Moses Refusing, Choosing, Esteeming and Forsaking
Hebrews 11:24-3024By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; 25Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; 26Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. 27By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. 28Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them. 29By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned. 30By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days. (Hebrews 11:24‑30)
This whole chapter brings the varied phases of faith before us, and here we have the "refusing, choosing, esteeming" of Moses—and the "forsaking."
"By faith Moses when he was come to years"—that is maturity. Some translate it "when he became of age"—gained his maturity—the forty years. "By faith Moses when he was come to years, refused." A very few of us have come to years as Christians. We remain as it were at a certain kind of childhood—infancy, that is spiritually. We get that referred to in Corinthians and in another part of this epistle. The apostle said to the Corinthians, "I...could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ." There it is: babes in a sense of a state of weakness, or weakling. In the 5th chapter of Hebrews we read, "When for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For everyone that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe."
There is a test as to how near we have come to our maturity, come to years. It is a simple test, a very trying one: "By faith, when he was come to years, refused." He refused "to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter." He was brought up there in all the luxury and all the learning: "Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians." He has been in that house—that court—for forty years. He knew little or nothing outside of it. All at once he refuses, turns his back on the whole thing. He has come to years, and faith comes to years in that way, refuses in different ways, this poor world and all that it has to give. "Egypt" is the power of the world, and in that way we feel that it is a simple but searching test. Do we not feel our own infancy and the lack of coming to years?
The child of God should be continually growing. It says, "growing by the true knowledge of God" (JND Trans.). The actions of faith, or the path of faith, to the wisdom of this world is a very foolish thing. He would give up one thing and choose another. He gave up all that the world had to give; all that he was heir to as the son of Pharaoh's daughter! A child of the court of Egypt. What did he choose? That is very striking: "Rather to suffer affliction with the people of God." Now it may seem contradictory, a paradox, to say in one breath, as it were, a foolish, but wise course. You can hardly put those two things together. But from the standpoint of human wisdom what a foolish thing to give up the palatial home—that place in Pharaoh's court, as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. Here is a grown man now, able to enjoy it all, and he gave it up to identify himself with a suffering and afflicted people.
God was unknown in the court of Pharaoh. Whatever else might have been there, God was unknown in the court of Pharaoh. The Pharaoh of Genesis and the Pharaoh of Exodus are two different generations of Pharaohs morally. It says, "There arose another Pharaoh that knew not Joseph." In the time of Joseph, Egypt was friendly to the people of God, but in the time of Moses, Egypt was the oppressor of the people of God. They were an afflicted people, a nation of slaves. But faith never forms a wrong judgment whatever appearances might be. Faith is faith and always gets the mind of God.
"Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God." One says, "Wise and happy choice." What is the portion of the people of God in this world? Affliction. The path of faith always has been and always will be, in this world, a path of difficulty. There is no faith in heaven, but God's people as His people are an afflicted people. Then the great thing to know is how far we are willing to make this path of faith a path of choice. That is what we are called to. "Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God." God's people, to our shame and loss, have become so identified with the world that we do not know the affliction that is our due from the hand of the world, if we were faithful to our calling. There is such joining of hand in hand with Christians and the world or the church and the world—walking together. The communion, the intercourse with God, the spiritual or godly intelligence that should characterize us as the children of God is unknown in that path of walking hand in hand with the world, but it takes energy to make this choice. That is why we said at the opening that so few of us have come to years in spiritual experience.
"Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy." He gave up enjoyment, and such enjoyment, enjoyment of the court of Pharaoh, that place of dignity—known and called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He gave it up, "Choosing rather to suffer affliction .. . than to enjoy the pleasures of"—WHAT? SIN. Naturally, we all, every one of us, love the pleasures of sin. They are pleasant. They last "FOR A SEASON"—and a very short season.
Just now some lines come to mind from the "Little Flock" hymn book before it was revised. That hymn is not in the book now; it was taken out in 1881. The hymn began:
"How happy every child of grace,
Whose sins are all forgiven;
'This world,' he cries, 'is not my place
My happy home's in heaven.' "
Its evils in a moment end
Its joys as soon are past,
But all the bliss to which I tend
Eternally will last."
How transient! "The pleasures of sin which are but for a season" are given up for a path of affliction, the normal path for the child of God through this world. We often see the poor world looking upon us with pity and saying, "You do not know what you are losing." The path of faith is to this world a path of folly, but at the same time, while the poor world pities us, or the children of this world pity us, we pity them, and we say, "You do not know what you are losing."
When the prodigal in the far country came to the end of his own resources, he found degradation for his position and calling, and he found husks for his food. And that is all that this poor world has to give us. We crave it, but after all, it proves to be husks.
Many years ago a little article appeared in a well-known publication of those days called, "Things New and Old." In it a servant of God was giving an address to the young, and he alluded to Nelson's Monument in Trafalgar Square; some of us have seen it. It is quite a monument. But come closer home and go to Washington's monument in Washington. That is a monument to Washington, is it not? Nelson's monument is a monument to Nelson, but where is Nelson? Where is Washington? They are monuments to dead men. The very fact that the world raised monuments to them is a pretty sure proof that they held a pretty good place in its esteem. On the other hand, it is just as sure a proof that they knew very little of identification with the people of God. They do not raise monuments to living people but to dead, and as we often say, these monuments are to those who are where the monuments are not. We just refer to this to show "the pleasures of sin which are for a season."
Who ever thought of raising a monument to St. Paul? Not one of those apostles came to a natural death so far as we know. What has changed things so? Has the truth changed? Has the character of the Christian's calling changed? What has changed then? The Christian has identified himself with the world. The church of God which bears God's Name—the Name of Christ in this world—has a marked place in it, a place it never would have had had there been faithfulness. What the Lord says in Luke 12 would have been characteristic of them: "Fear not, little flock." Is Christendom a "little flock"?
All this tells us that a vast majority of us have not come to years. We have not known what it is to choose the path of the people of God, which is a path of affliction. "Pleasures of sin for a season," and as we have already said, at the longest, it is a short season after all. If the Lord tarry, many of us will soon be gone, but what are seventy-nine or eighty years compared to eternity? That is the proper way to estimate. Look things squarely in the face, and that is what the wisdom of faith does and makes its choice. That is a striking verse from the pen, as it were, of the Spirit of God: "Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season." When the Lord Jesus was about to leave the world, He left two things: "In the world ye shall have tribulation." It is not "Ye may have." Then He says, "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give unto you." There is a peace outside of all, peace in and through the tribulation. The apostle speaks to some young converts exhorting them that "through much tribulation ye must enter the kingdom of God." Why has the path of the children of God ceased to be a path of tribulation? It is because they got out of it. We all know it.
The next thing is, "Faith esteems." As we have said, Faith never makes a mistake. It is unbelief that makes mistakes. Esteeming what? "The reproach of Christ." That is a remarkable word: reproach of Christ. That is the character the Spirit of God gives to the suffering of the people of God, but that tells what the world is. We often say, to illustrate it, suppose you are on a train or streetcar, does it, or does it not take courage to take out your Testament and read it? If people see you reading your Bible on a streetcar or train, you are a marked man. That very fact isolates you. That all tells what the world is. You would not need courage to read your Bible in heaven, but you do here, and to confess the Name of Christ will bring reproach. It tells us what a difference there is between the earth and heaven—"Reproach of Christ." "They rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His sake." We should take these things to ourselves. We almost envy some (it may be natural courage) in tract distribution. We know it takes courage on our part, but that all tells, don't you see, the difference between this world and heaven. In heaven there will be no such thing as bearing reproach for Christ's sake. It is impossible. "If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye" (1 Peter 4:1414If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. (1 Peter 4:14)).
We read, "Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt." When the treasures of Egypt, and those who have possessed them have passed away, we will be enjoying the blessed and eternal result of having suffered reproach for Him.
Mr. Darby once remarked that the only man who is ashamed of his religion in this world is the man who has the true one. He said a Mohammedan will take his mat and drop down on his knees and pray. It is the Name of Christ that brings reproach. Who is ashamed to speak of President Lincoln or Grant in the company of the world? No one. It is an honor to be able to do so. But go into that same company and make mention of the Name of Christ. At once you feel you are out of place, and that Name has no place there. "The reproach of Christ." "If ye be reproached for the Name of Christ" 1 Peter 4:1414If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. (1 Peter 4:14). "If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you" John 15:2020Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. (John 15:20).
"For he had respect to the recompence of the reward." Faith looks on. Faith is wise. Faith says, "The pleasures of sin are for a season; the reward for the reproach of Christ is enduring." Notice the thought of that hymn of old Dr. Watts. "Ashamed of Jesus" is the beginning of each verse. How came Watts to write that hymn, "Ashamed of Jesus"? He felt it a little.
"Ashamed of Jesus, that dear Friend,
On Whom my hopes for heaven depend."
He felt the shame connected with it.
Notice verse 27: "By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing Him who is invisible." If we turn our backs on the world, we will get its wrath. Go on with it, seek to help it and improve it, and we will not. Take the place of a stranger or pilgrim just passing through. "Not fearing the wrath of the king." That is very striking, is it not? "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you... and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven." Is that not Matthew 5? "Shall put you out of their company" another passage says. If we are faithful to Christ, we will get the world's cold shoulder.
We might, just for a moment, refer to the last assembly addressed by the Lord, in the 3rd of Revelation. That is intensely solemn. So to speak, the Lord has just one thing to complain of, and that is He has the outside place. There it is Christian profession. "Thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see . . . . Behold, I stand at the door and knock." He is not knocking at a sinner's heart but at the heart of a Christless professor. It may even be the heart of a true Christian where the Lord has lost His place in the heart and affections. "If any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him." It does not say, "I will save him," but "sup with him and he with me"—communion.
Another thing—a strange thing, too: "For he [Moses] endured" (it was not a momentary thing,) "he endured as seeing Him" (who cannot be seen) "who is invisible." Faith has to do with an Unseen One. "For he endured as seeing Him who is invisible." What can sustain us in this path of faith? We are enabled to endure by just having that One, "Whom having not seen we love," before us, "seeing Him who is invisible." We often say that the Christian is like the bee. The bee is a most wonderful little creature. It has two sets of eyes. One set it uses when it goes out and gathers the nectar from the flowers. There are no windows in the hive; it is all dark in there so it needs the other set when it goes in to put the nectar in place inside. So it is with the Christian. He not only has natural sight, but spiritual sight; has the eyes of faith. "The things which are seen (seen with the natural vision) are temporal" things. "The things which are not seen are eternal." "While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen." "Endured as seeing Him who is invisible."
Moses was a remarkable servant of the Lord. Faith led him to do and sustained him in it. Moses has been seen in glory with Christ since, and that is where enduring "as seeing Him who is invisible" will end, with all the children of faith—in glory with Christ. It is the reproach of Christ now; it will be in glory with Christ presently.