Hebrews 11:27

27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.

Explanation:

What a beautiful expression of  Moses’ approach to Egypt.  We know that Moses left Egypt twice.

The first time he left Egypt was after he killed an Egyptian slave master.  When he left that time he did fear the king.  He was fearful that the law of the land would bring him punishment for his crime.  He had killed an Egyptian for a Hebrew.  He had that jewish background, and so I’m sure the argument that he was pro-Hebrew and pro-slave was a culturally anti-Egyptian way of thinking.  When he departed that time he literally was in fear of the wrath of the king.

This verse, therefore, has the second departure in mind.  When Moses left that time he took the whole nation and their possessions with him.  What was the difference between the first exodus of Moses, and the Exodus of Moses with the people?  

The verse describes why when it says, “for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.”  When Moses went back to Egypt to take God’s people out, he went with a fear of God in Him.  He did not fear the invisible king because He had a fear of the invisible God.  He had met with God, and this changed everything.  He believed in what He could not see.

Application:

This has always been the key to getting it right when it is time to do civil disobedience.  When the authorities tell us what to do, Romans 13 reminds us that human government is ordained of God.  Yet, when those human authorities that are ordained of God seek to compel us to disobey God, then our obligation is to disobey them.  Fear of God is a faith thing.  It is the beginning of wisdom, and in a sense the beginning of fear of God is faith.

We disobey God when we give into peer pressure that pushes us to disobey him.  In that moment we fear being the odd man out more than we fear God.

Proverbs 29:25 tells us this:

25 The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.

Response:

Lord God,

Help me to fear You today, and let that drive myself to loving you and others the way I ought to love You.  Keep Egypt out of my heart.  Fill my heart so that there is no room for Egypt in it.

Amen