Hebrews 11

Moses: The Mighty Man of God



I have much to say as I read J.C. Ryle's explanation of Moses. Like any good exposition, it brings to light things that are clear in Scripture that you never would have seen otherwise. I found the chapter, along with all the chapter's from his book, Holiness, online. I would encourage all of you to read it because I am sure I will not do it justice.



While he makes many fascinating points about how what Moses willingly gave up for His God, there is one thing that caught my attention that caused me to stop reading in the middle of the chapter, and write about it.

This is the section that caught my attention:

Who can conceive the torrent of mockery and ridicule that Moses would have to stem, in turning away from Pharaoh’s court to join Israel? Men would tell him he was mad, foolish, weak, silly, out of his mind. He would lose his influence; he would forfeit the favor and good opinion of all among whom he had lived. But none of these things moved him. He left the court and joined the slaves!
Let us think again, what a choice this was!
There are few things more powerful than ridicule and scorn. It can do far more than open enmity and persecution. Many a man who would march up to a cannon’s mouth, or lead a forlorn hope, or storm a breach has found it impossible to face the mockery of a few companions and has flinched from the path of duty to avoid it. To be laughed at! To be made a joke of! To be jested and sneered at! To be reckoned weak and silly! To be thought a fool! There is nothing grand in all this and many, alas, cannot make up their minds to undergo it!

Isn't it true. When I read this , my mind immediately went to the brave men who stormed the beaches at Normandy, and the many brave men and women I currently serve with. Many brave souls have risked their lives in battle, defying the odds, and charging forward into seemingly certain death. Whether they live or die, we all agree, they are heroes. What they did was brave, but I am sure what Moses endured was far more difficult. On the contray, it could be argued that some of our heroes have acted so bravely to avoid exactly what Moses stood firm against, and that is ridicule and mockery.

I don't want to discredit the bravery of soldiers who fight to defend freedom, but there is a strong argument for Moses' bravery being far greater! I personally have seen strong, battle-hardened warriors who have seen the terrors of war, who have fought valiantly against the enemies of the United States, who have watched friends die in combat, but bravely continued on with the mission... completely break down because of ridicule and mockery. Never under-estimate the power of the flesh. There is no secular explanation for why Moses did what he did, yet ironically, the secular world celebrates Moses as some sort of hero, who valiantly turned his back on luxury to live among slaves. It's also important to note that the ridicule and mockery Moses received was not from his enemies, but his peers. They were men and woman he was close to, brothers, sisters, parents, and relatives. Ridicule and mockery from enemies is one thing, but what man or woman do you know can handle it from close friends!

I'm thankful for the example of Moses. I believe we need more Moses' in our world. In closing I will turn you to Hebrews 11, which explains why Moses did this, and if you would like a further exposition, I would encourage you to read the chapter from "Holiness"