The early part of the chapter presents the faith by which a believer draws nigh to God on the ground of sacrifice and finds deliverance from death and judgment (verses 4-7); then there passes before us the faith by which the believer walks through this world as a stranger and a pilgrim in the light of the world to come (verses 8-22); in the third division of the chapter, commencing with verse 23, we see the faith that overcomes this present world. In the second section, Abraham was the great example of one whose faith laid hold of the world to come, the heavenly country, and the city which has foundations. In this last portion, Moses is the outstanding example of a believer who, by faith, overcomes the present world.
Hebrews 11:2323By 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. (Hebrews 11:23). In connection with the birth of Moses, we are reminded of the faith of his parents which not only led them to ignore the king’s commandment but to overcome fear of him. It is the fear of some impending evil that is often more difficult to overcome than the evil itself. Strangely enough, as we might think, what drew forth the activity of their faith was the beauty of their child. They acted in faith “because they saw the child beautiful” (JND). Apparently, it was faith working by love.
Hebrews 11:2424By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; (Hebrews 11:24). Passing on to Moses himself, we have a striking witness to the way faith overcomes this present world with all that it can offer in the way of attraction and glory. The parents overcame the fear of the world; their son overcame its favors. This makes the faith of Moses all the more striking, for we may overcome the fear of the world and yet fall under its favor.
In order to realize the fine quality of this man’s faith, it is well to recall what Scripture presents as to his remarkable character, as well as the high position he occupied in the world. Stephen, in his address before the Jewish council, gives a brief but remarkable summary of the character and position of Moses (Acts 7:20-2220In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father's house three months: 21And when he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son. 22And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds. (Acts 7:20‑22)). There we are told that he was “exceeding fair,” that he “was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.” Here, then, was a man whose appearance was attractive, whose mind was well-stored with all the learning of the leading country of the world in that day, who could apply his wisdom with weighty words, and follow up his words with mighty deeds. Moses, then, was in every way fitted to fill with distinction the highest position in this world. Moreover, this great position was within his grasp, for he was by adoption the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, and thus in the direct line to the throne of the Pharaohs.
Under circumstances so favorable to advancement in this world, how does Moses act? First we read, “When he had become great”—when the moment was favorable for him to take advantage of his great abilities and position—he turned his back on all this world’s glory and “refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.”
Hebrews 11:2525Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; (Hebrews 11:25). Second, we learn what he chooses, and his choosing is as striking as his refusing. In his day there were a large number of people who formed the lowest class in Egypt. They were unwanted foreigners, treated with the utmost rigor as slaves. Their lives were made bitter by reason of their hard bondage as they labored at brick-making and worked in the fields under the scorching sun (Ex. 1:13-1413And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor: 14And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigor. (Exodus 1:13‑14)). But, in spite of their low estate and hard bondage, these slaves were the people of God. With these people Moses chose to throw in his lot, preferring to suffer affliction with the people of God, rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.
In the presence of this remarkable “refusing” and “choosing,” we may well ask what was the spring of his actions? In one word we are told that it was faith. In faith he refused the world; in faith he chose affliction with the people of God. Moreover, he acted, as faith ever does, in the face of providence, in spite of the dictates of natural feelings, and in a way that appeared to outrage common sense.
Against the course he pursued, providence might very well have been pleaded. Could it not have been argued, with every appearance of reason, that it would be wrong to ignore the remarkable providence by which God had placed a man, doomed to death by the command of the king, in the highest position before the king? Right natural feeling could have been urged, for it might very well have been said that gratitude to his benefactress demanded that he should remain at court. Reason and common sense could be urged, for it could be said that his great abilities and his high position with its consequent influence could surely be used to promote the interests of his poor brethren.
Faith, however, looks to God, knowing that while providence, right natural feelings and common sense may have their place, yet they cannot be a true guide or rule of conduct in the path of faith; hence if providence brought Moses into the court of the king, faith led him out. By faith he refused his providential connection with the greatest people in the world to choose a path of identification with the most despised in the land.
Hebrews 11:2626Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. (Hebrews 11:26). If faith acts thus, there must be some hidden power—some secret motive—that enables faith to take a path so contrary to nature. This brings us to the “esteeming” of Moses. Verse 24 gives us the “refusing” of Moses; verse 25 the “choosing” of Moses; verse 26 the “esteeming” of Moses, which discovers to us the secret of his refusing and choosing.
This esteeming will show that faith is not a step in the dark. Faith has its secret motives as well as its outward energies. Faith forms a deliberate estimate of values, faith has a long outlook, and faith has an object. The faith of Moses formed a true estimate of things seen and unseen. On the one hand, there was his great position in the world, and connected with it all the pleasures of sin and the treasures of Egypt. On the other hand, connected with the people of God, there was at that time suffering and reproach. Having considered, he refused the world and chose to suffer with the people of God.
Why did he thus act? Because his faith had a long outlook, for we read, “He had respect unto the recompence of the reward,” and again, “He endured, as seeing Him who is invisible.” He looked beyond the treasures and the pleasures of Egypt on the one hand, and beyond the suffering and reproach of the people of God on the other. By faith he looked on and saw “the King in His beauty” and “the land that is very far off.” In the light of the glory of that land, and attracted by the beauty of the King, he abandoned all the glory of the world. In the light of the coming world he formed a true estimate of the present world. He saw that connected with the reproach of Christ there were greater riches than all the treasures in Egypt.
He saw that over all the glory of this world there was the shadow of death and judgment. He saw that the pleasures of this world are only for a season, and all the treasures of Egypt end in a grave. Even so had Joseph found in an earlier day, for he too had occupied a great place in Egypt. Next to the king he had wielded a power that no mortal man before or since had ever wielded in this world. Nevertheless, it all ended in a coffin, for the last words of the Book of Genesis are these, “Joseph died... and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.” So much for Egypt’s pleasures and Egypt’s treasures. “Earth’s joys grow dim; its glories pass away.” All the glory of this world at last sinks down to a coffin. Pharaoh’s mighty empire contracts to a narrow grave.
How different with God’s people! Their portion in this world is one of suffering and reproach; but to suffer with Christ in reproach is to reign with Christ in glory, for is it not written, “If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him”? To the man of the world, the refusing and the choosing and the esteeming of Moses seem the height of folly. Let us see, then, how it works out in the case of Moses. Pass on one thousand five hundred years from the day of his refusing and choosing, and we shall begin to see the recompense of the reward. Turn to that great scene described in the opening verses of Matthew 17 and we shall see that the land that was far off has drawn nigh and the King is displayed in His beauty. We are carried above the earth into a high mountain apart, and for a moment we see Christ in His glory, when the fashion of His countenance is altered. The face once marred more than any man’s now shines as the sun. The garments of humiliation are laid aside and the garments that shine as the light are put on. This was a wonderful appearance, but there are other wonders to follow, for we read, “Behold, there appeared...Moses and Elias talking with Him.” Fifteen centuries before, Moses disappeared from the sight of the world and this world’s king to share the reproach of Christ with His poor and despised people: now he appears again, but this time to share the glory of the King of kings in company with a prophet and apostles. There was a time when he endured as seeing Him who is invisible; now he is “with Him” in glory. In the light of this recompense of the reward, who will say that Moses missed his opportunity when he refused the world and chose to identify himself with the suffering people of God?
Hebrews 11:2727By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. (Hebrews 11:27). Well it is for us to profit by this shining example of faith. Good indeed if we weigh the riches of Christ against the treasures of this world and esteem the former greater than the latter. Well, too, if we look beyond all self-denials and world-refusals and see the recompense of the reward in the coming glory; above all, well if we endure in the presence of all opposition, insults and reproach, by seeing Him who is invisible. In the presence of the opposition and insults of his enemies, Stephen endured without a word of anger or resentment by seeing Him who is invisible, for we read, “He, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus” (Acts 7:5555But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, (Acts 7:55)). Let us not be content with knowing that He sees us, but let us seek to walk in the energy of the faith that sees Him. It is a great thing to realize that He sees us; it is yet more to walk as seeing Him by faith, while waiting for the moment when we shall actually see Him face to face,
For how will recompense His smile,
The sufferings of this ‘little while.’
There are, moreover, further lessons for us in the story of Moses. We have seen that his faith lifted him above the fear of man; we are now to see that it leads to the holy fear of God. Faith recognizes that we are sinners, and that God is a holy God who cannot pass over sin. Israel as sinners were under judgment equally with the Egyptians. How, then, were they to escape the destruction of their firstborn? God provides a way of shelter from judgment—the blood of the lamb—and God says, “When I see the blood, I will pass over.” Faith rests, not on our estimate of the blood of the Lamb, but on God’s perfect estimate. Thus by faith Moses “kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.”
By faith in God’s value of the blood, the children of Israel were passed over in Egypt; then, by faith “they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land.” God was met as a judge in Egypt: He intervenes as a Savior at the Red Sea. There the people were told to “stand still, and see the salvation of Jehovah;” and there God held back the waters of the Red Sea so that His people passed through on dry land. Sheltered by the blood from judgment in Egypt, they were saved from all their enemies at the Red Sea.
By the death of Christ the claims of a holy God are met, and by the death and resurrection of Christ the believer has passed through death and judgment. In type the passover presents Christ offering Himself without spot to God: the Red Sea presents Christ delivered for our offenses and raised again for our justification. The Egyptians assaying to pass through the Red Sea were drowned. For nature to face death without faith is certain destruction. Alas! how many there are today who make the outward profession of Christianity yet attempt to obtain salvation by their own efforts, and face death apart from faith in the blood of Christ, only to meet destruction.
If by faith the people of Israel were saved from judgment and delivered from Egypt, so by faith they overcame the opposition of the enemy that would prevent them entering the promised land. “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down.” Israel adopted an unheard of method of besieging a city; it was not simply walking round the city for seven days that brought down the walls, but faith that obeyed God’s Word.
Faith, moreover, obtains for a woman with a disreputable character a place amongst these Old Testament worthies. “By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not.” As a harlot she would come under the condemnation of men. By faith she comes into the great cloud of witnesses that obtain a good report from God.
Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthae, David and Samuel complete the list of the men of faith mentioned by name. It has been remarked that in this list of names the historical order is not followed. In history Barak came before Gideon, Jephthae before Samson. This may be to emphasize the fact that in the days of the Judges the faith of Gideon was of a brighter order than that of Barak, and that Samson’s faith exceeded that of Jephthae. David may be classed with the Judges as himself a ruler; and Samuel may be mentioned last to connect him with the prophets who came after the kings.
Hebrews 11:33-3433Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. (Hebrews 11:33‑34). In the closing verses the apostle refers to signal acts of faith to set forth the striking qualities of faith. First, he refers to incidents that emphasize the power of faith that subdues kingdoms and overcomes armies; that is strong in weakness and valiant in fight; that triumphs over the power of nature, as represented by the lion, and quenches the violence of the elements such as fire; and that even obtains victory over death.
Hebrews 11:37-3837They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; 38(Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. (Hebrews 11:37‑38). Third, he speaks more particularly of the sufferings of faith. “They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword.”
Lastly, we see the reproach of faith. The world drove the men of faith from their midst, treating them as despised outcasts. They became wanderers in the earth. By its treatment of God’s worthies, the world proved itself to be unworthy. In condemning the men of faith, it condemned itself
Hebrews 11:3939And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: (Hebrews 11:39). Nevertheless, in spite of their acts of power, their endurance, their sufferings and their reproach, they did not in their day receive the promised blessing. In the past they lived by faith; today they have a good report; in the future they will enjoy the recompense of the reward when they enter upon the promised blessings. Great will be the blessing of these Old Testament saints; yet God has provided some “better thing” for the Christian. When God has completed His purpose in calling out the church, the Old Testament saints together with the church will enter upon the fullness of blessing. They wait, and we wait, for the resurrection morn in order to be “made perfect.”