01.08. Chapter 7: Great Salvation

CHAPTER SEVEN

Great Salvation "By faith he forsook Egypt…seeing him who is invisible." (Hebrews 11:27). The story of Moses from Nile to the Jordan is covered by four books of the Pentateuch, viz. Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Though Moses himself never entered the Promised Land, yet he led the children of Israel to its borders. The Scripture testified about him that he was "very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth" (Numbers 12:3, NKJV). Obviously, Moses did not have a domineering or imposing personality, as some think it vital for leadership. Neither was he very articulate as he himself confessed to God saying "I am not eloquent…but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue" (Exodus 4:10). Nevertheless, God chose him to be the leader of the Exodus. It was by faith in God that he defied the overwhelming power of Egyptian magic and military supremacy; yet, he prevailed because God sent him and God was with him.

FAITH LEAVES A LEGACY The writer says that "by faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment" (Hebrews 11:23). One can observe here that often it is the faith of others that adds into our lives. In this case, it was the faith of Moses’ parents that prompted them to hide him from the king and by this they invested into Moses the results of their faith. This is the blessing of a godly family: its children are blessed because they enjoy the blessings of their parents’ faith. Similarly, the congregation who has a pastor rich in faith partakes of the blessings of his faith. Certainly, our actions are not without their ramifications. The ramifications of faith are blessings from generation to generation but the ramifications of unbelief are disastrous. What we believe and do impacts not just our lives but also the lives of the generations to come. Therefore, a study of history must not be disentangled from a study of culture and philosophy (in other words, of people’s belief-systems). Ideas shape history through religion and culture. This means that what one believes in has far-reaching consequences. In Moses’ case, it not only meant the channeling of divine providence through his parents’ faith-action but also the provision of a leader for the creation of Israel’s history as a nation. Though it was Moses who led the people out of Egypt and gave them the law and a religious-system, it was his parents that first contributed to this history-making through their faith in God regarding Moses. Obviously, they also left a legacy of faith for him as can be seen later on by his refusal to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter and taking up the path of suffering by faith. Faith is influence and faith is legacy because faith doesn’t keep silent: it acts out. The writer of Hebrews underscores three elements of the faith of Moses’ parents: sight, courage, and action.

Faith as Aesthetic The writer says that Moses’ parents saw him as being a beautiful baby. The word for "beautiful" is asteios (ἀστεῖος) in the Greek and is used only twice in the New Testament (Acts 7:20 ; Hebrews 11:23): both of the times to describe Moses. The word "aesthetics", meaning the philosophical science of beauty, comes from this word. The Jews believed that Moses was a very handsome person; so handsome, said Josephus the historian, that people would stop to gaze at him when he passed by. However, it is understandable that it was not as much the physical beauty of the child as much as it was the spiritual fairness of their conscience that prompted his parents from taking the risk of hiding him. Inevitably, Pharaoh’s soldiers might also see Moses but would not spare him; not because they could not appreciate his physical beauty but because their vision differed from the vision of Moses’ parents. Their way of looking was just different. The Egyptians looked on the children of Israel with contempt. They didn’t consider them to be a special people at all. And therefore, prejudice prevented any optimistic vision in them. That is the reason why they made slaves of them. But, Moses was Amram’s and Jochebed’s own son: he was special to them; and he was beautiful not just because of his being good-looking but because he was God’s gift to them. Most importantly, both of them realized that the child, being himself dependent on them as a babe, could only be saved by their risk of faith. This is the either/or condition of faith. Either give up or stand against the tide. Parents and leaders need to realize this fact that often the future of their children or followers depends on whether they are or not faithful in fulfilling to the end the care entrusted to them. Their faithfulness is their mark of faith or the ability to see beyond all natural limits. Moses’ parents obviously saw Moses as not just their son but as a son of the Hebrews, as belonging to the flock of God. He was not just born to them but to the people of Israel, the people who worshipped Jehovah.

It is important for parents, teachers, pastors, and leaders to reconsider how we look at each other. The Bible shows us the aesthetic way of looking at each other. Aesthetic, not in the sense of physical beauty which fades with time, but in the sense of looking at each other as being special and uniquely designed by God for His glory. This aesthetic view is not just about how we look at others but also about how we look at ourselves. Obviously, when the Bible says that we must love our neighbor as ourselves, it also implies that we must first understand what it really means to love ourselves. For if we miss that we also miss the second, namely loving our neighbor or as the Good Samaritan’s story tells us, being a loving neighbor to someone. Self-despisal is a sinful as despising our neighbor. For if it is false to judge others wrongly then it is also false to judge oneself wrongly. Extending from here, we need to realize that despising anyone else is nothing but practice of a false faith. This immediately tells us that faith is not just related to what we think of God, but also what we think of ourselves and our fellowmen in relation to ourselves and God. Obviously, knowledge of God or relationship with God is not one-dimensional. Even as the Jewish mystic, Martin Buber, saw relationship as compounded in an I-It or I-Thou perspective, we understand that any understanding of God through faith also involves a second dimension; that is knowledge of ourselves in relation to Him. Therefore, the command to love one’s neighbor as oneself is not separable from the command to love God; and the Word asserts that someone who fails to love his fellowmen cannot be considered to be loving God (1 John 4:20). Faith, therefore, has double implications. What we believe about God is also related to what we believe about ourselves and how we treat ourselves with respect to God and the world around us. It is in this sense that I think the biblical aesthetic view-point of valuing each other’s life, rights, and person becomes pivotal for authentic Christian living.

Faith as Courageous The Bible tells us that Moses’ parents were not afraid of the commandment of Pharaoh (Hebrews 11:23). The Greek word for "afraid" used here is phobeo (φοβέω) which means to be intensely terrified, so much that the fear grips at the whole being almost to the point of a paralysis. The word "phobia" comes from the same root word. Pharaoh had commanded the people saying, "Every son who is born you shall cast into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive" (Exodus 1:22, NKJV). The interesting thing is that eventually Moses was anyway cast into the river but, obviously, not to be killed! The fact to be observed here is that it was because of faith that Moses’ parents were not terrified of a human decree. No doubt, the Egyptians considered the Pharaoh to be a God but he was still a human. This doesn’t mean that believers are not required to submit to earthly authorities; for the Scripture clearly states "Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God." Further, "whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves" (Romans 13:1-2). Notice the Bible doesn’t tell us to be afraid of the authorities but to be afraid of God. In fact, it asks "Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same" (Romans 13:3). This also means that if rulers begin to be a terror to evil works (i.e. that they make evil laws and ask the citizens to comply), then citizens need not comply with them since the authority to make such evil laws doesn’t come from God. One doesn’t need to be afraid of such commandments. Obviously, it is the faith that relates to the goodness of God that prompts submission to anything that is good and true. Earthly fears cannot take hold of the man who only fears God.

True faith is not terrorized by this-worldly threats. Jesus said, "fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matthew 10:28). It would have been ruthless if the parents of Moses would have let their son cast into the river just so that their lives would be protected. Even parental instinct doesn’t permit this. We know of instances from the animal kingdom when the mother would do anything in order to protect its little ones. It is only false religion and evil ideology that sacrifices the children for personal advantages. That was the case with the religion of Molech in which children were burnt alive so that their god would be appeased. Falsehood eventually corrupts nature and turns humans in unnatural beings (Romans 1:26). However, truth guards the heart against all evil by placing one’s self in the right perspective in relation to God and man. Therefore, true faith drives away all false fears and self-centered apprehensions. It guards the conscience against evil and purifies the heart with right affections. It was the faith of God that gave Amram and Jochebed the courage to do right despite of the pervasion of evil.

True faith is not terrified by the world. When King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon challenged the God of heaven and threatened to burn Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego with fire if they didn’t bow to his golden image, they replied "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up" (Daniel 3:16-18, NKJV). Obviously, their faith was not utilitarianism here. It is not like believing in that which seemingly is profitable. That was the error of Eve. She thought the tree of knowledge was profitable and believed the words of Satan. But profit or loss has nothing to do with the faith that has grasped reality. Therefore, the three Hebrew children fearlessly answered that whether they were saved or it cost them their life they would not bow to false worship. It is this kind of faith that is resolutely committed to truth that pleases God; for it is written that God is seeking for those who worship Him in Spirit and truth.

Faith as Active

Faith is not just courageous in its stand and confession but is also bold to take the initial step of action that pleases God. There is no doubt about faith being an antonym of fear. Peter walked by faith on water because he was bold enough to take his first step on it; but as soon as fear gripped his soul, he began to sink. Thus, faith, courage, and action are closely connected. The Scripture tells us that "by faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents" (Hebrews 11:23, NKJV). If his parents had just sat silent without doing anything, the story would have been quite different. But they acted out in faith. Evidently, as seen, faith without works is dead. The faith of Moses’ parents was active.

Importantly, here, it says that it was by faith that Moses’ parents hid him for three months. This tells us that acts of avoiding evil are not acts of unbelief but of faith when they are sagaciously done. There are many such instances in the Bible. For instance, Jesus tells His disciple to leave any city which as a whole refuses Christ’s message and starts persecuting the messengers (Luke 9:5; cp. Acts 13:51). Jesus Himself avoided unnecessary falling into the enemy’s traps (Matthew 4:12; Luke 4:30). Similarly, Paul escaped once through a basket when people were in wait for him, was prevented by the disciples from getting beaten by a crazy mob, and took measures to inform the authority of a group of Jewish fanatics who had vowed to not eat till they killed him (Acts 9:25; Acts 19:30; Acts 23:17-21). He also used his Roman citizenship as a privilege to prevent unnecessary torture, to appeal to the highest court of justice, i.e. to Caesar, and to get people understand that they cannot just by-pass laws to persecute the minority (Acts 16:35-40; Acts 22:25; Acts 25:11). Thus, it is obvious that the Bible desires Christians to be rational in their conduct of life, seeing that the Bible does allow the avoidance of persecution if it is possible. This also extends to avoiding any circumstance that is conducive to evil. Jesus taught His disciples to pray "lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil" (Matthew 6:13) and Paul tells us under divine inspiration to "abstain from all appearance of evil" (1 Thessalonians 5:22). In other words, if we know that there are certain things that can lead us to evil, we must avoid them. For instance, a man who has quit smoking should avoid places and people that could be a temptation to him to relapse into that habit. Such avoidance is not sign of weakness but of the strength of faith. For instance, I strongly believe that if I touch a live electric wire with bare hands, I’m going to get a shock and so I’ll avoid touching it. I’ll avoid doing things that can harm me because I know and believe the truth regarding those things. Similarly, I brush my teeth to avoid tooth decay, keep myself and my surroundings clean to be healthy, and take proper food to have strength. However, if God told me directly not to do these things I would not do them. But as long as such specific commands do not come, it is my duty to abide by the principles that keep this universe functioning properly. Faith doesn’t overestimate things unnecessarily. It abides by the truth. If God had directly told Amram and Jochebed that they need not hide their child then they would have done it, but where such a thing was not revealed they had to do what was wisest to do. Any act of unnecessary presumption could only prove fatal to both the child and the parents.

Moses’ parents saw with the eyes of faith, were bold in their stand, and were prompt to act by faith since they knew and believed that which was pleasing in God’s sight. One may say that any parent would have done that; what has that to do with faith? The fact, as has been seen, is that faith does play a major role in determining whether the child needed to be saved or not, whether there was any value to his life above theirs. More importantly, it rejected the Egyptian claim of the Pharaoh as divine. Since Pharaoh was not God and had not given life to anyone, he had no right to get innocent babies killed. By their disobedience to his evil commandment they rejected the falsehood of an evil law. But they were also wise and not presumptuous in their action; and their faith was justly rewarded too.

FAITH DESPISES EARTHLY GLORIES The writer goes on to say that "by faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward" (Hebrews 11:24-26). It is interesting here that the writer refers to Moses’ commitment as a commitment to Christ. One might ask how that could be since Christ was hidden in the Old Testament. The answer is that though Christ was not yet revealed in the New Testament manner, it was He who was with the Old Testament saints in their spiritual journey. It is in this sense that Paul says about the Israelites that while in the wilderness "they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ" (1 Corinthians 10:4). In other words, they were partakers of Christ. Similarly, Peter says that unto the prophets "the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow" (1 Peter 1:11). Certainly, since salvation is only found in Christ, the Old Testament saints were saved and redeemed by the blood of Jesus the Lamb of God who was spiritually slain from the foundation of the world. This commitment to Christ is important because it demonstrates one’s association with and belongedness to the Kingdom of Christ. Therefore, Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He rejected the rights, privileges, and honor promised by the world for the true glory and destination that God had for him. In doing this, he chose to suffer affliction with the people of God. Obviously, this information is not from the Old Testament but from Jewish tradition. However, the inspired Word inscribes here as a truth about this warrior of faith. Moses renounced the royal palace and chose to identify himself with the despised and rejected people of God. Paul testifies about Onesiphorus that he was not ashamed of his imprisonment but sought him and did whatever he could to serve him (2 Timothy 1:16-17). Jesus said that whoever confesses Him before men on earth, him will He confess before the Father in heaven (Matthew 10:32). Jesus Himself left the riches and privileges of heaven in order to fulfill the will of His Father in heaven (Php 2:6-8); and when the devil came to Him with the temptation of easy bread, worldly reputation, and earthly riches He rejected them all. He endured the shame of the cross for the joy set before Him (Hebrews 12:2 ). One who has seen the riches of Christ will have no respect for the pleasures of this world.

There are three things mentioned here about the reasons that guided Moses’ step of faith: the fact that these pleasures were temporary, that the riches of Christ were greater, and that faith had its recompense.

Finality is the Measure

Moses knew that the pleasures of sin did have an end: they were not perpetual. This is the ability of faith to look beyond the entanglement of the present. Those who lack faith get entangled in the lusts of the flesh which gravitates so much inwardly that all distant perspective is lost. The present desire is so much magnified that it obscures everything else. But faith has an eagle’s perspective. It sees beyond the present. It looks at the end of all things. There are two ways in which Moses’ final perspective can be understood.

1.    The pleasures lacked an intrinsic reality. They were pleasures only superficially but, intrinsically speaking, they were void of the essence of true pleasure. These were pleasures of sin; firstly, because they thrived over the affliction of the Israelites; secondly, because they were part of the process that enslaved the people of God. In other words, they were devoid of the reality of God. They not only lacked divine approval but also divine glory. In fact, they were disconnected from the goodness with which God created this world. They fell short of the end or purpose of all things intended by God. Therefore, these pleasures were also false and empty in themselves. They could never give any ultimate or enduring satisfaction and therefore were not worth having at all.

2.    The pleasures lacked a prospective reality. They were only for a season: momentary, ephemeral, transitory. At the end they only left a bigger vacuum. The intoxication of the lust now over, bitterness engulfs the soul demanding to fall back into a greater intoxication than this. The void only intensifies at the end. The pleasure of sin can never give final satisfaction; it only drags one deeper into the snare of wickedness and evil invention. It plunges one into a thicker darkness each time befogging the mind against all reality of God. Therefore, a man of sinful pleasures can neither appreciate nor desire the things of God.

Thus, Moses refused to partake of the pleasures of Egypt that thrived over the affliction of God’s people. Instead of going for such pleasures he chose to share with the afflictions of his people.

Value Relates to Person, to Christ

Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt. One might wonder how reproaches could be considered to be richer. But if you love someone then you would surely understand that suffering for that loved one is far better possession than everything contrarily put together. No doubt, true value is personal and not materialistic. That is the reason why the love of money is the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:10 ). It replaces the value of person with the value of money (the Judas Iscariotic syndrome) and in doing that it also replaces the love of neighbor with the love of self-satisfaction. Therefore, it is the root of all evil. Moses knew what really had value in his life: it was his relationship with Christ. The treasures of Egypt would not remain his forever – death parts one with everything on earth – but his relationship with Christ would be permanent. But even more truly, true value rests in love on which relationships are founded. There cannot be any true love between persons and things, since it is not reciprocal. Love of things (like money) is nothing but self-centeredness. Love has to be between persons. But is there anyone more than God who could be the true object of our love? Obviously, not; therefore, Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt.

Faith Has Its Reward

Finally, it says that Moses was looking to the reward. He had the end in his mind all the time. It would be a ludicrous scene to see a runner running without his eyes focused on the goal. Moses knew where to look at when making even the smallest decisions of his life. He had a rightly fixed perspective. He looked at the reward. The Greek word for "reward" is misthapodosia (μισθαποδοσία) meaning "due wages" or "recompense". 1 Peter 1:10 tells us that the end of our faith is the salvation of our souls. Jesus said "what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" (Mark 8:36). The fact is that whatever the world can give will only remain with the world, but when one gives himself to Christ, he becomes an heir of God’s eternal, incorruptible, and indestructible inheritance. But an eternal inheritance is not just what Moses was looking at. He was looking at Christ the Finality of all things. This was also what Paul looked at when he said, "I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ" (Php 3:8). For the man of God there is no greater reward than Christ Himself. For the Church of Jesus Christ, the Bride of the Lamb, there is no greater reward than her Bridegroom coming back to her. Looking back at Abraham, one might not be surprised about his unconditional obedience if one saw that he took God for what He said, that He would be his "exceeding great reward" (Genesis 15:1). Moses walked in this faith and got his reward.

FAITH HAS NO TURNING BACK The Scripture tells us that "by faith he [Moses] forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible" (Hebrews 11:27 ). This Moses who once was even hesitant to return back to Pharaoh and the children of Israel is now bold in faith and fearless of the wrath of the king. He knew the fact that the wrath of man does not work out the righteousness of God (James 1:20 ). It was good for nothing before God; it was absurd before Him. God despises the wrath of man; He casts down the proud but exalts the humble. Moses knew his God. The friend of a lion is not afraid of a fox. But God is the Sovereign Lord of all things. Therefore, the man of faith, as Moses was, had no respect for the wrath of Pharaoh. Moses had seen God and talked to Him face to face; he had seen the invisible one (Ex. 4); so what could man’s fear mean to him anymore?

Faith Keeps Moving On

Moses forsook Egypt. Obviously, this is not talking about the first time he fled from Pharaoh’s wrath. If the writer of Hebrews is following the chronological order (because it mentions the Passover in the next verse), then this most probably refers to Exodus 28:1-29 :

Then Pharaoh said to him, "Get away from me! Take heed to yourself and see my face no more! For in the day you see my face you shall die!" So Moses said, "You have spoken well, I will never see your face again."

It may be right to say that this was the point where Moses abandoned Egypt never to return again. Pharaoh never got to see his face again, not because Moses was terrified by his threat but because God took over the final scene as if with a storm. Moses need not plead before Pharaoh anymore. His job before him was done. What he needed now was to move onward. The man who walks by the Spirit continues in the Spirit. But there can be times when someone starts in the Spirit and ends up in the flesh (Galatians 3:3). Whether it be in our conversations with others, services, or daily work, it is important to remember that we are not debtors to the flesh to live according to its passions (Romans 8:12) since we are already dead to it and are now slaves of a new Master who is Christ. Therefore, it’s important to be sensitive to the promptings of the Spirit and walk accordingly for when one refuses to stop where the Spirit tells to stop and keeps continuing in the flesh (this may even happen with preachers) then disaster is sure to strike; for where the fruit of the Spirit is absent, the works of the flesh come into play. Moses was sensitive to the Spirit of God; and, therefore, knew that it was time to prepare for the final things and abandon Egypt.

Faith Endures

Moses endured or was steadfast, as the Greek also indicates, meaning he was unshaken in his walk and determination. There are at least two things that can be understood about this:

1.    Moses had self-control. He didn’t respond to Pharaoh’s threatening according to his flesh, but chose to listen to God and follow His instructions instead. In fact, Pharaoh’s anger had nothing to disturb Moses since he was actually working for God. His concentration on God’s word and submission to Him enabled him to not only be fearless in such situations but to keep his reactions under control.

2.    Moses stood strong. Moses was not weakened by the threatening of Pharaoh. The world does try to threaten God’s people and thus weaken them as Sennacherib tried to do to Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 32:9-19). But Hezekiah turned to God and saw His salvation. Moses was steadfast in faith before God because He knew God was in control and the words of man could not prevail against the power of God. Therefore, later on, when the Israelites are terrified by the sound and sight of Pharaoh’s chariots rushing against them at the Red Sea, he proclaims aloud "Stand still and see the salvation of the LORD" (Exodus 14:13).

3.    Moses had strong hope. Obviously, one can’t endure without much hope. Moses’ hope was not in human strength or wisdom. It was in God. The God who had been with him this far would not fail. He had not only encountered God in the burning bush but had also seen the wonders that His hands had worked before his enemies. Therefore, his hope could not be moved. He was steadfast in it and continued with no retreats.

Faith has its Eyes on God

Moses endured, as seeing Him who is invisible (i.e. God). It was not just a whim of imagination; for he did see God with the eyes of faith. The God who is invisible is not inapprehensible. He is closer to us than our breath and He desires that we should "feel after Him and find Him" (Acts 17:27). It is only eyes of faith that can see God for He is discerned spiritually and not physically. Moses saw God and endured. Unless one can see one can’t endure. One needs to see where one stands in relation to some point of reference to even know where he’ll go from there. God was Moses’ point of reference and His commands were his directions.

1.    Seeing means knowing. Moses knew his God because he had seen Him. This implies that God had shown Himself to him since no man can see God by himself. One can’t know God except by divine self-revelation. No amount of reasoning or mere sense-experiences can lead one to God. In fact, they can’t lead one beyond the world. That is the reason why pure rationalism ends up in monism or idealism and pure empiricism ends up in naturalism or some kind of pantheism or polytheism. But Moses had God’s revelation. He didn’t blind himself against it but submitted to God’s revelation and therefore was able to see the glory of God.

2.    Seeing means focusing. Moses not only knew God but had his eyes fixed on Him, as we saw earlier. He didn’t have any heroes or great men in view before him. He had no models. He just knew God. Of course, he was educated in the Egyptian learning and arts but they couldn’t take the place of God in his life. God had given him a mission and that mission became his bread and drink. Other things didn’t matter much to him anymore.

3.    Seeing means anticipating. Moses’ expectation was from God. He didn’t try human methods and means at all. There are a host of man-made programs and devices today that people think are indispensable to ministry. Moses had no political connections, no negotiation charms, and no material means of influencing the world. His only strength and support was God. Therefore, he looked to God in anticipation to fulfill His work and will through him.

4.    Seeing means waiting. Moses also waited as he looked towards God. He endured. He knew God had His proper time-table and way of working. He was not hasty. He waited till the ten plagues were over. A leader needs such patience very much. Everyone needs that. The farmer has to wait for the proper season for rain and harvest. The soldier has to wait and endure the training. Moses had to wait on God’s timing. He could do that because God’s word was always before his eyes. Therefore, he endured.

It was because of such openness to and commitment to God that Moses was able to move on steadfastly in the path chosen for him by God.

FAITH THAT DELIVERS

Finally, the writer says about Moses that "through faith he kept the Passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them" (Hebrews 11:28). There is no doubt about the fact that this event significantly foreshadowed the crucifixion of Jesus the Lamb of God by which the sins of the world were remitted. Yet, if it were not for Moses’ faith, the whole nation of Israel would have also fallen prey to the plague of the death of the firstborn. It is important to understand that leadership comes with greater responsibilities because it is possible for one leader to lead a whole nation either to God or to hell. One has many lessons from history to know how one leader could lead whole nations into great evils, but it is comforting to see that Moses was not disobedient to the divine command. He believed God and saw His salvation revealed for his people. The Passover and the Exodus The Passover was one of the most significant feasts of the Old Testament because it portrayed Israel’s deliverance from the bondage of Egypt. The feast is that it is a celebration of and not a ritual towards salvation. The most important thing about it was that it was celebrated the first time even before the Israelites were set free. That means that the feast was an event of faith. The stipulations about the Passover lamb were that it should be without blemish, a male of the first year, taken on the tenth day of the first month and kept until the fourteenth day of the month when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening (Exodus 14:3-6). It was, obviously, not known to Moses or the congregation then that this foreshadowed Jesus Christ. But we can see it now that it did. Jesus was, as this foreshadowed, crucified on the Passover day on the fourteenth day of the month called Abib or Nisan. He was the unblemished Lamb of God by whose sacrifice God has made forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life available for all those who believe. Every act of God’s deliverance is related to the work of Christ. If the angel of death didn’t touch the firstborn of Israel because they had the blood of the Lamb on their doorposts it was because, the blood foreshadowed the sacrifice of Christ. Moses’ faith was not in the blood of the lamb as if it had some magical power in itself; it was on the plan of God’s salvation. He sprinkled the blood and applied it to the doorposts because of God’s infusing it with salvation-meaning. It was because of God that the blood obtained a salvific character. And, since the lamb was part of the plan as a shadow of Christ, the faith related to the Passover feast was reckoned for righteousness for those who believed. The writer tells us that Moses kept the Passover by faith. The observance of the Passover involved the killing of the lamb, daubing the posts of the house with its blood, and eating of its meat roasted with fire along with unleavened bread and bitter herbs; all the time bearing in mind to eat it while standing with clothes and shoes on, and a staff in hand, as if ready to go out (Ex. 12: 5-11). It was symbolic of the Exodus, the hurriedness that it depicted: roasted meat, unleavened bread, and traveler’s suit on. It also was a departure with reminder of the bitter experiences they had had in Egypt (the bitter herbs); evidently, the Exodus can never be appreciated adequately without a remembrance the pain they had been undergoing while in bondage. Similarly, a believer can never appreciate well the salvation of God until he is able to see how miserable a life without divine deliverance would be. Moses’ faith in keeping the Passover can be seen in the following ways:

1.    His abandonment of a life of bondage. By observing the Passover, Moses made a definite break with not only his past, but also with the past of his people. The Passover was a threshold to a newness of life. It symbolized a departure from slavery to men and a returning to the service of God. The Passover completely severed the Israelites ties with Egypt; the yoke of bondage fell to the ground and Egypt had no power left in it to hold Israel in its clutches. It was an annunciation of and proclamation of the redemption of God by faith. The blood talked of death to the world; the unleavened bread talked about sincerity and truth and a newness of life. This breaking off with the old is reiterated by Paul when he asks the Corinthian believers to "purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore, let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth" (1 Corinthians 5:7-8). The old did pass away as the shadow of death passed from off their homes; the new had begun.

2.    His acceptance of the divine means. Moses’ observance of it demonstrated his acceptance of God’s means of deliverance. The sacrifice of the lamb and other things would have looked weird to others but, though he might have not fully understood it yet, Moses scrupulously followed what God had commanded. He accepted the way chosen by God. The Bible says that the cross of Jesus Christ is foolishness to the philosophers (Greeks) and a stumbling block to the religious (Jews). The philosophers smile at it sarcastically and the religious scholars are offended by its simplicity (or perhaps its severity). However, to those who accept it, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24); for true power is that which can save endlessly and true wisdom is that which shows us the face of Truth. It is not a surprise that the Passover demolished the ancient wisdom and towering might of Egypt in just one night.

3.His activeness in fulfilling the divine command. Moses was prompt to observe the feast. As seen earlier, faith is not faith unless it acts; and the writer of Hebrews constantly emphasizes this fact throughout the chapter. The act of Moses, however, was not just personal. He was a leader and so his action required getting people to do what God had commanded. In fact, his action was meant not just for him but truly for the whole nation of Israel which God wanted to deliver out of the bondage of Egypt. That was the reason why he was sent to that land. While one might not be in the same position as Moses was still it is also true that each one of us is a leader in the sense that we do influence each other; and leadership is influence, as someone said. We are built into a nexus of relationships in a way that whatever we do has an impact on others in some way or the other. As was seen, the faith of Moses’ parents did leave something for history: it left a legacy through Moses. Similarly, the Exodus is closely tied with Moses because he chose to obey God. It is important to understand that our actions, no matter how great or how simple they are, have some impact in the scheme of things within our world. But it is the acts of faith that serve to shape the pages of divine history. The Sprinkling of the Blood The writer says that through faith Moses kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them. The sprinkling of the blood referred to the taking of the lamb’s blood in a basin and sprinkling it upon the lintel and the two side posts of the door of the house with a bunch of hyssop dipped into the blood in the basin. The sprinkling of the blood testifies of many things; few of which are as follows:

1.    Blood is the cost of faith. Faith did have a cost and that was the blood of the lamb. It cost the lamb’s blood for the house to be protected from the scourge of death that ripped the back of Egypt that night. The lamb had to die for the faith to be active. This foreshadows the sacrifice of Jesus. It was He who by His sacrifice made faith in Him possible and available for us. In the New Testament, this blood of sprinkling from the sacrifice of our Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ, established the New Covenant (Hebrews 12:24) which is a covenant of grace and faith, not a covenant of works. The Old Covenant demanded obedience to the Law in order to be righteous. However, mercy is not absent from justice in the Old Testament and were recurrently see men and women justified not by the works of the Law but by faith. However, this only became possible for them because of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Now, since this faith cost the blood of the Lamb, who definitely was Christ (though symbolized by the Passover), it was equal to blood itself; which means that the one who puts faith in Christ and is bought by His blood no longer belongs to himself again – his life belongs to Christ (1 Corinthians 6:20). Therefore, self-denial and spiritual crucifixion is mandatory for discipleship (Mark 8:34); because until faith equates the cost, its validity is null. A true disciple, consequently, is a sold property – he belongs to Christ; therefore, his life rests in the hands of his Master.

2.    Blood is the sign of faith. The blood had to be daubed on the lintel and posts of the house as sign of the lamb that was slain for the house. It demonstrated the fact that the house belonged to the believers of Jehovah; so that when the angel walked through the land inflicting death to the Egyptians it passed over the house that bore the blood of the lamb. Similarly, it is only by the application of the blood of Jesus over our lives by faith that we are saved from eternal death and the judgment to come. The blood was to be sprinkled with a hyssop which spoke about the purity of the blood and of the fact that salvation is not by any human agency; there were no works of the hands attached to it. It was applied by faith through the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 12:3).

Thus, it was by the application of faith that was procured through the sacrifice of the Passover that deliverance and redemption became possible for the Israelites. Moses did lead the people out of Egypt, but he could only do that because of God’s mighty arm and His grace over them. God’s grace was revealed through His acts and the Israelites basked in it through their faith. The Exodus was one of the most important events in the experience of the people of God. It depicted the defeat of human wisdom, power, spirituality, and social system. It showed the bankruptcy of the gods of Egypt, the futility of its wisdom, and the paleness of its strength. However, it had great demands over Israel which failed to fulfill them on its wilderness journey. The redemption was obtained at a very great cost. It, first of all, cost the Egyptians their firstborn and also their possessions; then it cost the blood of a lamb for salvation from the judgment and redemption from out of the land. This not only indebted the Israelites to God but made Him their legal owner since He bought them at a great price, and the payment was symbolized by the sanctification of the firstborn for the Lord; later exchanged for the tribe of Levi. They belonged to Him. Therefore, the commandment came to Moses saying: And it will be, when Jehovah shall bring you into the land of the Canaanites, as He swore to you and to your fathers, and shall give it to you, you shall set apart to Jehovah every one that opens the womb … all the first-born of man among your sons you shall redeem. And it shall be when your sons asks you in time to come, saying, What is this? you shall say to him, Jehovah brought us out of Egypt by the strength of His hand, from the house of bondage. And it happened when Pharaoh hardened himself against sending us, Jehovah killed all the first-born of the land of Egypt, both the first-born of man, and the first-born of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to Jehovah all that opens the womb, that are males. But all the first-born of my sons I redeem. And it shall be for a token upon your hand, and for frontlets between your eyes. For Jehovah brought us out from Egypt by strength of His hand (Exodus 13:11-16, MKJV).

One can immediately see here that the blood of a mere animal or a lamb could not have equated the blood of all the firstborn of Egypt. However, it symbolized the sacrifice of Jesus who cancelled eternal judgment for us by giving Himself up in our place. Therefore, those who come by faith to Him do not any longer belong to themselves but belong to God. The Exodus not only sanctified the people of Israel for God but also established them as a testimony of His truth, grace, and power. It disqualified Egyptian spirituality as false, reached out to the people by grace, and brought them out with a powerful arm. Israel had to be a beacon of truth, grace, and power to the world. Instead, it succumbed to the falsehood of idolatry, craving of the flesh, and fear of the Canaanites; which only led to more pain than joy. God desires His people to walk in truth, love, and fearlessness. Often times, this does become difficult since we are surrounded by the contrary things all the time. However, His blessings never fail to those who adhere to Him in love and obedience through faith. In fact, they have an impact that reverberates through history. Men may come and men may go, empires rise and empires fall, words are written and words erased, thoughts arise and thoughts forgotten, but they who walk by faith and know their God go on forever: the gates of time can’t close on them, the whip of darkness recoils away from them, the jaws of death tremble at their sight; this is the saga of the heroes of faith, who belong not to themselves but to the one who rules over their body, soul, and mind, who live not by sight but by faith, who care not for their lives as much as they care for God, who see the invisible, walk in truth, and run with power; "the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits" (Daniel 11:32, NKJV).

THINGS TO REMEMBER:

1. People of faith leave indelible marks on history.

2. A man of faith fears no man.

3. A man of faith doesn’t hold on to earthly glories or riches.

4. God rewards faith in the present and will in the age to come.

5. Faith never shrinks back due to doubt or fear; it always keeps moving on.

6. Faith relies on God and not on circumstances.