Colossians 3:23 ESV “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.”

The story of Moses dishes out all the thrills and chills of a great action movie. His life encompassed many seasons, so allow me to summarize just the first part. The Israelites were slaves in Egypt where they “multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty.” When Pharaoh felt threatened, he took drastic measures to preserve his kingdom and he issued a death warrant for all Hebrew baby boys. God chose this crazy time for baby Moses to be born and change the course of history.

We find Moses’ unconventional birth and childhood recorded in Exodus 1-2. Now if you are looking for an uplifting read, you are out of luck, for these two chapters are consumed with turmoil on all fronts. Pharaoh’s anxiousness over the strength of the Israelite slaves led him to overwork them to the point of exhaustion. The Israelite women were terrified to give birth lest they deliver a male child who would suffer death. And it was the midwives commanded to carry out the king’s death sentence. Yikes!

The midwives’ profession of bringing life and joy into the world changed in the blink of an eye as they were ordered to become the instrument of death. These were godly women faced with a choice. Would they remain faithful to their invisible God, or would they, out of fear, bow to the edict of Pharaoh?

I have often wondered if these midwives meet in secret to discuss their plight. Did they hold each other and cry over their dilemma? Did they pray fervently for guidance and strength? How did they encourage and build each other up as they came to the decision to ignore the king’s edict? Surely, they discussed the ramifications of choosing to serve God. Would it cost them their lives?

Let’s stop here to consider the “so what” of their story. How does the plight of the midwives speak into our lives? Are we not also faced with the choice of where to place our allegiance? And just like the midwives, does not each decision we make announce to the world whom we have chosen to serve?

We cannot overlook how their story demonstrates the importance of faithfulness to Jehovah, for not only did God provide the midwives with households, He bestowed honor upon them by having their names recorded on the pages of Scripture. These women, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, left us their legacy of faith. So, today friend, find someone who needs to hear of the faithfulness of Shiphrah and Puah, and allow their names to continue inspiring all generations forevermore.

Father God, may we remain faithful to you no matter the cost.

Blessings,

Rita Cochrane