Hebrews Chapter 11 {Continued} {Parenthesis continues from Chapter 11:4} {Verses 23-38: The Roster of Strong Believers in the Age of the Law; Verse 23 Parents of Moses} 23~~By means of doctrine {resident in the souls of his parents}Moses, when he {Moses} was born, {he} was hidden for three months by 'means of'/ 'by the agency of' HIS parents {emphasis is on the great value of this child}, because they saw {panoramic view - doctrine gave them the overall view} he was a child/infant 'pertaining to a city' {see Hebrews 11:10 above and Acts 7:20} and they {Amram and Jokebedh - Moses' parents} were not afraid of the edict from the king {pharaoh Thutmose I}. {Note: The subject of this verse are the PARENTS of Moses - not Moses. Here we find they were also SuperGrace believers. Moses also was great, but he is the subject of the next verses. Moses' father married his own aunt and they were Moses' parents (Moses then communicates God's word in Leviticus 18:12). Moses' father was Amram (am - rohm = 'high people'). Moses' mother was Jokebedh (yo-kev-eith also pronounced jock-o-bed = 'whose glory is Jehovah'). The oldest of their children was Merriam (sp), then Aaron, and then Moses. Moses was born circa 1520 B.C. Thutmose I was at the time of his birth. Hapchepsid {sp) was his daughter and married a man who took the name of Ammetep II (sp) and he was the pharaoh at the time of the Exodus. Ammetep II had a son named Thutmose III (by another woman). Thutmose III was pharaoh and Egypt reached its peak under him. Thutmose III married his half-sister (blood daughter of Hapchepsid).} {Note: In Acts 7:20, we find that God declared Moses would become an 'infant pertaining to a city'. And from doctrine resident in their souls, Moses' parents realized that Moses would become a SuperGrace believer and part of his SuperGrace blessings was to be a resident of the New Jerusalem promised to Abraham.} {Verses 24-29: SuperGrace Believer - Moses} 24~~ By means of doctrine {resident in his soul} Moses {a believer}, when he had become great/prominent, {Acts 7:23 tells us this was at 40 years old}, refused to be proclaimed {heir apparent} . . . the 'adult son' of Pharaoh's daughter {turned down the throne of Egypt} {Note: Moses is Egyptian for 'son of'. There is usually a name following, but they did not know where the baby came from so he was the 'son of (unknown)'. The Queen Hepchepsit (sp) adopted Moses as her son. } 25~~ Choosing rather to suffer affliction/maltreatment with the people of the God {suffering is for testing and blessing}, rather than to 'keep having'/perpetuating temporary {a season -maybe 50 years} pleasure/stimulations 'from sin' {singular}/' from the Old Sin Nature. {Note: As the heir apparent of Egypt, the main sin here was approbation lust. Moses was the first of 3 humans to be offered 'the world'. He and Jesus resisted. The dictator of the Revived Roman Empire will fail his test in future. Moses was great. He was going to rule . . . marry the beautiful daughter of the Pharaoh . . . he was a genius in many fields . . . and he gave it all up as 'vanities of vanities' (meaningless upon meaninglessnesses).} 26~~Having concluded {based on doctrine resident in his soul} that the discipline of Christ . . . GREATER RICHES {Christ permitted suffering for testing and blessing} than the treasures of Egypt. For you see, he kept on concentrating/'had respect' unto the recompense of the reward {the reward was the inner happiness and inner peace that went with serving the Lord}. {Note: Even divine discipline is greater than all the rewards of the world. With Occupation with Christ (next verse) comes rewards so much greater than this world offers, there was no problem for SuperGrace believer Moses to choose.} 27~~ By means of doctrine {resident in his soul} he {Moses} gave up {the throne of} Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king/Pharaoh. For you see, he became strong {under pressure}, as long as he kept on seeing Him Who is invisible {Occupation with Christ}. 28~~By means of doctrine {resident in his soul} he {Moses} executed/instituted the Passover {Exodus 12:21} {with the result that it became a permanent Jewish institution - April 14, 1441 BC}, even the sprinkling of blood, in order that the one destroying the first born {the destroying Angel of Exodus 12:23} should not touch them {Jews knowing and following the Word of God}. {Note: This verse also tells us HOW the destroying angel killed the first born of the Egyptians - by a mere touch. The Jews of the Exodus generation were told to take blood and put it on the top of the door and the sides of the door. The destroyer passed by the houses of all who KNEW and followed the instructions from the source of the Lord.} 29~~ By means of doctrine {resident in his soul} they {Exodus Generation} passed through the Red sea as through dry land . . . which the Egyptians attempting to pursue were drowned. {Verses 30-31: Next Generation which we call the Joshua Generation: Introduction to the Greatest SuperGrace believer of that generation - Rahab the Prostitute} 30~~By means of doctrine {resident in the souls of SuperGrace believers} the walls of Jericho {two rings of walls: each 12 foot wide and 30 feet tall} fell flat/out, having been encircled for seven days. {Note: The Army of Israel with 7 priests with trumpets marched around the city 1 time in 6 days, then 7 times in 1 day. The trumpets were played and the people shouted and the walls fell flat (archeology shows the walls actually fell OUTWARD instead of inward as is normal. This was a miraculous event. While marching, the men were not permitted to say a word. This symbolized the importance to God of obedience to His Word/Commands and self-discipline.} 31~~By means of doctrine {resident in her soul} Rahab the whore/prostitute herself did not perish with them that believed not, having received the reconnaissance scouts with harmony/peace. {No More Details, Just Summary} 32~~And what more can I say? for the time be insufficient 'would leave me behind' as I go on recounting concerning Gideon {Judges 6:12}, and of Barak {also in book of Judges} and of Samson, and of Jephthae {II Chronicles 18:31}; Both David and Samuel . . . also of the {other} prophets {who are not named in this Chapter}. {Note: The first four men are all examples of men born in unprivileged status yet by the Grace of God were great militarily speaking.} {Verses 33-34 are 9 clauses with no connectors in a Syntactical format that sounds like 'ahh-sin-ta-tin'. This gives the sentence structure great rhetorical force. The most famous of this structure was Julius Caesar's 'I came, I saw, I conquered.'} 33-34~~Who themselves by means of doctrine {resident in their souls}: {1} 'crushed and destroyed'/conquered kingdoms, {2} accomplished righteousness/dikaiosune {total fulfillment of spiritual   maturity}, {3} obtained divine promises {in time, dying grace, and in eternity future}, {4} shut the mouths of lions {Daniel 6:21-22}, 34 ~~ {5} neutralized the inherent power of fire     {Daniel Chapter 3: Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego}, {6} escaped from the mouths of swords     {similar today of men running at a machine guns nest without injury}, {7} from weakness/helplessness/hopelessness were made strong,     {thorn in the flesh concept - My grace is sufficient for you!} {8} became courageous/strong in battle, {9} put to flight invading armies of the enemy/aliens/foreigners. 35~~Women received their very own {beloved} dead by means of resuscitation {I Kings 17 and II Kings 4} . . . and others of the same kind {more women} were tortured, refusing to accept their release {if only they would betray, they would 'be released'} . . . in order that they might obtain {something} better 'after resurrection'. {Three Maximum Pressure/Torture Areas SuperGrace Believers Have Endured} 36~~ And others of a different kind {not just women now - both men and women} received testing type experiences   of {1} 'soul type torture/scorn/mocking {includes public nakedness and   abuse, rape - emphasis on hurting the mentality or soul of the person}   and {2} 'body type torture'/flogging {emphasis on body receiving impact   of torture} and, in addition, shackles and incarceration {emphasis of torture on confinement - isolation from normal activities of life by imprisonment}. 37~~They were killed by stoning {one example: Zechariah son of Jehoiada, in II Chronicles 24:20-21}, they were cut in two by a saw {example Isaiah died this way}, were tested for the purpose of determining quality {assayers term for finding good or bad ore}, where they died by murder from a sword {the governor Gettaraiah (sp) of the remnant of Jerusalem is alluded to here}. They 'wandered around without roots' {alludes to persecution and rejection} in sheepskins and goatskins {rough/crude/uncomfortable clothing instead of nice threads}; being destitute {often without food, shelter or clothing}, suffering harassment, being oppressed. {Note: This verse tells us he keeps us alive until we hit our spiritual peak. Then when He takes the SuperGrace believer out under dying grace, it is the best of dying no matter how horrible it appears to humans. How they apply God's Word to the situation, brings great Glory to the Lord.} {Great Conclusion} 38~~ Concerning whom {persecuted SuperGrace believers}, the world was not worthy {unbelievers and believers in reversionism - ruled by Satan} they {SuperGrace believers} themselves wandered in unpleasant deserts {used for 'sheep being hunted by wolves'}, and in mountains {in the exposed rugged sense}, and in caves/dens and 'holes in the ground'. {Verses 39-40: The Difference between an Old Testament and New Testament SuperGrace believer} 39~~And so all these {SuperGrace believers}, 'obtained a good report'/'having received approval' by means of doctrine {resident in their souls}, did not receive to themselves the promise {of Surpassing Grace blessings which only come in eternity future}. 40~~Since, the God Himself, having provided before hand {in eternity past} something better {Church Age Blessings and blessings in eternity future} 'on behalf of'/for us {Royal Family}, in order that, apart from us, they {Old Testament Believers} should not be completed. {Note: RHIP - Rank Has It's Privilege - as great as these SuperGrace believers were, they were not royal family of God. They have to wait for their resurrection bodies and rewards in eternity future until after all Church Age Believers - Royal Family receive ours. First was Jesus Christ receiving His, then the Church will receive our resurrection bodies next, then Jewish Age believers. At that point, the Old Testament SuperGrace believers will be completed. You can not serve 'the end of the line' until the 'front of the line' is served. If we never got ours, they would never get theirs!}