A law has been passed. Those in power say it must be, and that’s the way it is. You don’t agree with the law, you know that it is absolutely wrong and immoral, but there’s nothing you can do. To disobey, or even dare to speak out could easily cost you your life. So what do you do? This is the situation in our Scripture for today. Most people here just went along with the law. However we will read of three women, a pair of midwives, and then a mother, who with their strong faith in God, dared to trust Him to go against what they knew was wrong. Let’s take a look.
The Kingdom of Egypt was the biggest, most powerful kingdom the world had ever known at the time, and Pharaoh the most powerful person on the planet. His word was law, and no one dared cross him. Pharaoh was disturbed that the enslaved Hebrew people were growing in number, and feared that they might rise in revolt, so he came up with a plan. He summoned the Hebrew midwives and commanded that they put to death all newborn Hebrew boys (vs. 15-16). Shiphrah and Puah, the midwives, knew that this was morally abhorrent. What could they do, though? To blatantly disobey Pharaoh could easily cost them their lives. These two loved the Lord, fearing and reverencing His commands, and they knew that they had to obey Him and not man (vs. 17-21). Just like centuries later when God protected the Apostles for obeying Him rather than the authorities (Acts 5:29), God also protected these midwives when they stood against the mightiest man on earth. When Pharaoh’s plan to be rid of the Hebrew boys was thwarted by the midwives, he got everyone involved and demanded all Hebrew males babies be killed by anyone (vs. 22).
Our passage continues with another brave woman, Jochebed, the mother of Moses. This Hebrew woman gave birth to a baby boy, and she was determined to keep him alive, no matter what Pharaoh had ordered. For three months she managed to hide his birth from the neighbors and authorities, but that couldn’t last forever. His cries were sure to be heard, and eventually he would start crawling and walking. Jochebed came up with a plan. She made a woven basket and lined it with a waterproof substance. She then placed her baby in the basket and took him down to the Nile River and set him afloat in the water ( vs. 1-3) I am sure that Jochebed prayed fervently to God during those first three months, seeking His guidance as to what to do with her baby boy, as she was not going to let anyone kill him. I believe this is what the Lord showed her to do, and she trusted Him, as she believed He had a plan.
What comes to mind when you think of the Nile River? One of the first things that comes to my mind is crocodiles. Most crocodiles would just love a nice little baby for a snack! However Jochebed trusted explicitly in God, that not only would He spare her son from Pharaoh’s death sentence, but He would also keep him safe from any harm in the river. She believed God had a plan for her son.
God did have a plan for the baby. The Holy Spirit had the timing just right. Shortly after Jochebed put the basket with Moses in the river, Pharaoh’s daughter came to that exact spot to bathe, and she heard the baby cry. The Lord God even had Moses crying, and not sleeping, to be sure that the royal princess would notice him (vs. 5-6).
God had heard Jochebed’s prayers. Not only was Moses found by Pharaoh’s daughter, and would be raised as a member of the royal family, in privilege and not as a slave, but Jochebed was able to care for him during his first 3-4 years (vs 7-9). She was able to carefully instruct Moses about Yahweh. Moses never forgot those lessons, either, and when he became a young man he did not deny his identity (Hebrews 11:24-27).
All three women had great faith in God, and also determined that they were going to do what they believed was right. They trusted in God and obeyed Him even against a powerful and evil adversary. The midwives Shiphrah and Puah did not know ahead of time that God would protect them. For all they knew they could have been executed at that moment, but they trusted and obeyed Him anyway. Jochebed trusted God with her newborn son, and would not let him be killed. When placing him in the river she completely relinquished her son’s care and safety to God. The Lord honored each woman for their faith and trust in Him. We can follow each of these women’s example by standing up for what we know God says in His Word, the Bible, and trusting Him with our lives and those of our family.
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