PERFECTION

PERDITION

OR

There are times when the commandment of the king must be ignored or flatly contradicted:

`Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed ... he prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetim'

(Dan. 6:10).

`Be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up'

(Dan. 3:18).

What it all amounts to is this, that whether we obey the command from the king, or whether we reject it, in both

actions we must see to it that we are simply obeying the Word of God. This is what the parents of Moses did.

Seeing by faith that this child was the one marked out by God for a special purpose, they had but one course of

action, which they took, and so their names are found enroled upon the scroll of witnesses for that faith which is the

substance of things hoped for.

The positive acts of faith that pertain to Moses now follow. The faith that marked the infant days of Moses was

prominent in his after life. One or two notable manifestations of that faith which is the substance of things hoped

for, and the evidence of things not seen, are given in the record of Hebrews 11:

Substance `Refused ... choosing ... esteeming ... for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward' (Heb.

Not seen `Forsook ... not fearing ... for he endured, as seeing Him Who is invisible' (Heb. 11:27,28).

No act of faith is recorded of Moses until `he was come to years'. The original has it: `having become great',

which is a quotation from the LXX of Exodus 2:11, and refers to his growth in years as much as, if not more than, to

his greatness in wealth and position, although this too, belongs to the expression (see Gen. 24:35).

The example of Moses very aptly illustrates the exhortation of Hebrews 5:14; 6:1: `Them that are of full age ...

Leaving ... let us go on'. When faith is tested there is no make-believe about it. Moses was great, learned in all the

wisdom of the Egyptians, and mighty in words and deeds (Acts 7:22). He apparently had a definite offer made by

Pharaoh's daughter of formal adoption into the royal house. It was a very real test. Abraham's trial of faith, too,

was intensely real. Nothing on earth could have been so dear in his eyes as his beloved son Isaac. Paul's test of

faith was real. The renunciation of the position and privilege of being a Hebrew and a Pharisee cannot be easily

estimated by such as ourselves.

Moses refused, chose, esteemed; had respect, forsook, endured, and kept by faith.

He refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter.

He chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.

He esteemed the reproach for Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt.

He had respect unto the recompense of the reward.

He forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king.

He endured, as seeing Him Who is invisible.

He kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood.

To the Hebrews had been written:

`Ye ... took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring

substance. Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward' (Heb. 10:34,35),

and in Moses they would see a very glorious example. These Hebrews were exhorted to consider the `enduring'

nature of their heavenly possessions; they were urged to remember that they were associated with a kingdom that

`remains' (12:28), that here they had no continuing city, but sought one to come (13:14). So then the sinfulness of

Egypt's pleasures is not stressed so much as their transience. Moses had a birthright and an adoption that he could

not barter for Egypt's pottage (Heb. 12:16; Rom. 9:4), and there was a danger that the Hebrews would succumb

under the pressure of their trials, and for a brief period of so-called `peace', forfeit their heavenly calling. The

essential element in the faith necessary to endure and overcome is that which is manifested in Moses' action, and