MUST READ!!!: IS JESUS CHRIST GOD? [Part 28]

IS JESUS CHRIST GOD: Hebrews 11:26

Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches

than the treasures in Egypt: for he [Moses] had respect unto the recompence of the reward.

Some Bible teachers teach from the above scripture that Jesus Christ is God, since the above scripture makes reference to him as one who Moses knew or looked up to.

Although some translations say “reproach FOR Christ,” it is more accurately translated as “reproach OF Christ.” As said in previous parts under this series, some English translators translated from Hebrew and Greek with the trinity bias in mind. The dogma of the trinity had already taken root in the church before English translations were written.

The above scripture simply describes how Moses, just like Jesus would, preferred to suffer while in God’s will than to substitute the will of God for earthly pleasures. Moses knew about the promised Messiah (the anointed one) prophetically. Even Moses prophesied about the coming of Jesus Christ (although the knowledge lacked clarity. No one could demystify the mystery until Christ had come as a person and had died and resurrected). See the prophecy of Moses in Deuteronomy.

Deuteronomy 18:15-19

The LORD your God will raise up a prophet like me for you from among your relatives. You must listen to him,

because this is what you asked from the LORD your God at Horeb when you were assembled together: ‘Don’t let us hear the voice of the LORD our God again, or even see this great fire—otherwise, we will die.’

“Then the LORD told me: ‘What they have suggested is good.

I will raise up a prophet like you from among their relatives, and I will place my words in his mouth so that he may expound everything that I have commanded to them.

But if someone will not listen to those words that the prophet speaks in my name, I will hold him accountable.

We know that this ONE PROPHET who Moses prophesied about (his terms were not clear. The revelation of Christ in the old testament could only come in parts) that all must listen to is Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 1:1-2

On many past occasions and in many different ways, God spoke to our fathers through the prophets.

But in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe.

So, as we know by now, Moses prophesied about Jesus the coming Christ, as did other old testament prophets. They knew little about him and his sufferings.

1 Peter 1:10-12

Concerning this salvation, the prophets who foretold the grace that would come to you searched and investigated carefully,

trying to determine the time and setting to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.

It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they foretold the things now announced by those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.

So, by revelation, Moses and other old testament prophets knew about the sufferings of Christ and the glory that would follow. Although none of these had happened, they knew it in parts prophetically

John 1:45

Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the One Moses wrote about in the Law, the One the prophets foretold —Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

It has therefore been established that Moses knew about Christ, his sufferings and the glory that would follow, not based on personal encounter, but by revelation.

In Hebrews 11:26, the writer of Hebrews wasn’t saying Moses knew Jesus based on personal encounter with him. He also wasn’t saying Jesus Christ is the God Moses was always communicating with. He was likening the paradigm of Moses to that of Jesus Christ.

Moses knew the coming Messiah would suffer for righteousness sake, and would not be discouraged or distracted by earthly pleasures because he would be fixated on his eternal rewards (the glory that would follow when he is raised back to life). So, Moses was determined to act like the coming Messiah. He preferred to suffer like this Messiah who was to come, than to enjoy the wealth of Egypt as a member of the royal family. He preferred to obey the biddings of God in order to gain eternal rewards at the resurrection than to swim in earthly pleasures. His gaze was on the life after this one.

Moses was a type of Christ. He suffered the reproach of Christ (the kind of sufferings the Messiah would be made subject to). He dramatized in part the nature of the coming Messiah. He behaved like the Christ who was to come because he already knew how the Christ would suffer before he enters his glory. The Bible urges all who believe to behave the same way.

1 Peter 2:20-21

What good does it do if, when you sin, you patiently receive punishment for it? But if you suffer for doing good and receive it patiently, you have God’s approval.

This is, in fact, what you were called to do, because: The Messiah also suffered for you and left an example for you to follow in his steps.

So, Moses knowing about the coming Messiah, his sufferings and the glory that would follow at his resurrection, resolved to endure the reproach of Christ (any hardship that would come his way) and to fix his gaze on eternal rewards and not the fleeting pleasures of the earth.

See you in our next part.

Light shines.

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