A committed person can only observe injustice for so long until he has to make a choice. Either he will reach out to right the wrong or he will turn a blind eye. For Moses, standing up for his brethren would mean that he would have to stand against Pharaoh and risk everything his life had been based on for the last 40 years. To ignore the plight of his people and turn away from them would mean their continued suffering and death.

"And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name's sake, shall receive many times as much, and shall inherit eternal life." - Matthew 19:29

Imagine giving up your home for the Lord. Whatever you live in now, humble or sizable, imagine God saying to you, "I want you to move out and leave it behind. It will be a total loss to you."

Imagine leaving your family behind for the Lord. Your brothers and sisters, your mother and father, you leave them behind in order to go to a place God tells you and you’ll never see them again.

Imagine giving up your career or business. Whatever it is you do for a living, just adequate to pay the bills or extremely lucrative, imagine that for the sake of God you must leave it behind and never do it again as long as you live. Whatever training or experience you have in the area of your occupation is marked down to zero in a society and culture very different than the one you are used to. You must begin all over for the sake of Christ.

Now imagine leaving all three of these things behind at once in order to answer God’s call. You would have to be very committed to God to do such a thing, wouldn’t you? It wouldn't be easy.

We continue this morning the series begun last Sunday called The Character of the Committed. We’re looking at the descriptions of a few committed people in the Bible and the character they exhibited.

This morning we go back to the days of the Pharaohs of Egypt to a time when an adopted Hebrew slave child was a part of the ruling Egyptian royal family.

We're going to look at Moses, Who Turned His Back on Egypt.

Our text is Hebrews 11:24-27:

Moses’ story is fairly well known, but a short review might be helpful to some of us who are new to the Bible. Moses' contribution to the Scripture really backs up into the life of Joseph, one of the twelve sons of Jacob. Hundreds of years before Moses was born Joseph’s faithfulness to God saved Egypt from a terrible famine. As a result the patriarch was allowed to settle the family of his father in the land of Goshen, a prime piece of Egyptian pasture land. Because of God’s providence, Joseph was elevated to second in command of all Egypt and was honored by the Egyptians throughout his lifetime. After His death though and some time prior to Moses' birth, a Pharaoh came to the throne who did not remember the great salvation from famine that Joseph had brought. Looking out upon a growing population of Israelites in Goshen, he saw them as a military threat. His dubious "solution" was to put them into slavery. As a further measure to control their population he ordered that every male newborn was to be cast into the Nile River at birth. Moses’ parents disobeyed the king’s horrendous edict and hid their baby for three months. When they could no longer keep his existence a secret, his mother placed him in a small basket among the reeds at the edge of the Nile in an area where Pharaoh’s daughter came to bathe. In God's providence, the princess found baby Moses and loved him immediately. She determined to adopt him as her own. She chose a Hebrew woman to nurse the baby until he was weaned and with God's merciful guidance, the woman chosen for the task was Moses’ own mother. Presumably, during Moses’ time with his mother, he was told that he was a descendant of Abraham and that his people belonged to the chosen people of Abraham’s God. Ultimately Moses was moved to the palace where he became the son of Pharaoh’s daughter – a prince of Egypt.

Very little is said in the Bible of Moses’ next 40 years other than what Stephen tells us in Acts 7:21-22: "…Pharaoh's daughter took him away, and nurtured him as her own son. And Moses was educated in all the learning of the Egyptians, and he was a man of power in words and deeds."

As a prince of Egypt Moses enjoyed all that royalty would afford. He had prestige, power, pleasure, and plenty of every worldly thing he could ever desire. But as he neared the age of 40 his concern for the miserable plight of his people began to exert itself.

A committed person can only observe injustice for so long until he has to make a choice. Either he will reach out to right the wrong or he will turn a blind eye. For Moses, standing up for his brethren would mean that he would have to stand against Pharaoh and risk everything his life had been based on for the last 40 years. To ignore the plight of his people and turn away from them would mean their continued suffering and death. Again, not much is said by the Bible but one day as he was visiting one of the work sites where the Hebrews were laboring, an event took place that forced his growing conviction and concern out into the open. We read in Exodus 2:11-12: "Now it came about in those days, when Moses had grown up, that he went out to his brethren and looked on their hard labors; and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren. So he looked this way and that, and when he saw there was no one around, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand."

Stephen tells us something in his Acts 7 sermon that Moses didn’t mention in his account in Exodus. Acts 7:25 says, "And he supposed that his brethren understood that God was granting them deliverance through him; but they did not understand."

It looks like Moses knew something of his coming role as the deliver of Israel. Perhaps God revealed it to him. Perhaps he surmised his responsibility from his mother's stories of Joseph who had saved his people before him. Whatever the source of his growing conviction, the die was cast for his future on the day that he struck down the Egyptian slave driver. To kill one of Pharaoh’s own in defense of a slave would show his true loyalty.

But the deliverance of God's people did not begin immediately. While Moses thought his Hebrew brethren would understand his intent and support him, they didn’t get it at all. Whatever he may have expected, the situation suddenly blew up in his face. Exodus 2:13-15 tells the story:

With a price on his head now, Moses had to flee from Egypt and the things he had known for the last 40 years. The now former prince of Egypt would become a common shepherd as God continued to prepare him for the ultimate deliverance and exodus of all God’s people from Egypt.

Our text today looks back to that time when Moses made his choice and turned his back on Egypt. Let’s read it again.

The New Testament writer implies three things that Moses turned his back on when he left Egypt.(1)

Verse 24 says, "By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter...."

It seems likely to me that few remembered Moses’ humble origins. By now he was fully "Egyptianized" if I may coin a word. Brought up in the Palace from a young age, he was Egyptian nearly to the core. His dress, his language, his mannerisms, and probably to a greater or lesser extent, his attitudes must have been strongly influenced by Egypt.

Most men are very conscious of their identity and often reckon who they are by what they do. Observe two men who are introduced to one another. Early in the conversation some version of this question will be asked: "So, what do you do for a living?" This isn’t an idle question. It is how men size one another up. "I’m a butcher, a baker, a candlestick maker. I’m a business owner, a CEO, a stock broker. I’m a supervisor in a large factory. I’m the leading salesman with XYZ Company." The greater the prestige the tighter the hold is on the position as an identity.

"I’m the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. I’m the prince of Egypt. I’m a man in line for the Egyptian throne." This was no fantasy for Moses. It is the prestige he grew up with and knew for 40 years. He was quite used to it. It was who he was. Everywhere he went in Egypt, people bowed the knee and spoke of his greatness. By the world's standard in that day, he was a great man!

But there was another identity struggling with his role as a prince of Egypt. Moses also knew he was one of God’s people, a Hebrew. And these two identities were getting harder and harder for his conscience to harmonize. He could not continue to hold both identities equally. One of them would have to submit.

It’s very easy to be deceived by the temporary benefits of wealth, popularity, status, and achievement. They are so near – even right before our eyes. The long-range benefits of faithfulness to God’s kingdom are more remote, seen only through the eyes of faith. It takes a committed person to keep his or her eyes fixed on the eternal benefits, often having to step around, ignore, and even refuse the things that beckon for attention now. Actually, the willingness to postpone temporary gratification now for better, eternal things later is a key part of the character of the committed.

While none of us will ever be a prince of Egypt (or a prince of anything for that matter) prestige may still be a factor we must deal with in our lives. Being successful in business can be an issue of prestige. Climbing the corporate ladder or advancing in ones job can be an issue of prestige. Being good at athletics or acting or music can be an issue of prestige. Hey, being a preacher could be an issue of prestige. Not that it has been a factor for me, of course. (!)

"So what are you going to suggest, Dave? That we should not strive to do well in the things we do? Are we supposed to shun success and the recognition that comes with it?"

I don’t mean that at all. But a problem can develop when the desire for prestige comes first, before things that God says are important. If God has gifted you to be good at something and you become successful at it and are known and respected by many – that’s great! Just don’t forget that this isn’t what life is made of. Life is made of the relationships you have, starting with God and your family. Prestige is nice but when you are old or retired or dead, people will forget who you were much more quickly than you expect. Don’t forget to develop the identity that will determine your eternal destiny.

From the world’s standpoint, in taking a stand for God’s people, Moses was sacrificing everything for nothing. From a spiritual standpoint he was sacrificing nothing for everything. According to our text in Hebrews, Moses was fully conscious of this issue as he made his choice that day and killed the Egyptian slave driver overlooking the mud pits of Egypt. Verse 26 says, "for he was looking to the reward." Moses had decided he wanted the greater and not the lesser reward. His eye was on the eternal God who grants life beyond this short time here on earth. That’s where we need to have our eyes, too.

The things that this world counts as great are nothing to God. He doesn’t care whose son or daughter you are. He doesn’t care how much money you make, what your title is, who stands when you come into the room, or how many people know your name. These things are like rubbish to God. What matters to Him is whether or not your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. What matters to Him is whether you are living so as to take that family He has given you to heaven. What matters to Him is whether you care enough about your neighbor to show him or her the way to heaven rather than hell.

It must have been tough for Moses to turn his back on the prestige of Egypt. And let me add one more thing to it before we move on. According to Genesis 46:34, the lowest occupation in Egypt was shepherding. Guess what Moses would end up doing for the next 40 years of his life before he delivered Israel? That's right. Shepherding!

Verse 25 of our text says, "…choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God, than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin…"

"So what’s so wrong with having a good time" someone asks. "as long as no one gets hurt?"

I’m not going to tell you that sin isn’t fun in the short term. This passage indicates that sin is pleasurable - for a time. The problem is that little word "passing." "The passing pleasures of sin," it says. One of these days, sooner than you think, those "passing" things will have turned into "past" things. It will all be over except the judgment and many will literally have hell to pay. Moses was thinking ahead. We should be, too. "What is this going to cost me later? Will I live to regret this? Maybe its better that I say no to sin now, even if it puts me in a difficult spot, so that when the day comes to stand before my Creator I can be glad."

At the age of 40, surely Moses knew of the pleasures of Egypt. Though the Bible is silent as to whether he ever indulged in the well-known immorality of Egyptian culture, even if he didn’t practice these things, he was still very accustomed to a life of ease where his every need was met. The best food, the best living quarters, the best clothing, the best entertainment were all his. In fact, since he had already been exposed to these things, perhaps it might even have been harder for him to turn his back on them. It’s much harder to go back in income and prosperity than it is to go forward.

But wait. There’s more. This wasn’t simply Moses turning his back on a sinful lifestyle in exchange for a sinless, blissful one. Moses was turning his back on the passing pleasures of sin and taking up instead "ill treatment with the people of God." Things would not get easier once he chose to honor God with his life. They would get harder!

Don’t expect a medal of honor or special recognition in this life for making right decisions and trying to live right. Depending on how strongly you grasp it, you will far more likely be hated for doing right. It was Jesus Himself who said in John 15:20, "Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also." Jesus did what was right and was killed for it.

This world does not accommodate very well those who practice righteousness. As Peter says in 1 Peter 4:3-4, "And in all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excess of dissipation, and they malign you…."

Remember, we say "no" to sin in the short run for a reward that comes later, in the long run. It is delayed gratification.

Moses turned his back on Egypt’s prestige. He turned his back on Egypt’s pleasure.

Verse 26 of our text says, "…considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt…."

Moses had no idea what it was like to scratch out a living for himself. For as long as he could remember everything was provided for him. If he wanted steak and lobster for lunch, he got it. If he wanted a midnight snack of caviar and crackers, he got it. If he wanted the latest styles and fashions of clothing, he got them. If he wanted to take up a new hobby or pastime, he simply snapped his fingers and it would be there before him. If he wanted the latest model chariot, covered with gold inlay, he got it. No modern reality show of spoiled rich girls down on the farm learning how the other half lives could top the contrast between what Moses knew in Egypt and what he would suddenly come up against as he turned his back on Egypt's plenty.

What a shock it must have been the first week he was away from the palace after his hasty departure. None of these details are revealed in Scripture of course, but it doesn't take much imagination to figure it out. Desert survival is not an easy thing. Had it not been for his coming upon the tents of the nomad Jethro, he probably would have starved to death.

Many Christian people living in America could have much of the best if they would but walk away from God and pursue a materialistic dream. Drive a new car every year. Live in a spacious, luxurious house. Eat only the finest and the best. Instead they pursue the things of God. They are not willing to compromise the fidelity of their faith in order to cut the corners. They share their income with others. They support the Lord's church and his work in far away places. They live for something in the future.

By the way, perhaps you're like me. Whenever I think of the rich, I always think of somebody else. "I'm not rich," I think. "What are you talking about?

William Boice of Phoenix, Arizona wrote the following in The Christian Standard periodical: "Dear Lord, I have been re-reading the record of the Rich Young Ruler and his obviously wrong choice. But it has set me thinking. No matter how much wealth he had, he could not ride in a car, have any surgery, turn on a light, buy penicillin, hear a pipe organ, watch TV, wash dishes in running water, type a letter, mow a lawn, fly in an airplane, sleep on an innerspring mattress, or talk on the phone. If he was rich, then what am I?"

Here in Oregon there is a special automobile license plate with an "E" on it. Have you seen these? They are often on cars that have "For Official Use Only" signs on them. The "E" stands for "Exempt." It means that the vehicle is owned by the state and is exempt from the normal licensing requirements of ordinary citizens like you and me.

Whenever a subject comes up like the one we're talking about this morning it is very tempting to think that maybe we have such an "E" license plate somewhere on our persons. "That stuff doesn't apply to me. I'm not in a position of prestige. There are plenty of pleasure issues that are still out of my reach. And I'm certainly not rich. So I'm exempt."

Perhaps that's true. But then again, maybe this issue depends not upon what we own but upon what owns us.

For the sake of our considerations in this message we could imagine two kinds of people and how they regard this world's prestige, pleasure, and plenty. There are those who are controlled by it and ultimately its demands run their life. In that scenario, God gets only the leftovers. Such a person may not leave the faith entirely but pursuit of the things of this world is the obvious first in their life. Such a one is really living for now and will probably be greatly distressed when the "passing" pleasures become the "past" pleasures.

Then there are those who - we're calling them the committed in this series - are controlled by their faith and any consideration of these other things comes in at a distant second. I think such people are on the right track.

Maybe we can boil it down to this:

Some people will never be too serious about their faith because it cramps their lifestyle. Others will not get to serious about their lifestyle because it cramps their faith. There just isn't room in the space of one life for the unbridled pursuit of both the world and the Lord. If a choice isn't made, the world will ultimately win out.

Do you need to turn your back on Egypt?

Footnotes: Please use your "back" button to return to your place.

1. The alliterated three part outline for this message was suggested by John MacArthur's commentary on Hebrews.

Dave Redick is Minister of the Hwy 20 Church of Christ in Sweet Home, Oregon and Editor of The Preacher's Study. He may be reached at pstudysupport@comcast.net.

Copyright © 1996-2008 by The Preacher's Study. Permission is granted to subscribers to use this document in total or in sermon preparation in the context of the local congregation only. Publishing it in a book, on the Internet, or anyplace beyond the local congregation is prohibited.

All Scripture quotations and references are from the New American Standard Version unless otherwise stated.

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