The Hall of Faith | Moses and His Identity – Hebrews 11:24-26
By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. (Hebrews 11:24-26, ESV)
Moses continued to grow with the benefits of being raised in the King’s palace while simultaneously understanding his true heritage. Yet, the tension between the two lives would be a constant pressure Moses felt. One lifestyle afforded Moses everything he desired, being viewed as royalty with access to the finest of every need and want. The other was marked by slavery, help under the oppressive thumb of the Egyptian rulers. The two remained incompatible and could not peacefully coexist with one another. As Moses grew, his identity and allegiance would be tested.
One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people. He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. When he went out the next day, behold, two Hebrews were struggling together. And he said to the man in the wrong, “Why do you strike your companion?” He answered, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid, and thought, “Surely the thing is known.” When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by a well. (Exodus 2:11-15, ESV)
For a prince, none of Moses’ actions could have easily been dismissed at something a prince could do. Kings and royalty, believing their authority derived from being incarnations of god, could do what they wanted. The only person Moses would have need to be accountable to would have been Pharaoh himself. Yet, at this moment, Moses faced the crossroads of decision, needing to choose one of the two identities that had battled for his life. Moses, in faith, understood that being a part the people of God, even if it meant enduring slavery, would be better than a life of self indulgence.
The Faith of Identity
Hebrews briefly mentions the struggle of Moses with his identity. Throughout the early stages of his life, he was met with the dual citizenship of being royalty, the daughter of a princess, and knowing his true heritage comes from being with the Israelites. After moving to save the lives of the Hebrew people by murdering the two Egyptians it seemed as if the choice would be clear for Moses. Yet, the next day, it seemed as if the Hebrew people scorned him asking who made him a judge and prince over them. Following his identity as an Israelite would mean enduring the scorn and derision he would receive from his past. Yet, by faith, Moses understood that whatever the difficulty he may face as an Israelite and whatever momentary pleasure he would give up would be far less in comparison with the glory of God. Moses faced the choice to decide what would define his identity, choosing to be with god.
Moses’ choice of identity comes as a microcosm of the decision we all face when confronted with the goodness and glory of God. The initial choice for Moses meant he would need to sacrifice the pleasures that he would receive as royalty. For us, we must choose to get sacrifice our fleshly desires to be identified as a person of God. Everyone gives things up for the sake of following Jesus. When we surrender to Jesus Christ, we surrender our identity to be shaped and formed to reflect the image of God to the world. We no longer identify with our sin or the desires of our heart. God gives us a new heart as we strive to be formed by Him. Our old life and our new life in Jesus Christ are incompatible with one another. As we identify as a new creation in Jesus Christ, we acknowledge in faith that, for however much the pleasure of this world offer, the grace of being with God ushers us into eternity with our loving Heavenly Father.
Enduring Hardships in Faith
In order to give up the life of royalty, Moses understood that he would likely be joining a difficult lifestyle. Furthermore, we know (as well as the original audience of the book of Hebrews) what would happen to Moses. He would flee to Midan and work for 40 years an undignified life compared to a prince. Then he would stand up to Pharaoh, risking his life, while leading the people of God into the unknown out of slavery. The people would grumble against Moses and against God and in the end, Moses would only get a glimpse of the promised land. While Moses would become essential to the faith of the people, his life would be anything but easy. Yet, for all his understanding, Moses’ faith would see him through the difficulty. A life lived for the sake of the glory of God would far surpass the toil lived during his lifetime. In faith, Moses knew that he would endure hardships but come through them by the grace of God.
God never promises an easy life to those who follow Him. In fact, the opposite is a promise. We will endure difficulty, oppression, and hard times. Some would be harder than others, but everyone who identifies as a child of God will face the hardships of life directly because of their relationship with Jesus Christ. Through the Holy Spirit within us, we persist in faith. We continue to endure the hardships in faith, knowing that God’s strength and greater than our own and the reward for that endurance is eternal life. Nothing we face will be able to pry us from the hands of God. In faith, we endure the hardships for believing in Jesus Christ, knowing that the reward of eternal life is worth paying the price now.
About The Author
Daniel Burton is the founder of The Gospel Outpost. He is passionate about discipleship and seeing people grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ. To find out more about him, check out his Author Page.
