Hebrews 11:24- 25
24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; 25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
Renowned missionary C.T. Studd once said: "A lost reputation is the best degree for Christ's service." It was the inner self-crucifixion of Moses' identity as the grandson of Pharaoh that launched him forward into his divine destiny that ultimately and permanently transformed the history of humanity. In this passage the writer pins two separate inward decisions that are absolutely necessary to propel us forward as the people of God into our spiritual heritage and ransomed destiny.
The first of these two decisions is the refusal of current identification. It is evident that Moses was identified as a grandson of Pharaoh - being raised in the palaces of Egypt with all of the rights and privileges afforded to royalty. But there existed a deep and unexplainable stirring, an inward throbbing echoing from the tormented corridors of his heart, crying out to understand the relentless dissatisfaction of his current identification.
With every passing day this inward dissatisfaction grew worse as Moses witnessed the affliction of God's people until this burden was unbearable. It was this taunting burden that propelled Moses into a decision that would forever alter not only his destiny but also the entire course of humanity. That decision was to forever forsake his identity as a son of Egypt to embrace an all new identity as a son of God. Moses knew all too well the consequences of this decision. He knew that he could never be accepted again in the sacred royal fraternity of his Egyptian brethren. Never again would he be able to partake of the delicacies of Egypt. He knew that the damages inflicted by his decision of holy treason would be irreconcilable.
Yet, the turbulence of his smitten heart could not be calmed until this decision was made and invoked. The second decision was to emphatically embrace this new identity with all of its requirements and demands. Even though the chains of affliction, hardship, and burdens bound this new identity, Moses could not find rest until he was identified as a son of God. All of the riches and prominence of Egypt could not pacify his estranged heart while identified as a son of Pharaoh. Nor could the chains of suffering and affliction that were heaped upon Gods people dishearten him once identified as a son of God.
The grievous wounds administered by the taskmaster's whips upon Moses' back were but mere scratches in comparison to the intolerable inner wounds of the heart administered by the sovereignty of God through His sure calling.
One of the tragedies of our world today is that we have very little acquaintance with the dissatisfaction and relentless inner-grief of inappropriate identification. This simply means that we are content to live in Pharaoh's palace, being identified as one of his own. We hold and esteem the temporal pleasures affiliated therein while turning our backs on the eternal destiny purchased in and through the atoning work of Jesus Christ.
It seems that our generation has attained a sense of satisfaction with the rogue provision of this world; feeding on the husks with the swine, while the true riches of the Kingdom of God are deemed unpalatable. The crisis need of this modern generation is a bountiful portion of holy dissatisfaction. To be rendered dissatisfied with the temporal pleasures of this present world; dissatisfied with the artificial happiness afforded by materialism; dissatisfied with the lofty perception of self; dissatisfied with the sensuality of our present age disguising itself as love - - - righteously dissatisfied!!!
Is there even one in this filthy sin-soaked world that has grown sin-sick? Sick of being identified as a son of sin to the degree that they would be willing to forsake its pleasures to become identified as a son of God? One that is more willing to suffer affliction with the children of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin for its season? If so, history is waiting to be written and divine destiny is waiting to be fulfilled.
In this late hour - God is calling out to a world bound by the chains of misappropriated identification saying: will you forsake your sin to become identified with Me? Pharaoh's kingdom may promise and entice but it is a sinking kingdom drifting towards eternal ruin and those identified therein will meet the same fate. Yet, of the increase of God's kingdom there shall be no end and those identified with Him will triumph forever! The question before us today is: who are you identified with? Which kingdom holds your citizenship?
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