Hebrews 11:23&F
3/29/15
Sunday Morning
We continue to look at faith and the role it plays in the successful Christian life
Just in case you haven’t gotten it yet – you can’t please God in this life w/out faith
Heb.11:6(ASV) And without faith it is impossible to be
well-pleasing unto Him; for He that cometh to God must
believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that
seek after Him.
How does biblical faith deal w/ hostile opposition?
The Peanuts cartoon
Heb.11:23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his
parents, because they saw #1he was a beautiful child; and #2they were not afraid of
the king's edict.
1) “By faith Moses…was hidden for three months”
a) To understand this passage we must have working knowledge of
background – go to Ex.1:1
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e) This would have been a Pharaoh who was Egyptian & wanted nothing
to do w/ Israelites b/c of their relationship to the Hyksos
f) That Pharaoh also did not honor the treaty that gave the land of
Goshen to the Jews
V.9(NP)
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Ex.1:1 Now these are the names of the sons of Israel(Jacob) who came to Egypt with
Jacob; they came each one with his household:
V.2 Reuben(Leah), Simeon(Leah), Levi(Leah) and Judah(Leah);
V.3 Issachar(Leah), Zebulun(Leah) and Benjamin(Rachel);
V.4 Dan(Bilhah) and Naphtali(Bilhah), Gad(Zilpah) and Asher(Zilpah).
V.5 All the persons who came from the loins of Jacob were seventy in number, but
Joseph was already in Egypt.
V.6 Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation.
V.7 But the sons of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly, and multiplied, and
became exceedingly mighty, so that the land was filled with them.
V.8 Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.
1) “a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph”
a) During Joseph’s lifetime Egypt was ruled by the Hyksos kings
(Pharaohs)
b) They were called shepherd kings
c) They were not Egyptian at all & probably more closely related to
Joseph than to the Egyptians
i) They introduced horses & chariots to Egyptians
d) When the Egyptians were able, they overthrew the Hyksos leaders
& purged the country of the Hyksos people
V.9 He said to his people, "Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are more and
mightier than we.
V.10 "Come, let us deal wisely with them, or else they will multiply and in the event of
war, they will also join themselves to those who hate us, and fight against us and
depart from the land."
V.11 So they appointed taskmasters over them to afflict them with hard labor. And
they built for Pharaoh storage cities, Pithom and Raamses.
V.12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they
spread out, so that they were in dread of the sons of Israel.
V.15 Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named
Shiphrah(fairness) and the other was named Puah(?);
V.16 and he said, "When you are helping the Hebrew women to give birth and see
them upon the birthstool, if it is a son, then you shall put him to death; but if it is a
daughter, then she shall live."(government mandated partial birth abortion)
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Ex.2:1 Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a daughter of Levi.
V.2 The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was beautiful,
she hid him for three months.
1) “she hid him for three months”
a) This sounds as though Moses’ mom was the one of action – but
Hebrews 11 makes it clear that it was both parents
Heb.11:23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden
for three months by his parents, because they saw #1he
was a beautiful child; and #2they were not afraid of the
king's edict.
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V.17 But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had
commanded them, but let the boys live.
V.18 So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, "Why have you
done this thing, and let the boys live?"
V.19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew women are not as the
Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife can get to
them."
V.20 So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied, and became very
mighty.
V.21 Because the midwives feared God, He established households for them.
V.22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, "Every son who is born you are
to cast into the Nile, and every daughter you are to keep alive."
1) “Then Pharaoh commanded…every son…you are to cast into the Nile”
a) When telling he midwives to abort male babies didn’t work – he
demanded the people to kill their male children at birth
b) Their act of faith was to hide their son
c) What is such a big deal about that?
d) It seems to me that the emphasis is not on the hiding of their son
in & of itself – but the reasons for their hiding him
i) Look at Heb.11:23 again
Heb.11:23 x By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his
parents, because they saw #1he was a beautiful child; and #2they were not afraid of
the king's edict.
1) “because they saw #1he was a beautiful child"
a) This word “beautiful” is used only one other time in Scripture
Acts 7:17 "But as the time of the promise was approaching
which God had assured to Abraham, the people increased
and multiplied in Egypt,
18 until THERE AROSE ANOTHER KING OVER EGYPT WHO
KNEW NOTHING ABOUT JOSEPH.
19 "It was he who took shrewd advantage of our race and
mistreated our fathers so that they would expose their
infants and they would not survive.
20 "It was at this time that Moses was born; and he was
lovely(same word) in the sight of God, and he was nurtured
three months in his father's home.
21 "And after he had been set outside, Pharaoh's daughter
took him away and nurtured him as her own son.
b) The word means pleasant, wholesome, pleasing to look at, well
formed, refined, polite, upper class, elegant, courteous
c) Who could look at a 3 month old and see those qualities? No one!
d) So – what was it that his parents saw?
h) If you have children or grandchildren– you have the most
important job in the whole world
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ii) Hannah knew the same thing about Samuel
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e) By faith they saw his potential, the potential of a life molded in the
hands of God
f) His parents understood something that most parents don’t see
g) They were not raising a child – they were raising an adult (he was
only a child for the moment)
i) They knew their time was limited b/c they knew they had to
give him away
i) A commentator on a news network said, this week, that
spring break at Panama City beach, Florida would make
Sodom & Gomorrah blush
ii)
iii)
iv)
v)
He said, “We are a country that has lost its moral compass”
What has happened in our country?
Why have the young people become so immoral?
Because no one is raising them!
(1) It has been left to: daycares, baby sitters, TV,
movies, the world
vi) It is assumed that kids left to themselves will turn out OK – not
so!
ii) Turn the TV & video games off! No imagination anymore
(1) Kids need to learn how to entertain themselves
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k) Don’t let the world tell you how to raise your children
i) Make time for them to think – without the world’s input
(1) Kids lives are too busy today
(2) They need to think! Need times when they don’t have
anything to do but think!
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i) If parents don’t take a proactive approach to raising their children they
will have committed the sins of Eli
j) Eli had sons that he allowed to live without discipline & Eli & his
sons paid a terrible price
1 Sam.2:27 Now a man of God came to Eli and said to
him, "This is what the LORD says: 'Did I not clearly reveal
myself to your father's house when they were in Egypt
under Pharaoh?
V.28 I chose your father out of all the tribes of Israel to be
my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, and to wear
an ephod in my presence. I also gave your father's house all
the offerings made with fire by the Israelites.
V.29 Why do you scorn my sacrifice and offering that I
prescribed for my dwelling? Why do you honor your sons
more than me(by not disciplining his sons) by fattening yourselves
on the choice parts of every offering made by my people
Israel?'
V.31 The time is coming when I will cut short your strength
and the strength of your father's house, so that there will
not be an old man in your family line
iii) Teach them how to interact w/ other people children & Adults
iv) Treat them with respect! Teach to respect others
Col.3:21 Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that
they will not lose heart.
v) Kids can’t be the center of their own world
vi) Family meals need to be expected
vii) Don’t look to psychology instead of Scripture to raise your
children
Eph.6:4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger,
but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the
Lord.
viii) Too much fast food, no exercise, lack of sleep – just wrong!
ix) Incorporate/teach to walk w/ Christ into every facet of life:
work, play, etc.
x) You have to teach kids how to work, how to dress, how to
play, how to live disciplined lives –
xi) Parents need to have God first in their own lives – kids will see
that
xii) Make them mind – no back talk – say what you mean to them
& mean what you say
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If you don’t teach them who is going to?
Deut. 4:9(NIV) Only be careful, and watch yourselves
closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes
have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you
live. Teach them to your children and to their children
after them.
Deut.6:6(NIV) These commandments that I give you
today are to be upon your hearts.
V.7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them
when you sit at home and when you walk along the road,
when you lie down and when you get up.
V.8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them
on your foreheads.
V.9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and
on your gates.
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(1)
(1)
(2)
(3)
Young children see their parents as the ultimate authority
in their lives
You actually take the place of God in their lives
If you don’t mean what you say – they will automatically
grow up thinking that God doesn’t mean what He says
xiii) Don’t sin as a parent by not raising your own kids
(1) Don’t use legalism but have standards
(2) Even at best – you are not guaranteed results
xiv) That is a skeleton version of making of a Moses
l) Moses’ parents only had a short period of time to form his thinking –
and form it they did
Heb.11:23 x By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his
parents, because they saw #1he was a beautiful child; and #2they were not afraid of
the king's edict.
1) x “By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months”
a) #1. x “he was a beautiful child”
i) They saw what God could do in that boy!
ii) They set out to do their part
b) #2. “They were not afraid of the king’s edict”
i) They had confidence that God could take care of Moses no matter
what the world threw at him
ii) They weren’t afraid of what Pharaoh said
iii) They weren’t afraid of his influence
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V.3 But when she could hide him no longer, she got him a wicker basket and covered
it over with tar and pitch. Then she put the child into it and set it among the reeds by
the bank of the Nile.
V.4 His sister stood at a distance to find out what would happen to him.
V.5 The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bath at the Nile, with her maidens walking
alongside the Nile; and she saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid, and
she brought it to her.
V.6 When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the boy was crying. And she
had pity on him and said, "This is one of the Hebrews' children."
V.7 (NP)
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iv) You must see that God is bigger than the world
v) If you don’t you will go crazy worrying about your children &
life in general
vi) Worry will not help you children!
V.7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and call a nurse for you from
the Hebrew women that she may nurse the child for you?"
V.8 Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Go ahead." So the girl went and called the child's
mother.
V.9 Then Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this child away and nurse him for me
and I will give you your wages." So the woman took the child and nursed him.
1) “I will give you your wages”
a) Sometimes when you trust God He does things that are too good to be
true!
i) She is getting paid to raise her own son!
V.10 The child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter and he became her
son. And she named him Moses, and said, "Because I drew him out of the water."
1) “she named him Moses, and said, "Because I drew him out of the water”
a) Actually, Pharaoh’s daughter didn’t name Moses w/ a Hebrew name
b) She named him Moseh which means “son”
c) But it is so close to the Hebrew word Moses which means – “to draw
out of water” that he began to be called by that name
d) Every day for approx. 4 years Moses parents had the chance to instill
in him real values
i) I’m believe that his parents were not cut off from seeing him
periodically even after he was older
ii) This says volumes to those of you who have limited access to
your children or grandchildren
iii) No one could stop them from praying for their son
iv)
e) We see that those years were enough to shape Moses
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How do you deal w/ adversity? Head on – by faith
You realize God is bigger & plan accordingly