For scripture reading, this evening we turn to Exodus chapter two, Exodus chapter two. And there went a man of the house of Levi and took to wife a daughter of Levi. And the woman conceived and bare a son. And when she saw him, that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein, and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink. And his sister stood afar off to wit what would be done to him. And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river. And her maidens walked along by the riverside. And when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it. And when she had opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him and said, this is one of the Hebrews' children. Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee? And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, go. And the maid went and called the child's mother. And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, take this child away and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child and nursed it. And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses, and she said, Because I drew him out of the water. And it came to pass in those days when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens. And he spied an Egyptian smiting in Hebrew one of his brethren. And he looked this way and that way. And when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together. And he said to him that did the wrong, wherefore smitest thou thy fellow? And he said, who made thee a prince and a judge over us? Intendest thou to kill me as thou kilts the Egyptian? And Moses feared and said, surely this thing is known. And when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh and dwelt in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well. Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came and drew water and filled the troughs to water their father's flock. And the shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and helped them and watered their flock. And when they came to Reol, their father, he said, how is it that ye are come so soon today? And they said, an Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water enough for us, and watered the flock. And he said unto his daughters, and where is he? Why is it that ye have left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread. And Moses was content to dwell with a man, and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter, and she bare him a son. And he called his name Gershom, for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land. And it came to pass in process of time that the king of Egypt died, and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came unto God by reason of the bondage. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them. Our text this evening comes out of the book of Hebrews chapter 11, and consists of verses 24 through 26, which is the New Testament commentary on the very chapter that we read. Hebrews 11, 24 through 26, By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. We read that far in God's word. Beloved in our Lord Jesus Christ, the text for the sermon this evening, as well as the Old Testament chapter, which is the occasion for that text, is an example of what occurred in our presence here tonight. Namely, it was a form of a confession of faith. In this confession, Moses made a conscious choice in his heart that he expressed by his actions. In that choice, Moses chose one thing over another and expressed that. His actions said that he said no to one thing while saying yes to another thing. Even similarly, we heard two young people this evening say yes to three questions, which means they also said no to some other things. Similarly, confession of faith is and Moses' actions were the act of a young person. We read that Moses did this when he came to years. That's biblical language that refers to the time when a young person makes decisions for themselves. It refers to that time of our life when previously our parents made decisions for us. What clothes to wear, what church to attend, what schools to go to. But now we make choices for ourselves. And Moses similarly did that when he came to years. Confession of faith also is essentially a public activity. Moses made his public choice and what his public confession was public when one day he saw an Egyptian smiting a Hebrew brother. and after considering the matter slew the Egyptian. That made where he stood on the matter public. Similarly, confession of faith is public and even requires that spiritually you slay your enemy, which holds you in bondage, which is sin. If in confession of faith we say we are committed to a new and godly life, we are saying that we must slay the old man of sin and live a godly life. Also, there is a parallel in that confession of faith involves a painful choice. We read Moses, when he was come to years, chose to suffer affliction, affliction that required he be exiled and go into hiding as a public enemy of the Egyptian state and its pharaoh. Similarly, confession of faith requires that the young person choose to suffer affliction. because they are saying no to their natural birthplace in the world and their natural birthright in the world, because they have chosen to be members of the kingdom of God. This is also a choice that God expects. He is not indifferent to the choice that young people make when they come to years But neither does he want membership to be forced or made grudgingly. He does not want a grudging compliance. but rather God is as a father. He is like us as parents, who when we rear our children, desire that they make these choices consciously and willingly. Consciously and willingly, we take our place in the church of Jesus Christ. God certainly uses means, and God works that in us. Nevertheless, that is the same idea that we read with regard to Moses. Consider with me Moses' public confession of faith this evening. And we notice in the first place, the decision he faced. Secondly, the explanation for his choice. And finally, the reward that he respected. First, the decision he faced. Moses, when he was come to years, was required to make a decision, a decision between two alternatives, two alternate possibilities. And as we will say, there was not a third. The first possibility was one that came with considerable honor, was very attractive, and we might even say wasn't a possibility at all, but was a rather natural possibility. And that was to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. That's what we read of in the text. This is a possibility that offered to young Moses a position that came with a great deal of prestige and power and influence. And it's not as if he was required to consider the possibility that he was the son of some lowly laborer. or someone that is in bondage, but it was the choice to be royalty, and royalty in the most powerful and influential nation on the face of the earth. In fact, it was a real possibility that if he considered being called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, that he was an heir to the throne himself. This was a possibility that offered to Moses all the treasures of Egypt and all the pleasures of Egypt would be at his disposal. It's not as if he had a choice to be the citizen of some third-rate country that was deep in poverty and under the thumb of another nation. but a citizen in one of the most culturally sophisticated nations, again, on the face of the earth. It didn't just offer up sensual pleasures of every kind, of wine, women, and song, although there was plenty of that, but it was the epitome, the apex of learning, and arts, and wealth, and culture, still known for that today. In fact, this was a natural and expected possibility with regard to Moses because he already held this position by default without any choice of his own. He was there by the providence of God. He was there by the providence of God bringing the children of Israel to Egypt. He was there by the providence of God preserving them. He was there by the providence of God in the decree of Pharaoh, whereby his parents were required to murder him in the Nile River. Their decision to put him in the ark The providence of God governing Pharaoh's daughter to find him and take him out of that river and rear him as her own son so that he grew up in Egyptian. He appeared in Egyptian, looked in Egyptian, spoke in Egyptian, and enjoyed everything that Egypt had to offer. He already had all the power and the riches of Egypt. For some thirty years he had grown up as Pharaoh's daughter, not living even as a common person in Egypt, but in a royal house. He had all the royal storehouses of food and drink and wine at his disposal. He enjoyed its golden jewelry and fancy clothes. He ate its delicacies. And he had been educated by the best teachers there were in Egypt. And let's not underestimate that this would have had a great appeal to Moses, because as Moses' mother saw already as a young child, he was a goodly child. We know from Holy Scripture that he was a gifted and capable man. He would be the man who would summarize the Word of God that had previously been given only verbally and handed down in generations. He would be the one that God would use to write his law, even the first five books of the Bible. the man that God would use to give the nation its laws and ordinances and keep the peace and administer discipline for the 40 years in the wilderness. Acts 7 says that he was learned in the wisdom of the Egyptians and mighty by word and deed. So that which Egypt had to offer would have had a great appeal to his natural gifts and abilities. Not only that, but when it comes to this possibility, consider this also. It is one that if he chose for it, he could have easily justified. He could have easily have justified that decision to remain the son of Pharaoh's daughter by appeal to Joseph. Joseph who God also similarly put within the palace of Pharaoh itself and where he lived a long and prosperous life. Now the other possibility was to suffer affliction with the people of God. And can you think of any greater contrast than that as an alternative. This possibility would require that he declare himself a member of the nation of Israel, which teaches us that confession of faith always involves membership in the church of our God. Moses was no heathen. He was circumcised. He was a child of the covenant parents, Amram and Jacobad. They raised him for the first few years of his life. Nevertheless, this choice was a public declaration of his desire to be recognized as a mature adult member of that kingdom of God. This is important for us to recognize because all other blessings of the covenant are realized only in connection with one's membership in the church. There are children born into the physical line of the covenant who are not children of God and who refuse to cast their lot publicly in with the church of Jesus Christ. This choice would be a costly choice, suffering affliction with his brethren. That naturally comes once one declares himself a member of the Church of Jesus Christ publicly. When this is called suffering and affliction, then it's being described in terms of the pain that this will cause to the flesh. And Moses knew this very well. Ever since he was a member in the house of Pharaoh under the new Pharaoh, Israelites owned nothing. But they were the property of the Egyptians. They were the plaything of the Egyptians. Their children were murdered, their property confiscated, and their life no better than the animals of the Egyptians. One reason that this choice involved suffering affliction is because it is the reproach of Christ. We read not simply that He chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, but we read that He did that esteeming the reproach of Christ. And we need to connect the two. The reason the members of the church suffer is because the seed of Satan hates the church. Hates the church as the seed of the woman. Hates the church because it is connected to Christ who is that seed in the singular. The church belongs to Christ. The church suffers because Satan is the prince of this world. Pharaoh is but a mere instrument in the hands of the prince of darkness. It is Satan. who brings to bear everything at his disposal in this world against the church, including the great might of world powers like Egypt, as you know he did from the history. Calling this suffering affliction with his brethren, the reproach of Christ, also indicates that it is affliction because it is a place of dishonor and shame and lowliness in the world, even as was the case with Christ. The idea is that this is always the choice that's being made with regard to church membership. And we must remind our children and grandchildren and our young people of this. You cannot publicly declare for the Church of Jesus Christ without publicly choosing to suffer affliction with your brethren. And you cannot avoid suffering that affliction exactly because it is the lot of the church, and is the lot of the church because of its connection to Jesus Christ. And it's costly and painful, which is why the Bible refers to it as taking up one's cross and following Christ. In fact, this explains why some young people, when they come to this same period, when they come to years, either refuse to make confession of faith, or only a few years after making confession of faith, forsake the church. Children and young people become aware of the affliction that their brethren bear in their own family and in their church. They see the reproach by observing their brethren in the home and in the church, and they come to hate it and despise it and want nothing to do with it. To this latter possibility, Moses said yes, which meant that he said no to the other. He refused to be the one. Refused. That's a strong biblical word that means to vehemently deny. It's the opposite of keeping one's mouth shut and saying nothing at all. It's the opposite even of saying no quietly or meekly or lacking conviction. When we read He refused, we may read He strongly and with vehement words denied that first possibility. He said, no. and know loudly, as loudly as he possibly could, to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, said no to the treasures of Egypt, said no to the ease and life that it afforded, said no to its culture, no to its architecture, said no to everything with regard to Egypt. Not only that, but it involved him leaving them behind, as history showed. And that's brought out when we read not only that he refused, but he forsook them. That means he abandoned them. He turned his back to them. And that was literally true. He renounced His citizenship in Egypt. He deliberately forfeited its treasures and pleasures, and He walked away into the wilderness. And that's how we have to see it, too. That's the benefit of New Testament commentary. If you read simply Exodus 6, or Exodus 2 on the face of it, you get the impression that Moses simply left out of fear in order to save his hide. Hebrews 11 teaches us this was part of a deliberate choice to refuse to be called Pharaoh's daughter. to refuse even the legal protections that that might have afforded him. Same thing is true with regard to young people making confession of faith today. It requires that you refuse many treasures of money, and learning and power and status that might be available to you if only you will identify yourself as a son of the world. In contrast, if you identify yourself with the people of God, you may be required not only to turn your back on them but suffer affliction. And as I mentioned earlier, this was an either-or decision. There was no third option with regard to Moses. He couldn't remain a son of Pharaoh's daughter and also be one of the people of God. Many try that. Many think they can do that. They even imagine they're suffering people with their brethren in the church because they live like an Israelite on Sunday. But the rest of the week, they're busy pursuing the treasures of Egypt. But this cannot be, and it cannot be, because first of all, this is a matter of loyalty, a matter of citizenship. No man can serve two masters, said Jesus himself. One cannot be the son of Pharaoh's daughter and the son of Amram and Jacob. This is a matter of one's own spiritual identity. The question that face young people when they make confession of faith is, who will you be? Who will you identify with? Will you be the son of Pharaoh's daughter? Will you be a child of Egypt or the son of Amram and Jacobad and the child of God? It's either or. And understand fundamentally it is a choice for God Himself. When you choose to suffer affliction with the people of God, that is when you choose for God's people, you choose God. And when you choose God, you choose affliction. And understand. As Hebrews 11 makes perfectly clear, Moses was not just simply choosing any god or any supreme being. The Egyptians had plenty of gods and plenty of supreme being. When we choose a church, we don't simply choose a church that worships a god or some god, or even one that claims to worship the one true god, but the God of Israel. The God triune, the God of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the God, therefore, of Jesus Christ. That's implied in the text when it says, he esteemed the reproach of Christ. Did you catch that? Long before Christ came, Moses had his eye on Christ. What he saw in the church was Christ. What he saw in the affliction of that church, in its hard bondage, was the reproach of Christ, the hatred of the seed of Satan against Christ. And in his own public declaration of faith, Moses said, that is what I want. Not that I hope to avoid, that I hope maybe to participate in and have some blessedness in, but still be an Egyptian in Pharaoh's house. No. That is what I choose, and the other I reject. That's the text. Now what's the explanation for that choice? It should be obvious to everyone that the explanation cannot be found in Moses himself. It's not due to any inherent natural ability or gift in Moses, even as it doesn't with any young person. That should be obvious, I say, because no one of their own natural willpower is going to refuse to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, is going to make the choice that young Moses made. The allures of Egypt, the pleasures of Egypt, the money of Egypt, the prestige of being in Pharaoh's house is simply too great. In our own earthly flesh, we love them too much. And over against that, suffering affliction. And suffering affliction for Christ's sake beside the loss, the humility that's required of the people of God is far too much for us to choose. And yet He made a choice. And I'd like to point out that saying He made a choice does not at all compromise the doctrine of sovereign particular grace in any way whatsoever. The Bible is not opposed to choice. The Reformed faith is not opposed to saying that faith involves a choice. That's not the difference between us and the Arminian. God requires us to make choices. The text tells us Moses made a choice. What we're opposed to is the notion is that anyone has a natural ability, a natural inclination, a natural mind, and a natural heart of themselves to make such a choice. That's impossible. This is a choice that we cannot and do not ascribe to nature, but to God alone. The explanation is that God, in His covenant grace and faithfulness, had chosen to give Moses the gift of faith. And giving Moses not simply the instrument of faith, so that he is joined to Jesus Christ and knows Jesus Christ 2,000 years before he comes, but the will of faith and the doing of faith, according to the Canons, Head 3-4, Article 14. That's what it means when we read, by faith, Moses chose. Faith was a faculty and an activity that was worked in him by God. Faith, as I pointed out to the two young people, is the gift of God that he confers, that he breathes into his people, that he infuses into their heart whom he has chosen from eternity. And the canons say God produces not only the will to believe, the desire to believe, the inclination to believe, but the act of believing also. That is, the act whereby one makes a choice to refuse one thing and receive the other. By the working of his resistible spirit, God worked in Moses to do that which faith always does. It chooses to suffer. Notice that. That's striking in the passage. It serves to point out what's going on here. It is amazing how when people do talk about faith choosing, it's put in terms of accepting Jesus Christ and other such things, which isn't necessarily wrong in and of itself. But when you get down to it, what faith really chooses is to suffer. Take note of that. You see, if you put faith in those terms, then what's exposed is that this faith is not an act of man. It is not by the will of man, but it is by the will of God, you see. Now it's interesting too, as we know the history, we know that God used means, the means of Moses' parents to give to Moses that faith and work that faith and strengthen that faith. We're reminded of the fact that he was even raised by his parents for a few years in a covenant home. His choice didn't come out of thin air. He didn't suddenly decide somewhere around the age of 40 that this was what he was going to do all of a sudden. He didn't suddenly discover in that day that there were these people called Israelites and they were God's covenant people. But he had been circumcised as a sign of the covenant and of the righteousness of faith as we read in Scripture. He had been taught all those stories that later on he would write down in the book of Genesis The stories about God's covenant faithfulness, the fall, and the mother promise to Adam and Eve in the garden of a Christ. How else would he know Christ? His mother and father taught him these things, taught him about God's covenant faithfulness to Abraham and Isaac, about their patient life and pilgrimage. taught them that they weren't looking even for an earthly Canaan, but as we read, even in the book of Hebrews 11, looked for a better city. That's normally also what happens in the sphere of the covenant. And when come to years of discretion or instruction, even as Moses make a public declaration of their faith, a public confession that involves a choice, but it doesn't normally come out of thin air or suddenly in a moment, but it is something that God has been working, using means of parents, working through regeneration, signified by baptism as we saw this morning There is hope then for our children and young people. That hope is not in their own natural free will and abilities and strength because the treasures of this world and these United States are far too attractive and alluring. But our hope is in the sovereign grace of God who keeps his covenant by working faith in young people so that they believe in him and love him. That's our hope. Because faith is the explanation of this choice of young Moses, this was something that he did consciously and willingly in his heart. This was not an emotional act. This was not an irrational act. This was not something that he just suddenly did without any reason or explanation whatsoever. That's the way faith is often presented. That is the way conversion is often presented. An emotional decision after feelings have been stirred up, or perhaps even a blind choice that we make, sort of like throwing a dart at a board. That's not true. No doubt that when Moses did what he did, that's exactly the response of others. You can see that even in the narrative. You're going to see that in subsequent history. The Egyptians looked at Moses and said, Are you nuts, man? Are you crazy? Do you know what you're giving up? You're giving up all this for that? For that scum? For those people? For those slaves? And even as we saw in the narrative, there were unbelievers in Israel who thought Moses was equally crazy. You're just in it for the honor. You're just in it for the glory. You just want to be top dog. That's the narrative. And they grumble and they complain all the way to Canaan. And also dropped like flies because of their unbelief. But that's not the nature of faith. Faith is a certain knowledge. That is, it makes choices based on sober calculation and consideration of real facts and evidence. It's just that they're not earthly or physical. If Moses has made his choice based on earthly considerations, indeed his decision was crazy. But even though he made up his faith, it doesn't mean But he didn't do it without any thought or consideration either. Notice we read, he esteemed. He esteemed, that means he not only carefully considered and thought out his choice, but it was something he desired and wanted. Faith considers evidence. It considers evidence of things not seen. The kind of evidence that no one on earth would ever look at. It's the same idea when we read later also in the text that he had respect to the reward. The idea is that he looked at it, and he considered it very carefully. He looked out over Egypt and saw it all, and he considered it all, and he thought about it all, and then he looked somewhere else, and he considered that too. He saw the real treasures. But he didn't see them in Egypt. He looked at all the gold. He looked at all the pleasures. He looked at all the women. He looked at the power and authority that Pharaoh had. He looked at the architecture and the buildings. He looked at this world power. And by faith, he said, I don't see anything. It's not going to last. It cannot stand the test of time. It cannot stand the judgments of God. The curse of God is here. What I see is sin. What I see is idolatry. The real treasures, the real riches, the gold and the silver and the beautiful buildings and culture and art and pleasure is found over there with those lowly slaves. It's found in the house of Israel. And that's why, even when we read this, we must understand this is not a choice that he made grudgingly. He wasn't grabbed, kicking and screaming to do this. But he made it with a smile on his face and joy in his heart. perhaps even said, if only others could see what I see. That's the life of a member of the church and what a young person ought to see when they make confession of faith. More specifically with regard to the explanation for this choice of Moses, we read as the reward and that he had respect to this reward. That, of course, you understand, is related to esteeming the reproach of Christ. Esteeming. The idea of that word, as I said, was that he looked at that, the reproach of Christ, and said, I consider that to be a privilege. Not something to run away from and enjoy. And here, by the way, read some of the testimonies of the people of God throughout time and history about how they have received the reproach of Christ and suffering affliction. Read, for example, the touching letter that Guido de Bray writes to his wife from prison just before he's executed, I think three weeks before he's executed, and read what he writes to her. He esteemed the reproach of Christ there in that prison, bound hand and foot with shackles that cut him to the bone. That was Moses. He saw something. He saw a reward and he had respect for that reward. Now a reward is something that comes after, you see. Comes after he made that choice, you see. But we mustn't look ahead. even way ahead, jump ahead to the New Testament or the return of Christ, but see that Moses had respect to a reward that he would receive even in this life. And he had respect for that. He considered it. He esteemed it. That's implied by that word of recompense. Now, recompense means the payment of something that comes after, a reward. It teaches that faith makes decisions and makes the decisions it makes because it looks forward. It looks away from the here and now. And it looks forward to receiving something else, something besides suffering. The idea isn't simply that he looked at the suffering and said, oh, that's going to be fun and enjoyable. No. He had respect for this and esteemed that because he saw something beyond it, something that it led to. Now, in general, that's the blessing of God. More specifically, it's the blessings of God that he promises to his church. The Bible here, interestingly, uses very earthly and human terms. Earthly and human terms the Egyptians would have known about and thought about. But in thought in terms of money, payments, those things that are earned and merited. But that's not the case here because we're talking about an act of faith. And faith never looks for such rewards. Faith always looks at the grace of God. And so it sees such rewards that way. That's what the Catechism calls the rewards of grace. But now, my point is, look at the rewards that he received as a consequence of his decision already in earthly life. Take the choice to refuse the earthly ridges of Egypt. Look ahead. Imagine God delivering Egypt without Moses. Oh, Moses would have had 40 years to enjoy those riches, live it up, whoop it up. Imagine the wine, women, and song he could have had, but it would have been brief because it's all destroyed by the judgment of God 40 years later when he delivers his people. They go up in flames. The army goes down under the Red Sea. The firstborn are all killed. You can imagine that would be Moses himself if he had refused to become the son of Pharaoh's daughter. Or consider even his choice of this way of affliction. You read the history of the 40 years of Moses and Midian, not pleasant. Basically just a shepherd. Just a shepherd out in the desert around Sinai. And then you've got the next 40 years of his life wandering through the deserts in this pilgrimage with people that do nothing but complain. Even want to kill him at points. Call him every name in the book. Amazing affliction that he suffered and he bore, that he chose. But what did it work? The Bible presents Moses as one of the most patient men that ever lived upon the face of the earth, a man of unbelievable wisdom. And God used that to take all his considerable gifts that could have been used to produce any number of Egyptian artifacts. which probably would have been lost to time, buried in the desert, rotted with the rest of papyrus. But the five first books of the Bible are here yet today. Interesting too that this is a reward that comes through the sacraments too. Along with Israel, Moses was able to partake of all the earthly ceremonies and sacraments that God would give to the people of Israel to sustain them until the coming of Christ, as it were. God used them to strengthen their faith in Christ and to teach them and to lead them. That's also what public confession of faith does, too. But then think of the eternal life That's the promise of God in Romans 10. That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. With the mouth confession is made unto salvation. That's what's exemplified here in Moses. The reward he respected is this, everlasting life in body and soul, the everlasting blessedness of righteousness and holiness in God's presence. It is necessary for faith to look forward that way and hope because one will never have it here. Abraham didn't, Moses didn't, Then besides that, as we saw, the treasures of Egypt and the pleasures of sin are far too tempting for our flesh. So faith, faith always makes a choice and esteems the reproach of Christ greater riches and chooses to suffer affliction with the people of God. And may God grant that to our young people and to us. Amen. Let us pray. Our Father which art in heaven, O Lord, we thank thee for faith and the gift of faith, for the decisions that faith makes, for the life that faith lives. Faith, faith that refuses to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter and chooses rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than enjoy the pleasures of sin. for a season. We thank thee for the gift of faith that esteems the reproach of Christ, greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, and faith that has respect unto the recompense of the reward. This we pray in Jesus' name, amen.