Hebrews 11:24-26

24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter;  25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;  26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.

Explanation:

God used Pharaoh’s daughter to preserve the life of Moses.  He could have been killed because of the faith of his mother to keep him alive against the kings orders, but God worked so that he would be adopted by her.

God also used Pharaoh’s daughter to prepare Moses to lead the people out of Egypt.  Moses was educated in the palace and enjoyed the benefits of that privilege as a child.

Yet there came a time where Moses had to make a decision about the worldview and the lifestyle he was being given.  Would he accept the God of his mother and father (who also raised him), or would he accept the accepted pagan gods and perspective of the Egyptians?  

The gods of the ruling class or the God of the slave class?

The pleasure of the palace or the affliction of his people?

There is an interesting word that drives these verses.  It’s translated “esteeming”.  It means to place a value on something.  We all do this.  We esteem certain things over others.

Moses did this evaluating and esteeming between “the reproach of Christ” and the “treasure in Egypt”.  What did he esteem when confronted with this choice?  He esteemed the reproach of Christ over than that treasure.

How did he do that?  It says in verse 24.  The answer is clear- “by faith”.

Was it a good decision?

Well, the pleasure of the palace was pretty good I’m sure.  The treasures of Egypt were vast and well known.  They were also temporary.  

The reproach of Christ and the affliction of the people of God was also temporary.  Yet the benefits of making that choice are still being enjoyed by Moses today.  “For he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.”  The greek word translated “recompence of the reward” is the word “misthapodosia”.  It means “the discharge of wages”.  One way to think about it is “pay day”.  Moses knew by faith that there was going to be a pay day, and even though it was a long way off, he better live accordingly. 

Application:

What a vivid picture for me.

As a dad, I want my kids to learn that kind of discernment.  I want to exemplify for them this discernment.  There can be pleasure in sin.  That pleasure would be for a season, yet there is a day of misthapodosia.   There is a payday coming.  They have to learn to esteem God’s truth.  

Sometimes the pay day is relatively soon.  There is pain that can come because of ungodly choices.  The wages of sin is death.  

Sometimes it seems that the ungodly prosper.  We cannot be fooled by this mirage.  There are always consequences for sin.

We must, by faith, remember that God is just.  He is merciful and kind.  He is gracious, and that is accessed by faith.  

Ephesians 2:8-9

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.  

We must choose God and His ways, even when the decision, in the short run, seems to lead to difficulty.  We must believe that God will be “a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

Response:

God, help me to love you and serve you today.  Help me to do the hard things when the easier things that are wrong are an option.  Amen