9/26/Su – Deliverance by Faith

NT: “By faith Moses, after he was born, was hidden by his parents for three months, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they didn’t fear the king’s edict. By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter and chose to suffer with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasure of sin. For he considered reproach for the sake of Christ to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, since he was looking ahead to the reward. By faith he left Egypt behind, not being afraid of the king’s anger, for Moses persevered as one who sees him who is invisible. By faith he instituted the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn might not touch the Israelites. By faith they crossed the Red Sea as though they were on dry land. When the Egyptians attempted to do this, they were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after being marched around by the Israelites for seven days. By faith Rahab the prostitute welcomed the spies in peace and didn’t perish with those who disobeyed.” (‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11:23-31‬ ‭CSB)

As we look back on past events with hindsight, it is amazing and somewhat sobering to think of the things that came to pass because of faith and the things that could have been limited because of a lack of faith. Israel’s deliverance from Egypt and conquer of the promised land are factual historical events because of a series of acts of faith in an invisible God.

While enslaved in Egypt, the people of Israel had grown so numerous that the Pharaoh at that time began to feel threatened. To slow down the growth of the Israelites, Pharaoh ordered that all male children under a certain age be executed. Moses’ parents believed that God had a purpose for their infant son, so by faith in God’s destiny for Moses, they defied Pharaoh’s orders, risked their lives, and provided a way for Moses to be delivered from death. By providence, Moses was found and adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter, and was nursed and “nannied” by his own mother.

As Pharaoh’s adopted grandson, Moses could have lived a comfortable life of power, prestige and pleasure. However, Moses had faith that the God of his people had a much grander purpose for his life. Perhaps that faith and calling was passed on to him by his faith-filled mother. However that faith developed, by faith Moses refused the privilege of Pharaoh’s family and embraced that greater purpose. He left Egypt behind and persevered in all the things of God by faith. It was faith that allowed him to see beyond the pleasures of sin and forsake an easy life for a life of promise.

It was by faith that Moses led his people through the first Passover, allowing them to be saved from the touch of the destroyer that ravaged the Egyptians. It was by faith that Moses held out his staff and saw the Red Sea part, saving the Israelite people from the hand of the Egyptian army. At each challenge that Moses faced, he could have given into his fear and discouragement and given up – but he didn’t. Why? The answer is faith… faith in the word of God and faith in the God of the word. Faith allowed him to see the unseeable and be certain that God’s word would come to pass.

After Moses passed away, leadership was passed to Joshua, one of two men from that generation that persevered in faith. God’s word to Joshua was this, “Moses my servant is dead. Now you and all the people prepare to cross over the Jordan to the land I am giving to the Israelites. I have given you every place where the sole of your foot treads, just as I promised Moses (Joshua 1:2-3).” Those words undoubtedly stoked an already faith-filled man with more faith. On the other side of the Jordan River was Jericho – a seemingly impenetrable city. However, Joshua didn’t lead by sight. He led by faith in the word of God. By faith, Israel marched around the city walls, and by faith those impenetrable walls fell down.

Inside the city of Jericho, living on those very walls, was a pagan prostitute by the name of Rahab. Despite her profession and her pagan upbringing, she had heard the stories of Israel and the God that they served. Those stories had culminated into a faith for God. It was that faith that allowed her to see beyond the strength of the walls of Jericho to see the mightier strength of the God of Israel. That faith moved her to protect the two Israelite spies that knocked on her door. That faith ultimately delivered her and her family from the annihilation of the rest of the city. Being a pagan prostitute, she didn’t know much about God, and her faith probably wasn’t great… perhaps the size of a mustard seed. But that little amount of genuine faith was enough for her to experience deliverance and salvation.

When we place our faith in God, we experience and benefit from what God can do. When we place our faith in Christ, we experience and benefit from what Christ has already done. No matter what God calls us to do, we can and will see it accomplished by faith in Him and His Son.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You that all things are possible for those who have faith and obey in faith. Thank You for the deliverance that I have experienced by faith. Thank You for the salvation that I have experienced by faith. The improbable, impossible and miraculous occur by faith. Help me to not limit what You want to do in me and through my by unbelief. Help me instead to walk in all that You have called me to by faith. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.