Exodus 1:15-22 God uses ordinary people during critical times to do His extraordinary work

Exodus 1:15-22 God uses ordinary people during critical times to do His extraordinary work

15 Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other was named Puah; 16 and he said, “When you are helping the Hebrew women to give birth and see them upon the birthstool, if it is a son, then you shall put him to death; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.” 17 But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them, but let the boys live. 18 So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and let the boys live?” 19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife can get to them.” 20 So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied, and became very mighty. 21 Because the midwives feared God, He established households for them. 22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “Every son who is born you are to cast into the Nile, and every daughter you are to keep alive.”

Background

The story carries the theme contrasting the evil design of the Egyptian king to destroy against the goodness of God to save. The king’s strategy is to force Israel into submission by breaking their will through hard labour. The Egyptian king carried out his evil plans in the following stages:

1. He used hard labour to the force the people into servitude.
2. When this failed to curb their expansion, he resorted to surreptitious treachery by utilising midwives to murder the male infants at birth.
3. When this plan was thwarted by the god-fearing midwives, he ordered all male Hebrew babies to be drowned.

Today’s article puts into focus the god-fearing acts of the midwives. Indeed, the prosperity of the Hebrew nation is attributed to these seemingly ordinary women. Indeed, God uses ordinary people during critical times to do His extraordinary work.

Observation

Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other was named Puah.

Shiphrah and Puah are midwives of the Hebrews, whose role is not restricted to aiding in the delivery of infants but also to ensure that births are recorded in the national registry. One can be certain that such midwives are not restricted to the two mentioned. However, we will never be certain if the midwives are ethnically Hebrew for “Hebrew midwives” can also be read as “midwives of the Hebrews”. On one hand, the Egyptian king could never have expected these Hebrew women to betray their own people. But on the other hand, will the Hebrews accept Egyptian midwives for this delicate task? That said, the ethnicity of the midwives are not of real concern. The Egyptian king would have considered the midwives’ loyalty towards the Egyptian regime regardless of their ethnicity before charging them with such a task. That said, the specific mention of the midwives by name underscores their extraordinary legacy of courage and the fear of God. Because they endangered their own lives to save the people, they are forever immortalised in the registry of the kingdom of heaven.

But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them, but let the boys live.

The royal edict (to murder the Hebrew male infants at the point of birth) if transgressed will bring capital punishment upon the midwives. The midwives had to decide between self-preservation by obeying the Pharaoh. Or to endanger their own lives by obeying God. It appears that preserving their own lives at the expense of many young lives is out of the question. The text is explicit in attributing their refusal to obey the Pharaoh to the “fear of God.” The midwives purported that the Jewish women, being lively, gave birth before they arrive. It was God’s providence when the Pharoah upon hearing their crude account did not find it a tad dubious.

So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied and became very mighty.

The midwives’ fear of God which caused them to transgress the royal edict was richly rewarded. They were not only protected from the wrath of the Pharaoh, their legacies were forever enshrined in Hebrew traditions. Shiphrah and Puah are numbered together with the likes of Rahab of Jericho, and the Queen Esther of Persia who risked their lives for the Hebrew nation. In no uncertain terms, the scriptures attribute the survival of the Hebrew nation to these ordinary midwives. God also honoured them by prospering their descendants: He established households for them. At this time, the Pharaoh, having exhausted all his options, throws off his cloak of secrecy and resorted to open drowning of all male infants. The oppression of the Hebrew race has reached its pinnacle. For all Egypt must now arise to kill, to destroy, to curb the population explosion of the Hebrews. Then Moses is born.

Truth

God uses ordinary people during critical times to do His extraordinary work.

One need not travel far and wide, or possess extraordinary abilities to be greatly used by God. As the lowly midwives responded to the call of God to protect the innocent, likewise we can do the same where we are. Biblical history shows us that it is customary of God to use ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary feats.

Closer examination of the midwives revealed no extraordinary talents. But it is their fear of God that established their legacies in human history. How do we as believers manifest the fear of God where we are planted? By keeping a constant look out for the helpless while protecting them from the insidious treachery of the powerful. By the fear of God, we turn the cleverness of the wicked on its head. In the case of the midwives, their frail resources have succeeded in outdoing the crass schemes of the Pharaoh. The failure of Pharaoh’s plan is singularly attributed to the midwives’ fear of God. For it is God’s timely providence that inspired cleverness in the midwives and foolishness in the Pharaoh.

Therefore, believers, in order to be powerfully used by God, must be vigilant in keeping a constant look out for the weak. That said, most endeavour to do what is right short of putting themselves at risk. They may appear outspokenly noble, but when push comes to shove, their lights suddenly go out and they become timid as a mouse. Unless we fear God and love others to the extent of losing ourselves, we cannot achieve the extraordinary no matter how capable we may be.

Application

Do you shrug in resignation when the helpless in your workplace are bullied? Do you look the other way because you deemed such as beyond help? Remember, God has planted you in your current capacity for a divine and extraordinary purpose; to cause the weak to rise up and become mighty.

Dear Lord, create in me a fear of God and a divine love for others. Cause me to be sensitive towards those who are struggling. Give me divine wisdom so that we may thwart the wicked. Make me to become as a shield to the helpless, and to encourage them to rise up to become mighty. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.