I have always been intrigued by the Biblical account (Exodus 2) of Moses’ birth and the action his mother took to save his little life when he was three months old from the king of Egypt’s orders that every Hebrew baby boy would be thrown into the river. I cannot imagine what she must have felt and the scenarios she must have dealt with from the moment she suspected she was pregnant. And she wasn’t the only mother facing these fears and realities. What a terrible, scary, sorrowful time for all the Hebrews.
If you back track to Exodus 1, just prior to Moses’ birth, there are other very interesting people whose account is very worth reading, pondering, and being inspired by. Two Hebrew midwives – Shiphrah and Puah.
“The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, ‘When you help the Hebrew women in childbirth and observe them on the delivery stool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.’ The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live.'”
What brave women. They must have feared for their own lives and yet they feared God more. They went completely against the king of Egypt and pleased God instead. There was no concern for political correctness, there was no self-justification for sin. It must have been frightening, but God was on their side.
“Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, ‘Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?’ The midwives answered Pharaoh, ‘Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive.’ So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous. And because the midwives feared God, He gave them families of their own.”
Because they feared God, these midwives not only directly impacted the Hebrew population, but God gave them families of their own. Isn’t it interesting that the very thing Pharoah wanted to stop (the increasing population of the Hebrews) and the very thing he was destroying (lives and families) is exactly what God reversed as a result of these midwives’ obedience.
I wonder how many times we see evil in our society and we feel good about ourselves for just talking about how it is wrong. Recognizing evil isn’t enough. As followers of Christ we should be taking action to make a stand for what is right and pleasing to God.
