Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary (4 vols)

Hebrews 11:24-28

Hebrews 11:24-28. Mark the successive expressions of his faith. When he was grown up he refused the name and dignity of a member of the royal family, preferring to suffer with the people of God rather than enjoy, with godless, idolatrous Egyptians, such fleeting pleasures as sin provides. Deeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasure of Egypt. The reproach which typical Israel suffered is called the reproach of Christ; as Paul calls the sufferings of Christians the sufferings of Christ (Colossians 1:24; 2 Corinthians 1:5), i.e of Christ dwelling and suffering in His Church as in His body. In the true Church of every age the eternal Christ ever lives and reigns, though when Moses suffered He was still to come, appearing chiefly in the types and prophecies, while really dwelling among them. And the reason is that he looked away from the suffering to the Divine reward, his life and acts being moulded and guided by his hopes.

By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king. The reference here has been supposed to be to his flight into Midian after the slaughter of an Egyptian; but then it is said that he did fear (Exodus 2:14). The natural explanation is that the words describe his abandonment of all his Egyptian hopes (not that he fled from Egypt, but gave it up), not fearing the wrath which the desertion of his post, and the bitter feeling of Pharaoh against the people whom he was joining would certainly excite.

For he endured (he was stedfast) as seeing him who is invisible, or, the king who is invisible (1 Timothy 1:17). The wrath of an earthly sovereign was nothing to him, when assured of the grace and protection of the King of kings.

‘By faith he hath kept the Passover,' i.e he celebrated it, as the verb always means, and instituted it, as the sense rather implies. Both thoughts seem to be here. ‘By faith, because he believed that the destroyer would pass over and not hurt the chosen people, and that a complete exodus from the land of their captivity was at hand; as by faith in a coming Deliverer it was intended that it should continue to be observed.

And the effusion of blood, viz. on the lintel and door-posts. The effusion was made by means of a branch of hyssop, and so sprinkling has come to be a rendering of a word which properly means effusion. In this sprinkling or application of the blood lies the atoning power of the Passover, as in the case of the great Antitype; it is not the blood shed, but the blood as applied through faith, that speaks peace an secures forgiveness.

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Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary (4 vols)

Hebrews 11:24-28

Old Testament

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