Moses Grew in Faith

(March 20, 2008)

Moses’ induction into the Hall of Faith (Hebrews 11) was well deserved. The growth of Moses’ faith as recorded in Heb 11:23-29 is phenomenal:

1. By faith Moses, when he was born - v. 23: describes Moses as the passive recipient of deliverance via his parents’ faith. Moses, a newborn, was incapable of exercising faith. It was Moses' parents who defied Pharaoh’s baby killing decree. Moses’ parents’ faith delivered Moses.
2. By faith Moses, when he was come to years - v. 24: describes Moses as a faithful man following God. Moses walked away from a cushy life, forsaking power and prestige. Moses’ faith gained him a closer relationship with the Lord.
3. By faith he forsook Egypt - v. 27: describes Moses’ obedience to God despite Pharaoh’s wrath. Pharaoh’s threats did not affect Moses’ behavior. Moses' faith allowed him to sit before kings.
4. Through faith he kept the Passover - v. 28: describes Moses as a benefactor, a head of household who delivered near kinsmen. Moses’ observance of the Passover delivered his firstborn son and most likely Aaron, his older brother. Moses’ faith delivered family.
5. By faith they passed through the Red Sea - v. 29: describes Moses as a great benefactor, a man whose faith delivered a million Israelites. At the Red Sea, Moses led a murmuring, rebellious nation - Ex 14:11-12. Israel was without faith. It was Moses’ faith which delivered Israel.

The growth described in these few verses is truly remarkable; however, Moses’ faith was not without its setbacks.

In the time frame between verses 27 and 28, Moses sinned. Moses lacked faith when he argued with God over a preaching assignment. Moses angered the Lord with his excuses - Ex 4:10-14. In the chronology after verse 29, Moses sinned again when he pitched his temper tantrum, when he smote the rock. His lack of faith cost him entrance into the promised land - Num 20:7-12. If Moses’ faith or the faith of any Hall of Fame inductee (any saint listed in Hebrews’ chapter 11) were plotted on a graph, I suspect their graphs would look like that of the stock market.

The apex of Moses’ faith had to be at the Red Sea. Think about it: a blood thirst army behind, a sea in front, and Moses in the midst of a million murmuring voices. Yet Moses stood firm and exclaimed, "Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord” - Ex 14:13. Wow! What a scene. What faith. But we cannot ignore the valleys which appear before and after this great act of faith.

I suspect Moses’ faith chart would look like that of David’s, Elijah’s, and Barnabas’. Other than Jesus, I know of no man whose faith line could be plotted without a dip. Even Abraham had a couple of "she is my sister" dips. As a matter of fact, Solomon, Asa, Josiah, Jehu, Jephthah, and Hezekiah’s lives ended on dips.

So what can we learn from Moses and his fellow Hall of Fame inductees? Many things:

Article Written by Elder Dolph Painter, Moriah Primitive Baptist Church

pastordolph@aol.com

This site created by Steve McCannon. This page last updated 02/27/2008