
Dangerous people are out there. They always have been.
Twice in the Hebrews 11 account of Moses, the writer mentions a dangerous person and highlights the fearlessness that comes from faith. Of Moses’ parents: “They were not afraid of the king’s edict.” (Hebrews 11:23) Of Moses: “By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king.” (Hebrews 11:26) In both cases, the king was the “scary person.” In both cases, faith overcame fear.
Trying to halt the Hebrew population explosion, Pharaoh ordered all baby boys to be thrown into the river. By God’s grace, baby Moses was preserved floating in a basket down the river. Centuries later, another angry king ordered the death of baby boys. Baby Jesus was preserved. His parents fled – of all places – to Egypt until King Herod died and it was safe to return home.
Moses was saved to be a deliverer. Through Moses’ leadership, God delivered the people through water, crossing the Red Sea.
Jesus was saved to be a deliverer. By His death on the cross, we are saved from our sins. Salvation is about being saved … or safe. Safety produces fearlessness. After His resurrection, Jesus came to His disciples, who were locked in a room, filled with fear. To the fearful, He said, “Peace be with you.” (John 20:19)
Life can be scary. Our world is a scary place. El Paso, Dayton, Midland, and Odessa are only the latest examples of how scary a sin-sick world can be. Whether it’s Pharaoh’s edict long ago or the choice of a madman with a gun in our modern day, people can inflict unspeakable evil.
Faith still overcomes fear. Caution is good. Fear is not. 1 John 4:18: “Perfect love casts out fear.” If we know the love of Christ, His peace resides in us. Like Moses and his parents, we can be unafraid, no matter what threats are out there. Christ is with us. His peace prevails in us.
There is so much more crime now. Sometimes I feel like I grew up in a different country. I felt so free when I was a child. Maybe I just grew up in a sheltered atmosphere.
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