Moses Chose the Right Treasure

Moses, Man of the Mountain is a 1939 novel by the famous African American writer, Zora Neale Hurston. In the story, she reimagined the events and themes of Moses' life and the Exodus in ways that reflected the black experience in American history. She drew on African American folklore and songs, used colloquial English, and wrote with passion and insight.

Moses was a biblical giant of faith because he, like David, chose the right treasure. His decision was costly. He gave up being known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, that is, royal family status (v. 24). He gave up access to all kinds of pleasure as well as the “treasures of Egypt” (vv. 25–26). He gave up what was presumably the king’s favor and risked his anger instead (v. 27). In short, he sacrificed an enormous amount of power and wealth and what was likely a future filled with more of the same.

What did he receive in exchange? It may seem like a bad bargain. Moses chose “to be mistreated along with the people of God” (v. 25). He preferred (in the larger biblical picture) “disgrace for the sake of Christ” (v. 26). Why? Moses, like all those listed in Hebrews 11, made his choices “by faith,” based on “confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (v. 1). Specifically, “he persevered because he saw him who is invisible,” that is, God Himself (v. 27), beginning with his encounter at the burning bush (Exodus 3).

Moses knew that God had called him to lead the Israelites out of slavery. He chose to be faithful to that calling and everything it involved because he trusted God. He knew that an eternal reward lay ahead (Heb. 11:26, see also v. 6).

Pray with Us

Please uphold in your prayers today the work of Frank Leber, VP of Information Technology Services, and his staff of several teams. Their expertise helps all Moody ministries make the best use of computer technology.

BY Brad Baurain

Dr. Bradley Baurain is Associate Professor and Program Head of TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) at Moody Bible Institute. Bradley has the unique privilege of holding a degree from four different universities (including Moody). He has just published his first book, On Waiting Well. Bradley taught in China, Vietnam, the United States, and Canada. Bradley and his wife, Julia, have four children and reside in Northwest Indiana.