The Bold Midwives

The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do.  Exodus 1:17

Shiphrah and Puah are not well-known names but they are the names of two women who played a significant role in the lives of the Israelites and whose bold actions are good models for us.

These two women were midwives serving their people while the Israelites were living in Egypt. The Egyptian Pharaoh or king, concerned that the Israelites were becoming too numerous, tried to control their growth through harsh treatment and forced labour but that failed so he decided that the boy babies should be killed at birth and instructed these midwives to carry that out. These women were ordered to kill the babies of their fellow Israelites! Thankfully they were followers of God. They ‘feared God,’ we are told, meaning that they revered him and so they refused to carry out the king’s order.

These women were clear about right and wrong, clear about their commitment to God and clear about who had first claim on their allegiance.  They would not be pushed into disobeying God. To defy the king would put their own lives in danger, yet still they stood firm. We see no sign of any hesitation on their part in the text.

I like their clarity. In today’s world there is much fuzziness around right and wrong and people hesitate to stand against the stream. Although being different is championed in some quarters in society, to stand up to the powers that be on moral grounds is often ridiculed. Though the world may seek to redefine good and evil, as Christians we cannot. God has set the standard of right and wrong (recorded for us in the Bible). This is what the midwives knew and that made their decision quite simple, though not easy.

God rewarded their boldness and faithfulness. He protected them from the king’s wrath. When they were called up by the king for disosbeying his orders and asked to explain themselves, God gave them the words to say. Remarkably the king accepted their strange explanation and did not punish them – no doubt due to God’s staying hand.  God also rewarded them by giving them families of their own (see verses 19-21).

God is waiting to back us up when we remain faithful to hm.  We see that over and over again in the Scriptures. Think of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshack, Abednego and Esther, to name a few. Let us be firm in our commitment to God, not sitting on the fence. And let us resist fear, being confident in God’s presence with us.

I am reminded of a chorus we sang in Sunday school:

Dare to be a Daniel, dare to stand alone

Dare to have a purpose firm and dare to make it known.

Let us go boldly, God being our helper.