Sun. 27/9/2015
LESSON 4 27/9/2015
MOSES: HE REFUSED EGYPTIAN SONSHIP
Suggested Hymns: G.H.B. 14, 16
Devotional Reading: Heb. 11:23-25
Topic For Adult: Don’t Sell Your Birthright
Topic For Youths: Come Out From Among Them
Topic For Intermediates: You Belong To God
Scripture Lesson: HEB. 11:23-27.
Memory Verse: “By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter (Heb. 11:24) NKJV
DAILY DEVOTIONAL READING
Sun. 27/9/2015
Moses Chose God’s People
Heb. 11:23-28
Those who will become instruments in God’s hand for strategic use have to decide to forsake the world and its attractions. They are ready to forgo those things which the society considers important – power, glory, money, pleasure, etc. Just as they chose to reject the world, the world also turns against them. Often they are persecuted and oppressed, though the world is not worthy of them. They look for the city whose architect and builder is God. Moses had good reasons to cling to power and pleasure in the palace of Pharaoh, but he looked beyond the temporal enjoyment to the long term reward he stood to get by joining God’s people. His decision caused him setback in terms of worldly glory, but covenant blessings of Abraham shone brighter before him than the glory of Pharaoh’s kingdom.
Point of Emphasis: Those who want to follow Jesus will forsake the world and cling to Him.
Prayer Point: Nothing will be able to separate me from the love of Christ, I receive the grace to follow Him to the end, oh Lord.
BACKGROUND
A fool at forty is said to be a fool forever. At that milestone of age, one is expected to be old enough to be able to make critical decisions having seen things so well from either side. However if anyone cannot make a right decision at that age and we are saying such people are not rational, how many irrational people do we have around? The most important thing is getting the right perspective early in life and also rewarding is the revelation of God gotten at childhood. Moses had passed the age of forty, spent the first forty years of his life in the courts of Pharaoh, preparing himself for the real deal and at this stage of our lesson of today, it was time for him to step into action.
NOTES ON THE TEXT
PART 1: THE WORTHWHILE CHOICE (HEB. 11:23-27)
Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, for he went out. He did not sit there to contemplate and negotiate to stay. Negotiation oftentimes makes us rationalize and gives us reasons why we have to do things contrary to God’s will. However, there is no good reason for doing a bad thing. Moses had holy contempt for the honours and pleasures of the Egyptian court. If we are indeed citizens of heaven and sojourners on earth, why are we thinking of this earth alone as if there is no heaven? The temptation was indeed great for Moses, imagine all the accolades of a Prince, the wealth, the comfort and the pleasure. Upon all, he made the right choice. Moses had concern for his poor brethren in bondage with whom he chose to suffer affliction though he might easily have avoided it. What choice are you making? If God cannot trust you in the hard places, then He cannot take you to the high place. That is the reason why many supposed giants are ants and irrelevant dwarfs. Hard places and hard choices in so many instances are God’s test of our commitment to Him and His course.
You must endeavour to make a choice and a good one because your refusal to make a choice is a choice in itself. Moses chose and preferred a significant walk with God and fulfilling God’s purpose to a magnificent treatment in the courts of Pharaoh. He chose to be the Prince of the God of the whole earth to being the Prince of Pharaoh.
By making a choice to be committed to God, characters formed using each letter of that word “commitment” will be found in your life. Are you Concerned about the things of God, showing care and contented with this God in season and out of season? Are you Obedient to all of His commands? Are you Mature enough to be entrusted with sensitive kingdom matters? How Motivated and Inspired are you by the rewards awaiting Christians in heaven? What have you Tolerated or are you Tolerating because of Jesus? Moses chose to be a mediator and then we have been called to be Mediators reconciling men back to God. How Enthusiastic are you to this course of reconciliation? How Exemplary and Noble are you by choice in character and attitude? The worthwhile choice entails being Teachable and Temperate in all things.
PART 2: BE CAREFUL OF OPPORTUNITIES (HEB 11:23-27)
Moses was obliged in gratitude and interest to Pharaoh’s daughter being his benefactor. In short he owed his life to Pharaoh’s daughter and refusing her kindness would look not only as ingratitude to her but also neglect of God’s providence as a myopic man would think since he might defend Israel’s interest in the court or help Israel out of bondage when he became king of Egypt since history suggested that the princess was Pharaoh’s only child and she was childless. Having found Moses and saved him as she did, she might have resolved to take him and bring him up as her son and so he stood a fair chance to be king of Egypt in time.
The temptation was so great. He had the opportunity to make fortune, had a fair opportunity and would have been defending Israel’s interest in the court but he refused the seeming juicy alternatives to destiny fulfilment offered him. The offer really seemed to advance him but that was not God’s ultimate plan for his life.
Be careful of opportunities. Be careful of distractions; distractions are enemies of distinction. Once one loses the sense of purpose in God’s will, gaining speed in the wrong direction is imminent. Of what use is running so fast towards a wrong direction. The devil promises a golden crown – but in exchange for your head and true to his word he would give the golden crown after he had chopped off the head. Where do you now place the crown? Watch carefully and reject whatever looks like bait or “Greek gift” aimed at shortchanging your life, your purpose and destiny.
In fishing, baits are used in catching fish and when bait is introduced into the water body, the most unfortunate fish that incidentally is the fastest goes to a journey of no return. Don’t be smart with the devil and avoid anything that can derail your heaven bound voyage.
PART 3: HEAVEN WILL BE WORTH IT (HEB. 11:23-27)
Moses had respect for the recompense of reward, in the very sure reward of faith, commitment and fidelity that the King of kings only can give. He was not perturbed or disturbed by the practices around; what others are doing that he can’t do or where others would go that he can’t go. Heaven is a great reward, surpassing not only all our deserving, transcending whatever we might have lost or dropped for godly course on the earth. Heaven is a suitable reward for the price paid for it. It was Jesus who shed His blood to give us the toll fee for the kingdom of God and making heaven will be worth His suffering for us. Endure hardship, be focused and always refocusing your focus, be determined, be circumspect, face front and like Apostle Paul forget those things that are behind and look forward. In fact it is easier to look forward than to look backwards. No one having put his hands on the plough and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God.
Believers should have respect for this recompense of rewards, approve of it, and live in the daily and delightful expectation of it. We should acquaint ourselves with it as this will help us to be focused and re-fire when tired and exhausted. This will be a landmark to direct our course, a lode-stone to draw our heart and prevent needless wanderings, a sword to conquer enemies like fatigue, boredom and unfriendly circumstances on course, a spur to quicken us to duty when laziness wants to come in and a power to refresh us under all the difficulties attached to the discharge of our duty.
CONCLUSION
There is no reason in this world that can make us do things that are contrary to God’s will. Trust in God, even in hard times so that He can take you to high places. Make a good choice today.
QUESTIONS
(1) Was Moses disturbed by the practices in Egypt?
(2) Is the phrase, “a fool at forty”, applicable to the life of Moses?
(3) Why did Moses refuse to be called son of Pharaoh’s daughter?
(4) What are the temptations Moses faced in Egypt?
(5) Why did Moses endure hardship?
French
DIMANCHE 2 7/09/2015
MOISE CHOISIT LE PEUPLE DE DIEU
HEBREUX 11:23-28
Ceux qui deviendraient des instruments dans la main de Dieu à des fins stratégiques doivent décider d’abandonner le monde et ses attractions. Ils sont prêts à renoncer aux choses que la société considère importantes – le pouvoir, la gloire, l’argent, le plaisir, etc. Comme ils ont choisi de rejeter le monde, le monde se tourne aussi contre eux. Ils sont souvent persécutés et opprimés, quoique le monde ne les mérite pas. Ils sont à la recherche d’une cité dont l’architecte et le constructeur est Dieu. Moïse aurait de bonnes raisons à se cramponner au pouvoir et aux délices du palais de Pharaon, mais il eut les yeux fixés au-delà du plaisir temporaire sur la rémunération à long terme qu’il tient à obtenir en se joignant au peuple de Dieu. Sa décision lui causa un revers sur le plan de la gloire mondaine, mais l’alliance de bénédiction d’Abraham brilla davantage devant lui plus que la gloire du royaume de Pharaon.
Point essentiel : Ceux qui veulent suivre Jésus renonceront au monde pour s’accrocher à lui.
Axe de prière : Rien ne pourra me séparer de l’amour de Christ; je reçois la grâce de le suivre jusqu’à la fin, O Seigneur.