Editor’s note: The Book of Hebrews reminds New Testament Christians of Moses, who lived a life on the run and in the wilderness. While most humans try to improve their lives by seeking better circumstances, Moses consciously chose a downward trajectory, associating himself with God’s people instead of the palace life in which he was raised. Moses decided to live in the wilderness, and in this choice he gives us a picture of Christ, who would surrender heaven to live in earthly wilderness. Hebrews was written to encourage Christians living in the wilderness, which is an apt description for the way many Chinese Christians feel these days. But every Christian, no matter where or when they live, can experience heavenly life even in the wilderness of earthly struggle.

This is the last of a three-part series based on the story of Moses in the Book of Hebrews; parts one and two can be found here.

“By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them.” (Heb. 11:23-28)

Pattern of Faith

The Book of Hebrews shows that the church is a pilgrim people who often face uncertainty and hardship. Yet this wilderness community is also a heavenly sanctuary.

Faith: Ultimate “Running”

We are pilgrims in the wilderness. Yet through faith, we are united with Jesus. We are on earth, but are also seated in heaven. Our flight leads to the heavenly sanctuary: “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God.” We are already there.

In life’s wilderness, the church faces two realities. The first is invisible: union with Christ. We are connected to his resurrected life and have fellowship with the Holy Spirit. The second reality is wandering and hardship in the wilderness.

The most crucial part of faith for God’s people in the wilderness is union with the ascended Christ. Through faith and the Holy Spirit, Jesus continually draws us towards heaven.

In life’s wilderness, the church faces two realities. The first is invisible: union with Christ. We are connected to his resurrected life and have fellowship with the Holy Spirit. The second is wandering and hardship in the wilderness. Both things are simultaneously true.

Faith: Making the Invisible, Visible

“Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” “Assurance” is firm confidence in God’s promises. “Conviction of things not seen” is the union of faith and God’s invisible promises. This union gives us power to act on faith. As we act, the invisible spiritual riches we long for are made plain.

Because Moses considered disgrace for Christ more valuable than the treasures of Egypt, he left the palace and entered the wilderness. His unseen treasure became something others could see. Moses’s unconventional choice to run toward the wilderness demonstrated faith. Because Moses saw Christ’s heavenly sanctuary as more valuable than the glory of Pharaoh’s palace, he entered the wilderness. Moses wanted to draw near to Christ.

Hebrews does not focus only on redemption; it also looks at acts of faith flowing from hope in promises of the age to come. Acts of faith make visible the invisible. God’s church is called to make unseen realities clear through our actions.

Faith: A Willing Heart

Biblical authors do not give insight into Moses’s inner turmoil as he transitioned from palace to wilderness. Yet it is not difficult to imagine the immense difficulty and pain of going overnight from privilege to a life stripped bare. The Bible only says, “Moses was content to dwell.” Moses willingly chose to suffer with God’s people and live in the wilderness.

Acts of faith make visible the invisible. God’s church is called to make unseen realities clear through our actions.

Likewise, when the church faces wilderness, her first response should be a willing heart. The church is continually in the wilderness, for even the palace can be a type of wilderness. Success itself may be insidious and dangerous. The wilderness is the norm, in life and for the church.

Just as Jesus suffered outside the city gate, we too are called to go “outside the camp,” bearing the reproach of Christ. The wilderness is characterized by wandering, reproach, humiliation, and exclusion: we are strangers and exiles on earth.

The wilderness is the necessary path to the Promised Land. Moses could not reach Mount Horeb as soon as he left the palace. He first had to pass through Midian. Only after Moses had been stripped of everything, his ambitions had shattered, and he found himself 80 and still tending his father-in-law’s sheep did Moses arrive at Mount Horeb. The wilderness is a necessary stage before reaching the mountain of God; this is God’s design.

Whether or not you have considered “running,” and whether or not you know where you intend to run: recognize that you face a vast and terrifying wilderness. This is not some golden era; you live in an increasingly apparent wilderness. Today, even Three-Self churches[1] are prohibited from selling Bibles.

Brothers and sisters, do you possess a willing heart? Are you willing to endure these hardships? For the sake of the gospel, let us willingly embrace the wilderness destiny God has ordained for Chinese house churches. Do not retreat into an online world and avoid the hardships we are called to face.

Faith: Putting Away Sinful Desires

Faith must contend with sin’s allure. Because the recipients of the Book of Hebrews had this same struggle, the author repeatedly warned and reminded them of Jesus’s mercy and compassion.

God uses the wilderness to rid us of our “Egyptian hearts.” In the wilderness, the Israelites longed to return to Egypt, a land with of meat, cucumbers, leeks, and fish. Wilderness exposes our greed, lust, corruption, and self-reliance. It reveals our weakness and lack of faith, and refines us by purging our cravings for the flesh and this present age. We must constantly meditate on Jesus, our merciful and faithful High Priest.

For the sake of the gospel, let us willingly embrace the wilderness destiny God has ordained for Chinese house churches.

Within the church, we battle sin and confront our own sinful desires. We also need, through faith, to fix our eyes on Christ. Faith’s power lies in union with Jesus. As we continually preach the gospel to ourselves, pray, and experience the Holy Spirit’s in us, we are led to repent, confess, and encounter the glorious riches of Christ. The Son of God is our High Priest, our minister in the true tabernacle. Through faith and repentance, he draws us toward heaven, providing us with manna from heaven and living water from the Rock.

Conclusion

When you face wilderness, where do you run? Where do you seek refuge and rest for your soul? The author of Hebrews tells us the church is simultaneously in the wilderness and in heaven. Jesus, God’s beloved Son, already traversed the wilderness’s desolation. He conquered death and ascended to heaven for us. Through faith and repentance, he ushers us into the heavenly sanctuary.

The church “drifts” in the wilderness, but it also “runs” in Christ. May we live out genuine faith in Jesus in the midst of the vast wilderness of this present age. May our unconventional acts of faith reveal the unseen riches of Christ, the One for whom we wait.

[1] Three-Self churches refer to Protestant Christian congregations in China that operate under the Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM). Established in the 1950s, these churches emphasize self-governance, self-support, and self-propagation, adhering to government oversight and regulations.

Pastor Yang Xu (a pseudonym) and his wife live in Beijing, and have two children.

Pray for the church in China to show Christ and his riches through their acts of faith.