By Faith, Moses

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We are in a sermon series on prayer and faith.

Timothy Keller shares:

Thomas Oden, who teaches philosophical theology over here at Drew University, has a fascinating little article in which he says this is how the human heart works. He says, first, every person is goal-oriented. You can’t live if you don’t have something to look forward to. Secondly, all goals compete, so you can’t live unless you choose one goal as the center of value by which all other goals are judged, one bottom line by which all other goals are evaluated. Thirdly, he says if you choose a finite center of value, you’re always anxious.

I’ll even quote him. The way he puts it if I can find it quickly, he says, “Anxiety becomes neurotically intensified to the degree that I have idolized finite values …” He goes on. He says, “Suppose my center of value is my health or my political party [bad year] or sexual attractiveness or financial productivity. If my center of value is any of these things, when these things are under threat, and they always are if I think about it, I am shaken to the depths. Therefore, I try not to think in order to keep my peace.”

Do you see what he’s saying? He was saying if you choose anything but God, anything but an infinite source of value, center of value, you’re shakable, and Moses figured that out. He says, “I will be as durable as the thing I love most in life. If I decide the most important thing is I have to have somebody to love me, I will do whatever it takes to get somebody to love me. I’d like to obey the Ten Commandments, but if I have to disobey the Ten Commandments to get somebody to love me, that’s the center of my value.”[1]

So, where is our faith? Is our confidence in God amighty?

So, now, let’s look at Moses’s faith.

My theme is: Be like Moses, trust in God over fleeting pleasures of sin, look forward to the eternal reward, look to Jesus.

  1. By faith, Moses’s parents (Hebrews 11:23).

    1. “By faith” is repeated five times regarding Moses and his parents (Hebrews 11:23-30).
    2. Hebrews 11:23 (ESV)
    3. By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.
    4. We can see this in Exodus 2:2.
    5. We know what was going on. They were supposed to kill male babies, but they hid Moses.
  2. By faith, Moses refuses to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter (Hebrews 11:24).

    1. Why did Moses refuse to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter?
    2. He chose to endure ill treatment rather than the pleasures of sin (Hebrews 11:25).
    3. Hebrews 11:24–25 (ESV)
    4. 24 By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.
    5. He was raised and, to some extent, could claim to be from the house of Pharaoh.
    6. We see this in Exodus 2:10 and Exodus 2:11-25, which describe his identification with the Hebrew people.
    7. Moses preferred to identify with the Hebrew people.
    8. This meant being mistreated, but he chose that rather than fleeting pleasures of sin.
    9. Notice how the author describes sin as “fleeting.”
    10. It seems that Moses could have stayed in Egypt and clung to the Egyptian upbringing, but that would mean worthless sin.
  3. Moses looked to the reward, considering the suffering for Christ greater than the wealth of Egypt (Hebrews 11:26).

    1. Hebrews 11:26 (ESV)
    2. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.
    3. This completely follows Exodus 2:11 and continues through Exodus 3.
    4. He was willing to suffer reproach, that is, disappointment, disapproval.
    5. Notice how the author says he would suffer this for Christ, even though Jesus had not come yet.
    6. He still suffered for Christ, as Jesus is outside of time. Jesus was active in the Old Testament, and suffering for the Lord is suffering for Christ.
    7. One source shares:
    8. What does Christ have to do with Moses’s rejection of Egypt? The storyline of Scripture rests squarely on the promise of a coming Messiah. The author of Hebrews demonstrates that Moses’s mistreatment ultimately pointed to Jesus, the very Messiah who would come to redeem his people. Moses himself wrote that a prophet would come who was greater than he and who would fulfill God’s promises (Deut 18:15–22). The covenant promises, in which these Old Testament saints believed, all find fulfillment in Jesus (2 Cor 1:20). Moses, therefore, was looking for the One who would redeem Israel, and the reproach he endured because he identified with the Israelites bore witness to the reproach Christ would bear for his people.[2]
  4. By faith, Moses leaves Egypt (Hebrews 11:27).

    1. Hebrews 11:27 (ESV)
    2. 27 By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible.
    3. This is all in Exodus 2:11 and Exodus 3.
    4. He chose not to fear the king because he focused on the One Who Is invisible. This connects with Hebrews 11:1: Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
    5. He was focused on Yahweh.
    6. One source shares:
    7. Note the parallel with Joseph. Moses, like Joseph, knew that Egypt was not his home; it was not the promised land. He left because he believed God’s promises to Israel.
    8. Verse 27 is a reminder of a basic biblical principle: we must decide whose anger we fear more—the anger of the world and its governing authorities, or the anger of the Lord, the One who will judge the living and the dead. Moses clearly understands who God is: the Lord, sovereign over all. Thus, Moses did not fear Pharaoh. Instead, he followed God.[3]
    9. He kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood (Hebrews 11:28).
    10. Hebrews 11:28 (ESV)
    11. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them.
    12. Moses had to trust in the Lord as the Passover was established. This was in Exodus 12:1-32. God was going to kill the firstborn, but for those with lamb’s blood sprinkled on the doors, they would be spared.
    13. As one source shares:
    14. The substitution pictured in the Passover foreshadowed the final perfect Lamb who would be slain for the forgiveness of those who put his blood on the doorpost of their hearts by faith (Isa 53:7; Matt 27:14; Acts 8:26–40). Led by Moses, the Israelites kept the Passover, not doubting that God would keep his promise to them. The death of the firstborn son would have ended the covenant promise to Abraham. But Israel’s firstborn were protected. Why? Because Moses did not waver in availing himself of the substitutionary sacrifice God provided. He trusted God to be faithful.[4]
    15. I like how Tim Keller looks at this idea:
    16. In your effort to get rid of this idea of the wrath of God, in order to come up with a more loving concept of God, you have come up with a less loving concept of God. Don’t you know? What did he do there for you? The reason the destroyer did not go in to the doors where there was blood was because the destroyer saw the blood had already been shed. The sword had already come down. Destruction had already happened, so the destroyer didn’t go in. It was the wrath that had already fallen that turned away the destroyer.
    17. God never takes two payments for the same sin. One payment has to be made. When Jesus Christ was on the cross, it got dark outside, but that was nothing like the darkness that happened inside his heart. A lot of people want to know what happened on the cross. What was so bad? If you don’t understand him as the Lamb of God, if you don’t understand what he did on the cross was he took the wrath of God … I’ll tell you what happened on the cross. The destroyer, the wrath of God, came to his door and went in.[5]
    18. By faith, he crossed the Red Sea (Hebrews 11:30).
    19. Hebrews 11:29 (ESV)
    20. 29 By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned.
    21. This jumps ahead to Exodus 14:10-31.
    22. Imagine the faith this would take. They had to walk into the water and believe, have faith, that the sea would not fall back on them.
    23. It took faith to walk through the Red Sea, with walls of water on each side (Ex. 14:10–31), relying only on God’s promise (Ex. 14:1–4, 15–18).[6]
  5. Applications:

    1. Moses’s parents had faith as they trusted the Lord with their son.
    2. Do we trust the Lord with our children? God can keep our children safe.
    3. Moses chose mistreatment with the Israelites. Can we choose to identify with Christ, even if things don’t go as well for us? Can we do the right thing? Can we have integrity? Can we tell the truth? Can we have biblical ethics? Can we put Christ first?
    4. Do we trust Jesus as greater and the rewards of Jesus as worth waiting for?
    5. Moses chose mistreatment rather than sin in Egypt. Wow!
    6. Piper helps us apply this:
    7. At first, lust begins to trick me into feeling that I would really miss out on some great satisfaction if I followed the path of purity. But then I take up the sword of the Spirit and begin to fight.
    8. I read that it is better to gouge out my eye than to lust (Matthew 5:29).
    9. I read that if I think about things that are pure and lovely and excellent, the peace of God will be with me (Philippians 4:8–9).
    10. I read that setting the mind on the flesh brings death, but setting the mind on the Spirit brings life and peace (Romans 8:6).
    11. I read that lust wages war against my soul (1 Peter 2:11), and that the pleasures of this life choke out the life of the Spirit (Luke 8:14).
    12. But best of all, I read that God withholds no good thing from those who walk uprightly (Psalm 84:11), and that the pure in heart will see God (Matthew 5:8).[7]
    13. Can we trust Jesus in uncharted territory? They walked the Red Sea, trusting God would hold the water back.
    14. Are any of you in a Red Sea experience now? Maybe you are trusting the Lord step-by-step, not knowing how, but trusting the Lord is guarding your future.

This is all about faith, about trust. We see that the people smeared the blood on the doorpost. A lamb was slain to keep them alive.

What do we do with our sin?

Tim Keller:

The glory of God is not that his mercy doesn’t need payment, but his mercy makes the payment. God is not like these ancient gods where you had to sacrifice to them to turn aside their wrath, like Agamemnon in The Iliad. He’s not getting good winds. He can’t get to Troy, so what does he do? He sacrifices his daughter. The gods say, “Okay, I’m appeased,” and then they let him go.[8]

However, in the Christian view, God makes His own payment. Jesus took our place on the cross (2 Cor. 5:21).

  1. Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013). ↑
  2. R. Albert Mohler Jr., Exalting Jesus in Hebrews (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2017), 189. ↑
  3. R. Albert Mohler Jr., Exalting Jesus in Hebrews (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2017), 189. ↑
  4. R. Albert Mohler Jr., Exalting Jesus in Hebrews (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2017), 190. ↑
  5. Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013). ↑
  6. Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2381. ↑
  7. Excerpt from “Future Grace” pages 335-336. Piper, John. Solid Joys devotional, July 23.

    https://www.desiringgod.org/solid-joys/how-to-defy-sinful-desire?utm_campaign=Daily%20Email&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=91594934&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9CHEZ88bDKcBClp1CrGtH-FSxAMwp0VQ3QdnIQLJ0dkDEYPOb4cAUL98kVSC5cHPbT6Lu_rsVfHulCVBR4BhKXd26jLw&utm_content=91594934&utm_source=hs_email ↑

  8. Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013). ↑

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