“The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives…if you see that the baby 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.” – Exodus 1:15-17 (NIV)
The book of Exodus, Chapter One, records what occurred many years ago when the Jewish people resided in Egypt. God’s people were prospering in the land under Egyptian rule. After a while, a new Pharaoh came into power and detested the fact that the people were multiplying even when they put measures in place to oppress them. He felt that if the Jews continued to flourish in this manner, one day, a Jew could ascend to the throne in Egypt. He therefore devised a plan of action to prevent such an occurrence.
Pharaoh held a meeting with two Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, detailing the plan to commit infanticide of the male Hebrew seed as soon as they exited the womb. This wicked objective, however, never came to fruition because the midwives chose to obey God’s plan – they allowed all the male babies to live.
Bible commentators conclude, “The midwives apparently believed that God’s moral demands outweighed Pharaoh’s legal demands.” When summoned to explain why male babies were still being born, the two midwives did not cower but provided an explanation which Pharaoh could not dispute.
This account encourages women to:
- Hold firmly to their faith, especially when they are under pressure
- Fear God and not man
- Obey the laws of God
- Make the right choices, always
- Be bold and courageous
- Stand up for what you believe
Ladies, you may be in the valley of decision-making contemplating situations similar to those of the Hebrew midwives, and you may not be quite sure what you should do because whatever decision you make could have serious consequences. Be encouraged, do not fear, trust God wholeheartedly, and have faith that He will work things out according to His will for your life. Be bold, follow Godly principles like the midwives, and see God intervene on your behalf. Trust God to take care of you.
Read: Deuteronomy 31:6; Proverbs 3:5-6
Bible Reading Guide: Proverbs 11:19-28; John 5:31-47; Judges 7:9-25; Judges 8