UNFORGETABLE and COURAGEOUS

 JANUARY 26, 2024

Exodus 1:8-22

8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9 And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. 10 Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” 11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. 12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel. 13 So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves 14 and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves.

15 Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, 16 “When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live.” 17 But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live. 18 So the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and let the male children live?” 19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.” 20 So God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong. 21 And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. 22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live.”



Shiprah and Puah courageously defied a Pharoah’s decree and chose instead to obey God’s higher laws and purpose.

They were Hebrew midwives during Israel’s slavery in Egypt. As the Biblical story tells us it seemed the more harshly Pharoah oppressed Israel, the more the Hebrews multiplied. So, Pharaoh gave a command to the Hebrew midwives: kill every Hebrew baby boy on delivery.

But Shiprah and Puah were worshippers of God and they refused to carry out Pharaoh’s evil command. As you noticed in our reading, when Pharoah demanded to know why, these women claimed Hebrew women had their babies too quickly for them to intervene.

Here is what I believe we should notice in this Old Testament story of two strong and brave women, Shiprah and Puah, is that despite the potential serious consequences they might face, they chose to stand for life!! Even if it cost them their own. Their courageous faith to honor God’s will and not the will of Pharoah allowed a young mother to deliver a baby boy whose name would be Moses, whom God would use ultimately, to deliver His people from Pharoah and their slavery.

Notice, that such a decision to stand for life, pleased God, and we read that “God dealt well with the midwives,” Shiprah and Puah. . . “because the midwives feared God, he gave them families.”

Now we do not live under the oppression of Pharoah like our reading today describes, but I wonder where in our society we have the opportunity and the choice to stand for life. I invite you to think about that.

I feel that when we take a stand against homelessness, food insecurity, support shelters, backing pregnancy centers that offer the choice of life over death, when we join with others and push back against harmful Government policies that thrust citizens into greater poverty, We stand for life. When we seek to live out the New Testament words of Galatians 6:9 that say, "Do not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

Go Ahead add to the list the things you thought of.



Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.

Proverbs 31:8-9