THE MIGHT OF MOSES

By faith he [Moses] forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. (Hebrews 11:27 NKJV)

Reading today’s title might cause you to form mental images of Moses, the great deliverer of God’s people, foretelling the plagues on Egypt, leading the Israelites through the Red Sea, or calling on the earth to swallow up Korah and his fellow rebels. But there is a picture of the might of Moses that is often missed, a picture that should strengthen us in our faith today.

The might of Moses is best demonstrated in the way that he forsook Egypt—the power of Egypt, the prestige of Egypt, the prosperity of Egypt, the pleasures of Egypt, and the protection of Egypt—all while he was still living in the land of Egypt in the palace of Pharaoh. How was it possible for Moses to do such a courageous thing? The answer is that Moses feared the King of heaven far more than he feared the king of Egypt. Moses set his faith and his fear on the only One who is truly worthy of our faith and our fear. Moses that knew there is only one God . . . and He most certainly is not an earthly Egyptian king!

The question we must ask ourselves is this: Are we willing to suffer affliction with the people of God rather than enjoy the passing pleasures of sin? (Hebrews 11:25). I have learned from painful experience that it is easy to forsake that which is no longer desirable to us for the sake of Christ, but it is far more difficult to forsake what still attracts our attention. Are we willing, as Moses was, to forsake that which pleases us for that which pleases God? Are we willing to walk away from the sinful pleasures of this life for the supernatural promises of the next?

Remember, when Satan tempted our Lord in the wilderness by offering Him the kingdoms of this world without suffering, Jesus chose the way of His Father, a way marked by suffering and sorrow. To be sure, it is difficult to forsake the things of this life, but it must be done if we are to be like our Savior in this life and the next. And it can be done by the power of the Spirit who lives within us.

In closing, let me add these words from the beloved apostle John, who succinctly presented the type of might—the might of Moses—that you and I are to ask God to give us and sustain in us:

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world — the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does — comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. (1 John 2: 15-17)

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!