From Pastor Perry

Hebrews 11:28 (ESV)

By Faith

²⁸ By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them.

It is interesting that this passage is talking about the Passover.  They took blood from the Passover lamb and painted the doorposts and lentil with the blood.  When the Angel of Death came to each house, the first-born mail died (whether animal or people).  The first born was spared if blood was on the doorposts.  You were literally saved by the blood of the lamb.  Several thousand years later, Jesus shed his blood on the cross for the forgiveness of sins.  If you believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you were saved by his blood on the cross.

I pray: O Lord, I believe in you and give thanks that I am saved by your blood on the cross.  Amen.

Hebrews 11:27 (ESV)

By Faith

²⁷ By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible.

Moses fled in faith from Egypt, intending to return when the time was right.^[1]  This probably when Moses fled Egypt after he killed the Egyptian guard.  He would later come back to Egypt to set his people (Israel) free.

I pray: O Lord, you worked through Moses, I will be bold and ask that you carry out your will through us, your church.  Shape us and mold us according to your will. Amen.

Hebrews 11:24–26 (ESV)

By Faith

²⁴ By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, ²⁵ choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. ²⁶ He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.

Moses was born a Hebrew but raised as an Egyptian.  It probably didn’t take long to realize that he was not Egyptian, but Hebrew.  He later wanted to claim that he was in fact Hebrew.  My friend Jon Loessin had a pig named Oink.  For a while, the pig lived in the chicken coop… and thought he was chicken.  The next year, I saw Oink out grazing with the cattle.  Oink thought he was a cow.   Now, this is not gendered confusion, but species confusion.  The following year, Oink was in the pig pen.  He finally came to terms that he was not a chicken or a cow, but was in fact… a pig.  Well, I didn’t see Oink too long after that and I think I might have enjoyed him in some sausage.  Moses had a coming to terms that he was Hebrew.

I pray:  O Lord, I am a Christian, help me to not think of myself as a non-Christian.  Help me to live as a Christian.  Amen.

Hebrews 11:23 (ESV)

By Faith

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

According to the Pharaoh’s law, all boy babies were thrown into the Nile River.  Moses did not drown in the river, instead, his mother raised him for 3 months.  She ended up taking him to the river, but in a basket.  Moses floated down the river and Pharaoh’s daughter took him and raised him in the Pharaoh’s house.  God used Moses to rescue his people.

I pray: O Lord, use me to help further your kingdom, to help plant the seeds of faith.  Amen.

Hebrews 11:22 (ESV)

By Faith

²² By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones.

Joseph spent all of his adult life in Egypt and, even though he was a fourth-generation heir of the promise given to Abraham, he never returned to Canaan while he was alive. Yet, facing death, he still had faith that God would fulfill His promise and demonstrated that confidence by making his brothers promise to take his bones back to Canaan for burial.^[1]  This reminds me of the Lord’s Prayer when we pray “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done.”   We can’t stop the movement of God’s will or His movements.  We pray that he uses us to carry out his will.

I pray: O Lord, use me in building your kingdom.  Stop me when I run contrary to your will.  Amen.