“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 recompense of the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.” (Hebrews 11:24-27)
First, Because he believed God, Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter (v. 24). When he openly and publicly took the part of the Israelite against the Egyptian, Moses publicly identified himself with the people of God. The Holy Spirit tells us here that when Moses’ did this thing, when he slew the Egyptian, he did so as an act of faith. He preferred Israel to Egypt. He preferred being an Israelite to being the most prestigious, powerful man in the world. He preferred the care of God’s church and people to his own honor and well-being. – This is what God’s elect do in believer’s baptism. We publicly identify ourselves with Christ, his gospel, and his people.
Second, believing God, Moses’ chose the afflictions of God’s people (v. 25). It is true, he was chosen of God to be one of his own; but Moses’ chose to be numbered among God’s people. At first glance, this might not seem to be a very difficult choice for anyone to make. After all these were the chosen, redeemed, peculiar people of God. These were the people to whom alone God gave his Word and ordinances of divine worship. God himself was with them. Canaan was promised to them.
But Moses’ counted the cost and chose rather to suffer the afflictions of God’s elect than to enjoy the pleasures that were his in Egypt. He knew that the afflictions they endured were hard afflictions indeed; but he also knew that they were afflictions endured as the people of God. They were divinely appointed chastisements of their heavenly Father. They were ordained of God for the spiritual, eternal benefit of his people and the glory of his own great name (1 Pet. 1:3-9).
Third, because he believed God, Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ to be far greater riches than the treasures of Egypt (v. 26). He considered it his greatest wealth and honor to be allowed to bear the reproach of Christ—Christ’s Personal Reproach—The Reproach of His Word—The Reproach of His Worship---The Reproach Endured by His People (1 Pet. 2:19-24).
Fourth, believing God, Moses had respect unto the promises of God (v. 26). That is to say, he believed, looked for, and anticipated the fulfillment of that which the Lord God had promised (2 Tim. 1:7-12)—The Deliverance of Israel out of Their Bondage in Egypt—The Blessings of Canaan—Eternal Glory.
Fifth, “by faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king” (v. 27). Though this may have reference to Moses leading Israel out of Egypt and across the Red Sea, I do not think that is the primary thing referred to here. Rather, this sentence speaks of Moses’ flying away to Midian. The deliverance of Israel as a nation is described in verse 29.
After he had slain the Egyptian and taken up the cause of Israel, Moses made no effort to appease Pharaoh’s wrath. His fleeing was not an act of cowardice, but of obedience to the will of God. There he must wait for God to send him for the work to which he was ordained. He must be trained in the prophecy school of hardship, isolation, and trouble in the Midian desert.
Pharaoh was a roaring lion, but Moses did not fear him. Those who are called by the grace of God out of a state of darkness and bondage, and out of a strange land forsake this world and everything that is near and dear when it is in competition with Christ; not fearing the wrath of any temporal king or prince; nor of Satan, the prince of this world.
Sixth, because Moses believed God, “he endured!” That is what faith does. It perseveres. Faith never quits. Faith endures; and endures to the end. It endures the trials of providence. It endures the afflictions of the gospel. It endures the rod of chastisement. It endures the relentless warfare in the soul between the flesh and the spirit.
Seventh, the cause of Moses’ great faith, the thing that sustained him to the end, was just this: Moses had seen and lived seeing him who is invisible (v. 27). This was not a one time sight, but an ever-increasing sight, a sight which guided, sustained and refreshed this man Moses unto the end. He saw the Lord God in Christ. He saw him in the Word he was taught, in the burning bush, in the paschal lamb and sprinkled blood, in salvation experienced at the Red Sea, in the tree at Marah, in the manna, in the rock, and in the cleft of the rock (Ex. 33:13-19)!
This sight of the invisible God was a spiritual sight. It was “by faith” that Moses saw the Lord. It was a glorious and a humbling sight, a transforming and a separating sight, and an inspiring and a sustaining sight. It was a costly, but a satisfying sight. Oh, may God give us grace ever to see him!