Word for the Week
Short reflections on Bible passages, with a frontline focus...
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The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, ‘When you are helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool, 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. 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.
EXODUS 1:15–21
The story of the great salvation event of the Old Testament – the exodus – begins with two women at work, celebrated for doing their job in a godly way. A foolish, xenophobic king rules in Egypt, and this king is proposing, firstly, to make the Hebrews’ lives a misery to them and then, when that doesn’t work, to kill baby boys after they’ve been born.
To be a midwife is, like all medical professions, to work with people at their most vulnerable. And surely no one is more defenceless and in need of protection than a newborn child. The God who gives life is the same God whose eye is always on the vulnerable (Exodus 22:21–27). So, when the king asks the midwives to kill all baby boys after delivering them, he is really asking them to do the opposite of what God does.
But the midwives have a sense of their calling, a sense of its importance, and a sense of how it matters to God. The primary reason why they refused to kill the children is that they ‘feared God’. Later in the story, Pharaoh’s own daughter will show the same sense of what is right when she comes upon a baby crying and does not follow her own father’s commands.
In two senses, this is a challenging frontline to work in: first, it is work in a delicate, and in those days often dangerous, time in people’s lives. Second, when confronted by evil, the midwives must find a way to do what they know to be right. So, they have to find an answer when the king asks them why they’re letting the baby boys be born, and it’s an amusing excuse!
God expresses his approval of the midwives’ choice to protect the baby boys by giving them families: offering them the very blessing that they have so often assisted in bringing to others. The midwives’ obedience to God saves many children, one of whom will go on to be chosen by the Lord to free his people from slavery. The names of Shiphrah and Puah have come down to us as part of the salvation story of God’s people.
Sometimes, as Christians, we may be called to follow Shiphrah and Puah’s example by refusing to collude in something such as workplace bullying or the abuse of vulnerable people. It’s not easy, but we too are called to be active in God’s salvation story.
—
Revd Dr Jenni Williams
Vicar of St Matthew with St Luke, Oxford, and former Tutor in Old Testament at Wycliffe Hall.
Good morning,
Nice chapter to start , Monday morning.
Good bless.
Good morning,
Nice chapter to start Monday morning.
God bless.
Shipham and Puah are great examples of ordinary people following God on their frontlines. Thank you for highlighting them.
But they had to lie in order, presumably, to be allowed to continue their work. I’ve lied to get over a difficult situation, though not anything like as serious situation as Shiphrah and Puah. But I feel really guilty about it. So – is a lie sometimes the lesser of 2 evils?
Shiphrah and Puah’s must have feared the Egyptian King and the consequences of disobeying him, but, they feared God more. Their fear of God was based on their reverence and awe of who God is, the Creator and Giver of life, perfect in all His ways, and the only One who has the right to take life away. Their faith and trust in the Supreme God, whether or not He would protect them from the king’s wrath would be repeated in the lives of other believers (i.e. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, those who protected the Jews during the Holocaust, etc.). I see God’s grace poured bountifully on them giving them the courage to act on their conviction. May I do the same when times come when I need to be bold and courageous to stand up for God’s truth revealed in His word.
The basic issue is obedience to God vs obedience to world. As obedience is always superior. that is deciding factor irrespective of the fact that the two ladies lied to the King.
The basic issue is obedience to God vs obedience to world. As obedience to God is always superior. that is deciding factor irrespective of the fact that the two ladies lied to the King.
I have been given “Growing on the frontline” study guide. It says download videos from licc.org.uk/growing but when i do that there is nothing to say how to access the videos. what have i done wrong
Hi Andrew – thanks for getting in touch! You need to purchase access to the videos – the quickest way is to go through our shop: https://licc.org.uk/product/growing-on-the-frontline-additional-session-videos-access/. The page you mentioned above has all the other info you need about the course. Do get in touch at [email protected] if you need any further help!