Hebrews 11:24-25
By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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What's easy to miss is that "when he was grown up" isn't just about age, but about Moses reaching maturity and actively choosing his identity. His decision wasn't youthful impulse but a conscious rejection of a privileged Egyptian status for a life of suffering with God's people. This profound choice, rooted in faith, shows how deeply he understood where his true belonging and riches lay.
This passage is part of a powerful list of heroes of faith, highlighting their choices rooted in belief in God's promises. Just before this, the text mentions Moses' parents saving him as an infant by faith, and now it focuses on Moses himself as a grown man making a crucial decision. It emphasizes that his choice to reject a royal Egyptian life and identify with his enslaved people was a deliberate act of faith, setting the stage for his later leadership.
What if you were offered the life of luxury and power, but it meant denying who you truly were? Moses faced this exact choice.
Hebrews 11:24 highlights Moses' courageous decision as a profound act of faith. When Moses 'came of age' (likely around 40 years old, as noted in Acts 7:23), he actively rejected the prestigious identity of being the 'son of Pharaoh's daughter.'
This wasn't just a casual passing thought; it was a deliberate renunciation. He was choosing to disown the lavish lifestyle and privileged status offered by the Egyptian royal court. This decision wasn't based on personal ambition or political maneuvering, but on a deep-seated faith – a belief in something greater than worldly power.
His action declared that his true identity wasn't tied to his upbringing in Egypt, but to his heritage as an Israelite, even in their enslaved state. It was a bold statement that he identified with God's suffering people, not with the oppressors.
What truly holds value? Moses understood that the 'treasures of Egypt' paled in comparison to a greater, unseen wealth.
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The passage continues to unpack the why behind Moses' choice. It wasn't just a rejection of Egypt; it was an embrace of something far more valuable. The text states Moses esteemed 'the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt.'
This is a profound theological insight. Moses saw beyond the material wealth and power Egypt offered. He recognized that suffering alongside God's people, enduring the 'reproach of Christ,' was a treasure that earthly riches could never match. This 'reproach' wasn't just shame; it was embracing the humble, suffering status of God's chosen people, identifying with their plight.
By faith, Moses looked past the temporary allure of Egyptian luxury and fixed his gaze on a divine reward. He understood that aligning himself with God's purposes, even when it brought hardship and shame, was infinitely more profitable in the long run than clinging to the fleeting pleasures of sin and worldly status.
Understand the original words
laō tou theou · Greek Noun phrase
A term describing God's covenant people, set apart for His purposes, redeemed by His grace, and called to bear His name and reflect His character in the world.
hamartias apolausin · Greek Noun phrase
Actions or experiences that provide temporary gratification but are contrary to God's moral law; they are inherently deceptive and ultimately lead to death.
This verse highlights that Moses's choice to identify with the oppressed Israelites over the privileges of Egyptian royalty wasn't just a political statement, but a profound act of faith rooted in God's promises, even before the Exodus began.
c. 1526 BC
Moses Born in Egypt
Moses is born to Hebrew parents in Egypt during a time of intense oppression. His mother, Jochebed, hides him to save him from Pharaoh's decree to kill all male Israelite newborns.
c. 1526 BC
Moses Adopted by Pharaoh's Daughter
Found floating in the Nile, the infant Moses is rescued and adopted by Pharaoh's daughter, who raises him in the Egyptian royal court.
c. 1486 BC— this verse
Moses's Act of Faith
Upon reaching maturity (around age 40), Moses witnesses an Egyptian striking a Hebrew. He intervenes, kills the Egyptian, and attempts to mediate between two Hebrews, an act that reveals his allegiance and leads to his flight from Egypt.
c. 1486 BC
Moses Flees to Midian
Fearing Pharaoh's wrath after killing the Egyptian, Moses flees Egypt and settles in Midian, marrying and becoming a shepherd.
c. 1446 BC
The Exodus from Egypt
After forty years in Midian, Moses is called by God at the burning bush to return to Egypt and lead the Israelites out of slavery, culminating in the miraculous parting of the Red Sea.
This passage describes Moses' first act of faith when he was grown, seeing an Egyptian mistreating an Israelite and defending the oppressed, which directly illustrates his refusal of his Egyptian identity.
Acts 7:22-25Stephen's speech recounts Moses' upbringing and his early actions, highlighting his realization of his calling and his attempt to deliver his people, mirroring the 'faith' described in Hebrews 11.
Philippians 2:6-8This passage speaks of Christ, who 'emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,' a concept that resonates with Moses' choice to humble himself by renouncing royal status and identifying with the suffering Israelites.
Colossians 1:24Paul discusses his own suffering for the church, 'filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions,' which connects to Moses 'esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches,' showing a solidarity in suffering for God's people.
Matthew 6:24Jesus teaches that 'no one can serve two masters,' which is the core principle behind Moses' decision; he could not serve Pharaoh's daughter and the God of Israel simultaneously, making a clear choice based on faith.
ellicottHebrews 11:24: "By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;"
(24) Come to years — i.e. , grown up, “when he was full forty years old” ( Acts 7:23 ). The words here used are taken from the Greek translation of Exodus 2:11 , where we first read of Moses as openly Associating himself with his oppressed people. When Moses slew the Egyptian who was “smiting a Hebrew, one of his brethren,” he in act “refused to be called a son of Pharaoh’s daughter,”…
calvinHebrews 11:23-27: "By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment."
- By faith Moses, etc. There have been others, and those heathens, who from no fear of God, but only from a desire of propagating an offspring, preserved their own children at the peril of life; but the Apostle shows that the parents of Moses were inducted to save him for another reason, even for this, -- that as…
What's easy to miss is that "when he was grown up" isn't just about age, but about Moses reaching maturity and actively choosing his identity. His decision wasn't youthful impulse but a conscious rejection of a privileged Egyptian status for a life of suffering with God's people. This profound choice, rooted in faith, shows how deeply he understood where his true belonging and riches lay.
This passage is part of a powerful list of heroes of faith, highlighting their choices rooted in belief in God's promises. Just before this, the text mentions Moses' parents saving him as an infant by faith, and now it focuses on Moses himself as a grown man making a crucial decision. It emphasizes that his choice to reject a royal Egyptian life and identify with his enslaved people was a deliberate act of faith, setting the stage for his later leadership.
This passage is part of a powerful list of heroes of faith, highlighting their choices rooted in belief in God's promises. Just before this, the text mentions Moses' parents saving him as an infant by faith, and now it focuses on Moses himself as a grown man making a crucial decision. It emphasizes that his choice to reject a royal Egyptian life and identify with his enslaved people was a deliberate act of faith, setting the stage for his later leadership.
"By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin." — What's easy to miss is that "when he was grown up" isn't just about age, but about Moses reaching maturity and actively choosing his identity. His decision wasn't youthful impulse but a conscious r…
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