Hebrews 10:23-29

Moses and Faith

At his birth, Moses' parents displayed a great faith in God. They knew Pharaoh had commanded all male children be thrown in the river, but they hid their son three months (Exodus 1:22; Exodus 2:1-3.) God rewarded their faith by allowing their son to be spared (Exodus 2:4-10). When Moses grew up, it was out of faith that he rejected the Egyptians in favor of his Hebrew brethren (Exodus 2:11-12). Rather than turn away and let the Egyptian beat the Hebrew slave, Moses chose to throw off the pleasures of the sinful Egyptians and risk the suffering of the Hebrews (Hebrews 11:23-25).

Moses gave up these luxuries and chose to suffer the reproach Christ and all believers in God have to bear. He did this so he could receive the reward of heaven. Milligan believes this to be the reproach that Christ bore while on earth and the reproach that he bears through the person of all true believers. Christ is the righteousness of all the redeemed (2 Corinthians 5:21) and the writer indicates he believes Christ suffered afflictions in his body. When Moses left Egypt, he was afraid because others knew he had slain the Egyptian (Exodus 2:11-15). However, the Hebrew writer says he did not abandon Egypt out of fear, but faith. Through the eye of faith, Moses was able to see Christ, the invisible (1 Timothy 1:17; 1 Timothy 6:14-16), and take courage in the fact that Christ is faithful in keeping his promises (Hebrews 11:26-27).

Moses and the children of Israel kept the passover, as God had commanded, believing that God would destroy the firstborn of Egypt and save the Israelites (Exodus 12:1-36). It was by faith that the Israelites were able to pass through the Red Sea and the Egyptians were drowned (Hebrews 11:28-29; Exodus 14:10-31).