Commentary - Hebrews 11:23-29

Bird's-eye view

In this section of Hebrews' great hall of faith, the author turns his attention to Moses, a towering figure in the history of redemption. But the story of Moses' faith begins, as it should, with the faith of his parents. This is a multigenerational faithfulness. The examples here are not isolated acts of piety, but rather a cascade of courageous trust in the promises of God, tumbling down from one generation to the next. The faith described is not a quiet, internal sentiment. It is robust, active, and defiant in the face of tyrannical power. It is a faith that makes calculated, costly decisions, weighing eternal realities against temporal comforts. Moses' life becomes a worked-out example of what faith does: it sees the unseen, it renounces sinful pleasures, it identifies with the afflicted people of God, it values the reproach of Christ, and it obeys God's specific commands, resulting in spectacular deliverance.

From the preservation of the infant Moses to the crossing of the Red Sea, each episode is a nail driven home, securing the point that faith is the only proper response to the word of the living God. This faith is not a blind leap; it is a clear-eyed assessment of who God is and what He has promised, leading to actions that the world deems foolishness. The narrative arc here moves from a hidden baby to a mighty nation passing through the sea on dry ground, all of it hinged on this one thing: faith.

Outline

Clause-by-Clause Commentary

v. 23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.

The first thing to note is that the faith of Moses was planted in the soil of his parents' faith. Faith is covenantal; it runs in families. Amram and Jochebed looked at their son and saw more than just a baby. The text says they saw he was a "beautiful child." The Greek here is asteios, which carries a sense of comeliness and propriety. It is the same word Stephen uses in his sermon, saying Moses was "beautiful in God's sight" (Acts 7:20). This was not simple parental pride. This was an act of faith. They saw God's hand on him, God's purpose for him. They perceived a divine quality, a sign of God's favor.

And because of this faith, "they were not afraid of the king's edict." Let's be clear. This does not mean they didn't have sweaty palms or that their hearts didn't pound when the Egyptian patrols walked by. It means that the fear of Pharaoh was not their ruling fear. The fear of God is the master fear that swallows up all lesser fears. Pharaoh had issued a murderous, totalitarian decree. He was the most powerful man on earth. To defy him was to invite a death sentence. But Amram and Jochebed had a different calculus. They weighed Pharaoh's edict against God's unspoken command to protect the life He had created and set apart. Faith obeys God rather than men, even when the man is a king with an army.

v. 24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter,

Here the faith is now Moses' own. "When he had grown up" indicates a mature, considered decision. This was not a youthful rebellion. This was a fundamental rejection of a false identity. To be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter was to have it all. It meant power, privilege, wealth, education, and access to the highest echelons of a world empire. He was turning his back on a guaranteed future of comfort and influence. This refusal was a public act. It was a declaration of allegiance. He was saying, "I am not one of you. My identity is not found in this palace, with its idols and its arrogance. My identity is found with the people of God." Faith always clarifies who you are and to whom you belong.

v. 25 choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin,

Faith makes choices. It is not a passive state. Moses made a deliberate choice, a preference. He weighed two options. On one side of the scale was mistreatment with God's people. This was a guaranteed reality. He knew what was happening in the brickyards. He knew the whips and the groans. On the other side was the enjoyment of the "passing pleasures of sin." The author of Hebrews is brilliant here. He correctly identifies the allure of sin as pleasure. Sin is often fun, for a season. The palace life was filled with pleasures. But faith has a long-term perspective. It sees that these pleasures are "passing." They are temporary, fleeting, and ultimately empty. Moses chose lasting affliction with the saints over temporary pleasure with the sinners. This is the logic of faith. It always chooses the eternal over the ephemeral.

v. 26 regarding the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.

This verse is astonishing. How could Moses esteem the "reproach of Christ"? Christ had not yet come in the flesh. This is a powerful statement about the unity of God's redemptive plan. The Messiah, the Anointed One, was the hope of Israel from the beginning. Moses understood that to identify with God's afflicted people was to identify with God's future Anointed One, who would be the ultimate afflicted one. He was joining the story of redemption. The shame, the disgrace, the reproach that comes with being God's man in a hostile world, Moses saw this as true wealth. He looked at the gold, the grain, the jewels of Egypt and called them trinkets. He looked at the scorn he would receive for siding with slaves and called it "greater riches."

Why? "For he was looking to the reward." Faith has its eyes fixed on the horizon. It is forward-looking. Moses was not acting out of mere sentiment. He was making a shrewd investment. He knew that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6). The reward was not earthly; it was the promised inheritance, the city that has foundations, the fulfilled covenant. This is not works-righteousness. This is faith acting on the certainty of God's promise. God promises a reward, and faith says, "I believe it," and acts accordingly.

v. 27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the rage of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen.

This likely refers to the final exodus, not his earlier flight to Midian. He "left Egypt," not as a fugitive, but as the leader of a redeemed nation. And again, his faith casts out fear. He did not fear the "rage of the king." Pharaoh's rage was a palpable, deadly force. He had the most formidable army in the world at his command. But Moses' faith gave him a holy courage. Why? Because "he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen." This is the very definition of faith from verse 1. Faith is the evidence of things not seen. Moses fixed the eyes of his heart on the invisible God. He saw the King of kings, and in that light, the king of Egypt became a small and manageable problem. When you see the invisible God, the visible threats of men lose their power to intimidate. Endurance is the fruit of a steady gaze on the eternal King.

v. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that he who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them.

Faith is not just about grand gestures of renunciation; it is also about careful, specific obedience. God gave very particular instructions for the Passover: take a lamb, kill it, sprinkle its blood on the doorposts, and stay inside. To an outside observer, this might have seemed like a bizarre, superstitious ritual. But Moses, by faith, understood it was a word from God. Faith takes God at His word and does exactly what He says. He didn't just believe in the Passover; he kept it. He did the sprinkling. And the result was salvation. The destroyer passed over the houses marked with blood. This is a glorious picture of the gospel. We are saved not by a general belief in God, but by faith in the specific, substitutionary work of Christ, our Passover Lamb, whose blood marks us for deliverance.

v. 29 By faith they passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land, and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned.

The faith of the leader has now become the faith of the people. "They" passed through. They saw the sea part, and they walked through on dry ground. This was an act of corporate faith. They had to put their feet on that muddy seabed, with walls of water towering over them. It was a walk of faith from beginning to end. But notice the contrast. The Egyptians saw the same path. They attempted the same crossing. But they did not do it "by faith." They did it with presumption. They were trusting in their chariots and their own strength. The same path that was a way of salvation for God's people became a watery grave for their enemies. The difference was not the path; the difference was faith. Faith in God's provision leads to life. Presumption in your own abilities leads to destruction. This is the final verdict on the wisdom of the world versus the wisdom of God.