Hard decisions…
You have probably heard the familiar phrase, ‘I’m caught between a rock and a hard spot’. If you have been there, you know the difficult circumstances to be faced as a decision is made. Preoccupied thoughts, a heavy heart, and the uncertainty of a decision are troublesome. These are the situations we try to avoid, yet, at times are faced with them.
This is the circumstance we find Shiphrah and Puah in the Book of Exodus. Ship and Poo who?! If your mind went there, I get it. I have read the Bible most of my life and never heard of these two women until recently.
As I waded through the weeds in the Book of Exodus…looking for Moses…I stumbled upon the names of these two women. They were the midwives to the Hebrew women of their time, but not just any midwives. Shiphrah and Puah represented all midwives in their area and answered to the ruler of Egypt called Pharoah. At the time Pharaoh had ordered a law commanding these women to kill all male babies as they were born. The midwives were to terminate the innocent infants as they assisted in labor. Allow this concept to sink in a moment; their lives depended on their obedience to obey a ruler of the land. Surely, they did not desire to perform this horrid act, but they also were fully aware of Pharoah’s dictatorship and power over them. Rulers of Egypt were looked upon as gods with authority and force. This was a hard decision to make; remain silent and do the deed or resist and risk their own lives…
We find Shiphrah and Puah choosing the latter decision. Exodus 1:17 states, “The midwives, however, feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had told them; they let the boys live.” Notice the words that explain why the women did not obey Pharoah’s law.
What comes to mind when you read that phrase, ‘they feared God’? Does it seem to be a “scared form of fear,” or a fear rooted in respect? The latter of the two wins again.
Shiphrah and Puah’s fear and honor of God was rooted in a deep awareness of who God was to them. He was the Creator of life, and they knew it. Their courageous act of faith did not remove them from the rock and the hard spot, but it did place a sense of courage in them to trust the unseen.
As our new friends, Shiphrah and Puah’s story unfolds, we find Moses; a tiny, male newborn that was destined to live beyond Pharoah’s evil act of hatred. If you recall, Moses was later placed in a basket by his mother into the river to journey to the unknown. But as Scripture shows us, he is drawn out of the water and into his calling.
The mother of Moses must have been heavy-hearted with such a difficult decision, but she, too knew the Creator of life and trusted in the unseen plan.
Who is the Creator of your life? Whom do you fear and honor? When challenges arise and the outcome is unclear, are you able to wholeheartedly trust who God is and the journey He has chosen for you?
As hard times arise and doubt consumes you, remind yourself whom you honor, fear and serve. Trust His plan and act courageously with faith in the Creator of your life.
