What is Great Faith? Part 3

As we continue to look at this subject of faith, I would like to look at Moses and ask why God used this man and not someone else. Ultimately, God alone knows all of His reasons for choosing Moses, but I think the Lord provides us a glimpse into them in His Word.

"By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward." -Hebrews 11:24-26, emphasis added

We don’t know a lot of the details about Moses’ youth, but we can probably assume his mother—as the maid for Pharaoh’s daughter—was telling him about the Almighty God even as Moses was known to all the Egyptians as part of the royal family.

But one thing we do know is that by faith Moses made a colossal decision as a man that would change the course of history and his life forever. And I think that the Lord may be asking us to make the same choices Moses did, even though he’s probably calling us to something much different.

First, we see that Moses could have been the next Pharaoh—the richest and most powerful man on Earth. It was his for the taking. Then the text says, “By faith … He chose (Hebrews 11:24-25)” something else.

• He chose not to be called the son of Pharaoh.
• He chose to walk away from the wealth of Egypt.
• He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God.
• He chose the disgrace for the sake of Christ.
• He chose not to fear the King’s anger.

The Scripture is clear that all of these choices were made by faith. Moses probably didn’t have as much information about how God works as we do today since there was no written word when he made those huge decisions. He had little information, but he took a huge risk—determining that the God of Abraham could be trusted.

He had no group that he could go to or teachers that could guide him—only a mother who shared the legacy of her people and the promises the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had given to them.

The choice Moses made is almost mind-boggling. He went against everything that the world tells us is important—power and wealth—to identify with the reproach of Christ.

Our problem today is we have a huge amount of information and great access to the truth of God, but we are only willing to take small risks. I fear, brothers and sisters, we value the opinion of our friends more than the opinion of God.

Oh, that we would learn to believe God and live daringly.

Oh, that our Lord would find those who long for their hearts to be completely His so He might show His presence and power today. 

Oh, that the Church would be willing once again to say, “I am going with Jesus,” and, “May He be glorified.”

Moses saw the Lord so clearly and trusted Him so deeply that he was willing to go from the throne of Egypt to rule the greatest nation to the lowly fields to tend sheep. At that moment, when Moses trusted the information he had about this great God of Israel and believe Him, God raised him up to be one of the most important men in the Old Testament.

So I encourage you to go for it. Live courageously today for His name’s sake and the sake of the gospel!

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