Many saints cling to signs of providences as though they were to be the guide for faith. Nothing could be a more remarkable providence than that which placed Moses in the court of Pharaoh, but it was not the guide for the faith of Moses. Brought up as the son of Pharaoh's daughter, instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, mighty in words and in deeds, there "Providence" had placed him. If ever there was a remarkable providence, it was in the case of Moses. After having been hid three months of his parents, till they could hide him no longer, he was put in an ark of bulrushes, among the flags by the river's brink. Thus exposed, and crying, the babe attracted the attention of Pharaoh's daughter who, with her maidens, was brought down to the place just at the moment. She had compassion on him, listened to the suggestion of the young woman, his sister, gave him in charge to his own mother, to be nursed for her, and he became her son. The first thing he did, when come to years, was to give it all up. Had Moses reasoned, his reasoning might have had great scope of argument; he might have said, God's providence has placed me here; I can use all this influence for God's people, and the like. But he never thought of such a thing. His place was with God's people. He did not act for God's people merely; he did not patronize God's people; his place was with and among them. God's providence had given him a position, which he might relinquish, but it was no guide for conscience. There may be the most plausible reasoning about a thing; but when the "eye is single," the "whole body shall be full of light." Moses saw in his brethren (though a feeble people) "the people of God," and identified them, as such, with the glory of God. This is what faith always does. They may be in a feeble and failing position, or they may be in a blessed position, but that is not the question. Faith identifies the people of God with the glory of God, and acts accordingly.
The children of Israel were in a very bad condition; still, they were "the people of God"; and the first thing recorded of the faith of Moses is, that he took his place among the afflicted people of God. If reproach was on them, it was "the reproach of Christ," and he esteemed it "greater riches than the treasures in Egypt." He reckoned with God, and this kept his soul clear of every other influence; he looked right on-"Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee." Pro. 4:2525Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. (Proverbs 4:25). The light cannot shine down along another path.
Faith had brought Moses into a straight line with "the recompense of the reward"; and, when in that path, faith enabled him to identify himself with God, to look up to God as his power. At once came the "wrath of the king." But the same faith that saw glory for him at the end of the path, saw God for him all through the path. That is the secret of real strength. What unbelief does, is to compare ourselves and our own strength with circumstances. Take the case of the spies (Numb. 13 and 14). They said: "The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight." If the Israelites compared their stature with that of the Anakim, they had no business there. What said Caleb and Joshua? They stilled the people, saying: "They are bread for us: their defense is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not." That is, they compared these sons of Anak with God—what matter, then, whether they were giants or grasshoppers. They spoke the language of faith. It was no reasoning about circumstances; it was just simply saying, Greater is He that is for us, than all that can be against us. God was there. That is what makes the path of faith so simple. How did David reason? He did not go and reason about the height of Goliath and about his own smallness of stature; he brought God in. He said, There is an uncircumcised man, defying the armies of the living God—right, and very good reasoning!
When the glory set before us leads in the way of the promises, and we take our place with the despised and afflicted people of God, the world will not like it, and the "wrath of the king" will be the consequence. Now, this is always a thing feared and trembled before, until God becomes clearly known by the soul as a God for it.