By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin.
Hebrews 11:24-25
Unfortunately, we all are well familiar with the pleasures of sin. It can feed our pride, satisfy passions, appetites and desires. But two things we often fail to take note of: it is always evil and also passing. No matter how temporarily satisfying sin may seem, it’s satisfaction is guaranteed to fade— with a deadly vengeance. Sin has no good in it and brings no good to us, anyone else, or to God.
Sin is deceptive and the pleasure of it is fleeting.
The one who is in practice of sin may appear to have “gotten away with it.” Job (chap.21), Jeremiah (chap.12), and the Psalmist (chap. 73) all seem to have seen this. Job writes of such prematurity of that conclusion—Job 21:13 says: “And in a moment, they go down to Sheol.” Paul writes with blunt honesty in Romans 2:5 that the one who determines to sin is actually storing up “wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.”
David learned the hard way that sin’s delight is both short and yet disastrous. His sin haunted him (Psalm 51:3). In direct result of his choosing to sin, David’s infant son died, and another son rebelled and was hanged. David’s sin was short-lived in pleasure but long-lived in painful consequence.
As is always the case, Moses had a choice—obedience or disobedience. Disobedience would be quite attractive. It was certainly easier, and immediately more enjoyable. But Moses let these things go for the sake of obedience to the call of God—that which God had for him. He believed that if He did what God wanted, he would be much better off in the end.
God called Moses to holiness, just as He has called you and I. He has called us to come apart from sin. It is not always easy, but in the end sin is much, much harder. God’s way is not only for His honor, but equally it is for our own good. Sin and the way of Satan is for his honor and for our harm.
From Proverbs 13:13-15:
He who despises the word will be destroyed,
But he who fears the commandment will be rewarded.
The law of the wise is a fountain of life,
To turn one away from the snares of death.
Good understanding gains favor,
But the way of the unfaithful (transgressor) is hard.
Jesus said:
—The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.
I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.
What a great Lord we have—a privilege we have to choose living lives of delight to Him.
Maranatha!