Series: Exodus
Title: Moses’ Faith
Text: Exodus 2: 11-15
Date: November 6, 2016
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
Exodus 2: 11: 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. 12: 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. 13: 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? 14: 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. 15: 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.
Proposition: Moses is an example of a believer walking by faith in Christ.
FAITH IN CHRIST OUR WISDOM
Exodus 2: 11: And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown…
As all believer’s do, Moses experienced two very different kinds of growth. He experienced growth in the wisdom of this world.
Acts 7: 22: And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.
History says this is the equivalent to saying Moses had what we would call an “ivy league education.” Moses was educated with the best education Pharaoh’s riches could buy. He “was mighty in words and in deeds.”
But it is not the wisdom of this world by which God grew Moses, it was by faith.
Acts 7: 23: And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel.
It came into his heart by regeneration and revelation from God—“Of God is Christ made unto us Wisdom…” (1 Cor 1: 30) So we read…
Hebrews 11: 24: By faith Moses, when he was come to years,…
God’s children are not saved by the wisdom of this world but by God-given faith in Christ our Wisdom.
1 Corinthians 1:20: Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
1 Corinthians 3:19: For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.
1 Corinthians 2: 6: Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: 7: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
When God makes Christ Wisdom unto us, God makes us see our nothingness in sin. And God makes Christ All unto us. Christ is made Righteousness unto us—all our righteousness. Christ is made Sanctification unto us—all our sanctification. Christ is made Redemption unto us—all our redemption. A sinner is made truly wise by faith in Christ our Wisdom.
FAITH TO GO OUT
Exodus 2: 11: And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out…
God gives his child faith making us willing to come out from among this world. By a deliberate act of faith in Christ, which was put in his heart by God, Moses renounced Egypt and his former companions.
Hebrews 11: 24: By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter;…
This was much more than Moses simply leaving the Egyptian palace for a day—this was Moses renouncing Egypt for good. Moses was the son of Pharaoh’s daughter—meaning he was heir to the throne in Egypt. Nevertheless, “By faith Moses, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.”
By faith, Moses was made to behold Christ the Sovereign King who rules and does as he will to save his people. So Moses refused to use an earthly throne to achieve deliverance. Instead, he trusted Christ our King of kings and Lord of lords!
When God gives faith in Christ, he does not leave his child living in sin in this world, God sanctifies his child making us forsake Egypt and our former companions.
2 Corinthians 6: 17: Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18: And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. 7: 1: Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
FAITH TO UNITE
Exodus 2: 11: 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. 12: 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.
By God’s grace, by God-given faith, Moses made a deliberate choice to unite with his brethren and suffer with them in their afflictions.
Hebrews 11: 24…By faith Moses…25: Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
Moses had all the pleasures in Egypt at his bekon call and Moses beheld the burdens his brethren suffered. And he chose to bear those burdens and afflictions with them rather enjoy the pleasures of sins for a season.
Acts 7: 24: And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian:
Moses saw the burden of slavery and bondage his people suffered. He saw a brother suffering wrongly at the hand of an Egyptian taskmaster. Probably being beaten with a rod. Moses chose to suffer his brother’s affliction, to bear his burden by defending him so he stepped in between his brother and his oppressor. Moses avenged his oppressed brother and smote the Egyptian, killing him. Why?
God-given faith beholds Christ choosing to leave heavens ease to come down to his people, when Christ knew fully the burdens we suffered. Christ beheld us suffer justly under the bondage of the curse of the law and our sin-nature. Christ beheld us suffer wrongly under the oppression of Satan and his taskmasters. So Christ choose to suffer our affliction, to bear our burden rather than enjoy the ease of heavens glory. Christ defended his people. Christ came between his people and our enemies as our Substitute—bearing our sin, our curse, our judgment.
Doing so, Christ smote our enemies and conquered them all for us.
As faith beholds all that Christ did for us, his love for us constrains us to suffer affliction with the people of God. He says effectually into our hearts,
Galatians 6:2: Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
Christ our Redeemer makes a believer not merely visit God’s people now and then, Christ makes his child unite with his people. Christ’s saints are our brethren. We are sanctified by Christ in the new heart into the family of God. Listen to Paul’s heart toward his brethren—2 Corinthians 7: 3:…ye are in our hearts to die and live with you. A believer knows that our brethren are the closest thing we have to being with Christ in person on this earth. We are united and love one another by God’s Spirit dwelling in us by the tie of Christ’s blood!
FAITH TO BEAR REPROACH
Exodus 2: 13: 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? 14: And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian?
God-given faith makes his child willing to bear the reproach of Christ. God the Holy Spirit tells us what Moses was doing here,
Hebrews 11: 26: Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
Faith beholds how Christ came unto his own brethren and his own brethren received him not just as Moses brethren received him not. His own brethren reproached Christ—throwing it in his teeth like this Hebrew brother did Moses, even as we did in our days of rebellion. We said to Christ, “Who made thee a Prince and Judge over us? Intendest thou to kill us?” “We will not have this man reign over us!” (Lu 19: 14)
It was this reproach Christ bore as he bore our sins on the cursed tree. It was this reproach we cast in his teeth in our unbelief. But Christ was willing to bear reproach for the sake of his people whom he came to save—“For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.” (Ro 15:3)
Christ had respect unto the recompense of the reward knowing by the reproach he suffered he glorified his Father declaring him Just and Justifier of his people and he saved his people from our sins. This was the reward set before him that made him endure the cross despising the shame.
By faith, Christ makes us willing to bear the same reproach of Christ, as we see Moses doing from his own brethren. Christ said, “If they rejected me, they will reject you.” But faith beholds how Christ sanctified us and therefore we go unto him bearing his reproach:
Hebrews 13: 12: Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. 13: Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.
God uses Peter to teach us what our reward is for suffering the reproach of Christ,
1 Peter 4:14: If 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.
It was the joy of having God’s glory resting upon him that Paul wrote to the Corinthians—“I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation. (2Co 7:1-4)
FAITH TO FEAR GOD
Exodus 2: 14…And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known. 15: 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.
Faith in Christ makes the believer fear God rather than men. The Old Testament says Moses feared and fled the face of Pharaoh. The law reveals the sin which is yet in a believer’s flesh. But under the New Testament of grace, Christ covers our sins and God tells us what we are by his grace with no mention of our sin,
Hebrews 11: 27: By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
Where God gives faith, God puts in his people a fear—a reverence and adoration and admiration—for the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Proverbs 1: 7: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
When God gives faith, he gives fear of the LORD and we seek to please God like a little child seeks to please their father. Faith behold Christ is our true Protector, our Shield and Defender, our Sanctuary.
Isaiah 8: 13: Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. 14: And he shall be for a sanctuary;
I like how this passage ends for Moses—he sat down by a well! God brings us to sit down by Christ the Well. May God give us faith to sit down by Christ the Well of Life! May God give us faith so that: Christ is our Wisdom, so that we come out of this world and unite and suffer affliction with our brethren, so that we bear the reproach of Christ, so that we do so fearing God rather than men—having all the sins of our flesh under the blood of Christ and not even remembered by God! Faith says this is only reasonable seeing how Christ did this infinitely more and saved us from our sins! I’ll end with the application the Spirit of God gave after showing us Moses’ faith.
Hebrews 12: 1: Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2: Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3: For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
Amen!