Creator, Father, King #65

He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward.

MOSES HAD IT ALL.

The wealth of ancient Egypt was there for the taking. As a young Egyptian prince, money, power, and worldly delights were all his. All he had to do was reach out and grab them.

Moses was Jewish, but Pharaoh’s daughter had taken custody of him when he was a baby (Exodus 2:1-10) and raised him in Egypt’s palace. All the power, glory, and treasures that the ancient Egyptian empire could offer were at his fingertips.

Yet Moses grew restless. While he enjoyed a cushy royal life, his fellow Jews endured backbreaking labor under the harsh treatment of their Egyptian overlords. One day, Moses went out to the fields where he got a shocking firsthand look at the “brutal slave drivers” (Exodus 1:11) who “worked the people of Israel without mercy” (verse 13) and “made their lives bitter” (verse 14).

That day, he made a life-changing choice. He decided to turn his back on the world’s temporal gratifications in favor of following God’s calling—being counted among a nation of poor, helpless slaves.

Why on earth would he do that?

What’s It Mean?

The answer to that question is found in Hebrews 11:24-26:

It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward.

Moses had no idea what God had in store for him when he first left Egypt. But he knew that all the empire’s vast riches wouldn’t bring him lasting joy. He knew a far greater reward awaited him—an everlasting prize that is beyond worth.

Earthly riches never satisfy, and they always end in this life. But treasuring God brings great spiritual blessings both in this life and the one to come. The joy, contentment, and eternal peace with God that we have through Christ is worth more than anything the world can offer us. Treasure that above all else!

Now What?

Read Matthew 6:19-21 and 1 Timothy 6:9-10 to see what Scripture says about earthly treasures.

Did You Know?

Moses was forty years old when he left Egypt and its riches (Acts 7:23).