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"

Remember the Martyr

I don't have any particular verse I plan on expositing, but I do strongly recommend every faithful believer of our lord read J C Ryle's essay on Christian zeal. It is beautiful and convicting. My prayer of late is to desire nothing but our Lord. While I was thinking about this this morning, it dawned on me how privelidged we are. We have direct access to works by faithful saints, and are so very blessed by men like John Macarthur, John Piper, and even past saints like Jonathan Edwards, George Whitfield, William Carey, Charles Spurgeon, Martin Luther, John Calvin, and many others who we owe so much to our understanding and appreciation of God. While these faithful men have been lifted up for good cause in our world, and certainly aren't short of appreciation, (be praying for them, because that's difficult for any person to endure) My true hero is the faithful Christian who is living in exile because of their faith. It's the one who perhaps has never heard of any of the aforementioned men. The one who perhaps couldn't find a western country on the map, but whose dedication to our Lord will be tried and true to the fullest. They are saints who are living, and sometimes dying proof that it is in fact the Spirit of the Living God that sustains us.

When I read stories that are on websites like this I can't help but think our Lord has given us the privilege of living with access to all of this information for a reason. Azieb Simon, she is my hero. And I believe men and women like her deserve just as much praise an adoration we pour into the faithful men whom God has gifted to open up our souls to His Truth. God bless Azieb and everyone else at that prison. May He give them strength to place their faith in a merciful God who is just, and will let no sin go unpunished. (proverbs 11:21)