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Moses: A Life of Faith
February 18, 2012

Imagine you are raised as a child of the ruling family of the nation. In the United States, you would be living in the White House as children of the President and First Lady. When your dad's term of office ended, you would move out of the White House and somebody else would become President. If you lived in the United Kingdom, you would likely have a royal title and be in the line of succession, meaning you might one day be the monarch. Other countries have their kings and even emperors. And in most of the countries around the world with queens, kings, emperors, or empresses, children are in the line of succession. For these children, life is much different than the common person. They have servants who serve them, and take care of chores that most children might be expected to do. These children have the best of everything, even when it comes to activities they might not like. Those who do not like school will still have the best teachers and best tutors. Those who hate to eat their vegetables, will have chefs who can make even the most bitter vegetable taste delicious. These children have it good. It would be hard to imagine anyone wanting to leave this luxury. This thought has been the basis for novels, such as Mark Twain's The Prince and the Pauper and even appears in the Bible. Imagine you have been raised a grandchild of Pharaoh, knowing that one day you might be Pharaoh, you live a pampered life, served by a group of slaves known as the children of Israel. Imagine you find out you were adopted as a child, by birth would have been one of the slaves, and that your grandfather, the Pharaoh, wanted you and children like you, dead. Would you have considered yourself lucky and ignored these facts, or would these facts make you angry. Facts like these made one person angry, and God was able to use this person to lead the children of Israel from Egypt, and to help Israel keep the Passover. Mentioned directly three times in the Faith Chapter, and indirectly several other times, it is no wonder that Moses is a key figure in Bible History.

Hebrews 11:24-28
By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.

The life of Moses is retold in the Bible and has been the basis of movies like The Ten Commandments. While the Bible does not say exactly why Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, it likely had to do with the anger he had for the mistreatment of the children of Israel.

Exodus 2:11-15
And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren. And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow? And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known. Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.

Moses would have still been young by today's standards and might have been a teenager. Teenage years are when children begin to think independent of their parents. This might be one of the reasons why Moses became angry with the mistreatment of the children of Israel. God was able to use this time in Moses' life to serve his purpose. When Moses' frustration got the better of him, he killed an Egyptian, and those who knew, knew this would become a political item to debate. This caused Moses great concern, and in the end even when Pharaoh wanted to kill Moses, Moses did not leave Egypt in fear of Pharaoh, but left Egypt knowing the God of the children of Israel would provide for his needs. Sometimes in life when we have a very angry person breathing down our neck, instead of fearing that person, we need to have confidence that God will get us through this situation and provide for us. After spending time in Midian and finding the girl of his dreams who he would marry, Moses returned to Egypt after God told him to. At first Moses could not believe that God could use him to approach Pharaoh, and God insisted and proved to Moses that he was the person for the job. So Moses returned to Egypt and challenged the authority of Pharaoh by using the power of God and this test of wills came to a dramatic conclusion in the Passover.

Exodus 11:1-Exodus 12:36
And the LORD said unto Moses, Yet will I bring one plague more upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; afterwards he will let you go hence: when he shall let you go, he shall surely thrust you out hence altogether. Speak now in the ears of the people, and let every man borrow of his neighbour, and every woman of her neighbour, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold. And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's servants, and in the sight of the people. And Moses said, Thus saith the LORD, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt: And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts. And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more. But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that the LORD doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel. And all these thy servants shall come down unto me, and bow down themselves unto me, saying, Get thee out, and all the people that follow thee: and after that I will go out. And he went out from Pharaoh in a great anger. And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you; that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt. And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh: and the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go out of his land. And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof. And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD'S passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance forever. Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel. And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you. And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance forever. In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even. Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land. Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread. Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the passover. And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning. For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you. And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons forever. And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the LORD will give you, according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service. And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD'S passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped. And the children of Israel went away, and did as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they. And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle. And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead. And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the LORD, as ye have said. Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also. And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We be all dead men. And the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading troughs being bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders. And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.

Like so many called by God, Moses did not have the perfect life, though he did enjoy luxury growing up. His parents in faith allowed him to be raised by Pharaoh knowing that if they kept him it would be a death sentence, and when Moses was older, he resented how his grandfather treated his people, and God was able to use this awareness to serve his will. Even though Moses had many reasons to be afraid, Moses did not act in fear. Instead, Moses acted in faith. When we face situations that are difficult and might make us afraid, we need to remember that if Moses had faith and obeyed God, so should we.

All verses are from the King James Version.
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