Letter to the Hebrews Volume 138

 The Faith of Moses Part 1

Hebrews 11:24-25  By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; KJV

Surely the questions have risen from many people over the many years/centuries that have past since the days of Moses; (1) How could Moses so betray the Mother (Pharaoh's daughter) who rescued him from the river and kept him as her own son, even concealing his true identity from her own Father? (2) Did he ever love this woman who fed him, clothed him, and nurtured him as he grew from a boy into a man? The writer of Hebrews places the actions of Moses into the great heroes of the faith as he writes these words concerning him, "By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;" (Hebrews 11:24) (KJV). Moses (as a boy growing up in Pharaoh's house) did the things that all boys love to do and that is play sports, ruff house and even fight with his friends and schoolmates. Surely at that time he looked upon Pharaoh (King of Egypt) not as an evil tyrant, but as his Grandfather. To answer the second question above first, I believe that Moses dearly loved his Mother (Pharaoh's daughter), for she was the only Mother that he had ever known. Moses true Mother (who loved him so much that she listened to the Voice of the Lord God) who placed him in seeming danger in order to save his life probably only had contact with him during the month's after that she nursed him or breast fed him because Pharaoh's daughter certainly could not do so and baby Moses would have perished without her doing so during that time period (12-24 month's probably), as I documented in the last Volume 137 with these words, "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? And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child's mother. 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. And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water." (Exodus 2:7-10) (KJV). When Moses delineated, determined, or discovered that he was not an Egyptian but instead a Hebrew is not known exactly from the Scriptures, but the Scriptures do declare that Moses at age 40 knew he was Hebrew and not Egyptian, as it is written here, "And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds. And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel." (Acts 7:22-23) (KJV). I believe that Moses discovered his true identity long before his 40th birthday, but it was not until then that he was moved to actually go and be amongst his brethren the Hebrew people. Moses no doubt struggled with this knowledge for a long time because of his love for his Mother (Pharaoh's daughter), but he came to the conclusion (within his own soul) that he could no longer be called 'the son of Pharaoh's daughter' and that could not have been easy for him, but 'by faith' that was the path he chose as a grown man. Moses the adopted child (because of the status of Pharaoh's daughter) perhaps at the age of 40 years old and on would have possibly been next in line to be king of Egypt (would that not be temptation to stay and deny inwardly and outwardly his true Hebrew heritage). Here is what Matthew Henry had to say of Hebrews 11:24, "How great a temptation Moses was under. Pharaoh's daughter is said to have been his only child, and was herself childless; and having found Moses, and saved him as she did, she resolved to take him and bring him up as her son; and so he stood fair to be in time king of Egypt, and he might thereby have been serviceable to Israel. He owed his life to this princess; and to refuse such kindness from her would look not only like ingratitude to her, but a neglect of Providence, that seemed to intend his advancement and his brethren's advantage. How glorious was the triumph of his faith in so great a trial. He refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter lest he should undervalue the truer honour of being a son of Abraham, the father of the faithful; he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter lest it should look like renouncing his religion as well as his relation to Israel; and no doubt both these he must have done if he had accepted this honour; he therefore nobly refused it."

The writer of Hebrews now states the choice that the man Moses had to make on his own and so did he as it is written with these words, "Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;" (Hebrews 11:25) (KJV). Note: "Let's be clear, Moses living in Egypt (the son of Pharaoh's daughter) as a young Egyptian teen and young man was already living in luxury and was indulging in all the sins that were prevalent in the land at that time." The pleasures of sin that would have been Moses' were of a numerous list, for he was destined to be king of Egypt which meant that his word alone would rule in all of the land. Moses would have had earthly riches beyond description and he would have had many wives of every shade or color from as many ethnicities as there were upon the earth at that time within his realm of travel (along with all the concubines his heart desired). Moses would not only have been king of Egypt, but he would have been 'god' within the land that he was to rule. Moses decided 'by faith' to forsake all of that and live with and among the people of his natural birth the Hebrews which it appears Moses' inner man yearned and longed to be with, as we see from these words written of his actions to one of his then Egyptian brethren, "And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote/killed the Egyptian:" (Acts 7:24) (KJV). To answer our first question above, Moses did not betray the only Mother he knew and loved dearly, but what he did was to be true to himself, that is, to his own soul, for Moses knew certainly that a life continued being identified as Pharaoh's daughter would grant him much ease and pleasure. However, he would then be the ruling authority over his own people's (Hebrew people) continued oppression and this could never give him peace within or without. Moses knew that he could not (as king of Egypt) declare the Hebrew people to be released without suffering a revolt against him as king from all of Egypt. Moses did not betray his Egyptian Mother who loved him dearly, he simply did what was right for himself and for the entire Nation of Israel (the Hebrew Nation). Here is what Albert Barnes had to say of Hebrews 11:25, "With those whom God had chosen to be his people - the Israelites. They were then oppressed and down-trodden; but they were the descendants of Abraham, and were those whom God had designed to be his special people. Moses saw that if he cast in his lot with them, he must expect trials. They were poor, and crushed, and despised - a nation of slaves. If he identified himself with them, his condition would be like theirs - one of great trial; if he sought to elevate and deliver them, such an undertaking could not but be one of great peril and hardship. Trial and danger, want and care would follow from any course which he could adopt, and he knew that an effort to rescue them from bondage must be attended with the sacrifice of all the comforts and honor which he enjoyed at court. Yet he 'chose' this. He on the whole preferred it. He left the court, not because he was driven away; not because there was nothing there to gratify ambition or to be a stimulus to avarice; and not on account of harsh treatment - for there is no intimation that he was not treated with all the respect and honor due to his station, his talents, and his learning, but because he deliberately preferred to share the trials and sorrows of the friends of God. So every one who becomes a friend of God and casts in his lot with His people, though he may anticipate that it will be attended with persecution, with poverty, and with scorn, prefers this to all the pleasures of a life of gaiety and sin, and to the most brilliant prospects of wealth and fame which this world can offer."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…