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"These are the names of the sons of LEVI (generation No. 1)
Gershon, and KOHATH and Merari (generation No. 2)
The sons of Kohath, AMRAM, etc. (generation No. 3)
And . . . . . took him Jochebed . . . . . to wife; and she bare him Aaron and MOSES"
(generation No. 4).
Moses' faith, like Joseph's, came by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. Joseph
said, "God shall surely visit you"--that Moses had heard, as recorded in Exod. 3:
Moses knew that Israel were to leave Egypt; they were to be saved by no laws, however
good, that emanated from that land of bondage. Joseph's faith as surely saw that Israel
must remain in Egypt for some two hundred years, as Moses saw that they could not
remain another generation. They both believed the Word, and though their actions,
viewed externally, were so directly opposite, really they were entirely both in line and
harmony.
Here is the right division of the Word of truth in actual practice. We have to see
where we are in the outworking of the divine purpose, and to emulate the faith, but not
copy the external expression of it, manifested in different periods, lest by so doing we err
as surely as Moses would have done had he emulated Joseph and ruled in Egypt. By faith
Moses forsook Egypt, and refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. Abraham
"went out". Moses "refused", and "forsook".
Moses stands with Abraham in the list of witnesses, inasmuch as more space is
devoted to these two than to all others. There are points of resemblance that should not
be passed unnoticed. Abraham left a highly civilized community to become a dweller in
tents. Moses turned his back upon the treasures of Egypt to become associated with
God's people in their affliction. Both Abraham and Moses had the faith that "sees the
invisible", a quality shared by Noah, and all who were moved with like precious faith, as
the opening words of this chapter indicate.
The witness of Moses to that faith which is both the substance of things hoped for, and
the proof and reproof associated with things not seen, is given in a series of statements
that cover his life from the day of his birth until the great day of Israel's deliverance by
the passover. His history, as given, is bounded on either side by protection from one who
would destroy in the first place all the male children, and in the second the firstborn. At
the beginning faith provided an ark of bulrushes, and at the end the blood of the passover
lamb. Lying between these two extremes are four related acts that carry the story on to
its blessed conclusion.
"By faith Moses . . . . . REFUSED to be called the son . . . . . CHOOSING rather to
suffer affliction with the people of God . . . . . ESTEEMING the reproach of Christ
greater riches . . . . . By faith he FORSOOK Egypt" (24-27).
The first item in this exhibition of faith is connected with his birth and, while included
in the faith of Moses, is yet, strictly speaking, the faith of his parents. The last item,
however, balances this, for while it reads "by faith he kept the passover", this faith was
shared by all Israel, so that we perceive that faith can sometimes be collective, while at