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

Highlight:

Hebrews 11:23

23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment.

Explanation:

Moses was born into an Egypt that had forgotten the contribution of Joseph.

Exodus 1:8

8 Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.

This Pharaoh dealt treacherously with God’s people, and even instituted a policy that all the sons should be killed.  

Exodus 1:22

22 And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.

Moses’ parents had a fearful task that they chose not to be afraid of in defying the unjust law of the land that compelled them to kill there son.  

Exodus 2:2

2 And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.

Imagine having to hide your babies cries from the authorities for the first three months of life.  Nursing the child in secret must have been difficult.  The most famous way she exercised her faith in God and defiance to the foreign king was to put her baby in an ark of bullrushes.  God showed Himself to be so faithful and incredible.  

Exodus 2:3-9

3 And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river’s brink.  4 And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.  5 And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river’s side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.  6 And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews’ children.

7 Then said his sister to Pharaoh’s daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?  8 And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child’s mother.  9 And Pharaoh’s daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it.

The daughter of the man who instituted the law to kill that child paid Moses mother to nurse her own child, and then adopted it as her own, making him a prince of Egypt.

Application:

The Bible is living and active because it doesn’t just say what happened, but proclaims what often happens even today.

1. Satan uses ungodly leaders to hurt children.  This is a theme in scripture and is still happening today.
2. Civil disobedience in response to unjust laws is an act of faith, should be honored, but comes at a cost. Moses’ parents excercised their faith in God in defiance to the king’s commandment, and God used that to deliver his people.  Moses was more safe in a basket of bullrushes than in his mothers arms in his home.  In the flesh that is hard to believe, but God worked out his plan to get Moses where He wanted Him.
3. God is able to honor those who live by faith.  He sovereignly worked out his plan to deliver his people in this circumstance.  God can be trusted.  We ought to have the attitude of those three Hebrew boys:  “We believe God can deliver us, but even if he won’t, we will not bow….”

Response:

The day may be coming when we have to defy the government.  God give me boldness when that day comes.  Help me to live by faith even when it is difficult.  

Highlight

Hebrews 11:22

22 By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.

Explanation

In Genesis 50:22-26, we find the narrative about the death of Joseph which is alluded to by the preacher here in verse 22.

Genesis 50:22-26

22 And Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he, and his father’s house: and Joseph lived an hundred and ten years.  23 And Joseph saw Ephraim’s children of the third generation: the children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were brought up upon Joseph’s knees.

24 And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.  25 And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence.

26 So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.

Joseph spent most of his life in Egypt although he had been raised by his father in the land of Canaan.  He lived a long time, and therefore saw God bless his family generationally.  Verse 22 mentions that he saw children from multiple generations beyond the lines of both Ephraim and Mannasseh.

Even though He had been in Egypt, lead Egypt, and even adapted to the culture of Egypt, Egypt never got too deeply into Joseph.  This is what is being pointed out in the verse.  He still believed the promises of God to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  He trusted God.  How so?  He didn’t want to be buried in Egypt.  He made his brethren promise to take his bones back to Canaan when they went back. 

Now, Joseph knew that God had used Him for a great purpose in Egypt.  We can see that in his response to his brothers after their father had died.  They were worried that Joseph was just waiting to execute vengeance once Jacob passed away.  When they confronted Joseph saying that Jacob would want him to forgive them, this was his response:

Genesis 50:17b-20

17b And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.

18 And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants.

19 And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?

20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

Joseph knew that God’s plan and purpose was to use Him in Egypt, yet he still believed that God’s greater promise to His family was something to be recognized and trusted.  He told them that they would not be staying in Egypt.  It wasn’t if they were going back.  For him it was a when- and his command was this- “When you go back, take my bones with you!”

Application:

Joseph certainly stood out in the culture of Egypt.  He learned their language, adapted to their culture in some ways.  When his brothers got to Egypt they saw him as an Egyptian and did not recognize him as their brother.  Yet, we know that God used him because though he was in Egypt, he did not compromise his integrity.  He was in Egypt, but he was not of it.

Worldliness can certainly be an issue for believers.  The New Testament gives us some insight on what “worldliness” is.

1 John 2:15-17

15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

We are in the world, but not of the world.  We are not to be conformed to the patterns of this world- the lust of the flesh, eyes, and the pride of life.  Romans 12:2 tells us how.  

Romans 12:2

2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Having our minds renewed happens when we trust God enough to look to what He has said, and let His Word get into us.  We believe His Word when we hear it and act upon it.  This is exactly what Joseph did by faith.  He believed the promises of God.  When it was time to do so, he made one of his last actions to make sure his family would get his remains out of Egypt and into the promised land.  

Do I have the kind of faith to trust God with that kind of obedience?

Will my legacy be that I trusted the Word of God?

Will my legacy point people to obedient faith?

Response:

God help me to be bold today as I witness for you.  Help me to trust you!