Hebrews God's Plan For Spiritual Maturity by John Power - HTML preview

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Introduction

By faith, Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. By faith, he chose to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasure of sin for a season. By faith, Moses esteemed, and counted, the reproach of the Christ greater riches that the treasures of Egypt.

Like Abraham, Moses had faith which caused him to act in obedience to God. He trusted God and God's promises and demonstrated his faith by his actions. Faith changed Moses from a person of fear to a person who acted without fear.

BY FAITH MOSES FORSOOK, LEFT, EGYPT

Verse 27: "By faith he (Moses) forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured,

as seeing Him Who is invisible."

There is no contradiction between Exodus 2:14, 15 and Hebrews 11:27. Moses left the land of Egypt two times.

The first time, Moses left Egypt in fear.

Exodus 2:14, 15: "And he (the Hebrew whom Moses confronted) said, Who made

thee a prince and a judge over us? Intendest thou to kill me, as thou killest 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."

When Moses visited his brethren (Exodus 2:11), he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew. He looked to see whether someone would help the Hebrew and saw no one.

Exodus 2:12: "And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw no man,

he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand."

Seeing no one who would help the Hebrew, Moses slew the Egyptian. This was not a man who was looking to commit a crime without getting caught. Note other verses which use a similar expression as "he saw that there was no man."

Isaiah 59:16: "And he saw that there was no man, and wandered that there was

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no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him: and his

righteousness, it sustained him."

Isaiah 63:5: "And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that was

none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury,

it upheld me."

Psalm 142:4: "I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that

would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul."

Ezekiel 22:30: "I sought for a man among them that would make up the hedge,

and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I

found none."

Moses left Egypt in fear when he learned that Pharaoh sought to kill him (Exodus 2:14, 15).

The second time Moses left Egypt, it was by faith.

Exodus 2:12-14: 12And 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. 13And 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? 14And 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.

Hebrews 11:27: By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for

he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. (Forsook, forsake (Gk kataleipo)—to leave behind, to forsake, to abandon)

Moses came back to Egypt at the Word of God. He prepared the people to leave Egypt according to the Word of God. When they came to the Red Sea, it was Moses who encouraged the Israelites.

Exodus 14:10, 13, 14: "And When Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel

lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were

sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD...And Moses said

unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which

He will shew to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall

see them again no more for ever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold

your peace."

When there was fear, there was no faith. When there was faith, there was no fear (Hebrews 11:27.) In the first leaving, Moses had fear and took flight. In the second leaving, Moses had faith and forsook Egypt, never to return. When Moses left Egypt the second time, there was no fear of the king.

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Moses heard from the LORD about His salvation. He believed what God said, and in the strength of faith, he had no fear and could say "fear not." Hebrews 11:27b tells us that Moses "endured, as

seeing Him who is invisible."

BY FAITH, MOSES KEPT THE PASSOVER

Verse 28, "By faith he kept the Passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that

destroyed the firstborn should touch them."

Moses obeyed God's command (Exodus Chapter 12). The lambs were selected, the lambs were slain, and the blood was applied (Hebrews 11:28a).

Moses believed God's cause.

Exodus 12:12, "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." (See also Hebrews 11:28b)

He received God's comfort.

Exodus 14:13: "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."

He taught the people the commanded memorial.

Exodus 14:14, 21-28: 14The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your

peace….21And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused

the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land,

and the waters were divided. 22And the children of Israel went into the midst of

the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right

hand, and on their left. 23And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to

the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.

24And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host

of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host

of the Egyptians, 25And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them

heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the

LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians. 26And the LORD said unto

Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon

the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. 27And Moses

stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when

the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD

overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. 28And the waters returned, and

covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came

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into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them.

Conclusion

Moses' faith moved him to act upon God's Word. By faith, Moses left Egypt behind to serve God.

Egypt is a type of the world, and believers need faith in God and God's Word and leave the world behind to serve God. By faith, Moses kept the Passover, the blood was applied, and all the firstborn of Israel were not touched by death.

The Passover was the LORD's Passover (Ex. 12:11-13) and was a type of Jesus Christ Who is our Passover. (1 Cor. 5:7).

Exodus 12:11-13: 11And 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. 12For 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. 13And 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.

1 Corinthians 5:7: Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump,

as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

Are you a believer in Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour? Do you have the assurance that you will go to Heaven when you die? Does your faith cause you to obey God?

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