By Michael S. Mecikalski
Hebr.11:24-27, “By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing Him Who is invisible.” Many solid principals of Godly Wisdom are in these verses. Moses chose to be obedient; the Greek word for chose, haireomai, means “to take for oneself, to prefer.” Moses preferred to suffer affliction with the people of God. Was Moses crazy?! No, Moses was not crazy! He saw true reality through the “eyes” of Godly faith. Moses had the choice to lead God’s people, Israel, out of Egypt or not to. What would Moses have gained by remaining in Egypt?
The year of Israel’s exodus from Egypt was 1491 BC. At this time, Pharaoh was worshiped as god on earth; he probably was the richest man on earth. Moses was destined to inherit all of the power and riches possessed by Pharaoh. A position of wealth and glory in the flesh that none of us could begin to approach.
What did the faith of Moses allow him to see? Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the greatest worldly riches of his time because, as Abraham did, he saw the coming day of the redeeming work of the Lord Jesus Christ (John 8:53- 59).
In the Scriptures Egypt was a type of the world, it’s ungodly materialism and it’s false system of religious worship. A study of the gods of Egypt (Isis, Horus and the like) reveals a link to the direct worship of Satan. Within the choice of Moses lies the fact that he chose worship and obedience to the Creator and not to the creature. Isn’t it interesting that choosing to be obedient to The True & Living God leads to reproach and affliction in this world. Moses had “respect unto the recompence of the reward” (v.26). The Gr word for recompence, misthapodosia, means “a repayment, to hire for wages.” This is a glorious wage and is the beautiful opposite of the payment for “sin for a season”. “For the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23. not the same Greek word here but the same idea). Moses endured (Gr. kartereo) which means “to be strong & steadfast”; he was unmoved in his faith and trust in God, “as seeing Him Who is invisible”(v.27).
Continued in next article….
