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, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward … for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. Hebrews 11:24–27 NKJV
A stark contrast is given to us in these verses as we view the faith of Moses and the choice presented to him. What an example this is for all believers, no matter the era or dispensation!
There are three actions on the part of Moses in today’s verse: “choosing,” “esteeming,” and “seeing.” He was able to do the first two because of the last one: by faith he saw “Him who is invisible.”
Moses made a choice and a calculation because he looked forward to a compensation: the “reward.” By faith, he saw the invisible One, and it enabled him to bear the reproach of identification with Christ and His people. This reproach was to Moses greater riches than all the treasures of Egypt. There was no doubt that Egypt had a lot to offer him: as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, he would have fame, riches, power, and fleshly pleasures, everything this world has to offer. However, for Moses, the treasures of Egypt paled into insignificance in light of “the riches of Christ.”
What are these “greater riches”? How would we understand them in the Christian context? The apostle Paul mentions in Ephesians the “riches of His grace” (Eph. 1:7; 2:7), the “riches of glory” (1:18; 3:16), and the “unsearchable riches of Christ” (3:8). Though Christ was rich, yet He became poor that we “through His poverty might become rich” (2 Cor. 8:9). There are “treasures in heaven” being laid up for those who follow Him (Mt. 6:19–20). May we have Moses for our encouragement and example!