THE 

FAITH

OF MOSES

*

Heb. 11:24-28

Introduction:

1. It is good to remember that the faith of Moses is rooted in the faith of Jochebed and Amram......two unknown people of the slave crowd.  They exercised faith when they committed the baby to the river.  

2. Moses lived for 120 years.  breaking those years down as follows.

a. 40 years in the court as a prince.

b. 40 years in the wilderness as a shepherd.

c. 40 years in the wilderness  as the leader of a nation.  

THE GREAT RENUNCIATION BY FAITH:

A. Three words Describe the MENTAL PROCESS.

1. “refusing”

2. “choosing”

3. “Accounting”

4. “forsook”

B. Let’s develop the MENTAL PROCESS.

1. The final fact is that he REFUSED.  The question is “on what BASIS did he refuse.”  The basis is found in the word CHOOSING.  Question: How did he come to choose? He did this through ACCOUNTING

2. conclusion:  The final, the ultimate thing is that he REFUSED.  That which preceeded the refusing was the  “CHOOSING.” The choosing would take longer, but there was another ingredient which was  the ACCOUNTING.    [THIS IS THE MIND PROCESS]

C. The Three Words   [refusing, choosing, accounting]

1. ACCOUNTING:  word merely means “balancing things.”  It means to balance a thing inorder to come to a decision of some sort, putting this by the side of that, weighing the evidence on both sides.  For 40 years he watched, observed, looked at things, seeing his parents in slavery....he had been accounting.  

a. What did he see as he was accounting?  

1. “treasures of Egypt.” [now, this had to be something else...he could see them in all its glory...for he was a part of Egypt...nothing like the wealth,  power and spender of Egypt.

2. “the reproach of the Messiah”  [Moses found that these enslaved people had a hope of a Messiah, Deliverer...He like his parents had the ability to see this hope.  It is easy to see Hope when you have nothing. But here is Moses with everything and still able to see the “reproach of the Messiah”

b. what was his conclusion?  that the reproach of the Messiah among the oppressed people was greater than all the riches and power of Egypt.....and on this basis he refused. There he is accounting, weighing, pondering, thinking....and then he came to a decision which was:

2. CHOOSING:  He took for himself a definite decision and position....nothing vague and general like today...Moses choose to suffer affliction resulting from this Hope that He had within himself...than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. 

a. “pleasures of sin”  [Dr. Gordon of Boston wrote a hymn “My Jesus I love thee.”  In many books one of the verses reads “For thee all the follies of sin I resign.”  Dr. Gordon did not write the word ‘FOLLIES but his word was PLEASURES of sin.  What a stupid thing that some people say that there is no pleasure in sin.  OF COURSE THERE ARE PLEASURES IN SIN.  The Bible adds “for a season.”    

3. REFUSING:  this really was the easy part....the hard part was accounting and then choosing. “He refused to be called the son of Pharoah’s daughter.”  He refused all the possibilities created for him on the level of the world....and the power which was his.  

a. HOW DID HE DO THIS?  He had the ability to see THROUGH IT..he saw that it was fading, that it was for a season...He saw that was doomed .  He had Biblical faith which is the CONFIDENCE IN THINGS HOPED FOR AND HE CONVICTION OF THINGS UNSEEN....thus by  faith he refused. 

4. FORSOOK:  Now, this is the actual carrying out of faith...tangibly.  “by faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king.” 

a. When did this occur?  Some say that it was the hour after he had killed the Egyptian....and tried to deliver his compatriots who would not be delivered.....and then he went into the desert.  Others say that it refers to the actual exodus when he and his people forsook Egypt.  [I AM INCLINED TO THINK IT INCLUDES BOTH EVENTS]

1. He left first....when he went out and saw an Egyptian brutally treating a Hebrew.  He took the side of the Hebrew...even though he belonged to the Egyptian court....He fled to the desert for 40 years....as a nomad...taking care of sheep...a life of discipline and meditation...life of training...all unknown to Moses.  This was also the time when he saw the bush burning...and the call from God came to him.  When God called him he said, “who am I.”

2.  He left a second time..... with the Hebrew Nation out of  Egypt.. How?  “He endured as seeing Him who is invisible.”

Only when you, BY FAITH, look beyond this world,  can you SEE THE INVISIBLE GOD.