Good Morning.
Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of one was Shiphrah and the name of the other Puah; and he said, “When you do the duties of a midwife for the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstools, if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.” (Exodus 1:15-16)
It is fascinating to see just closely events of long ago parallel those of today. Consider that Pharaoh — the government if you will — was dictating to “healthcare professionals” who among their enemies was to live and who was to die. Because Pharaoh was so intent to destroy Israel, he ordered that the male children be killed as they were being born — the equivalent of today’s partial birth abortion. According to Jewish tradition, Pharaoh had another, more specific reason for ordering this. His astrologers had allegedly told him that the deliverer of Israel was about to be born and this frightened him greatly. That is not too far-fetched considering that it was during this time that Moses was born. Consider, also, what Herod did when he was told of the Messiah’s birth — he had all the male children under the age of two killed in a failed attempt to thwart God’s plan. In every generation the tares always seek to destroy the wheat.
Like Herod, Pharaoh’s plan was frustrated. In this case it was due to the bravery of two women who feared God and refused to comply with his order. Their report to the king was,“the Hebrew women are lively and deliver before we arrive.” According to the Bible, because of the stand they took against evil God dealt favorably with these midwives “and made them houses.” This underscores the fact that our God observes our actions and the choices we make, particularly under difficult circumstances. and blesses those who fear Him. To this point, David said:
“The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them.” (Psalm 34:7)
Let us hold onto this truth: He posts the angel of the LORD around those who fear God in order to protect and preserve them in the face of danger and evil. Implied in this verse is that those who are delivered fear God more than they fear man. When threats are made against us it is our initial inclination to give in to the inherent will to live and prosper. The Almighty is looking for those who will overcome our fear of what man can do and consider that the blessings and rewards of obedience to God far outweigh anything any man can do to us. In the days ahead, we may well have opportunity to put this to the test. Seek His face for the strength to decide today what your decision for tomorrow’s challenge is going to be.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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