By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s command. By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them. (Hebrews 11:23-28)

Moses – Faith Is A Choice

The faith of Moses began before he was born. Parents have the most powerful influence on their children’s future when they realize they stand at the headwaters of a child’s life, which can largely determine whether they believe in God. One of the great dangers of parenting is that the parents only get one chance to influence the child in the right way. Moses’ faith began first with the devoted love of his parents. Amram and Jochebed lived in a world of conflict. For hundreds of years, the Hebrews had become increasingly oppressed by the people of Egypt. Their lives were filled with toil as they became slaves to the political whims of the Pharaoh. Things would get much worse.

Amram and Jochebed were blessed with two children, Aaron and Miriam. When Pharaoh began to worry about the growing population of Hebrews in his country, the king made severe laws necessary to stem the tide of the Hebrew children. This profoundly impacted Amram and Jochebed’s lives when it was discovered they were expecting their third child. The lives of the Hebrews were made bitter with hard bondage. When Pharaoh decreed that every son who was born to the Hebrews was to be thrown into the river, the Hebrew people were filled with fear. It was not until their third child was born that fear entered their hearts when they saw they had another boy. What were they to do? It was the law of the land to kill the baby boy.

Amram and Jochebed’s faith was tested, but they did not hesitate. For three months, they quietly hid their infant son. They were not going to commit murder, even if it meant facing the wrath of the Egyptian government. Their fear of God was greater than their fear of Pharaoh. They could tell their son was a special child, and they trusted that the Lord would bless them. After three months, the baby boy could be hidden no longer. Jochebed put her infant son in an ark of bulrushes and placed him where the daughter of Pharaoh bathed. Miriam stood nearby to see what would become of the little boy. Jochebed’s faith in the care of God was evident in the courage she manifested to do such a thing.

Pharaoh’s daughter discovered the Hebrew child and took him to her home, where she adopted him. It was the daughter of Pharoah that named the little boy, Moses. Being raised in the palace of Pharaoh, Moses had the world at his feet. His mother cared for him in his formative years. He learned all the wisdom of the Egyptians and became a man mighty in words and deeds. His life was better than almost the whole world, but he was unsettled. The faith instilled by his parents was a seed that found a bountiful harvest in his heart.

When Moses came of age to choose for himself, he made the remarkable decision to leave all the trappings of the Egyptian monarchy and accept the suffering of his people. After killing an Egyptian, Moses fled to the faraway land of Midian. He left as a prince and returned as a pauper. He remained away from his fellow Hebrews for forty years, working as a lowly shepherd. His days of riches, wealth, and power were nothing to him as he knew God had a greater purpose in his life. His faith was in the work of God, not fearing what Pharaoh might do.

Faith is seeing all that is unseen. His parents’ choice to be faithful servants of God instilled in the heart of Moses a love for God. There can never be enough said about how influential parents are in their children’s faith. The goal is to allow each child to make their faith their own, but they can make the wrong choice without the proper guidance in the early years. Parents must teach their children what faith means, what faith looks like, and why faith is necessary. Moses was said to be the humblest man on earth. He learned that from the faith of his parents. Moses made a choice based on his faith in the word of God. He looked beyond the rewards of the Egyptians and looked to his eternal reward.

When Moses forsook Egypt, he did so because he feared God more than the king. He did not understand how much his life would change. Faith is the reason Moses made his choices. He struggled with his faith and was often found wanting. On the night of the destroyer’s coming to kill the firstborn, Moses had faith in the promises of God. He knew they would live because they had obeyed the word of the Lord. Faith leads to obedience. Moses led the people out and delivered the faithful to the land of promise, knowing he would not be allowed to enter. It did not matter to Moses because his faith was in the eternal promised land. The life of Moses was a life of choices. He tried to make the best choice based on his faith. Faith is a choice. You will decide your destiny by the choices you make from your faith.