Hebrews 11:24-25a
"By faith Moses, when he was come to years, (when he was 40 years of age. Having been educated and enjoyed all of the good things of Egypt,) refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing.…"
Here we come to what people are confronted with today and what is it? Choices. You see, every human being, every one of us have been faced with choices. We are what we are by virtue of what we have chosen to do. God when He first created man created him as a receptive being with freedom of choice which set man apart from all other created beings, angles included (1 Thessalonians 5:23). All right, Moses was no different. These people were just as human as we are. They too, had to make choices and so Moses makes a choice now (in spite of all that’s going for him; the sumptuous living, his clout, his power politically, militarily and in business - he had it all). Second man in Egypt, just like Joseph was. But now he makes a choice. So "when he came to years, he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter."
Hebrews 11:25
"Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, (now I’ll add the word, ‘rather’) than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;"
You see why I made reference to our present day athletes? How all of the pleasures of the immoral world are at their disposal. It was no different for Moses. He had the same thing and he had all the opportunity for the pleasures of sin. That is where the church of our day is and those who choose to remain there, in the pleasures of sin not denying them or their self-will. And let’s face it, especially during the youthful years, sin can be pleasurable. Oh, it’s going to take its toll sooner or later, but while they’re in it, they think they’re having a good time. Moses was no different, but when he was 40 years old, right at the prime of life, what does Moses choose? The other direction. He turns his back on all the sumptuous living - all of the sinfulness that was at his disposal, and he chose rather to cast his lot with the people of God. Now sinfulness does mean that they were immoral or religious but the pleasures of the world are what, sinful.
Even for young people today, that’s not an easy choice, now is it? We sometimes wonder why our kids are so reluctant to choose the true Christian lifestyle. That is to be Christ-ones (one with the spirit-Life functioning as God intended in man) and it must be noted that this is not as our churches see it. As they for the most part are but Religious institutions of religious performance. Just as Judaism had became an institution of religious performances long before John the baptizer or Jesus came in the scene. Well, that’s not where the exciting pleasures lie. Not for the time. But that’s when many times they make wrong choices that will lead them deeper and deeper into these situations from which they can’t withdraw. But always remember, the Scripture is so adamant that we are faced with choices, and Moses here is the perfect example - that he chose of his own volition (free will, by of course God’s leading), to "suffer the affliction of the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin (in Pharaoh’s household) for a season."
Here again, I suppose I could go 10-15 minutes on just those three words. "For a season." What does that tell you? Sin can be ever so great for a little while. But how do most of them end up? Suicide. Alcoholics. Drug addicts. Sickly. Sleeping under the bridge. How many of our successful athletes, especially, end up poverty stricken. Why? They enjoyed the pleasure of sin for a little while, but it doesn’t last. Then they pay the wages of it. Moses was in the same place. He could enjoy the pleasures of sin for a little while. Now verse 26:
Hebrews 11:26a
"Esteeming the reproach of Christ.…"
We’ve got to remember that the word Christ, we do not have it back in the Old Testament. In other words, when you read about Moses in Exodus, you don’t see the name Jesus Christ. But He’s the same person. "Yehovah" is the same person, He was in His Old Testament economy, He was the same person of the Godhead that was dealing with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses and the Prophets and Patriarchs as deals with us today.
Today of course, we now have the benefit (Grace, and God's activity through His Grace, in the personal essence of Christ, to do as He had originally created man, those who have become receptive of His activities) of that finished work of the Cross (the pivotal point, the door for all), but nevertheless, so far as His operating out of the Godhead, the Person of the Godhead that dealt with Moses was the same one that we deal with today. And so that’s why the terminology is correct.
Hebrews 11:26
"Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward."
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