Hebrews 11:25

Hebrews 11:25

Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;

a. NLT: He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin.

  

b. NIV: He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.

c. YLT: Having chosen rather to be afflicted with the people of God, than to have sin's pleasure for a season,

d. Amplified Bible Classic: Because he preferred to share the oppression [suffer the hardships] and bear the shame of the people of God rather than to have the fleeting enjoyment of a sinful life.

e. Peshitta Eastern Text: Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.

1. “Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God…”

a. Choosing [Strong: 138 hairéomai, hahee-reh'-om-ahee; probably akin to G142; to take for oneself, i.e. to prefer:—choose. Some of the forms are borrowed from a cognate ἕλλομαι héllomai hel'-lom-ahee; which is otherwise obsolete.]

b. rather [Strong: 3123 mâllon, mal'-lon; neuter of the comparative of the same as G3122; (adverbially) more (in a greater degree)) or rather:—+ better, × far, (the) more (and more), (so) much (the more), rather.]

c. [to] suffer affliction with [Strong: 4778 synkakouchéō, soong-kak-oo-kheh'-o; from G4862 and G2558; to maltreat in company with, i.e. (passively) endure persecution together:—suffer affliction with.] [Thayer: to treat ill with another,  to be ill treated in company with, share persecutions or come into a fellowship of ills.]

d. the [Strong: 3588 ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.]

e. people [Strong: 2992 laós, lah-os'; apparently a primary word; a people (in general; thus differing from G1218, which denotes one's own populace):—people.]

f. [of] God [Strong: 2316 theós, theh'-os; of uncertain affinity; a deity, especially (with G3588) the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very:—X exceeding, God, god(-ly, -ward).]

1). How this fits exactly into the Biblical narrative is to me a mystery. We don’t know exactly what Moses did in this description, but we can safely say it had something to do with a rejection of Egyptian lineage which was accompanied with a rejection of sinful pleasures which resulted in an affliction of suffering that was in common with his people. It is an affliction to resist our adversary and his temptations. In order to grow up in Christ we will have these afflictions.

a). 1 Peter 5:8-10 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

5:9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

2). Jesus warned us that there are two roads, one leads to life and one leads to destruction.

a). Matthew 7:13, 14 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

a). The Greek word translated “narrow” in Matthew 7:14, is “thlibo” [2346] and according to Thayer it means, “to press (as grapes), press hard upon, a compressed way narrow straitened, contracted, to trouble, afflict, distress.” Vine’s says, "to suffer affliction, to be troubled".

3). Not being ashamed of the gospel will inevitably lead us into affliction.

a). 2 Timothy 1:8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;

2. “…than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;”

a. than [Strong: 2228 ḗ, ay; a primary particle of distinction between two connected terms; disjunctive, or; comparative, than:—and, but (either), (n-)either, except it be, (n-)or (else), rather, save, than, that, what, yea. Often used in connection with other particles.]

b. to enjoy [the pleasures] [Strong: 619 apólausis, ap-ol'-ow-sis; from a comparative of G575 and λαύω laúō (to enjoy); full enjoyment:—enjoy(-ment).] [Vine: "enjoyment" (from apolauo, "to take hold of, enjoy a thing"), suggests the advantage or pleasure to be obtained from a thing (from a root, lab--, seen in lambano, "to obtain"); it is used with the preposition eis, in 1 Timothy 6:17, lit., "unto enjoyment," rendered "to enjoy;" with echo, "to have," in Hebrews 11:25, lit., "to have pleasure (of sin)," translated "to enjoy the pleasures."]

1). Zodhiates has a different word, [619 * apolausis] It denotes the cleaving or adherence of the mind or affection to an object.

b. [Strong: 2192 échō, ekh'-o; a primary verb; to hold (used in very various applications, literally or figuratively, direct or remote; such as possession; ability, continuity, relation, or condition):—be (able, × hold, possessed with), accompany, + begin to amend, can(+ -not), × conceive, count, diseased, do + eat, + enjoy, + fear, following, have, hold, keep, + lack, + go to law, lie, + must needs, + of necessity, + need, next, +recover, + reign, + rest, + return, × sick, take for, + tremble, + uncircumcised, use.] [Vine: "to have," is translated "your ability" in 2 Corinthians 8:11, and "ye may be able" in 2 Peter 1:15, and is equivalent to the phrase "to have the means of."

c. [of] sin [Strong: 266 hamartía, ham-ar-tee'-ah; from G264; a sin (properly abstract):—offence, sin(-ful).

d. [for a] season [Strong: 4340 próskairos, pros'-kahee-ros; from G4314 and G2540; for the occasion only, i.e. temporary:—dur-(eth) for awhile, endure for a time, for a season, temporal.]

1). Moses chose to suffer affliction, the affliction being denying himself the ability of enjoying the pleasures of sin.

a). Matthew 16:24-26 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

16:25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it:  and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

16:26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?