“By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. 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. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel. By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.” – Hebrews 11:23–29
Moses’ life shows us that faith has two movements: it refuses and it chooses. Faith refuses the easy path when it means compromise, and it chooses the harder path when it means obedience.
Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He refused the treasures and privileges of Egypt. He refused the fleeting pleasures of sin. In the same moment, he chose to identify with God’s people. He chose mistreatment over indulgence. He chose disgrace over luxury. His eyes were not fixed on the palace but on the reward of God. Faith always trades the temporary for the eternal.
Moses also shows us that faith sees the invisible. He left Egypt, not fearing Pharaoh’s wrath, because he had his eyes fixed on God. Faith strengthens perseverance when human eyes see nothing, because faith sees the unseen.
Finally, Moses demonstrates that faith obeys God’s strange commands. By faith, he kept the Passover, sprinkling lamb’s blood on doorframes, trusting that God’s promise would hold. By faith, he led the people through the Red Sea, stepping into waters that would split for them but swallow their enemies. Faith doesn’t need to know how; it just needs to obey who.
Moses’ faith, and the faith of his parents before him, reminds us that living by faith often means refusing what looks safe, choosing what looks costly, and trusting what looks unseen.
Let’s pray-
Lord, give me the courage to refuse what is fleeting and to choose what is eternal. Help me to value Your reward above the treasures of this world. Fix my eyes on what cannot be seen so that I can endure what feels unbearable. Teach me to obey even when Your commands don’t make sense to my human mind, trusting that Your word never fails. In Jesus’ name, amen.
