He Refused To Be Known As The Son Of Pharaoh’s Daughter

HE REFUSED TO BE KNOWN AS THE SON OF PHARAOH’S DAUGHTER

Heb. 11:24-26

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR: Kid’s Mother’s Day Gifts

1. Eight-year-old Mary wrote: "Dear Mother, here is the box of candy I bought you for Mother's Day. It is very good candy. I know, because I already ate three pieces."

2. Eight-year-old Carol writes, "Dear Mother, Here are two aspirins. Have a happy Mother's Day."

3. Eileen wrote: "Dear Mother, I wish Mother's Day wasn’t on Sunday. It would be better if it were on Monday so we wouldn't have to go to school."

4. Little Diane wrote; "Being a Mother isn’t easy. If it were easy, fathers would do it.”

B. A HOSPITAL SWITCHED CHILDREN

1. A lady named Paula Jones was trying to get her ex-husband to pay child support for their little girl Callie. Paula got a DNA test, which showed that neither she nor her “Ex,” Carlton, were the parents.

2. It was discovered that her daughter had been switched at the hospital with another baby, and each family had raised them for four years. It was a terrible dilemma, for each family would want their biological child, but the 4-year olds (not to say the parents) had already bonded with the parents.

3. The Bible tells of a similar switch and how it was finally resolved.

C. TEXT

24By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. 25He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. 26He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.

D. THESIS

1. We’re looking today at Moses’ faulty identity, the obstacles he faced to set his life right, and the truths that helped him finally side with God.

2. The title of this message is “He Refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s Daughter.”

I. WORLD MOSES GREW UP IN

A. MOSES’ WRONG IDENTITY

1. When Moses looked out his mansion windows, he saw:

a. The squalor b. The misery

c. The ignorance d. The slavery of the Jewish rabble.

2. Moses lived in wealth, pleasure, good food, entertainment, fabulous wardrobe, with servants and butler's, and a great education.

3. But each day, as he grew up, Moses had looked into the wrong mother’s face; a face adorned with paint, with strange eyes, large earrings, and long painted eyebrows. But she was the only mother he'd probably ever known.

4. At some point, Moses came to realize that his "world," as well as his mother, was the wrong one. He had built his identity on the wrong world and the wrong lady. It is the same with us!

B. OUR WRONG IDENTITY

1. We were brought up and taught the "scientific method," to only believe what we could detect when our senses.

2. Our goals were money, popularity, happiness and self-actualization. All these attract us to the world, this world.

3. But God didn't intend for us to look at this life as the end. One of the Lord's most common warnings was, "Beware lest you become entangled in the cares and affairs of this life."

4. IMPRINTING. Ducks and geese do this. Sometimes they imprint the wrong animal. We have too!

C. WHY DID HE WAIT FORTY YEARS?

1. He might have reasoned: SURELY GOD HAD PUT HIM THERE. Since God had ordained her to raise him, might not Moses be destined to help his people FROM the throne? Wouldn't abdicating be throwing away God’s opportunity?

2. Perhaps during the forty years he attempted to see whether he could not serve God and remain the son of Pharaoh’s daughter too.

3. ILLUS. John Maxwell said, “Until I am committed, there is a hesitancy, a chance to draw back. But the moment I definitely commit myself, then God moves also, and a whole stream of events erupts. All manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings, persons, and material assistance begin to come my way —the moment I make a commitment.”

II. OBSTACLES TO MOSES’ DECISION

A. HIS EDUCATION

1. Moses was a man of advanced education. The Bible says he was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians (Acts 7:22). The greatest library in the ancient world resided at Alexandria, Egypt, so Egypt was one of the greatest and most ancient depositories of wisdom and learning.

2. Undoubtedly Moses had mastered that great learning. Contrast this with the total ignorance of the Israelites, and it’s a wonder that he could communicate with them.

B. HIS HIGH RANK

1. Moses was used to commanding and being obeyed. He had thousands of servants to serve him. His every wish was obeyed.