What if Moses had been born ugly? Would he have been thrown to the crocodiles? All new-born Jewish boys then were being drowned in the Nile by order of the king of Egypt. Was Moses spared just because he was cute? No. The Greek word for beautiful in Hebrews 11:23 can mean something more than skin deep.

With eyes of faith, Moses’ parents saw beyond the natural. At the risk of their lives, they acted on faith. In defiance of the infanticide order, they hid their beautiful baby. And God rewarded them, as he rewards all who seek him in faith (Hebrews 11:6).

The Jewish midwives also acted in faith by allowing Moses and other Jewish boys to live (Exodus 1:8-22). They feared God, the Great Unseen, more than that cruel tyrant of a king who forgot Joseph. The destiny of Israel and the saving of the world turns on such humble, hidden acts of faith and obedience.

With this snippet on Moses, the Preacher has turned a page in his epic sermon. He had just featured eight heroes of faith in Genesis: from Abel whose blood still speaks, to Joseph who remembered the future. Now, the author draws his other examples from the rest of his Greek Old Testament: From Moses in Exodus to the Martyrs of Maccabees, of whom the world was not worthy.

So great a cloud of witnesses! They persevere in defiance of the odds. They order their lives around things that are unseen and eternal, rather than things that are temporal and material. They perform acts of faith that make Salvation History without their knowing it. They don’t try to make history or a name for themselves. Given the most difficult moral choices in the worst possible situations, they simply do what is right. God himself bears witness that they are righteous (Hebrews 11:2,4,5,39).

God is just. He commends and rewards the righteous. He turns the table on the wicked. The readers of Hebrews, therefore, need not fear those corrupt officials who persecute them. They should rather rejoice when the world hates them. God will vindicate them and all his people sooner or later. If not today, then on Judgment Day. And that may be sooner than you think. Act in faith. Never fear.

Prayer Track

•  Imagine a Singapore Made for Families, where we welcome children as gifts from God. About 107 babies are born daily in our city. Pause and speak life over all newborns in Jesus’ name: You are not an accident. You are God’s brilliant idea, fearfully and wonderfully made. You are God’s sharp arrows. You are born to glorify God and silence the enemy (Psalm 139:14; 127:4; 8:2). 

•  Imagine a Singapore Made for Families, where we treat all children equally. Every child is full of potential. Late bloomers are just as promising. So are those with special needs. Pray for parents, pastors, children ministry workers, and Christians serving in kindergartens and primary schools. With eyes of faith: They will look beyond the natural and discern God’s hand on every child. They will do all they can to shelter Singapore’s most precious asset from the evil forces of our fallen world. They will intentionally disciple and nurture these impressionable lives to make the right moral choices and serve God’s purpose in their generation. They will see the Lord’s reward for their humble, hidden acts of faith and obedience!

•  Imagine a Singapore Made for Families, where abortion is a thing of the past. In low-crime Singapore, some 17 babies are killed every day by abortion. What is our attitude about this? True, the number of abortions has been falling steadily since 2010. Still, every abortion is one too many. Be afflicted, mourn, and weep (James 4:9).

Confess: Lord, we deserve your judgment for our sin of abortion. We have shed innocent blood. We have defiled our land. We are ashamed of our abortion laws which are among the most liberal in the world. Forgive our blatant disregard for the sanctity of human life. Forgive our silence, ignorance, and compromise. Renew our minds. Soften our hearts. Unite us to do what is right in your sight. Favour every church, every volunteer, every politician that champions a culture of life. Bless every private conversation, every humble, hidden act of faith to rescue the unborn. Let Singapore be renown as a City of Life where God is feared and honoured as the Source of Life. Where the unborn are protected by the law of the land and the law of God in our hearts.

•  Imagine a Singapore Made for Families, where no family has to wade through this pandemic or any other crisis alone. We thank God that Covid-19 has inspired many ground-up pro-social initiatives well captured by the media. We should also celebrate the many noble deeds by heroes of faith who serve quietly and humbly behind the scenes, pastoring Singapore one neighbour, one family at a time. Pray for greater momentum, wider participation, deeper impact. Volunteer yourself. Look around. Ask God to direct your path. Any sick among you? Any elderly languishing in loneliness or poverty? Any youth on the brink of suicide? Reach out. Go the extra mile. Don’t underestimate your humble, hidden act of faith. It could trigger a Good Neighbour movement on a scale never seen before in our city. It could save a Moses who will one day part the Red Sea for our nation.

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