“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 PLEASURES OF SIN FOR A SHORT TIME.” —HEBREWS 11: 24-25, NIV
The infant, Moses, was born into a perilous political situation. His mother hid him for three months, then sealed him in a waterproof basket and sent him down the river, praying that his life would be spared. An Egyptian princess found him and made him a prince.
After growing up in luxury, wealth, and power, he must have felt shocked when he discovered his true identity lay with an oppressed and enslaved people. Born a Hebrew, yet reared as an Egyptian prince, he was a favored grandson. In Pharaoh’s court his life was gilded by wealth and power. But one day, he walked away and chose the Hebrew people as his family.
His transformation began when Moses witnessed an Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave. The truth of the Hebrew plight so overwhelmed him that he reacted violently; he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. Then Moses fled to the wilderness to escape the death penalty. From then on, Moses refused the prestige of being the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose affliction with his own people.
Did he make that noble decision all on his own?
Faith gave Moses eyes to see the truth and a tender heart to respond.
But he hardly behaved like a hero.
He didn’t really know what to do—which is exactly where God wanted him. He allowed Moses to be stuck out in the desert for forty years.
Meanwhile, Pharaoh died, and his successors increased the oppression of his people. Moses raised a family, grew old, and no doubt wondered many times about his past Egyptian life.
Until the day God spoke to him in a burning bush. A consuming fire that didn’t consume, the flame of God’s presence, His passion — and now His purposes—were revealed to Moses after all these years. He was called to lead his people to freedom.
By faith, Moses chose to see the truth of his own identity—and God did the rest. We can always trust our Lord to “do the rest” and reveal the purposes of our lives.
