“Moses grew up and became a man. He refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose not to enjoy the pleasures of sin that last such a short time. Instead, he chose to suffer with God’s people. He did this because he had faith. He thought it was better to suffer for the Messiah than to have all the treasures of Egypt. He was waiting for the reward that God would give him. Moses left Egypt because he had faith. He was not afraid of the king’s anger. He continued strong as if he could see the God no one can see.” (Hbr 11, 24-27).

The author of the book of Hebrews tells us that Moses chose to give up life as a prince of Egypt “for the sake of Christ” (11:26). Many people read that and wonder how Moses knew about Christ since he lived fifteen hundred years before Jesus. I’ll tell you how: Moses knew by faith. He trusted God. As the Passover lambs were being slaughtered, it was a foreshadowing of the death of Christ. And Moses had faith that if God could save His people from the tenth plague by the blood of livestock, He could also save them from their sins. 

Faith not only saved Moses, it helped him to choose obedience. You see, when we give up the pleasures of this world in order to follow Christ, the road is never easy. Moses discovered this to be true in the wilderness as he led the stubborn, complaining Israelites for forty years. Faith is what sustained him. Faith is the key. 

If you study the gospels, you’ll notice that Jesus never praised His disciples for their power, their wisdom, or their passion. But at times, He did praise them for their faith. Faith as small as a mustard seed can move a mountain and hurl it into the middle of the sea. Faith casts out demons. Faith makes God’s power manifest in the darkest of circumstances. Moses had this sort of faith, and by it, he could trust God to fulfil His promises, even those that were a long way off. 

Prayer: Father, I want to develop deep faith in You. Help me to reflect on Your goodness and faithfulness. May I remember Your sure promises to strengthen my faith and choose to obey You even when the task is hard. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen. 

 ”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” (Hebrews 11:26). 

Michael Youssef, Ph.D.

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