Travel back in time with me to ancient Egypt during the time of the Pharaohs, approximately 1500 BC,. Thutmose I, Egyptian Pharaoh, is on the throne and he’s concerned because the Hebrews are multiplying. Many in Egypt are concerned. They worry about the number of births, realizing if something isn’t done in a few short years, the slaves may revolt or side with an enemy and the gravy train will be over. What should they do? Remember the man on the throne didn’t know Joseph. He wasn’t born when Joseph saved Egypt from starvation. That happened three hundred years earlier. All he could see was right before his eyes. The solution he settled on was godless. It isn’t surprising. The world and its leaders often make bad decisions. This one decision placed him at odds with Jehovah; a bad place to be. Pharaoh orders all the male Hebrew babies to be killed by the midwives while the birthing mothers are sitting on the birth stool. The birth stool was a wooden instrument that assisted in the delivering of babies. The story is found in Exodus 1.
To disobey a command could mean instant death. The word of Pharaoh was the law of the land just as kings from many different countries. The midwives are called and given their marching orders. If the baby is a girl, she lives and if the baby is a boy, he dies. It is cut and dry; simple in understanding, except for one thing. The bible tells us that “the midwives feared the Lord” (1:17). Two of those midwives, perhaps they are the leaders of the guild, are called before Pharaoh and he demands answers from them saying, “Why haven’t you obeyed my commands?” Those Hebrew women are heartier than the Egyptians. They answer, “By the time we get there the birth is over and the babies are not there.” Is this true? No, not by a long shot. The reason these two ladies had not obeyed is they feared God. Pharaoh is a powerful man but he’s not God. There are times when God’s people ought to obey God rather than man. One of the foundations of a Christian life should be the fear of the Lord. It is the beginning of wisdom. The two midwives names are given to us and the meanings of the names are of great encouragement. Shipgrah means “beautiful one” and Puah means “splendid one.” They feared God and have been memorialized on the pages of the Bible as women that feared God above all else. Let’s learn from these godly women.