2007 Book of Hebrews Series –
“Faith (3 of 4): Moses, etc.”
Hebrews 11:23-31
Sermon preached at Curwensville Presbyterian Church – August 19, 2007
Prayer Introduction:
We are touring “The Hall of Faith” in
These faithful men and women are showing us that faith is not wishy-washy, wishful thinking – “You just have to have faith” – but is a sure and certain faith in the living God. Let’s come before the living God in prayer, as we prepare to hear His Word…We pray now for the preacher in the pulpit. He is not worthy, but by your grace he is able. And so it is through Jesus Christ that we pray – Amen!
I. Faith Illustrated in Moses’ Parents (v.23)
We begin today at
Whose faith are we
looking at here? Not Moses (we’ll get to him in the next verse) – but first his
parents. Moses’ parents are Amram and Jochebed (cf.
Earlier, this
morning we looked at
A marvelous truth of God’s Word is seen here – Parents are the God
ordained agents to pass on the faith to their children. In
Parents have the primary responsibility for their children’s Christian Education as well as their “regular” education.
With their education you may solicit help from teachers and the school – but you don’t surrender your responsibility. In fact, you have that much more work to do in order to make sure that what they are learning is right.
The main reason that Jen and I homeschool our kids is because the public school isn’t allowed to talk about God while teaching kids about the world that God created, redeemed, and over which he is sovereign. If we sent our kids to the public school, we would spend our time helping them to see what they learned from a biblical world view.
So just as we get help from school for our child’s education, so we get help from Sunday School (and Way Cool, Vacation Bible School, worship, etc.) for their Christian Education; but it is still the parent’s responsibility.
It occurred to me this week how much children have to walk by faith in their lives as we tell them:
“Get in the car.”
“Why?”
“Because I said so.”
This is what our Heavenly Father often does with us. He tells us what do – but doesn’t necessarily tell us why.
To be sure, kids don’t always walk by faith:
“Didn’t I say go to the car.”
“Did you? I didn’t hear you [or] I forgot. [or] Oh I thought you were just talking to my sister.”
At the discipleship meeting this past Thursday, one of things we talked about is our concern for so many of our children who are not participating. It is not a problem with the kids, but with the parents.
Are the parents participating – by faith (not by religion)?
Are the parents prioritizing faith (not secular activities)?
Are the parents practicing faith (in their own lives)?
Are the parents proclaiming faith at home (family devotions, etc.)?
Children do not come to faith, because they are dragged to church every once in a while. Children must first be exposed to a living faith in their parents.
It is never too late. You may be feeling guilty as a parent who hasn’t done enough – or as a church that hasn’t done enough to assist parents. Guilt is God’s way of telling us we aren’t doing it right. Guilt is God’s way of driving us to the cross where we confess what we have done wrong – are forgiven and set free to do it right.
In fact, while the Bible gives us examples of good parents like those of Moses and Timothy; there are way more examples of parents who blew it big time – Eli, and David, and Solomon (and most of the kings of Israel).
Let us call on the Lord – drawing near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith and we will be forgiven and set free to raise our children in faith.
II. Faith Illustrated in Moses (vv.24-28)
And so we move on to the one who – by God’s grace – profited from his parent’s living faith – Moses. Verses 24-28 lift up three acts of faith. Let’s take each one in turn starting at verse 24 – “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.”
Moses could have become a powerful leader in Egypt by selling out his faith. He would have had riches and power and an easy life; but this life is short – eternity is a really long time – and Moses is now receiving his eternal reward.
If we live for God in this life our life will not be easier. In fact, one of the wrong teachings we often hear is that if we just live by faith God will make things easier. This is the opposite of the truth. When we live by faith, our life may become more difficult.
So why would we do it? Why choose the more difficult path? Because suffering for the sake of Christ is of greater value than all the treasures of this world – look ahead to the eternal reward.
Notice, by the way, that Hebrews says Moses regarded disgrace “for the sake of
Christ” as of greater value. Remember, this is some 1400 years before the time
of Christ. We will see this more next week – from the last verse of
Neither we, nor Moses, have ever seen Jesus Christ – but we share the same faith in the same God through the same Christ.
The second act of faith is in verse 27 – “By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.” Certainly the Lord had already appeared to Moses in the burning bush; but this was really just a sign of God’s presence – far from seeing God as He is.
This verse in Hebrews tells us that far from seeing God in a bush, by faith Moses saw God as he is. It is by this same faith that we can see God as he is.
We, like Moses, are human and can easily be filled with fear of man. Perhaps you can even think of a particular person that you fear – either than you are afraid of, or someone you are trying to please. Or perhaps you are a people-pleaser in general. People pleasing is a form of the fear of man.
By faith, we see God as He is and so we can persevere. By the way, a great book on this is Ed Welch’s, When People are Big and God is Small.
The third act of faith is in verse 28 – “By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.”
Again, we can look back and say, “Oh yeah, I would have done that, because look what God would do.” But Moses had to do this before he saw what God would do. It is hard to live by faith.
Imagine being Moses and God tells you to kill lambs and put their blood on the doorframes of your houses. The women are thinking, “You gonna clean that blood afterwards Moses.” The men are thinking, “I’m trying to remodel the kitchen and you want me to do what?”
God tells us to do some pretty strange things. Wives submit to your husbands. Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church. Submit to governing authorities. Pray continually. Fear God not man. Rejoice always – in trials. Refrain from sex outside of marriage. Dress modestly. Raise your kids in the fear and admonition of the Lord. Worship the unseen God.
When we are in heaven we will be able to look back and see all that the Lord did; but now we live by faith – obeying God’s commands without fully knowing what God will do; but knowing the God that calls us to do it.
III. Faith Illustrated in the People at the Red Sea (v.29)
In verse 29 and then verse 30 we see the faith of the Israelites – who are typically shown for their lack of faith. In verse 29 – “By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.”
The people didn’t have to walk until the walls of water had miraculously already been made. They could see the miracle before practicing faith.
In the same way, the miracle of God’s regenerating grace – accomplished by the sacrifice of Christ and applied by the Holy Spirit – comes before we act in faith. The eyes of our hearts are opened to see God’s saving grace, and we respond in faith.
We are saved by grace – through faith. Passing through the Red Sea is one of my favorite Old Testament typologies of passing from death to life by the grace of God through Jesus’ death on the cross.
IV. Faith Illustrated in the People at Jericho (v.30)
In verse 30 we see the faith of the Israelites again – “By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days.”
Here, the people are acting in faith before seeing the miracle. And remember that this is an entirely different group of Israelites. After passing through the Red Sea, the people were in the wilderness for 40 years. Only Joshua and Caleb crossed the Red Sea AND walked around Jericho.
Veggie Tales captures how ridiculous they must have felt:
“We’re going to knock your wall down…by walking around it.”
“Oh, that’s a great idea! [Song] Keep walking, but you won’t knock down our wall. Keep walking, but she isn’t going to fall. It’s plain to see your brains are very small to think walking will be knocking down our wall.”
The first day, the people of Jericho were terrified to see this army marching around their city – having heard about the God of these people. But by the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh days – they’ve got to be looking at you and saying, “You’re nuts and so is you’re God.” And you wonder if they might be right.
God often has us do some seemingly silly things for a long time, until he determines the time is right. Could God have knocked down the wall on the first day? Absolutely. But we keep going, because God said so.
What does God still have you doing? Praying for healing? Praying for an unbelieving spouse? Working a “dead-end job.” Coming to church [“I already believe in God” said one church member, “why keep coming to church?”].
We do it, because God says so. God is not only getting us to believe (have faith), but also refining that faith.
V. Faith Illustrated in Rahab (v.31)
And now we come to Rahab, in verse 31 – “By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.”
On the other side of the wall of Jericho was the prostitute Rahab, who was saved – by faith; and she became an ancestor of Jesus Christ. How cool is that?!
God doesn’t save “good people” – he saves prostitutes and sinners. People ask, “Why do bad things happen to good people” and I say, “Find me some good people and I’ll tell them.”
God doesn’t save good people. God saves us to become good people. Rahab was a prostitute and a Canaanite, she deserved nothing but the wrath of God – yet she had a scarlet cord tied on her window and was saved. We are sinners who deserve nothing but the wrath of God – yet we have the scarlet red blood of Christ by which we are saved.
When we consider the grace of God in Christ, we realize how unworthy we are to be called by Him. We also realize that we need to drop the biases we might have against the sinners of our community. God will call many of them. The Lord is using Way Cool Wednesday as a means to call some of them. Serve in this ministry if you want to be used of God – and see God do the impossible.
Moses, his parents, the Israelites, and Rahab show us a sovereign God of grace. We see a God who calls us by his grace, calling us to a life of faith and witness to others.
D.L. Moody said “There are three kinds of faith in Christ:
1. Struggling faith, like a man in deep water desperately swimming.
2. Clinging faith, like a man hanging to the side of a boat.
3. Resting faith, like a man safely within the boat (and able to reach out with a hand to help someone else get in).
Respond to God’s grace and reach out your hand to help others get into the boat.
MAY THE TRUTH SET US FREE – AMEN!