Some Lessons from Moses' Decision

Now, scriptures like these, and
this is where we fail, I think, many times, scriptures like these
which Joe read, by faith Abraham, by faith Isaac, by faith Jacob,
by faith Moses, scriptures like these were never meant to glorify
the man, never. We have so much flesh in us that
we cannot refrain from glorifying a man. St. Paul, St. Peter, St. John. These
scriptures were not meant to glorify men, because they were
but men. James reminds us that Elijah
was a man of what? Like passion. And they were only
men. When God spoke of John the Baptist,
he said there was a man sent from God whose name was John. There was only one who ever lived,
it was more than a man. He was a man, but he was a God-man.
And these scriptures were never meant to exalt the flesh, to
glorify Moses, but they were given to glorify God's grace.
And they were given to teach us his will and his way. Now,
I don't want to miss what the Lord is saying here. I've sought
his spirit leadership, so I'm going to make some observations.
with the help that I have attained from other sources and with the
aid of the Holy Spirit and see if I can apply this word to our
present need. I'm not going to spend my time
tonight talking only about Moses, but I want to talk about myself
and talk about you. The first thing I read in verse
24, now here are the scriptures that I'm going to use, Hebrews
11, 24 through 27. The first thing I read here in
verse 24, by Faith Moses, when he was come to years. Moses,
when he was, now listen, when he was come to years. Turn back
to Exodus 2, and it works a little differently. Exodus chapter 2,
and this is what you need to do when you're reading these
New Testament scriptures. Go back and see where it all
started. Exodus 2, verse 11. Listen how
it reads here, Exodus 2.11, and it came to pass in those days
when Moses was grown, when Moses became a man, when Moses was
grown up. And actually the Amplified Bible
speaks of it in that way, when Moses was grown to maturity. Do you know how old he was? Forty years old. But he grew up. It took 40 years,
too. And you're going to see that
in just a few moments. Moses, when he was grown up. Moses,
when he was grown to maturity. Now, some of God's people mature
early. Some mature early. Some mature later. Tragically,
some never do. Never do. Never grow up. Let
me show you an example of this immaturity. Turn to 1 Corinthians
chapter 3. Unfortunately, some of God's
people never grow up. Now, some mature early and some
later, but some never do. And Paul, writing to the church
at Corinth in 1 Corinthians 3, verse 1, says, I, brethren, could
not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto
babes in Christ. I fed you with milk. and not
with meat, for hitherto you were not able to bear it, neither
yet," and he has hope for them, "'neither yet are you able.'" Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13,
when I was a child, I acted like a child. I had the temper tantrums of
a child, I had the misunderstandings of a child, I had the petty envy
and jealousy of a child. I behaved like a child, I walked
like a child, I thought like a child. I always got my feelings
hurt like a little baby. I couldn't take the meat of the
word, I had to be fed on the milk of the word. Everything
offended me, everyone offended me. I was a powder, a baby. I'm not saying you're not in
Christ. There are babes in Christ, but
what a shame that a person has to remain an infant. What a shame
that so many just take so long, we take so long to grow up. When
I was a child, I acted like a child, but when I became a man, he said,
when I became a man, a mature adult, and he's not only talking
about age. Age doesn't make a man mature. There are a lot of old babies. It's the grace of God that matures
us. We grow in grace and the knowledge of Christ. That's what
you grow. It's not a physical growth. It's not a growth in
age. It's a growth in grace. But grow
in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. When
I became a man, I put away these childish things. I put away these
childish things and I became a man. And I began to walk like
a mature Christian. I began to talk like a mature
Christian. I began to act like one. I began to conduct myself
as one. Moses was 40 years old before
he grew up. You say, Perch, you're making
a play on words. No, I'll show you that in just
a moment. It specifically says Moses when he was come to years.
And your amplified version says Moses when he was grown to maturity.
And Exodus 2, 11 says Moses when he was grown. Now, we know little of the early
life of Moses. You've seen the Ten Commandments,
and it was good. I'd see it again. But the scripture
is silent on the early years of Moses to a great extent. There's
been a lot of fiction written about the life of Moses. But
the scriptures are silent. But I do know this about Moses
and his early life. I know Moses knew who he was. That's exactly right. He knew
that he was an Israelite. I've looked through the scripture
and read some this morning and this afternoon on Moses' early
life, and he knew who his brethren were. He knew who his brethren
were all along. His mother was his nurse in his
early years. That godly woman who by faith
hid him from the wrath of the King was also used of God to
teach her own child the ways of Jehovah. He knew the Lord.
Moses knew the Lord. Turn over to Acts 7.23 and you
get a little bit of insight into this in Acts 7.23. Turn over
there and let's look at this. I don't like to say things and
I can't at least give some proof from God's Word. Acts 7.23. It says, And when he was four forty
years old, he came into his heart, he grew up. to visit his brethren,
the children of Israel. His brethren, to visit his brethren.
He knew who they were, he knew who he was. And seeing one of
them suffer wrong, he defended him, he avenged him that was
oppressed and smote the Egyptians, for he supposed, now watch this,
his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would
deliver them. They didn't understand that.
Moses had some inkling of it. Yes, he certainly did. He had
some inkling of this thing, that God would deliver his brethren
by his hand. Perhaps someone here tonight
will ask this question, and I'm going to ask you whether you
do or not. Why did Moses, he knew God, he
knew who he was, he knew his brethren were, he had some understanding
or inkling or some revelation from somewhere that he, in some
measure, would be used of God to change the status of the Israelite
people. You say, well, why did he remain
forty years in Pharaoh's court? Forty years. As old as Ronnie
Lewis. That's how long he stayed in
Pharaoh's court. Why was he willing for forty years to be called
the son of Pharaoh's daughter? and enjoy the pleasures of the
sin of that court. And don't you think that court
wasn't a sinful place, filled with all of the sinfulness and
luxuries and idolatry of Egypt. Egypt was an idolatrous nation,
and Moses lived right in the middle of it, right in the seat
of its government. He walked with the heathen priests,
he walked with heathen kings, he lived in the home of a heathen
woman and called her mother. And he shared in the luxuries
and the treasures of Egypt. He knew he was God's own. He knew it. Well, let me offer some suggestions. Perhaps, this is what I'm saying,
perhaps, when you think about ourselves
now, not only about Moses, perhaps he thought that he could deliver
Israel from slavery his way. His way. What was his way? Power,
might, strength, wisdom of the flesh. When he went out there,
let me turn back to Acts 7 and listen to it. He went out there
and that Egyptian was mistreating his brethren. He killed And then
down here in verse 26, "...the next day he showed himself unto
them as they strove, and would have set them at one again, saying,
Sayeth your brethren, why do you wrong one another?" Let's
reason this thing out. Here are two Israelites quarreling. Says,
your brethren, why don't we just reason this thing out? Why do
you wrong one another? After all, it was a simple problem,
wasn't it? The people of Israel were slaves,
the people of Israel were in bondage. It was a free land out
yonder to go to. He was a man schooled in the
wisdom of Egypt, in military strategy. He was a man of great
learning, great education, great power, great influence, heir
to the throne. They needed delivering, so why
not deliver them? The only thing he didn't reckon
with was this. Not only was Pharaoh against
him in delivering Israel, not only were the Egyptians against
him, but Israel was against him, too. That's what he didn't reckon
with. When he went out there to settle
this difference, turn back to Acts 7, when he went out there
to settle the difference between these Israelites, listen to it. But he, verse 27, he that did
his neighbor wrong, thrust Moses away. We don't want you. We made you a ruler and a judge
over us. Will you kill me as you killed
the Egyptians yesterday? Moses didn't reckon with that.
He didn't think about that. He was going to He was going
to deliver Israel. He had pity. He grew up and began
to think about God and began to think about his brethren.
He began to think about his people under oppression and slavery.
And he was going to set them free, but he was going to do
it his way. His way. But he didn't reckon with this
fact. They didn't want deliverance. They didn't want
his interference. He found out that they wouldn't
cooperate with him. Can't you see modern-day soul-wrenching,
modern-day evangelists? Where is the problem? Men are
lost, they need God. Men are going to hell, they need
to go to heaven. Men are slaves in sin, they need
to be sons of God. So let's go out with our education
and our wisdom and our ability and our enthusiasm and our zeal
and our organization and our efforts, and let's win them to
the Lord! Let's deliver them! Let's tell them the good news!
But what we don't understand is they don't want deliverance. Now, they'll take heaven, sure,
you're going to offer them heaven in the sweet by and by, they'll
take that, they'll put it on layaway. They'll put it on layaway. Well,
sure, I'll take you up on your proposition, teach you that I
want to go to heaven. Of course I do. I'll put it on
layaway. And when I die, I'll meet you
in the sweet by and by, unless I'm glad you told me that. That's
wonderful, you know. But men are in darkness, they
hate light. They're in rebellion, they hate
God. The people of Israel didn't only
hate the Egyptians, they hated Moses, they hated each other. Moses didn't reckon with that.
It's not by might nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord. We need to learn this thing,
we need to learn that it takes more than just sitting down with
a soul winner's recipe to win somebody to Christ. It takes
quickening, it takes regeneration, it takes the operation of the
Holy Spirit, it takes the power of God. Everybody I know is interested
in heaven, but not many people are interested in Christ. Everybody
I know is interested in the Bible. They're interested in the Bible,
they're interested in the mysteries of the Bible, they're interested
in solving the puzzles of the Bible, they're interested in
you answering questions about the Bible and about everything
else in the spiritual world. But they're not interested in
becoming bond slaves of the Son of God. They're not interested
in a new life, a new nature, a new land, a new dwelling, a
new family. There's a difference. The only
one who can give a new nature is the Spirit of God. The only
one who can give a new heart is the Spirit of God. The only
one who can give new life to a sinner is the Spirit of God.
It's not by might, it's not by power, it's by my Spirit, saith
the Lord. This is a thing Moses didn't
reckon with. Why did he stay so long? Perhaps he was dead
serious about this. Perhaps he was in honest sincerity
in thinking that he'll acquire all this wisdom and knowledge
and get these credentials and power and stars on his shoulder
and influence, and someday he'd set them free. And he went out
there among them. He began to think about it. He
went out there among them, and that Egyptian was mistreating
that Israelite, and he smote him down. The next day he went
out there and these two fellows were arguing. He said, boys don't
argue, you're brethren now, settle this thing right now. Who called
for you? Who sent for you? And it dawned
on him, he had an impossible task. He was trying to deliver
a people that didn't want to be delivered from a people that
wouldn't let him go. And that's when he ran. That's
when he ran. That's when he ran over yonder
into the desert and sat down on the back side of the desert
for 40 years and took care of his sheep. He grew up. He found out some things. He
found out that he couldn't do God's work. God had to do it.
He found out he couldn't do the Holy Spirit's work. The Holy
Spirit had to do it. He found out that Almighty God
is the only one who can build a house, and David built it,
labor in vain if he doesn't undertake it. He lays the foundation, he
puts the top stone. It's all of the Lord, all of
grace, all of grace. He grew up. Here's the second
reason why he might have stayed down there 40 years. Perhaps
he felt, as many do today, that he could both serve God and remain
the son of Pharaoh's daughter also. Perhaps he thought he could be
the companion of the priest of flesh and still be the companion
of Jehovah God. Perhaps he felt he could sit
in on the counsels of Baal and also sit in on the counsels of
God. But he found that couldn't be
done. Once he declared himself, look
back there at Acts 7, once he declared himself, Once he declared
whose side he was on, look at Exodus 2. Once he declared where he stood,
and once they understood it, listen to this, in Exodus 2.14,
the Israelites turned on him, and then verse 15, and when Pharaoh
heard about it, he sought to kill him. He found out he couldn't be done,
that man cannot serve two masters. He found out once he let his
evil companions know where his affections were, they were ready
to kill him. Once he let his evil companions
know where his heart was, they would destroy him. For 40 years he played both sides
of the But he'd done it in such a way that nobody really knew
where he stood. I wonder if there's anybody in
the congregation tonight caught up in that same whirlpool. Nobody
really knows where you stand. Oh, you can talk about God. Everybody
talks about God. Everybody says, Lord, Lord, it's
not going to enter the kingdom of God. But who's God? What God? Identify yourself. Identify yourself
with the reproaches of Christ, with that which the world despises.
The Egyptians despised the Israelites, and Moses declared himself at
the point of their hatred. You find out what this world
hates about Christ, and you find out what they hate about him.
And you declare yourself there and see where old Pharaoh put
you. I'm telling you the truth. You
can talk about Jesus, you can talk about the cross, you can
talk about heaven, you can talk about hell, you can talk about
judgment. But there are some things that this world despises. They despise God on his throne.
They despise God in his sovereignty. They despise Christ in his effectual
work. They despise Christ in his glory. They despise the Christ of purpose
Yes, and they hate the Christ of predestination. Moses hung around Pharaoh's court
about 40 years. But then one day, by God's providence,
he accidentally let them know where he stood, and that was
the end of it. That was the end of it. He had to flee. Perhaps this,
I hear this so often, I hear people say, I believe what you
put, I believe what you stand for, but you know I have a great
opportunity to witness down there where I go. No, they don't believe
the Bible, they deny the Old Testament and they deny grace
and they deny the virgin birth. She doesn't preach anything,
but I teach a Sunday school class down there, you know, and I've
got an opportunity to witness." That may be the way Moses looked
at this thing. Maybe Moses quieted his conscience. by saying that he had a great
opportunity to be useful down there in Pharaoh's court, and
he'd lose that opportunity by being identified with these Israelites,
an open avowal of allegiance with the Israelites would shut
him off from Egyptian society. In other words, Moses might have
thought, now I mustn't say too much, I must keep my discipleship
a secret. I mustn't let everything hang
out, I mustn't tell them everything I believe, I mustn't declare
myself on these certain points, or I won't have a chance to witness
to them anymore. That's Satan talking. Our Lord had kept silent, he
had never gone to the cross. If Paul had kept silent, he would
have never lost his head. If John the Baptist had just
kept his mouth shut, he could have been chaplain to King Herod. Herod would have made him chaplain.
He liked that old boy, but he didn't like what he preached.
So he opened his mouth one day and he cut his head off. These
kind of feelings, this kind of compromise, has kept many people
in the wrong place and under the wrong influence for a long
time. But thank God Moses finally grew up. He finally grew up. It was thrust upon him. But he
began to think, this is not right. He began to, for the first time,
he grew up, he began to go out there among his brethren. He
knew that there were all these years he was lying over there
in the lap of luxury and the pleasures of sin and enjoying
all of these things of Egypt. And one day he went out there,
he came to years, and he went out there and walked among his
people and made some decisions. Look at verse 25 of Hebrews 11.
Moses, when he grew up, he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's
daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people
of God, and to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. There was a choice to be made
by Moses. We're not talking about a fellow
who didn't have a choice to make. Most of these Israelites were
where they were, not by choice. Most of them were where they
were because they were born there and they couldn't get out of
it. But Moses made a choice. Moses took a look at Egypt and
took a look at Israel, and he made a choice. Now Moses was
a man of great education. Let's turn to Acts 7 again. Let's
look at this verse 22 a moment, Acts 7.22. And Moses was learned
in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in words and
deeds. He was? Oh, he was great. He was a man of great education,
he was a man of great rank. He was a great poet. Psalm 90,
read that sometime, Moses wrote that. Moses was a man of great
ability. He proved that by ruling over
3 million people in a wilderness for 40 years under the greatest
hardships. He kept them together. A man
of great ability. a man of great wisdom, a man
of great education, a man of great rank, a man who was a great
man with words, a great poet, who was a writer. I want you to consider what this
great man left. First of all, how many friends
do you suppose he had in Egypt? Forty years now. How many friends
did he have? And he wasn't the run-of-the-mill,
he was the leader. He was the son of Pharaoh's daughter. How many friends do you think
he had? How much wealth do you suppose he had accumulated, with
all the influence now of Pharaoh behind him, his grandson? I don't
have but two, and I spoil them right. But you think how Pharaoh
felt toward this young man. This man of power and education
and wisdom and influence and wealth, you think of the wealth
he had. I want to ask you something.
How much recognition do you suppose he had? Everybody knew him. Moses couldn't step out the door
without everybody knowing who he was. Somebody said one time,
there's charm in the society of the important. Doesn't it
feel good when you're walking down the street and the man that
owns this shop says, Bob, hi there Cecil. Man, when the mayor
comes by and says good morning, you yell. Chief of police waves
at you, the fire chief, you know, the superintendent of education,
you know, you're somebody. You're not anybody compared to
who Moses was. He was Mr. Somebody. How much
fleshly pleasure do you suppose Moses was enjoying at this time?
Forty years old, right in the prime of his life, living in
the lap of luxury, everything he wanted, when he wanted it,
wherever he wanted it, nothing was beyond his reach, nothing. And I want you to consider the
choice he made now. He left all that and chose what? to suffer the affliction. I tell you, the people that he
went with, there was nothing attractive about Israel. My soul,
these people were wretchedly poor. They weren't just poor,
they were wretchedly poor. The people he chose to side with
and cast his lot with were wretchedly poor. They were nothing in the
world but brickmakers. Though a prince, Moses was a
prince. But here he must share a common
cause with the poorest, poorest, poorest of people. A common cause. He became one with that. And
I'm sure he recognized this. There were many among those Israelites
that brought no glory to God. Oh, I'm sure their faults were
immeasurable. They were raised slaves, and
you know what slaves were like. Ignorant, crude, untactful. He wasn't going among a... You
know, they show it on the movies now, here he was among a people
that were just panting after God and seeking after God. Moses
chose to be identified with a pack of fools, is what most of them
were. But he knew this, Egypt, with
all its butchers, didn't know God. And he knew that Israel,
with all its faults, was God's people. Moses knew them. I know where God's not, and I
know where God is. And he didn't judge the Lord
by the faults of his people. If he had judged the Lord God
by the faults of Israel, Now you just keep on naming them,
you talk about rebels. If Moses had judged God by the
thoughts of his people, he would have never walked with God. He
would have stayed over there in Egypt where there were men
of tact and talent and wisdom and authority and influence and
all this. Israel had nothing. But Israel had God, and Moses
knew it. God was with them, and that was
why he went with them. God was with them. And it's for us to try the Spirit
in this matter of worshiping, in this matter of church Where
is the Sovereign Christ recognized as the head? Where? You find
that place. People may not be all that you
think they ought to be, but where is the Sovereign Christ recognized
as the head? Where are the scriptures? Not
our interpretation of them, not our slant, but the scriptures
recognized and received as the rule of faith. Where is the gospel
of redemption, of substitution, the gospel of Christ and our
completion in him? Christ, in whom dwelleth all
the fullness of the Godhead bodily, Christ in his incarnation, in
his identification, in his substitution, in his resurrected power, in
his intercessory glory, where is he preached? Where are the
doctrines of grace clearly defined? so as to leave no one with any
doubt of who the Savior is. Where are the ordinances scripturally
practiced as they were taught by the Master? Where does God
get the glory in redeeming sinners? You find out where it is and
you identify with him, you'll be a Moses. You get out of Pharaoh's
court. You quit walking with the priest
of Baal, quit supporting the priest of Baal. If we support
the priest of Baal and continue to walk with the priest of Baal,
we'll be judged with the priest of Baal. There's nothing beautiful about
Israel except God was with them. They were wretched, they were
poor, they were uncouth. There were so many faults to
be found among them, but God was with them. Moses wanted to
be where God is. I'll tell you this, that's where
I want to be. I'm uncomfortable, and I believe you will be, too,
once you grow up. You will be most uncomfortable
in the company of those who hate your God. Why did Moses make this choice?
That's my third and last question. Why? Well, I know what the popular
opinion is, but it's not so. I know the popular opinion is
this, that he was an Israelite by birth and he felt pity for
his brethren. That's not what the Bible says.
It goes a whole lot deeper than that. It was not fleshly birth. Grace
goes a lot deeper than natural blood. You know what, look at
Hebrews 11, let's see why. Verse 24, by faith Moses, by
faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called
the son of Pharaoh's daughter. Why? By faith, by faith. That's the reason, that's what
motivated him, faith. It was faith in God. It wasn't
because he was an Israelite. It wasn't because his mama was
an Israelite. I've known some godly people
to have ungodly sons. And I've known some ungodly people
to have some godly sons. Because sin may run in the blood
of man, but righteousness does not. It was faith in God that made
this decision for Moses. He believed God, just like Abraham,
he believed God. Abraham's father was an idolater,
but Abraham believed God. Moses knew in his heart that
there was one God, Jehovah. Oh, somebody said that men, oh,
that God would give us faith, that God would give men faith
to believe there's one God, and that one God is a sovereign Lord
of heaven and earth, and he is not to be worshiped by ceremonies
and legalism. that he is to be worshipped in
spirit and in truth, and that will destroy your images and
idols and false gods quicker than anything. When a man comes
to faith in the living God, he cannot any longer fall before
the dead idols of this world. That's the first reason why Moses
made this decision. It was a decision of faith. Faith
not in himself, faith not in Israel, faith in God. faith in
God. Secondly, verse 26, by faith,
Moses, verse 26, esteeming the riches of Christ, greater riches than the treasures
of Egypt. Moses, the faith of Moses rested
in Christ. I'm not with you here, I don't
understand. When Moses lived, Christ had
not yet come. That's true, but Christ had been
promised. Turn back to Hebrews 11.13. These all died in faith, not
having received the promises in reality, literally, in revelation
of the flesh. But having seen them afar off,
what promises? The promises of redemption, the
promises of God's mercy, the promises of the Messiah, the
promises of the Christ. That woman at the well told Christ,
Messiah is coming, and when he comes, oh what a day. Simeon
waited for the consolation of Israel. Moses wrote, and God
will raise up a prophet from the midst of the brethren. You
listen to him. Isaiah wrote, he was wounded
by transgression, he was bruised by iniquities. Abraham Christ
said, some are dead, but he rejoiced. Oh yeah, he's exactly right here. Moses made this decision by faith,
and he made this decision knowing that even the reproaches of Christ
are better than the riches of this world. Moses knew the promise
given to his fathers, Moses knew of the seed of Abraham, Moses
knew of the Messiah, and Moses knew that the trials and suffering
and reproaches that he would bear in being identified with
God's people were more to be embraced and desired than the
best thing Egypt could offer. This world can offer the flesh
a whole lot. The only thing this world can
offer the soul is damnation. This world can offer the flesh
much comfort, the soul much misery. It all depends on which one you
are most interested in. Moses was interested in his soul.
David said, I'd rather be the doorkeeper. in the house of God
and to dwell as a son or a king in the house of the wicked. Yes, sir, the reproaches, the
hatred of this world is better to be desired, the hatred of this world, than
the love of this world. The hatred of all men for Christ's
sake is better to be desired than the praise of this world.
Moses grew up, he came to maturity, and he weighed this thing. The
reproaches of Christ, the trials of faith, the suffering and affliction
of God's people, the persecution and hatred, and all of these
things, men avoiding it, offensive, Casting out your name, lost his
mind, saw Paul, much learning made you mad, your courage is
a loon, your family turning against you. That's better to be desired
than all the riches that Egypt could possibly offer. That's
what made him make that decision. Thirdly, if you look at verse
26, the last line, unto the recompense of the reward. What's that say? Moses looked
forward to the day of reckoning. Moses knew there was going to
be a judgment. That's what he knew. It's what
I said some time ago, that everything that we have ought to be measured
and weighed and valued in the light of that day. Judgment,
when God shall call men to account. Bring all of your worldly treasures,
and let's see how they endure the judgment of that day. You know, David had a lot of
problems with that. Turn to Psalm 73. In Psalm 73,
it says over there, and this would do well to read the whole
thing, but David talked about verse 3. Verse 2, as for me,
my feet were almost gone. Psalm 73, my steps had well now
slipped. Why, David, I was in this at
the foolish when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. There are no bands
in their death. Their strength is firm. They
are not in trouble as other men. They are not plagued like other
men. The wicked pride compasses them about as a chain. Violence
covers them as a garment. Their eyes stand out with fatness.
They have more than the heart could wish. They're corrupt.
They speak wickedly concerning oppression. They speak loftily.
They set their mouths against heaven. They take God's name
in vain. Their tongues walk through the earth. Therefore his people
return hither, and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them.
And they say, How doth God know? Is there knowledge in the Most
High God? Behold, these ungodly, they prosper in the world, they
increase in riches. Have I cleansed my heart in vain?
Have I washed my hands in innocency all day long? I have been plagued
and chastened and tried. Verse 16, when I thought to know
this, it was too painful for me, until I went into the Sanctuary
of God, and then I understood their end. I saw the judgment. "'Surely,' God said, "'Surely
thou didst set them in slippery places, thou castest them down
into destruction, how are they brought into desolation, as in
a moment they are utterly consumed with terror?' That influenced
Moses a whole lot. By faith, Moses believed God,
the living God. Moses knew that the poverty of
the people of God was better than all the riches Egypt could
offer, and Moses took a good, hard, long look at the judgment,
which appointed unto men once to die, and after that And then fourthly, verse 27,
watch this, "...by faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath
of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible."
Moses had seen the Lord. He had seen the Lord. He didn't feel the wrath of the
King because he had by faith seen the Lord, the King of kings
and the Lord of lords. That's what Job, when he read
and he prayed while ago, grant to us eyes of faith to see him
who is invisible. Because once you see him, once
you see him, he that seeth the sun and believeth on him hath
eternal life. And these folks that are walking
in darkness, and you try to show them, look, here is the way,
here is the truth, here is the light. It's like trying to point
out a beautiful, multicolored rainbow to a blind man who can't
see it. It's like trying to get a deaf
man to appreciate the sounds of a philharmonic orchestra who
can't hear it. He said, Oh, he that heareth my word, he that
seeth the Son, he that heareth my word, he that believeth on
me. All of these things fade into nothing because I've seen
the Lord. Moses could turn his back on
Egypt because he'd seen the Lord. He could turn his back on the
throne of Egypt because he'd seen the throne of holiness and
the throne of grace. And it's infinitely, infinitely,
infinitely more glorious. It makes that throne of Egypt
and the throne of this world's powers to be nothing in the world
but a trash dump. That's all it is. That prodigal
son sitting down there on the hall of fame. And you have to
think, he grew up. He said, they're hired servants
in my father's house better off than I am. Even the slaves in
my father's house better off than I am. I'm going to leave
this mess. I'm going home. And I'm going
to say, Father, I've sinned. I'm not worthy to be called thy
son. I'd just be glad to be your slave, because the slaves of
my Lord fare better than the kings of this world. That's what
did it. That's what changed the whole
thing. I can't do that. For you, you can't do that for
me, but God can do it. He did it for Moses. We've seen some things tonight,
some things that are most important to us. Moses wasn't the only
one who had his choice to make. Moses wasn't the only one who
had a decision to make. We did. By thy grace choosing
to suffer the afflictions and identification with thy gospel
and thy people, rather than to enjoy

Some Lessons from Moses' Decision

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

Joshua

Articles

Featured Authors

Podcast

Sermons

Featured Preachers

Books

Browse by Format

Music

Recent Comments

About

Legal

Subscribe

Account

Articles

Featured Authors

Podcast

Recent Comments

Sermons

Featured Preachers

Books

Browse by Format

Collections

Music

About

Legal

Subscribe

Some Lessons from Moses' Decision

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

More from Henry Mahan

Related Sermons

Articles by Henry Mahan

Books by Henry Mahan

Joshua

Where this book stands in the tradition

Plato

Augustine

The Western Christian Tradition

This Book