Let's turn again in our Bibles
to Hebrews chapter 11. Tonight, we're looking at verses
23 through 31. Hebrews chapter 11, verse 23. By faith, Moses, when he was
born, was hid three months of his parents because they saw
he was a proper child and they were not afraid of the king's
commandment. By faith, Moses, when he was
come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter,
choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to
enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. esteeming the reproach
of Christ's greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, for he
had respect unto the recompense of the reward. By faith he forsook
Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured as
seen him who is invisible. Through faith he kept the Passover
and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn
should touch them. By faith, they passed through
the Red Sea as by dry land, which the Egyptians had said to do,
were drowned. By faith, the walls of Jericho
fell down after they were compassed about seven days. By faith, the
harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not when she
had received the spies with peace. As you read through this 11th
chapter, we might be tempted to say, look at how great faith
is. But the truth is, we should say,
look at how great the Lord is. It's not our faith, but it is
rather God himself who does exploits and shows himself mighty on behalf
of his children. As we've looked at the various
Old Testament elders listed in this chapter so far, beginning
with Abel, who all received a good report by faith. We've seen various
aspects of faith. In the verses I've just read
tonight, we see how that faith may deliver from the fear of
man. That's the topic in these verses,
how that faith may deliver from the fear of man. If you notice
in verse 23, the parents of Moses, we are told, were not afraid
of the king's commandment. Then in verse 27, Moses, not
fearing the wrath of the king. Then in verse 31, though we do
not read of Rahab not fearing, we know that she didn't when
she received the spies. So first, the parents of Moses
and their faith, verse 23. By faith, Moses, when he was
born, was hid three months of his parents because they saw
he was a proper child and they were not afraid of the king's
commandment. Their lot, the parents of Moses,
their lot was to live in very difficult times, very difficult
days. They were slaves in the land
of Egypt, and Pharaoh the king, who was a despot, who had complete
control, he charged the people saying, every son told the Israelites,
every son that is born you shall cast into the river, and every
daughter you shall save alive. We know that he charged the midwives
who waited upon the Israelites, he charged them, but they disobeyed
his command. You know, God's people, we are
to obey the civil rulers. The Apostle Peter, in his first
letter, said, Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for
the Lord's sake, whether it be to the king, as supreme, or unto
governors. And then, of course, the Apostle
Paul, in Romans chapter 13, where he speaks about every power that
is, is ordained of God. He said, Let every soul be subject
unto the higher powers, for there is no power but of God. the powers
that be ordained of God. But when the power, when the
power, when the civil ruler commands to do that which God has commanded
not to be done or not to do what God has commanded to be done,
then what is a believer to do? Peter answered that question.
In the book of Acts, he answered that question when the religious
rulers commanded them, Peter and John, not to preach anymore
in Jerusalem, not to preach the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. And Peter answered him, and this
is the answer concerning when we are commanded to do something
that God has commanded us not to do or not to do something
that he has commanded us to do. Whether it be right in the sight
of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge you. For
we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
The Lord Jesus Christ had commanded Peter and John to preach. And
though the civil rulers, the religious rulers of that time,
commanded them not to preach, not to preach the gospel, They
answered, you be the judge, but we cannot but speak the things
which we have seen and heard. The midwives, you read about
this in Exodus chapter two, one and two, the midwives disobeyed
the king. And this is what we read about
them. It came to pass because the midwives feared God. They
feared God more than they feared the king. The midwives feared
God that he made them houses. In other words, they obeyed God
rather than Pharaoh and God made them houses. God protected them,
God preserved them in Israel. So the parents of Moses, by faith,
as this scripture here tells us, disobeyed Pharaoh, and they
hid his son. You know, there's three arcs,
I believe, that are mentioned in the Word of God, and one of
those that is mentioned is the arc in which they hid their son
Moses. And when you read about that,
isn't it amazing to see how that the Lord provided for their son? When they did what God had commanded,
that is, God has commanded not to take the life of another person. We don't have that right, and
I'm thankful we don't. We don't want that right. That's
God's right. He is the one who gives life
and takes life. He's the author of life. When
they obeyed God and they hid their son as long as they could
in their house, And then I'm sure like most little children,
he started making noise and got to the place where he would be
exposed and then they would be exposed. So they made that ark
and put their son in it and put it in the river. And isn't it
amazing when you think about the providence of God in supplying
and taking care of their son, how that Pharaoh's daughter came
down to the river to bathe, and she found him. And she had compassion
on him. She recognized that it was one
of the Israelites' sons, but that heart that she had, who
gave her that heart to have compassion upon this boy? We know it was the Lord. And
so then, what's even to me more amazing, Here's his sister standing
a little distance, I assume, and when she saw that Pharaoh's
daughter had taken the boy and wanted to keep the boy, needed
someone to nurse the boy, then she goes and volunteers Moses'
mother. And I'm sure Pharaoh's daughter
paid his mother to do what she delighted in doing. All in God's
providence. and how that in Pharaoh's house,
God was raising up the man that he would call to deliver the
slaves, Israelites, out of the land of Egypt. Have you ever
thought about this? Now, they weaned their children
at different ages. We're reading recently about
Samuel when Hannah weaned him and took him to the temple. to
the tabernacle and presented him to Eli. Well, he wasn't a
baby. If she had taken a baby, a Samuel,
if he had been one or two or three years old, he wouldn't
have been any help to Eli. He would have been someone who
needed help. So we're not certain. I've read
different authors who say different ages when the Israelite women
weaned their children and what that word wean really means.
But I know this, that when the mother of Moses took him home
that day to nurse him, to take care of him, she knew that she
had a limited amount of time to teach her son. She had a limited
amount of time to teach him when he was old enough to be taught.
And remember Paul said this about Timothy, from a child, thou hast
fully known the scriptures. And yes, from a child, no doubt
his mother knew she had to take advantage of every day she had
with her boy, because the time would come, and it did come,
when he would no longer be in her house, he would be in the
courts of Pharaoh. And so she taught him, no doubt,
about his people, that is Israel, about their God, and about the
promises, the covenant promises that he had made with their forefathers,
with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. No doubt she taught him that
God had promised them the land of Canaan, that they were not
always going to be slaves in Egypt, that God had set a time,
430 years, I believe it was, or 450 years, from the time that God made that
promise to Abraham, and they were coming out. I encourage
you to read through the Scriptures. I try to read through the Bible
every year. I know that's probably not possible
for everyone, but every time you read through the Scriptures,
you just see new things. They're not new, they've been
there all the time, but I've just been reading through this
part of Exodus in the last week, and it's always such a a blessing
to read God's Word and to know that the God we serve tonight,
the God we worship tonight, He's the same God. He hasn't changed. He's the same yesterday, today,
and forever. And so we too, when we, if we
find ourselves in this position that His parents were in, when
to obey the king, that's what the command was, but by faith
they disobeyed the king. By faith, trusting in God to
provide for them and to take care of them. And we see God
did just that. Now, the second part, Moses and
faith. So that's his parents, the faith,
the parents of Moses and their faith. It enabled them not to
fear man. You know, the scripture says,
the fear of man bringeth a snare. And the faith that they had,
by faith, by believing in God, seeing God as their strength,
as their protection, as their shield, as their everything.
Then they didn't fear the wrath of the king. Now, second, Moses
and his faith in verses 24 through 29. By faith, Moses, when he was
come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter,
choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to
enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, esteeming the reproach
of Christ's greater riches than the treasures of Egypt, for he
had respect unto the recompense of the reward. By faith, he forsook
Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured as
seeing him who is invisible. Through faith he kept the Passover
and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn
should touch them. By faith they passed through
the Red Sea, as by dry land, which the Egyptians, the same
to do, were drowned. One writer wrote, unlike his
parents, Moses, unlike his parents, Moses was not resisting an unjust
edict, but he was rejecting an ungodly lifestyle. As the son
of Pharaoh's daughter, all the advantages of the kingdom of
Egypt was his. All that comes with wealth, all
that comes with power to feed the vanity of the flesh, it was
all his. It was all at his fingertips. It was all at his disposal. But at the age close to 40, he
made a choice. He made a choice which forever
changed his life. If he had not made the choice
that he did, we wouldn't be reading about him tonight. Number one,
he chose to identify with the people of God rather than be
called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. Now to be identified with the
people of God, we live in a time, we love to be identified with
God's people, don't we? With those who believe in Christ,
those who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, but think When he identified
with the people of God, the people of God were slaves. They were
slaves. And yet he chose to identify
with them rather than to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter.
And most of the writers, whether this is so or not, we cannot
be sure, but most of the writers at least suggest that Moses would
have become the Pharaoh. When this pharaoh who was reigning
at this time, when he passed away, that Moses, so he's not
only rejecting being identified with the Egyptians, but maybe
even the throne, the throne of Egypt. And Egypt at that time
was the most powerful nation, I suppose, on the face of the
earth, as far as we know, the most powerful nation. But that's
the first thing he did. He chose not to be called the
son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to identify with the
people of God. And second, he chose a life of
affliction rather than one of ease. The pleasures of sin, we
read here, the pleasures of sin are said to be for a season. By faith, by faith, he was able
to take the long The short look was the pleasures of sin for
a season. The long look was eternity separated
from God. He was able to take the long
look. Our Lord said, for what shall
it profit a man if he gained the whole world and lose his
own soul? Moses, by faith, turned his back on the pleasures
of sin for a season. And then third, he chose the
reproach of Christ, greater riches than the treasures of Egypt.
Now to understand what is meant in that verse of scripture, we must jump ahead, I believe,
to verse 27. When it says in verse 26, esteeming
the reproach of Christ's greater riches and the treasures of Egypt,
for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. I believe to understand
that we've got to look at verse 27, the end of it, where we say
that by faith, he saw him who is invisible. He saw him who
is invisible. Now that verse, verse 27, speaks
of a later date. In fact, 40 years later. I understand
that. But still to understand what
is meant by esteeming the reproach of Christ, I believe that like
Abraham, he saw Christ's day and rejoiced. By faith, Moses saw him who was
invisible. Now the reproach of Christ means
his rejection. The rejection of Christ. The
rejection that Christ suffered when he came into this world. When people, and I've had people
ask me this question, I would imagine you have too, just how
much did these Old Testament saints know about Christ? And
what is said of all those listed in this chapter? Just how much
did they know about Christ? Well, I think they knew more
than what we might imagine. Abraham, as I've already said,
and the Lord said, he saw my day. Abraham, Moses, we see here,
he saw him who was invisible. He saw Christ. And if you look
down to verse 35, All of the people, all of these
elders that are mentioned in this chapter, notice what it
says at the end, that they might obtain a better resurrection. All of them, all of these believers,
beginning with Abel, and Noah, and Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob,
and Sarah, and Moses, they all understood a resurrection. Now, none of the heathen philosophers
believed in a resurrection of the body. All the great philosophers,
the Greek philosophers, many of them, or some of them at least,
they did believe in an eternity, living in eternity, the soul
at least, but none of them ever believed that the body is going
to be raised. And yet these did, these believers
did. They knew somehow it was revealed
unto them that yes, the salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ, it's
a perfect salvation. Not only our souls are saved,
but our bodies too. Our bodies are going to be raised
in that day. Going to be a new body, yes.
But it is a resurrection of the body. It's not a creation of
a new body. It is a resurrection of the old
body. How did they know that? God revealed
it to them. That's the only way they could
have known it. Now, if you look at verse 27,
and I've already said that this refers to 40 years later. By faith, he forsook Egypt. Now
notice, not fearing the wrath of the king. This is the reason
I say this refers to 40 years later. What was written up to
verse 27 referred to the time when he was about 40 years of
age. But that time, he did fear. Look back with me, if you will,
to the book of Exodus chapter two. The first time he left Egypt,
we are told that he did fear. Chapter two and verse 11. And it came to pass in those
days when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren
and looked unto his brethren and looked on their burdens,
and he spied an Egyptian smiting a Hebrew. Notice this, one of
his brethren. He identified with the people
of Israel, the people of God. And he looked this way and that
way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian,
hid him in the sand. And when he went out the second
day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together. And he said
to him that did the wrong, wherefore smitest thou thy fellow? And
he said, who made thee a prince and a judge over us? Intendest
thou to kill me as thou killest the Egyptian? And Moses feared and said, surely this thing is
known. Now, when Pharaoh heard this
thing, he sought to slay Moses, but Moses fled from the face
of Pharaoh and dwelt in the land of Midian, and he sat down by
a well. But our text here tonight tells
us, verse 27, by faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath
of the king. The first time he forsook Egypt,
yes, he did fear, but not when he came back when God called
him and sent him back, and especially after God took the lives of all
of the firstborn in the houses of the Egyptians. He had no cause
to fear Pharaoh that time because Pharaoh came to him and told
him, rise up. and get you forth from among
my people, both you and the children of Israel. Go serve the God,
go serve the Lord as you have said." So he didn't fear the
second time when he left Egypt, because the Egyptians were calling
upon him to leave. They were in sorrow, having lost
the firstborn in their houses, where the blood of sprinkling
had saved the Israelites, the firstborn in their houses, the sprinkling of the blood of
the Passover lamb. That's the greatest type of redemption
in the Old Testament, isn't it? The greatest type of redemption
by blood, redemption by substitute is the Passover, the sprinkling
of the blood of the Passover lamb. It was typical of the blood of
Christ being sprinkled upon the hearts and consciences of his
people, whereby we are purified through faith, which blood is
looked upon by Jehovah so that justice passes them by. When
I see the blood, I will pass over thee. And when God sees
the blood, of his son which is sprinkled upon the hearts of
his people, his justice passes over. Why? Because his justice
has already been satisfied. When others are destroyed, nothing
can hurt God's people who are under the blood, the blood of
the crucified one. And we are told here in Hebrews
11, by faith they passed through the Red Sea on dry land. When
they started out and they came to the sea, they were afraid,
the Israelites were. They chatted with Moses saying,
you brought us out here into the wilderness, were there not
graves in Egypt? You brought us out here. They
could see the Egyptians coming. They were shut in and God led
them to that place. The scripture tells us he did
not lead them by way of the Philistines because they would have had to
go to battle immediately. But he led them out into this
particular place where in a way they were shut in. The mountains
on the sides and the Red Sea before them and the armies of
Pharaoh coming after them. And what happens? Stand still
and see the salvation of the Lord. And God opened up the sea,
and so they passed through on dry land. And then the Egyptians,
they say, to do the same thing. Remember that pillar of fire
and cloud that was leading them? It moved back behind the Israelites
and came between the Israelites and the Egyptians. And the Egyptians,
when they came to the Red Sea, they thought they'd just drive
through on dry ground too. But you know the story. And everyone
was destroyed. And my friends, think of those
soldiers, all of them destroyed, as your sins. Those of you who believe in the
Lord Jesus Christ, your sins put away. in the Red Sea of Christ's
blood, just like all of those soldiers were destroyed. And then the third, Rahab. We
read by faith also in verse 31. By faith, a harlot Rahab perished
not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies
with peace. What an example is Rahab. to God's free and sovereign grace. What an example she is. Look back with me to Joshua chapter
2. What a beautiful, beautiful picture,
example of God's sovereign grace in saving sinners. Joshua chapter
2, verse 9 and 10. And she said unto the men, that
is, unto the Israelites, the spies, I know, now notice, I
know. She's not doubtful. I know. I know that the Lord hath given
you the land and that your terror is fallen upon us and that all
the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. Notice, how did
she know? For we have heard Faith cometh
by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. She said, I know,
for we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red
Sea for you when you came out of Egypt. Now that had happened
40 years before. Remember, they spent 40 years
in the wilderness. But the Canaanites, like Rahab,
they hadn't forgotten what they had heard. Never heard of anything
like this before, that the Red Sea or any sea had been dried
up for the people to cross through on dry land. I know, she said,
because I've heard. I heard the word. When you came
out of Egypt and what you did unto the two kings of the Amorites
that were on the other side of Jordan, Sinai and Og, whom you
utterly destroyed. And as soon as we had heard these
things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any
more courage in any man because of you." Now notice, for the
Lord your God. She had been raised in paganism,
polytheism, no doubt many gods in Jericho, but now she confesses
the Lord your God. He is God in heaven above and
in the earth beneath. I want to close with a story
I read several years ago about fear, about God's people and
fear. There's two young believers.
They had been friends and the Lord saved both of them, two
men. They hadn't been saved long.
And one day they met up and one told the other one, I have found
a precious promise in God's word. And he said, well, what is it?
Well, here it is. Psalm 56 in verse three. What time I am afraid I will
trust in thee. And they both rejoiced in that
promise. What time I am afraid I will
rejoice in thee. And sometime later they met up
again and the man who had heard that promise, he said, listen,
he said, I found a promise also in the word of God. And he said,
well, let me, let me hear it. What is it? Behold, God is my
salvation. I will trust and not be afraid. For the Lord Jehovah is my strength
and my song. He also has become my salvation. Yes, one had that promise, what
time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. But the other came back
with, I will trust and not be afraid. And why? Because the
Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song. He also has become my
salvation. I pray God would bless His word
to all of us here today, tonight. What a blessing it is to come
out and come together and read God's holy word and study God's
word together. Let us sing a verse of a hymn,
if you will, Bill. It's a precious thought that
our sins are all drowned in the sea of God's blood. The Red Sea
in the sea of the blood of Christ. Wow, praise the Lord. Let's sing
number 210, Saved by the Blood of the Crucified One. Saved by the blood of the Crucified
One Now ransom put sin and a new work begun Sing praise to the
Father and praise to the Son Saved by the blood of the Crucified
One Saved, saved My sins are all pardoned My guilt is all
gone Saved, saved