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Readings: Leviticus 7; Psalm 106; 1 Corinthians 15

In our daily readings in the first epistle to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul is writing by the Holy Spirit, on the subject of the resurrection; and what a wonderful subject it is.  We live in a world of sin, disease and death. Our burial grounds are the witness to the corruption and decay that is a reality of our short lives.  But the hope of the resurrection is, as we shall see, a certainty. And this certainty is fundamental to our belief in the coming of the Kingdom, and brings us comfort and assurance especially in our declining years.

Reading : Psalm 72

One of the things that elevates mankind above the rest of GODs creation is our ability to think about abstract concepts. We are not merely concerned with feeding and procreating, but have an emotional, spiritual and intellectual life.

Humans have an in-built sense of right and wrong which is largely similar across the globe. Alongside this is a concept of natural justice - that good behaviour ought to be rewarded, and wrongdoing ought to be punished. Most societies have developed rules or laws to formalise the concept of right and wrong, and a scale of sanctions for those who break the rules. And usually, particular people are given the role of ‘judge’, to decide whether individuals are guilty of a crime, and what punishment they should receive.

In our studies of the faith of Moses in his early life, we have seen how the Word of God was the basis of the faith of Moses and his parents, that God providentially helped Moses learn that Word so that he understood the sacrifice of Jesus, and how he decided to suffer the same reproach. We conclude with the third example of faith recorded in Hebrews 11 which involved Moses.

When did Moses forsake Egypt?

Hebrews 11:27 records that “By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king.” To understand this act of faith we must determine when it took place. Some think this was after the Passover but, if they are correct, it would break the chronological order in Hebrews.

Readings: Exodus 36; Psalms 94-95; 1 Corinthians 6

It has always been the same. The proud and the wicked have triumphed over the righteous, causing them to cry ‘how long’ and wondering when it’s going to be over. There is a weariness in the suffering of the faithful, as they see the wilful attitude of the wicked who prosper in evil and troubled times. It had been so since the disaster of Eden when the serpent beguiled Eve and Cain murdered Abel. David appears to have the same experiences in the psalms and complains to God about the injustices. The godly cry “how long” (Psalm 94:3)  is a yearning for happier and better days when divine principles will govern the new society and the righteous rule of Christ will be evident.

Our first two studies have shown how Moses’ parents’ faith included in Hebrews 11 was based upon their knowledge and understanding of the Word of God. We have seen how Moses would have providentially been given access to that Word, which we will see was necessary for him to exhibit his own faith.

Called the son of Pharoah’s daughter

In our first study we saw how the acts of faith recorded in Hebrews 11 in which Moses is involved predominately concern his early life. The first act shows the faith of his parents, and we explored what words of God may have produced that faith and suggested it concerned God’s promises to Abraham.

The power of the faith of Moses’ parents

Readings: Exodus 17-18; Psalm 72; Mark 5

Israel’s exodus and wilderness journey is full of lessons for us in our discipleship. The day they encountered the tribe of Amalek is described in our Exodus 17 reading, and is worthy of very careful attention. It was a day to be remembered for ever; but why?

The lives of Old Testament characters can provide us with help and encouragement, which is increased if we also consider the divine commentaries the Father provides through New Testament writers. Moses is no exception, but what is recorded of his acts of faith in Hebrews we may find surprising. Hebrews 11 verses 23-29 record 5 acts of faith involving Moses, yet none of them occurs in the period covered by the majority of the Old Testament historical record. In verse 23, the first act of faith is that of his parents, and in verse 29 the fifth is an act in which Moses was only one of the multitudes who passed through the Red Sea.