Exodus 1:15-2115And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah: 16And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live. 17But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive. 18And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive? 19And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them. 20Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty. 21And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses. (Exodus 1:15‑21)
“And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiprah, and the name of the other Puah;... When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women... if it be a son, then ye shall kill him; but if it be a daughter, then she shall live. But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.”
In all his wicked and brutal scheming there was one thing overlooked by this proud powerful despot. He did not take God into account, nor did he consider that he was dealing with His people. Ignorant that God had prophesied concerning this very time hundreds of years earlier, he was nonetheless opposing the purpose of God, unaware that his every act against God’s chosen people would add to the terrible judgment to soon fall upon him and his people.
Thus his worldly “wisdom” proved to be utmost folly and brought disaster upon his head. How foolish it is for all who oppose God to consider that they will escape His wrath and judgment! “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God: For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.” 1 Corinthians 3:19,2019For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. 20And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. (1 Corinthians 3:19‑20).
God will ever be for His people, although He may allow the furnace of affliction for a season, and especially so where there has been waywardness and failure to walk in obedience to His Word. He is seen here intervening for Israel through the actions of the two midwives. Their names — Shiphrah and Puah — go down through history — a testimony to their braving the king’s wrath, for they truly feared God and would not be the instruments of cruelty. In this they no doubt risked their lives for the sake of the children of Israel. God did not let such faithfulness go unrewarded.
“Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty. And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that He made them houses.” 10:20,21. These feeble women judged it their first duty to fear God, and thus they would disobey the king. We learn from this portion that the enemy is powerless to frustrate God’s purposes, that He cares for those who are connected with those purposes, that the fear of God can lift the feeblest and humblest, like these poor women, above the fear of man, and finally, how grateful God is for any faithfulness to Him in a scene where Satan reigns. “If God be for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:3131What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31).
ML 04/07/1968