Choosing Not to Be a Prince of Egypt

A couple more thoughts about the movie we're watching. Last night we watched the first part of Prince of Egypt, about the life of Moses and the Exodus. We talked about the different ways the movie changes the story from what's in the Bible. One thing I think it really missed, and I wish I'd thought of this last night, is that Moses chose to leave the palace and join his people before he ever left Egypt or killed an overseer. This isn't in Exodus so I don't really blame the movie guys for leaving it out but the Book of Hebrews in the New Testament says Moses chose to be mistreated with the people of God rather than be considered a prince of Egypt. Hebrews 11:24-26 says,

"By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward."

Moses thought it was more important to be approved by God than to live with all the pleasures and treasures of Pharaoh's palaces. Sometime when he was grown up he remembered or learned who he was and chose to leave all the royal life behind him. He didn't blunder into it by accidently killing an Egyptian. He chose the life of a slave and then went into the wilderness where he spent 40 years tending sheep before God called him. I like the movie, but I think that's a big difference. Read more about it in Exodus 2-4 and Hebrews 11:23-28.

The other thing we didn't talk about last night that I think is "awesomemazing" is Jethro's song about how we have to look at our lives through Heaven's eyes. I know that way too often I try to judge how good my life is by comparing it to other people around me. That's stupid. I don't know what they think and I don't know how their story or my story is going to end. I just see snapshots and memories without seeing the whole picture or where it's going. God knows that whole picture because He's been drawing and painting it since before the beginning of time. He knows how my experiences and problems combine to make me who I am and how that affects other people. He knows way better than I do all that I am and all that I can be. I know enough about the end of my story to know that I will live in the house of the Lord forever, but I don't know much about how I'm going to get there. So I've got to judge my life not based on what I know but what God knows and what I know about God. He loves me and He will work all things to my good even if I don't see it now. If you know Him that's true for you too. If you don't know Him, ask Him. He will answer.