In his catalog of Old Testament saints whose faith we should emulate it is not surprising that the writer of Hebrews gives Moses significant space (Heb.11:23-29). He recounts a number of incidents in which Israel’s lawgiver exercised his faith in God. In the first one it is Moses’ parents whose faith is highlighted. By faith they hid the newborn Moses three months because they saw a beautiful child and were not afraid of the king’s decree that all infant sons be killed. Perhaps, they saw in their son the deliverer (Acts 7:23-25).
Moses was raised by the daughter of Pharaoh, but by faith when he became of age refused to be called her son. He chose rather to be identified with the people of God and suffer affliction with them thereby forgoing the treasures of Egypt and the pleasures of sin afforded him as royalty. He traded the passing pleasures and temporal treasures of Egypt for an eternal reward found in the heavenly city. By faith he forsook Egypt not fearing the wrath of the king, but enduring difficulty as seeing the King who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover believing God would destroy the firstborn of infidels, but “pass over” or not touch those households over whose door the blood was sprinkled. Finally, by faith Moses and those he led out of Egypt passed through the Red Sea as on dry land while the Egyptians who pursued them drowned.
Like Moses, we must endure the difficulties and challenges to our faith believing that we will one day inherit all that God has promised us (Heb.6:11-12).