The Life of Moses – Moses Makes a Decision
Last time we saw the faith of a mother who not being afraid of the king’s commandment hid Moses.
Heb 11:23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment.
And when it was no longer possible to hide him, she put him in the reeds to be found by Pharaoh’s daughter. We saw the almighty working hand of God, who working thru the circumstances of life arranged it so this mother would get Moses back and have the government who wanted to kill him actually pay her to raise him.
Can you imagine the thankfulness, and the joy of this mother?
What do you think this did to her faith?
We also know that many of the Israelites were no longer following Jehovah, but instead worshipping the false gods of Egypt. Think of how this event might have worked as a testimony to those who were not worshipping Jehovah. A testimony of His love, power, and mercy to a mother.
I The effect of a Mother of faith on her child.
She took her role seriously and did not waste the limited time she was given with Moses.
We do not know how long she got to raise Moses. The Bible tells us that the child grew and then he became the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.
Exo 2:10 And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.
So he is no longer a baby because Moses is called a child. And it says the child grew. So he had definitely grown some. Moses could have been 4 years old or maybe 6 to 8 years old. We do not really know. But we do know that his mother was a woman of real faith. And she would have been teaching Moses every day. There were many households in Israel that would no longer know the scriptures. Many were not practicing the faith. But not in this house. She taught Moses who he was. She taught him about the history of their people. She taught him about her God.
This impact never went away.
And Moses got to watch his mother live her faith. This all made an impact on this young child. An impact that would never go away.
Exo 2:11 And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren
When Moses was grown it says he went out unto his brethren. So he still knew who he was. Still knew his heritage. Still saw the Israelites as his brethren. He still cared about them.
That might not seem like much until we add a few other details the Bible tells us of.
Act 7:23 And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel.
Moses was 40 years old when this happened. At 40, the teaching of his mother still resonated. So time had not wiped out everything that his mother did. Some of all of her time, energy, teaching, and her investment in him still remained. Her teaching was not wiped out by time, and it was not wiped out by other teaching.
Act 7:22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.
Once Moses was turned over to the house of Pharaoh, then his training started. It says Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. In that day and age the Egyptians knew more than most of the rest of the world. They knew how to build, they knew much about mathematics, geometry, and science. They knew much about warfare, and military strategy. Moses was trained in all of that. But they would not have stopped there. If you look at everything the Egyptians left almost all of it is connected somehow to their religion.
Moses would have been taught all of their god’s names, and all the junk that surrounded that. He was subjected to all of that thru his schooling and exposed to it during the everyday life in Pharaoh’s house.
And yet at 40 years old, the influence of his mother’s teaching still remained. And his mother did not have 18 years to work with him. She only had a few. The years we often call the formative years. It seems she understood and lived out a Biblical truth that would not be written down for hundreds of years to come.
Pro 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
She lived out the New Testament truth that says, “bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” Christian mothers, Christian grandmothers, even Christian Fathers should take notice of and follow her example. Don’t wait to start working with the little ones until you think they are old enough. Start from the get go. Teach them about the great God we have. It can have a tremendous impact throughout their entire life.
II Moses makes a decision.
Moses received a very important foundation early in life from his mother and father. Then God let Moses be trained in all the wisdom of Egypt. God let Moses experience all the wonder, pleasures, and power of Egypt.
In God’s time, He brings Moses to the point of decision.
Exo 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.
We do not the details of what triggered this visit by Moses. What we do know is that God has a remarkable way to bring about circumstances in lives and to bring conviction and deal with the hearts of men. So Moses goes out to see his brethren and he looked on their burdens.
And I have no doubt that God was involved to get Moses to the right place at the right time to see firsthand the brutality of an Egyptian smiting a Hebrew.
Moses has been educated in both worlds. And now he is brought to one of those life changing points of decision.
Moses chooses God over Egypt.
Heb 11:24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter;
Act 7:23 And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel.
This was not the rash decision of youth. Moses had come to years. He was now 40 years old. I like what F.B. Meyer wrote about this.
“The impulsive passion of youth will sometimes lead a young heart to say, This people shall be my people, and their God my God. But there was nothing of that here. It was the deliberate resolve of a man who had seen much of life, who knew all that could be urged from every side, and who was come to years. With nothing to gain and all to lose, after thoughtful consideration, Moses descended from the footsteps of the loftiest throne in the world.”
Moses did not do what so many today try in vain to do. Many would try to just add God to what Moses had. They would keep the throne of Egypt in their heart and try to add Jehovah to it. I mean can’t you just keep the world 6 days a week and give God 1 and maybe a few hours in the middle of the week. People do that all the time today. And that is not anything new. That temptation has always been around. And Moses was faced with it as well.
He could have ignored the abuse he was witnessing. Set aside a few hours in his schedule to pray, do some good works now and then. Send some money to his brethren. And kept the royal palace. But Moses knew better than that. He knew he had to choose sides. He understood the biblical truth that you cannot serve two masters. He understood that God wants to be first in your life.
Deu_6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
1Jn_2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
There comes a time where you must choose. A decision must be made. And it can be costly.
What Moses Lost
Moses made this choice with eyes wide open. And he knew it was going to cost him. Heb 11:24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter;
Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. That means he refused all that went with it. Acts 7:22 tells us that Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds. He was mighty in words and in deeds.
A secular historian recorded that Moses was involved in the affairs of state. His words carried some authority. There is a certain pride and satisfaction that comes with power. You say jump and people say how high. Moses chose to give that up.
That historian also recorded that Moses was involved in the Egyptian military. The bible says Moses was also mighty in deeds. People looked up to Moses. He got things done. Moses chose to give up that fame, that respect he had of the people. So this decision would cost Moses power, and fame, but that is not all.
Heb 11:25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
Moses gave up the pleasures of sin. The royal palace would have been full of it. Anything you wanted you could get. The Bible tells it like it is here. There is no use denying that there is pleasure in sin. There can be. But that only lasts a season and it always has consequences. Moses chose to give up all those pleasures. But that is not all.
Heb 11:26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
Moses gave up the treasures of Egypt. Lush palaces with fancy walls, nice decorative furniture. Gold and silver and jewels. Rides on the Nile in fancy boats while others did the rowing. Money and easy living all around you. And he gave it all up.
What Moses Gained
We have seen what Moses gave up with this choice. So what did he gain? What did he give up power, respect, pleasure, and riches for?
Heb 11:25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
Moses traded pleasures for affliction.
Heb 11:26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
Moses traded riches for reproach.
Are you telling me he gave up power, prestige and money for affliction and reproach? That is exactly what I am telling you.
Why in the world did Moses make this choice?
Heb 11:26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
In short, he esteemed that Christ is actually worth more. And that the reward when all is said and done will be far greater than what Egypt had to offer. And remember this is from a man who had all that Egypt had to offer. He seen it, he experienced it. Moses had it all. We should listen to a man who had it all and found out that it is all nothing compared to Christ.
And the rewards for following Christ is well beyond anything else. You see Moses understood this New Testament truth.
Rom_8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
1Co_2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
Moses believed what the song writer would write thousands of years later. It will be worth it all when we see Jesus, Life’s trials will seem so small when we see Christ
How Moses made this decision.
We do know this. His decision was not based upon what he saw. If it was based on what was seen, he would have never left Pharaoh’s palace.
Heb 11:24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter;
In Faith
Heb 11:27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
Moses made this decision by faith. He evidently believed what God promised to Abraham almost 400 years before. That after 400 years of bondage his people would come out. And he knew that those years were almost expired. He believed that there was a destiny waiting for the chosen people of God. Everywhere Moses could look there was no evidence of this. Everything looked incredibly bleak. But faith does not rest on what we see.
Heb_11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
And we are to walk by faith. We are to make decisions based on faith and not on what we see. That is what Moses did.
2Co_5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
And how did Moses get this faith.
Rom_10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
This brings us back to where we started. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. And Moses did not hear that from the halls of Egypt. He heard the word of God from his parents. And Moses decided to believe what God said and to act upon it. By the way, True belief will always act.
Immediately
And when God brought Moses to this crisis of decision moment, you see Moses making his choice right away. He did not go home and sleep on it. He did not have to research it. God had already let him research Egypt for decades. He already knew all the Word of God he needed to know to make this decision. Now do not get me wrong. He did not know all the word of God. I am just saying he knew enough to choose.
There are many who are in the same position. God has given them all they need to know to make a choice. It is not wise to delay the choice. It is always best to choose for God and to do it without hesitation.
Yes it is going to cost to stand for God, but it will always turn out for the best. Just think of all Moses would have lost if he had chosen Egypt. No getting to see all the miracles, the plagues, the red sea, the water out of the rock, the mana, and so on. No getting to talk to God over and over again like he did. No getting to stand with Jesus on the mount of transfiguration. No home in glory forever more. Moses made the right choice. And Moses wanted others to make the same choice. (Many years later)
III Moses asks the people to make a decision.
Exo 32:26 Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD’S side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.
Moses told the people many times that they need to make a choice. They need to Love the LORD.
Deu_11:1 Therefore thou shalt love the LORD thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, alway.
It was not just Moses who wanted people to make the same choice he did and follow God fully.
IV Joshua commanded the people to make a choice.
Jos 24:14 Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.
Jos 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
V Elijah told the people to make a choice.
1Ki 18:21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
VI God commands you to make a choice.
Deu_10:12 And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,
Deu_6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
Act_17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
Mat_4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Mat 22:38 This is the first and great commandment.
Conclusion
We all have to make the same choice. We all have to choose to get saved. And after we make that choice we have to choose to live for God or live for the world.
Every one of us have to choose the pleasure in sin for a season or the reproaches of walking close to God.
God gives us a free will to get saved or not. You still have a free will after you get saved. You have free will to decide how close you will live to God.
You are faced with the same choice Moses had to make. What it more valuable. The things of Egypt or God.
The mass of people around us must also make the same choice. Most of them have no clue that they need to make it, but they do. They are content to live in their sin and to ignore the opportunity they have to make a choice for God. It’s our job to get them the information so they know. It’s our job to give them a chance.