pharaoh's daughter? The name of Moses is
on every lips. Who remembers Pharaoh? He doesn't
even have a name. Where are the cities of Egypt?
Today. Where are the pleasures of Egypt?
Where are the treasures of Egypt? Rusted and decayed. Where are
the armies of Egypt? Left that. Where are the glories
of Egypt? They are no more. Where's Moses? Moses exalted with Christ, seated
with Christ, reigning with Christ forever and forever and forever. Moses said, I refuse. I refuse
the world's rank, I refuse the world's temporary pleasures,
and I refuse, I refuse the riches of this world. And I choose.
I choose affliction, and I choose identification with the people
of God. And I choose Christ Jesus, and he did it because he believed.
He believed. He believed.